ILLINOIS STATE LIBRARY

Committee Policies and Guidelines

Introduction and Background

Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White is committed to making the office's services the most accessible and customer friendly in the nation. The Illinois State Library (ISL) embraces Secretary White's commitment and strives to promote excellence in information access and innovative services for government, libraries, and people. The ISL serves as the principal information resource for state government and provides support, through grant programs, to more than 5,000 academic, public, school, and special libraries throughout Illinois. All ISL efforts adhere to the core values of fairness, equity, accountability, and transparency.

The following policies and guidelines have been established to ensure compliance with the Open Meetings Act (OMA), and the State Library's statutory and administrative obligations.

• The Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS) and the Illinois Administrative Code govern the activities of all Illinois State Library (ISL) committees, boards and subcomittees.
• Meetings are conducted in accordance with the Illinois Open Meetings Act.
• Meetings are conducted employing the latest version of Robert's Rules of Order.
• Members serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed based on the State's travel regulations and guidelines for expenses incurred as members of that body.
• Appointments to ISL committees, boards, and subcommittees are based on the State's fiscal year.
• The frequency of meetings is set by statute, rule, bylaw, the Secretary of State, ISL director, committee chair, or committee liaison.
• Meetings are held by conference call, videoconference, webinar, in-person and/or by a combination of these methods.
• Rules for Public Comments apply to all committees, boards, and subcommittees.
• Unless otherwise designated, an ISL staff member will act as the OMA Designee on ISL committees, boards and subcommittees.
• Committee, board, and subcommittee members can be replaced if they miss three consecutive meetings (repeated absence due to illness or other special circumstance not included).
• To maintain the efficient operation of the committee, board and subcommittee, any member may be temporarily replaced due to an unforeseen absence; the substitute will be named by the ISL. The temporary appointment is effective upon delivery of appropriate correspondence from the ISL; delivery will be made to the chair, the temporary appointee, and the member, and shall remain effective for the duration of the temporary absence from the committee, board and subcommittee.