LINC Bylaws

 

Adopted October 1, 2000

 

Description of LINC

 

LINC is an integrated library system (ILS) that provides information about the resources of libraries in East Central Illinois and is a gateway to resources and information throughout Illinois, the nation, and the world.  LINC provides access to diverse collections of participating multitype libraries that serve local clientele.  The unique and distinct contributions of each member library are valued because they enhance and enrich the whole.

 

LINC is a service of Lincoln Trail Libraries System.  The Lincoln Trail Libraries System Board of Directors serves as the contractual and fiscal agent and establishes service policies of LTLS.  Operational policies implemented by the LINC Libraries shall not conflict with the service policies of the LTLS Board of Directors.

 

Preamble

 

The LINC Libraries have been organized to provide feedback to Lincoln Trail Libraries System from the users of the shared integrated library system.   The LINC Libraries improve the quality of feedback by providing a forum in which the concerns of individual libraries can be tested to determine whether recommendations for improvement should be made.  In developing recommendations, every effort will be made to achieve consensus among members.  It is our express intent to move ahead together through improvements which consider the needs of individual libraries and are in the best interest of the whole.

 

Section 1 ­ Membership

 

LINC has three membership categories.

 

A.         Online Libraries

 

Online libraries are those libraries that maintain their bibliographic holdings in the LINC database and utilize the ILS software to maintain current circulation status data.

 

B.         Pre-Online Libraries

 

Pre-Online libraries are those libraries that are in the process of adding their bibliographic holdings into the LINC database with the intent of using the ILS software to maintain current circulation status data.

 

C.         Union List Libraries

 

Union List libraries are those libraries that maintain their bibliographic holdings in the LINC database but do not use the ILS software to circulate online.

 

Section 2 ­ Member Responsibilities

 

A.         Adherence to Policies and Procedures

 

LINC members adhere to policies and procedures as outlined in the LINC By-Laws, the LINC Membership Agreement, the LINC Principles of Cooperation, the LINC Dispute Resolution, the LINC Policy and Protocol Manual, and any additional policies passed by the LINC Policy Council. 

 

B.    Participation

 

LINC members participate in the governance structure of LINC, participate in LINC training, and assume responsibility for monitoring communications put forth by LTLS and other LINC members.

 

C.     Communication

 

LINC members are expected to use an enhanced communications network maintained by LTLS. This structure includes, but is not limited to, regular updates on LINC activities that are distributed to all staff of LINC libraries who have a user name and password on LINC.  In addition, LTLS will develop a communications network to provide group interaction via electronic means.

 

Section 3 ­ Organization

 

A.         Governance Structure

 

The governance structure of LINC shall include the LINC Directors Group, the LINC Policy Council, and the LINC Users Group.

 

1.         The LINC Directors Group is comprised of one chief executive officer for each Online, Pre-Online, and Union List agency (agency as designated by membership in LTLS).  The LINC Directors Group shall review and approve changes in the LINC cost-sharing formula, review options related to procurement of an ILS, approve LINC Bylaws changes, provide input on the strategic direction of LINC, and elect members to the LINC Policy Council.

2.         The LINC Policy Council is comprised of 10 elected representatives from the Online LINC agencies and one official LTLS representative. The LINC Policy Council shall develop and adopt LINC operational policies under consideration for the LINC libraries and consider issues and requests that are brought forward from LTLS staff, individual libraries, the LINC Directors Group, or the LINC Users Group.

 

3.         The LINC Users Group will be a forum for all staff members from Online, Pre-Online and Union List libraries. The LINC Users will meet to discuss operational functionality and procedures related to the policies set by the LINC Policy Council.

 

B.    Officers

 

There shall be one elected representative who will serve as Chair of both the LINC Directors Group and LINC Policy Council. There shall be one elected representative who will serve as Vice-Chair of both the LINC Directors Group and LINC Policy Council.  The LINC Chair and Vice-Chair shall be elected as prescribed in Sections 4 and 5.

 

Section 4 ­ LINC Directors Group

 

A.         Membership

 

The LINC Directors Group shall be comprised of the chief executive officer (or designated representative) of each Online, Pre-Online, and Union List library agency.

 

B.    Purpose

 

The LINC Directors Group shall review and approve changes in the LINC cost-sharing formula, review options related to procurement of an ILS, approve LINC Bylaws changes, provide input on the strategic direction of LINC, and elect members to the LINC Policy Council.

 

C.         Terms of Office

 

There is no limit to the term of office for members of the LINC Directors Group.

 

D.         Meetings

 

The LINC Directors Group shall meet at least two times annually, in the spring and fall.  Meetings may be called more frequently as circumstances warrant.

 

E.         Voting

 

Members of the LINC Directors Group are voting members.  A simple majority of members present shall constitute a quorum at each meeting called to conduct business.  No substitute who has not been designated in writing by the memberıs chief executive officer shall have voting privileges.

 

F.         Election of Policy Council

 

1.    Representatives

 

The LINC Directors Group will nominate and elect representatives to LINC Policy Council. 

 

2.    Eligibility

 

Only representatives from Online member agencies can be elected to the LINC Policy Council.  Eligible representatives do not have to be a director of a library but the name must be submitted by members of the LINC Directors Group and must be certified as eligible to serve by the Director of that library. Directors can submit more than one name per agency for consideration, but there can be no more than one representative per agency on the LINC Policy Council.

 

3.    Nominating Committee

 

The LINC Directors Group Chair shall appoint a nominating committee.  The nominating committee shall develop a slate of LINC Policy Council candidates to be distributed to members of the Directors Group for a vote by ballot.  The list of candidates for LINC Policy Council will be posted on the LTLS website at least 2 weeks prior to balloting.  Any eligible representative as described in Section 4F2. that wishes to be placed on the ballot can petition to be placed on the ballot when at least 10 members of the LINC Directors Group sign such a petition.  The nominating committee will add petition candidates to the ballot providing that there are no other nominees from the petition candidate's agency already on the ballot or continuing on the LINC Policy Council.  The election of the LINC Policy Council will take place by ballot prior to the spring LINC Directors Group meeting.

 

The nominating committee will make every effort to nominate candidates from a broad representation of library size, geographic distribution, and type of population served (elementary, high school, rural, and urban).

 

After the election of the LINC Policy Council the nominating committee will develop a slate of officers to present to the LINC Directors Group at the spring meeting.

 

G.         Officers

 

The Chair and Vice-Chair of the LINC Policy Council shall be the Chair and Vice-Chair of LINC Directors Group.

 

Section 5 ­ LINC Policy Council

 

A.         Membership

 

The LINC Policy Council shall be comprised of 11 representatives, 10 elected representatives from the Online LINC agencies and one official LTLS representative.  This Council will have elected representation as follows: 3 Public Library Representatives (at least1 representative from a library serving over 10,000 in population and at least 1 from a library serving under 10,000 in population), 3 School Library Representatives, 1 Academic/Special Representative, and 3 At-Large Representatives. 

 

B.         Purpose

 

The LINC Policy Council shall review and vote on LINC operational policies under consideration for the LINC Libraries and consider issues and requests that are brought forward from LTLS staff, individual libraries, the LINC Directors Group, or the LINC Users Group.

 

The LINC Policy Council can appoint ad hoc committees as needed.  These committees shall report to the LINC Policy Council.  Any recommendation made by these committees will be advisory only.

 

C.         Terms of Office

 

The terms of the elected representatives will be staggered, two-year terms, with a term limit of four years.  These terms will begin on July 1

 

D.         Officers

 

At its spring meeting, the Directors Group will elect the Chair and Vice-Chair from the elected members of the LINC Policy Council.  The Chair of the LINC Policy Council shall be elected by a majority vote of all LINC Directors Group members who are present.  The Chair will also serve as the Chair of the LINC Directors Group.  The Vice-Chair shall be elected in the same manner as the Chair and will also serve as the Vice-Chair of the LINC Directors Group.  Officers shall serve two-year terms, with the term beginning July 1.  The LTLS representative shall serve as the Secretary of the LINC Policy Council.

 

E.              Meetings

 

The LINC Policy Council shall meet at least four times annually.  Meetings may be called more frequently as circumstances warrant.  The Agenda and Policy Action Items shall be posted on the LTLS Website two weeks prior to LINC Policy Council meetings.

 

F.         Voting

 

All members of the LINC Policy Council are voting members.  A quorum of seven voting members shall be required at each meeting called to conduct business.

 

Section 6 ­ LINC Users Group

 

A.         Purpose

 

The LINC Users Group is a forum for all staff members from Online, Pre-Online and Union List libraries. The LINC Users will meet to discuss operational functionality and procedures related to the policies set by the LINC Policy Council.  LTLS will act as the liaison for this group and will carry issues raised by the group to LINC Policy Council.

 

Members of the LINC Users Group will assist LTLS staff in setting agendas and planning the content that will be presented at the meetings.

 

B.         Membership

 

The LINC Users Group will consist of any staff member from any Online, Pre-Online, or Union List LINC library building.

 

C.     Meetings

 

The LINC Users Group shall meet three times annually.  Meetings may be called more frequently as circumstances warrant.

 

Section 7 ­ Rules of Order

 

All meetings of the LINC Directors Group and the LINC Policy Council will be conducted according to the latest edition of Robertıs Rules of Order. 

 

Section 8 - Amendment of Bylaws

 

These Bylaws may be amended by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the LINC Directors Group through a ballot to the membership, provided that the amendments have been submitted in writing to the LINC Directors Group and discussed at a meeting of the LINC Directors Group prior to ballot distribution.