Library Board of Trustees

Public Library

The public library for the City is known as the Clinton Public Library.

Library Trustees

The Board of Trustees of the library, hereinafter referred to as the Board, consists of nine resident members. All members are to be appointed by the Mayor with the approval of the Council.

Trustee Qualifications

All members of the Board shall be bona fide citizens and residents of the city. Members shall be over the age of 18 years.

Board Organization

The organization of the Board shall be as follows:

• Term of office. All appointments to the Board shall be for six years, except to fill vacancies. Each term shall commence on July 1. Appointments shall be made every two years of one-third the total number or as near as possible, to stagger the terms.
• Vacancies. The position of any Trustee shall be vacated if the member moves permanently from the city and shall be deemed vacated if the member is absent from three consecutive regular meetings of the Board, except in the case of sickness or temporary absence from the city. Vacancies in the Board shall be filled in the same manner as an original appointment except that the new Trustee shall fill out the unexpired term for which the appointment is made.
• Compensation. Trustees shall receive no compensation for their services.

Current Members

Powers and Duties:

• Officers. To meet and elect from its members a President, a Secretary and other officers as it deems necessary;
• Physical plant. To have charge, control and supervision of the library, its appurtenances, fixtures and rooms containing the same;
• Charge of affairs. To direct and control all affairs of the Library;
• Hiring of personnel. To employ a librarian, and authorize the librarian to employ assistants and employees as may be necessary for the proper management of the library, and fix their compensation; provided, however, that prior to employment, the compensation of the librarian, assistants and employees shall have been fixed and approved by a majority of the members of the Board voting in favor thereof;
• Removal of personnel. To remove the librarian, by a two-thirds vote of the Board, and provide procedures for the removal of the assistants or employees for misdemeanor, incompetence or inattention to duty, subject however, to the provisions of the Iowa Code Chapter 35C;
• Purchases. To select, or authorize the librarian to select, and make purchases of books, pamphlets, magazines, periodicals, papers, maps, journals, other library materials, furniture, fixtures, stationery and supplies for the library within budgetary limits set by the Board;
• Use by nonresidents. To authorize the use of the library by nonresidents and to fix charges therefor unless a contract for free service exists;
• Rules and regulations. To make and adopt, amend, modify or repeal rules and regulations, not inconsistent with this code of ordinances and the law, for the care, use, government and management of the library and the business of the Board, fixing and enforcing penalties for violations;
• Expenditures. To have exclusive control of the expenditure of all funds allocated for library purposes by the Council, and of all moneys available by gift or otherwise for the erection of library buildings, and of all other moneys belonging to the library including fines and rentals collected under the rules of the Board;
• Gifts. To accept gifts of real property, personal property or mixed property, and devises and bequests, including trust funds; to take the title to the property in the name of the library; to execute deeds and bills of sale for the conveyance of the property; and to expend the funds received by them from gifts, for the improvement of the library;
• Enforce the performance of conditions on gifts. To enforce the performance of conditions on gifts, donations, devises and bequests accepted by the city on behalf of the library;
• Record of proceedings. To keep a record of its proceedings; and
• County Historical Association. To have authority to make agreements with the local County Historical Association where such exists, and to set apart the necessary room and to care for articles as may come into the possession of the association. The Trustees are further authorized to purchase necessary receptacles and materials for the preservation and protection of articles as are in their judgment of a historical and educational nature and pay for the same out of funds allocated for library purposes.

Contracting with Other Libraries

The Board has power to contract with other libraries in accordance with the following:

• Contracting: The Board may contract with any other Boards of Trustees of free public libraries, with any other city, school corporation, private or semiprivate organization, institution of higher learning, township or county, or with the trustees of any county library district for the use of the library by their respective residents; and
• Termination: A contract may be terminated at any time by mutual consent of the contracting parties.

Nonresident Use

The Board may authorize the use of the library by persons not residents of the city or county in any one or more of the following ways:

• Lending. By lending the books or other materials of the library to nonresidents on the same terms and conditions as to residents of the city or county, or upon payment of a special nonresident library fee;
• Depository. By establishing depositories of library books or other materials to be loaned to nonresidents;
• Bookmobiles. By establishing bookmobiles or a traveling library so that books or other library materials may be loaned to nonresidents; and
• Branch library. By establishing branch libraries for lending books or other library materials to nonresidents.

Expenditures

All money appropriated by the Council for the operation and maintenance of the library shall be set aside in an account for the library. Expenditures shall be paid for only on orders of the Board, signed by its President and Secretary.

Annual Report

The Board shall make a report to the Council immediately after the close of the fiscal year. This report shall contain statements as to the condition of the library, the number of books added, the number circulated, the amount of fines collected, and the amount of money expended in the maintenance of the library during the year, together with further information as may be required by the Council.

Injury to Books or Property

It is unlawful for a person willfully, maliciously or wantonly to tear, deface, mutilate, injure or destroy, in whole or in part, any newspaper, periodical, book, map, pamphlet, chart, picture or other property belonging to the library or reading room.

Theft

No person shall take possession or control of property of the library with the intent to deprive the library thereof.

Notice Posted

There shall be posted in clear public view within the library notices informing the public of the following:

• Failure to return. Failure to return library materials for two months or more after the date the person agreed to return the library materials, or failure to return library equipment for one month or more after the date the person agreed to return the library equipment, is evidence of intent to deprive the owner, provided a reasonable attempt, including the mailing by restricted certified mail of notice that the material or equipment is overdue and criminal actions will be taken, has been made to reclaim the materials or equipment; and
• Detention and search. Persons concealing library materials may be detained and searched pursuant to law.