Library Board | Bekkum Memorial Library

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How is the Library Funded?

In Wisconsin, libraries are primarily funded through taxes. Bekkum Library receives the greater part of our funding from the City of Westby. We also receive funds from Vernon, Monroe & Crawford Counties as well as a yearly amount from the State. (A small part of our income is from fines we collect, or the used books for sale at our entrance.)

How do you receive money from the county?

Wisconsin State Statute 43.12 requires counties whose township residents use a municipal library to reimburse that library for the use. Counties are required to reimburse libraries in their own county as well as all adjacent counties, except those with a consolidated county library. In order for this to work, the library is responsible for keeping accurate usage statistics (this is one reason we ask you where you live!) and reporting these statistics in an Annual Report to the State of Wisconsin-Department of Public Instruction. These statistics are also then reported to the county in which the library resides as well as each adjacent county where reimbursement is sought.

The nonresident reimbursement figures are determined by dividing the total operating expenditures reported by the library (minus capital and federal funding) by the total annual number of items the library checked out in the same year. That gives the library a Unit Cost, or cost to circulate one library item. That Unit Cost is then multiplied by the number of check-outs to nonresidents in each county. State statues require that counties reimburse municipal libraries for 70% of that cost. The county clerk may request access to all documents and records used to determine reimbursement figures.

For example, in 2014, Bekkum Library checked out 54,431 items to our customers, and our Operating Expenses totaled $ 132,212, giving us a unit cost of $2.429. We had 27,398 check-outs to non-residents: 27,398 x 2.429=66,549.742 Multiply 66,549.742 by 70% and you get $46,585.00 (rounded) which is the amount of money Bekkum Library will receive from county governments in 2016. Most of this is from Vernon County.

Bekkum Memorial Library Board Bylaws

Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Bekkum Memorial Library on March 10, 2020.
Click HERE for a printable version of the following.

Article I
Identification

This organization is the Board of Trustees of the Bekkum Memorial Library, located in Westby,

Wisconsin, established by the Wisconsin municipality of Westby, according to the provisions of Chapter 43 of the Wisconsin Statutes, and exercising the powers and assuming the duties granted to it under said statute.

Article II
Membership

Section 1. Appointments and Terms of Office. Appointments and terms of office are as provided by the relevant subsections of Wisconsin Statutes Sections 43.54 for municipal libraries, and 43.60 for additional appointments by the county, based on the level of county funding.

Section 2. Meeting Attendance. Members shall be expected to attend all meetings in person or by other means possible, except as they are prevented by a valid reason. Please refer to Bekkum Memorial Library Policies Section V. Item D. for more information.

Article III
Officers

Section 1. The officers shall be a president, a vice president, a secretary, and a treasurer, elected from among the appointed trustees at the annual meeting of the Board for a term of one (1) year. No member shall hold more than one office at a time. Vacancies in office shall be filled by vote at the next regular meeting of the Board after the vacancy occurs.

Section 2. The president shall preside at meetings of the Board, authorize calls for special meetings, confirm committee selections, execute all documents authorized by the Board, serve as a voting member of committees when requested, and generally perform all duties associated with the office of president.

Section 3. The vice president, in the event of the absence or disability of the president, or of a vacancy in that office, shall assume and perform the duties and functions of the president.

Section 4. The secretary shall keep true and accurate minutes of all meetings of the Board, and shall perform such other duties as are generally associated with the office of secretary.

Section 5. The treasurer, with board approval, shall sign all checks drawn on funds held by the library board, and perform such duties as generally revolve upon the office. The treasurer shall make monthly reports to the Board showing in detail the amount and investment of, and income and disbursements from, the funds in his or her charge.

Article IV
Meetings

Section 1. Regular Meetings. The regular meetings shall be held each month, the date and hour to be set by the Board at its annual meeting.

Section 2. Annual Meeting. The annual meeting, which shall be for the purpose of the election of officers, shall be held at the time of the regular meeting in May of each year.

Section 3. Agendas and Notices. Meeting agendas and notices shall indicate the time, date, and place of the meeting and indicate all subject matters intended for consideration at the meeting.

Section 4. Minutes. Minutes of all meetings shall, at a minimum, indicate board members present, all items of business, all motions (except those that were withdrawn), and the result of all votes taken. Current board minutes shall be posted.

Section 5. Special Meetings. Special meetings may be called at the direction of the president, or shall be called at the written request of three members, for the transaction of business as stated in the call for the meeting. Except in cases of emergency, at least 48 hours notice shall be given.

Section 6. Quorum. A quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting shall consist of a majority of the library board members.

Section 7. Open Meetings Law Compliance. All Board meetings shall be held in compliance with Wisconsin’s open meetings law.

Section 8. Parliamentary Authority. The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order, latest revised edition, shall govern the parliamentary procedure of the meetings, in all cases in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any statutes applicable to this Board.

Article V
Committees

Section 1. Standing Committees. The following committees: Personnel, Budget, Facility, Landscaping, Policy and Strategic Planning, shall be confirmed by the president promptly after the annual meeting and shall make recommendations to the Board.

Section 2. Ad Hoc Committees. Ad hoc committees for the study of special problems shall be appointed by the president, with the approval of the Board, to serve until the final report of the work for which they were appointed has been filed. These committees may also include staff and public representatives, as well as outside experts.

Section 3. No committee shall have other than advisory powers.

Article VI
Duties of the Board of Trustees

Section 1. Legal responsibility for the operation of the Bekkum Memorial Library is vested in the Board of Trustees. Subject to state and federal law, the Board has the power and duty to determine rules and regulations governing library operations and services.

Section 2. The Board shall select, appoint and supervise a properly certified and competent library director.

Section 3. The Board shall approve the budget and make sure that adequate funds are provided to finance the approved budget.

Section 4. The Board shall have exclusive control of the expenditure of all moneys collected, donated or appropriated for the library and shall audit and approve all library expenditures.

Section 5. The Board shall oversee the maintenance of the buildings and grounds, as well as regularly review various physical and building needs to see that they meet the requirements of the total library program.

Section 6. The Board shall study and support legislation that will bring about the greatest good to the greatest number of library users.

Section 7. The Board shall cooperate with other public officials and boards and maintain vital public relations.

Section 8. The Board must approve the required annual report before it is submitted to the Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning, and to the Westby City Council.

Article VII
Library Director

The library director shall be appointed by the Board of Trustees and shall be responsible to the Board. The library director shall be considered the executive officer of the library with general supervision, control and management responsibilities of the library and property under the direction and review of the Board, and subject to the policies established by the Board. The director shall act as an advisor to the Board. The director shall attend all Board meetings (but may be excused from closed sessions) and shall have no vote.

Article VIII
Conflict of Interest

Section 1. Board members may not in their private capacity negotiate, bid for, or enter into a contract with the Bekkum Memorial Library in which they have a direct or indirect financial interest.

Section 2. A board member shall withdraw from Board discussion, deliberation, and vote on any matter in which the Board member, an immediate family member, or an organization with which the Board member is associated has a substantial financial interest.

Section 3. A board member may not receive anything of value that could reasonably be expected to influence his or her vote or other official action.

Article IX
General

Section 1. An affirmative vote of the majority of all members of the Board attending the meeting shall be necessary to approve any action before the Board. The president may vote upon and may move or second a proposal before the Board.

Section 2. Any rule or resolution of the Board, whether contained in these bylaws or otherwise, may be suspended temporarily in connection with business at hand, but such suspension, to be valid, may be taken only at a meeting at which two-thirds of the members of the Board are attending and two-thirds of those attending so approve.

Section 3. These bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting of the Board by majority vote of all members of the Board, provided written notice of the proposed amendment shall have been emailed or ground mailed to all members at least ten days prior to the meeting at which such action is proposed to be taken. An email or written vote received by the president before midnight the day of the meeting when the vote is to be taken will be acceptable when a board member is unable to attend the vote.