Governing Documents

The Board of Trustees (hereafter designated as the Board) of the Suffolk Cooperative Library System, a corporation created by a provisional charter granted under Section 255 of the New York State Education Law by the Regents of the University of the State of New York, June 23, 1961, and a permanent charter granted September 24, 1965, shall be governed by Chapter 300 of the 1993 Session Laws of New York State, amending Chapter 736 of 1975 (reproduced below) and by the following By-laws.

1993 SESSION LAWS
Chapter 300
SUFFOLK COUNTY--COOPERATIVE LIBRARY SYSTEM--MANAGEMENT--
BOARD OF TRUSTEES--REPRESENTATION

AN ACT to amend chapter 736 of the laws of 1975, relating to the management of the cooperative library system of Suffolk County, in relation to providing more equitable representation on the board of trustees thereof
Approved and effective July 21, 1993.

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. Paragraphs 1 and 2 of subdivision a of section 1 of chapter 736 of the laws of 1975, relating to the management of the cooperative library system of Suffolk County, are amended and a new paragraph 3 is added to read as follows:
      (1) one member to be elected, respectively, by a joint meeting of the trustees of the participating libraries in each of the towns of Babylon, [Brookhaven,] Huntington [,] and Islip[and Smithtown]; and
      (2) one member to be elected, respectively, by joint meeting of the trustees of the participating libraries in each of the following groups of towns, each considered as a unit, [a]Riverhead and Southold; (b) Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island; (c) [Brookhaven and] Islip and Babylon; and (d) [Babylon] Smithtown and Huntington[.]; and
      (3) two members to be elected by the trustees of the participating libraries in the town of Brookhaven.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter underlined or in italics is new
Ch. 736
LAWS OF NEW YORK 1975
Libraries-Suffolk County-Management of Cooperative System
CHAPTER 736
An Act in relation to the management of the cooperative library system of Suffolk county.
Approved and effective Aug. 9, 1975.
 
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. Management of the cooperative library system of Suffolk county. a. Any other provision of any other general, special or local law, rule or regulation to the contrary notwithstanding, in Suffolk county the cooperative library system shall be managed and controlled by a nine member board of trustees which shall replace the present board of trustees thereof on the first day of January, nineteen hundred seventy six. The term of office of such trustees shall be three years, except that the members of the first board of trustees, taking office January first, nineteen hundred seventy-six, shall determine by lot the year in which the term of office of each such trustee shall expire so that the terms of one-third of the members of such board shall expire annually. Such members of said first board of trustees shall be elected thereto at joint meetings of the trustees of the participating libraries in the cooperative library system, at which the board of trustees of such participating library shall have five votes, to be called by the secretary of the cooperative library system, who shall give to each trustee by mail to his last known address at least five days prior to such meeting notice of the appropriate joint meeting, in the manner following:
      (1) one member to be elected, respectively, by a joint meeting of the trustees of the participating libraries in each of the towns of Babylon, Brookhaven, Huntington, Islip and Smithtown; and
      (2) one member to be elected, respectively, by a joint meeting of the trustees of the participating libraries in each of the following groups of towns, each considered as a unit,(a) Riverhead and Southold; (b) Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island; (c)Brookhaven and Islip; and (d) Babylon and Huntington.
      b. Thereafter, the successors of such trustees shall be elected annually at joint meetings of the trustees of the participating libraries in the cooperative library system from the town or groups of towns, as the case may be, by which said trustee to be so succeeded have been elected. No trustee shall hold office consecutively for more than two full terms. Such meetings shall be called by the secretary of the cooperative library system by notice given to the trustees of the appropriate participating libraries in the manner set forth in paragraph a of this subdivision.
      Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
By-laws

Section 1. The Suffolk Cooperative Library System shall be governed by a Board of Trustees, hereafter referred to as the “Board,” consisting of one trustee from each of the Towns of Babylon, Huntington and Islip; one trustee to represent the towns of Riverhead and Southold jointly; one trustee to represent the towns of East Hampton, Shelter Island and Southampton jointly; one trustee to represent the towns of Babylon and Islip jointly, and one trustee to represent the towns of Huntington and Smithtown jointly, and two trustees to represent the Town of Brookhaven, making the total number of trustees nine. {*}

Section 2. Each trustee shall have one vote, irrespective of office held.

Section 3. A trustee must be present at a meeting to have his/her vote counted.

Section 1. The officers of the Board shall be as follows:

• President
• Vice President
• Secretary
• Treasurer

Section 2. The President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected at the January reorganization meeting by the Board, from among its membership, and shall perform the duties of the office until a successor is elected at the reorganization meeting the following January.

Section 3. No officer shall serve in the same elective office for more than two consecutive terms or major fraction thereof. After a lapse of one year, a trustee may be elected again to the office he/she already held.

Section 4. A Deputy Treasurer, appointed by the Board, shall serve at the discretion of the Board.

Section 1. The President shall preside at meetings of the Board and shall appoint the members of all committees and shall be a member ex officio of all committees.

Section 2. The Vice President shall perform all the duties of the President in his/her absence.

Section 3. The Secretary shall be responsible for a true and accurate account of allproceedings of Board meetings. In the absence of the President and the Vice President, the Secretary shall preside over meetings and perform all duties of the President.

Section 4. The Treasurer shall see that the System maintains adequate and appropriate financial records. The Treasurer shall also make recommendations to the Board of Trustees on acquisition and disbursement of funds.

Section 5. The Deputy Treasurer shall perform all the duties of the Treasurer in his/her absence.

Section 1. The Board shall appoint a qualified director who shall be the executive and administrative officer of SCLS.

Section 2. The Director shall be responsible for the proper performance of duties as spelled out in the job description provided by the Board.

Section 3. It shall be the duty of the Director to attend meetings of the Board, including budget meetings, or public meetings where action may be taken affecting the interests of the System. The Director shall have the right to speak on all matters under discussion at board meetings, but shall not have the right to vote thereon.

Section 1. The regular monthly meeting of the board shall be held at the Offices of the System on the first Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. or at such other time and place as may be determined by a majority of the trustees present at a preceding meeting.

Section 2. Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President at his/her discretion or upon the request of at least three Trustees directed to the President.

Section 3. Notice of the time and place of a special meeting shall be mailed no less than five (5) days nor more than ten (10) days to each Trustee.

Section 4. Notice of special meetings shall state the business to be transacted.

Section 5. The annual reorganization of the Board shall be the first order of business at the regular meeting in January, followed by a review of the By-laws, a report from the Director as prescribed in Article IV, and any other business as may be properly considered by a regular meeting.

Section 6. The annual meeting of all the members of the System and the trustees of the member libraries shall be held on the first Wednesday in December. Notice of this meeting shall be served by the Secretary on every trustee of every member library no less than ten days prior to the day of the meeting.

Section 7. A quorum for Board meetings shall be five trustees.

Section 8. A majority of the whole Board shall be required to pass motions or take action on issues.

Section 9. All meetings of the Board of Trustees shall be governed by the provisions of Article 7 of the Public Officers Law of New York (Open Meetings Law).

Section 10. All public meetings shall commence will the Pledge of Allegiance.

Section 1. The President may appoint special committees at any time from among the members of the Board.

Section 2. The President shall appoint a chairperson from among their number.

Section 3. All committee appointments expire with the call to order of the January reorganization meeting.

Section 1. The fiscal year of the System shall be the calendar year.

Section 1. System trustees shall reside in the town or one of the towns they represent.

Section 2. No employee of the System or any of its members nor any elected salaried official of any municipal corporation shall be eligible for election or appointment as System trustee.

Section 3. Trustees shall be nominated at a joint meeting of trustees of member libraries of the System located within the town, or towns, to be represented as prescribed under Article I, Section 1. Nominating meetings for each area where there will be a Board vacancy will be held between September1 and October 31. These meetings will be announced at least two weeks prior to the meeting date.

Section 4. No later than one week following the nominations the Chair of the nominating caucus will notify SCLS of the nominated candidates. Names of candidates will be sent to all of the members of library Boards of Trustees involved no later than two weeks following the nomination meeting.

Section 5. Each member library shall have five votes to be cast by written ballot after official action at a Board meeting. The ballots must be returned to SCLS for counting by 5:00 p.m. on the specified date. A plurality shall be required to elect. In case of ties there will be a run off. Results of the balloting will be communicated by memo to all libraries within one week of the completion of the ballot.

Section 6. If a vacancy shall occur prior to the expiration of the term of a System Trustee, a caucus of the area Trustees represented shall be held for the purpose of nominating a successor to the SCLS Board. A subsequent special election shall be held, in accordance with Article VIII, Section 4 and 5, to elect an area representative to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term.

Section 7. Any System trustee who fails to attend three consecutive regular meetings shall be declared to have vacated his/her seat pursuant to s 226.4 of New York State Education Law unless a majority of all System trustees considers his/her absences excusable by ballot cast at the next regular meeting following the third consecutive absence. Such vacancy shall be filled as prescribed under Article VIII, Section 6.

Section 8. The term of office shall be three years. No trustee shall hold office consecutively for more than two full terms. An individual who has served two consecutive terms must wait one full term before being eligible to serve again on the Board.

Amendments to these By-laws may be made by majority vote of the Board at any regular meeting provided that the changes shall have been submitted at the preceding regular meeting and that a copy of the proposed changes is part of the meeting notice.

In case of dispute, Robert’s Rules of Order shall prevail.