Library Board of Trustees

• Morgan Williams - first term; expires 6/30/2025 Chair
• Pam Cansler – first term; expires 6/30/27
• Carmen Isenhower – second term; expires 6/30/25
• Jeanne Lebens - first term; expires 6/30/26
• Katherine Perkins - first term; expires 6/30/27
• Donna Reece- first term, municpal appointment Claremont; expires 6/30/27
• Ed Sain - first term, municipal appointment Newton; expires 6/30/28

2024 Meeting Dates and Agendas

• Tuesday, February 13, 2024
• Tuesday, May 14, 2024
• Tuesday, August 13, 2024
• Tuesday, November 11, 2024

2023 Meeting Dates and Agendas

• Tuesday, February 14
• Tuesday, May 8
• Tuesday, August 8
• Tuesday, November 14

The Library Board meets quarterly on the second Tuesday of the month (February, May, August, and November) at 12 noon.

• November 2024
• August 2024
• May 2024
• February 2024
• May 2023
• February 2023
• November 2022
• August 2022
• May 2022
• February 2022
• November 2021
• August 2021
• May 2021
• February 2021
• November 2020
• August 2020
• May 2020 – no meeting held due to COVID-19
• February 2020
• November 2019
• September 2019

ARTICLE I: Establishment and Membership

1. There is created and established in and for the county a board to be known as the Catawba County Library Board of Trustees.
2. The library board of trustees is an advisory board and shall be composed of seven members. The members shall be appointed by the board of commissioners. Representatives should be selected to adequately represent the various areas of the county, as well as to ensure that the board remains diverse with respect to gender, age, ethnicity, economic status, profession, experience, skills, and ability, when possible.
3. Two of the board positions shall be filled by representatives recommended by the respective governing bodies of the four municipalities with County branch library presence within their boundaries, based on current composition of the board to ensure equal geographical representation from throughout the County. The governing bodies may nominate a council member or a citizen.
4. If the person or persons recommended by the governing body of the municipality are not acceptable to the board of commissioners, the board of commissioners shall ask the governing body to recommend another person or persons until each vacancy is filled by the appointment of a person acceptable to both the recommending governing body and the board of commissioners.
5. The board of commissioners may remove a trustee at any time for incapacity, unfitness, misconduct, or neglect of duty.
6. A term shall be four years. Except for board members under Section 24-36(c), a person may serve up to two terms. Appointment to any portion of an unexpired term shall not count toward the two term limit. Following a 12-month absence on the board, an individual shall be eligible for reappointment.
7. The board of commissioners may appoint one of its members to serve as an ex officio member of the library board of trustees for a term coincident to his or her elected term of office.

Article II: Officers

1. The library board of trustees shall elect a chairperson and vice-chairperson, elected from a majority vote, to serve a term of one year, with a maximum of four years concurrent service, and one year between any additional terms.
2. The chairperson shall preside at meetings of the board, and serve as spokesman for the board whenever necessary. In the absence of the chairperson, the vice-chairperson will assume the duties of the chairperson.
3. A library staff member, designated by the Library Director, shall serve as secretary. The secretary shall send notices and agenda materials to board members, post meeting notices, keep a true and accurate account of all board meetings and distribute to members of the Board of Trustees, and provide for safekeeping of all minutes and records of the board. A quarterly report, in the form of minutes of the meetings of the trustees, shall be sent to the office of the county manager following each meeting to keep the board of commissioners informed on the direction being taken by the trustees.

Article III: Duties and Responsibilities

1. Assist in the development of a Strategic Plan for Library Services by providing input into the establishment of system-wide priorities, raising awareness about the planning process by soliciting feedback from citizens on existing and future library services, participating in the process of developing a mission, vision, and values for the system, and making recommendations to the board of commissioners for the Strategic Plan’s adoption.
2. Contribute to the implementation of the Strategic Plan over time, assisting the library director by individually and collectively assuming responsibility for furthering specific strategies, based on the available talents and resources of each board member and as requested by the library director.
3. Maintain knowledge of and support library adherence to state and national standards for Library Services, including the North Carolina Public Library Standards and those of the American Library Association and the Public Library Association.
4. Understand and promote the vision and mission of the public library in the community, and advocate for equal and unrestricted access to library services and materials for all in the community.
5. In consultation with the library director, make recommendations on library services and policies.
6. In consultation with the library director, make recommendations concerning the construction and improvement of buildings and other structures for the library system.

Article IV: Meetings

1. Regular meetings of the Library Board of Trustees shall be held quarterly, or four times a year, at the Catawba County Library in Newton, North Carolina. Any change in the time, date, and/or location of this meeting shall be authorized by the chairperson of the Library Board and prior notice given to each member of the Board, the County Manager’s Office, and publicly posted 24 hours in advance of the regularly scheduled board meeting.
2. A majority of members will constitute a quorum.
3. The first meeting of the fiscal year is the annual meeting at which officers shall be elected.
4. Special meetings may be called by the chairperson of the Board of Trustees or by the written request of three board members.
5. Any member of the Board of Trustees shall be determined to have resigned if he or she has missed three consecutive meetings, or over 50% of the meetings in a given year, except for reasons of illness or other equivalent circumstances.

Article VI: Committees

1. Committees may be appointed by the chairperson as the need arises. There are no standing committees of the Board.

Article VII: Adoption

1. Adoption of these by-laws is by a majority vote of the Library Board of Trustees.

Adopted August 9, 2016