(A) The Mayor of the city shall appoint a board of nine trustees for the library, chosen from the citizens at large with reference to their fitness for such office. Not more than one member of the City Council shall be a member of the Board at any one time. The Mayor shall report the appointments to the City Council for approval or rejection, and the City Council shall, as soon as the appointments are made, proceed at once to confirm or reject each appointment. It shall require a vote of the majority of all the members of the City Council authorized by law to be elected to be taken by yeas and nays and entered upon its records to confirm the appointments. (ILCS Ch. 75, Act 5 § 4-1) (‘69 Code, § 14-3)
(B) The first Board of Trustees shall hold office for the following terms: one- third shall serve for one year, one-third for two years, and one-third for three years from July 1 following their appointments. At their first regular meeting, they shall cast lots for the respective terms. Annually thereafter the Mayor shall, before July 1 of each year, appoint as before three trustees, to take the place of the retiring trustees. The trustees appointed by the Mayor shall hold office for three years and until their successors are appointed. (ILCS Ch. 75, Act 5 § 4-1.1) (‘69 Code, § 14-4)
(C) Within 60 days after their election or appointment, the trustees shall take the oath of office and meet to organize the Board. The required oath may be taken and subscribed to before the Secretary or Secretary Pro Tempore of the Library Board, the County Clerk of the county containing all of a larger portion of the library, the judge entering the order for the establishment referendum or before any other person established to administer oaths.
(1) The first action taken at the organizational meeting of the Board shall be the election of a president, a secretary, and such other officers as the Board may deem necessary, and the Board shall further provide in the bylaws of the Board as to the length of the terms in office.
(2) The trustees shall determine the time and place of all official meetings of the Board at which any legal action may be taken and shall post notice thereof at the public library maintained by the Board and at not less than one public place within the corporate confines of the area of library service one day in advance thereof.
(ILCS Ch. 75, Act 5 § 4-6) (‘69 Code, § 14-6)
(D) The Mayor may, with the consent of the City Council, remove any trustee for misconduct or neglect of duty.
(ILCS Ch. 75, Act 5 § 4-1.1) (‘69 Code, § 14-4)
(E) Vacancies on the Board of Trustees occasioned by removal, resignation, or otherwise, shall be reported to the City Council, and be filled in like manner as original appointments. (ILCS Ch. 75, Act 5 § 4-4) (‘69 Code, § 14-5)
(F) Trustees shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed from library funds for their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. (ILCS Ch. 75, Act 5 § 4-5) (‘69 Code, § 14-5)
(G) The trustees shall require the Treasurer of the Board, or such other person as may be designated as the custodian of the moneys paid over to the Board, to give a bond to be approved by the Board in amount not less than 50% of the total funds received by the library in the last fiscal year, conditioned that he will safely keep and pay over upon the order of the Board all funds received and held by him for the Board of Trustees. The cost of any surety bond shall be borne by the library. As an alternative to a personal bond on the Treasurer or custodian of funds, the Board of Trustees may require the Treasurer or custodian to secure for the library an insurance policy or other insurance instrument that provides the library with coverage for negligent or intentional acts by library officials and employees that could result in the loss of library funds. The coverage shall be in an amount at least equal to 50% of the average amount of the library’s operating fund from the prior three years. The coverage shall be placed with an insurer approved by the Board. The cost of any such coverage shall be borne by the library. The library shall provide the Illinois State Library a copy of the library’s certificate of insurance at the time the library’s annual report is filed. (ILCS Ch. 75, Act 5 § 4-9) (‘69 Code, § 14-6)