DORR TOWNSHIP LIBRARY            Home Page
Board and Policies
Meetings are held the second Monday
of each month at 7:00 PM at the Dorr Library

Library Board Members

Gordon Lieffers, President

George Grevenstuk, Vice President

Pat Moore, Treasurer

Tammy Sakon, Secretary

Ken Huizinga, Trustee

Naomi Younglove, Trustee

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BY-LAWS - Article I - Article II - Article III 
Article IV - Article V - Article VI - Article VII
Policy Manual - Mission Statement - Book Selection Policy
Library Bill of Rights - Censorship Policy 

The Library Board of the Dorr Township Library shall consist of six Trustees elected for a four-year term on a non-partisan ballot at the November general election in Dorr Township in accordance with the provisions of Michigan Act 164, Article 397.211.

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Section 1. The officers shall be a President, a Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Assistant Treasurer, if desired, elected by the Trustees at the December meeting of the Board. The Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer shall be bonded.

Section 2. Officers shall be elected at the December meeting and shall serve a term of one year and/or until their successors are duly elected.

Section 3. The officers shall perform the duties generally associated with their offices and such others as may be designated by the Board.

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The Library Board is responsible for setting library policy, securing library funding, and appointing a Library Director. Each Trustee should have a commitment to the Library and plan to attend meetings regularly.

Section 1: The regular meetings of the Dorr Township Library shall be held monthly on the second Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Dorr Township Library or a designated location.

Section 2: The Annual Meeting which shall be for the purpose of election of officers shall be the December meeting.

Section 3: The annual budget and yearly report shall be adopted at the regular meeting in April of each year.

Section 4: Special meetings may be called by the President or at the request of four (4) members for transaction of business as stated in the call for the meeting.

Section 5: A Quorum for transactions of business shall consist of a simple majority of the entire elected board.

Section 6: Order of business for regular meetings shall be:

- Call to order

- Roll Call (Secretary may simply record attendance)

- Approval of the minutes

- Secretary’s report

- Treasurer’s report

- Library update

- Trustee update, including a report on Township Board meeting

- Committee reports

- Business

- Public comment

- Adjournment

Section 7: Situations not covered by these by-laws or the Board Policies shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order, latest edition.

Section 8: The Library Board may request the resignation of a member who misses two consecutive meetings, or more than three meetings per year.

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The Library Board shall appoint a Library Director with appropriate Professional and personal qualifications who shall be the administrative officer for the Library Board.

The Library Director shall be responsible to the Library Board for:

1. Carrying out its policies.

2. Specifying duties of other employees and appointing all staff.

3. Supervision of staff.

4. Care and maintenance of library equipment and property.

5. Selection, acquisition and organization of books and other library materials.

6. Library’s public relations.

7. Keeping Trustees informed of matters relating to the Library or to themselves as Trustees.

8. Preparing a preliminary draft of the budget and annual report for Library Board approval.

9. Assisting the Library Board in its decisions on policies, budget and other such matters.

10. Prepare agenda for board meetings.

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In most matters, the Library Board shall act as a committee of the whole, but special committees may be appointed at the discretion of the Library Board President. The committee shall be considered discharged upon completion of its assignment and a final report to the Library Board.

A permanent Personnel Committee shall consist of the Vice-President of the Library Board as well as at least one other Trustee, but no more than three members of the Library Board in total.

Section 1: An affirmative vote of the majority of all trustees present shall be necessary to approve any action by the Library Board.

Section 2: The by-laws may be amended by a majority vote of members present at an official meeting of the Library Board, provided the amendment was available for discussion at the previous meeting.
(Adopted April 1, 1985)

The Dorr Township Library provides materials for information, education, and entertainment and promotes reading for recreation and learning to all people who use the library.

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The goal of the Dorr Township Library is to select materials which communicate from one person to another Man’s heritage of experience from both the past and present, and to make these library materials easily available to all people within its service area and to assist them to:

a. Educate themselves continuously.

b. Keep pace with progress in all fields of knowledge.

c. Become better members of home and community.

d. Discharge political and social obligations.

e. Be more capable in their daily occupations.

f. Develop their creative and spiritual capacities.

g. Appreciate and enjoy works of art and literature.

h. Make such use of leisure time as well promote personal and social well being.

I. Contribute to the growth of knowledge.

The words "book", "library materials", or other synonyms as they may occur in the policy have the widest possible meaning, including every form of permanent record.

Refers to the decision that must be made either to add a given library material to the collection, to retain those already in the collection, or to remove any given materials from the collection.

Final responsibility for book selection lies with the Library Director or any designated staff.

a. Author’s reputation and significance as a writer.

b. Importance to the collection.

c. Timeliness of permanence of the material.

d. Authoritativeness.

e. Accurate information.

f. Social significance.

g. Clear presentation and readability.

h. Appearance of title in special indexes or bibliographies.

i. Reputation and standing of the publisher.

j. Format.

k. Price.

l. Housing.

m. Allow for varying complexity of material.

n. Pay due regard to the special, commercial, industrial, cultural and civic enterprises of the local community.

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(Adopted March 28, 1983)

The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services.

I. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.

II. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

IV. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.

V. A person's right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.

VI. Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.

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Adopted June 18, 1948.

Amended February 2, 1961, and January 23, 1980

The Dorr Township Library recognizes that many books are controversial and that any given item may offend some patrons. Selections are not made upon approval or disapproval but on the merits of the work in relation to the building of the collection and serving the interests of the readers. Although we have a diverse collection of materials, the Library Board does not necessarily approve all ideas found therein. It is the responsibility of the parents or legal guardian to censor their own children’s reading, viewing, and listening material.

If the library receives criticism of any of the materials by a citizen or patron, that person will be required to fill out and sign a form of complaint. This will be considered by the Library Director and brought to the Library Board at its next regular meeting. Their decision will be final and sent to the complainant in writing.

(Adopted January 3, 1983)

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If you wish to recommend the removal of a book or other library material from the collection, please answer the following questions:

1. Author _______________________________________________________________

2. Title _________________________________________________________________

3. Format of the material ___________________________________________________

4. How did this library material come to your attention? ________________________________________________________________________

5. Have you read, viewed or listened to this material in its entirety?

________________________________________________________________________

6. Are you objecting to everything contained within this material?

________________________________________________________________________

7. What, in your opinion, is the theme contained in this material?

________________________________________________________________________

8. What, precisely, is your objection to this material?

________________________________________________________________________

9. In what section of the library is this material shelved? ___________________________

10. What do you feel might be the result of using this library material?

________________________________________________________________________

11. If this material were removed from the library’s collection, what would you recommend to replace it? ___________________________________________________

_______________________________________

Signature

_______________________________________ ______________________

Street Address Telephone

_______________________________________ ______________________

City/State/Zip Code Date

Adopted 9/10/97

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This page last updated  06/21/08