LibGuides: Trustee Toolkit: Open Meetings Law: Voting

Voting

Every library does their voting a little differently, but it should be clearly defined in your bylaws. It is important that your board is transparent with its actions.

The majority of FLLS libraries are association libraries. Most likely you will hold an annual meeting where new trustees are elected. This may be a formal meeting with a speaker, or not.
Municipal libraries have different requirements. Board can seek potential board members but the town/village/county has to approve.

Basic Info

Your Board can appoint people at any time to fill unexpected vacancies. NYSL follows this closely in your annual reports. Important to keep accurate records with dates.

You should have a nominating committee. Have a process for adding people to the board, interviewing, forms to fill out, etc. FLLS has sample interview questions, position descriptions, and forms available.

Boards should NOT be having private discussions about potential board members in executive session. This breaks Open Meetings Law. It must be discussed in an open meeting, even if it may be awkward to discuss the person while they are present.

Executive session is for: discussing union matters, litigation or possible litigation, purchasing land or buildings, personnel actions (hiring, medical issues, firing).

Voting Protocols and Etiquette Questions

Q: We recently added new board members. One of our current members said they felt uncomfortable voting in front of the potential new members. How should this be handled?

Answer:

Voting in new trustees is required by not only education law but also public officers’ law. You should not be deviating or doing anything different than a vote by your full board, even it is a vote to appoint a board member on a temporary basis.