FAQ
Updated 11.28.23
Why is the New York State Education Department Board of Regents appointing board members?
To maintain legal compliance, the library board must maintain a quorum to function and be open to the public. The library currently has two trustees, which does not comprise a quorum.
How will potential trustees be appointed?
The Southern Adirondack Library System is working with the NYS Education Department to identify people willing to serve on the Rockwell Falls Public Library Board of Trustees. People who live in the Hadley-Luzerne School District and are over 18 years of age are encouraged to fill out the online application and share supporting documents (resume, letter of interest, and two references). Accommodations will be made for people who cannot fill out the online application. Contact the Southern Adirondack Library System for a hard copy.
When will the process begin?
The Rockwell Falls Public Library will hold a hybrid informational meeting beginning at 6 pm Tuesday, November 21. SALS will provide a recording of the meeting in its entirety. During the first 15 minutes, SALS will outline the application process.
The application process will be opened on November 21, 2023, after the informational meeting. Links to the full recorded meeting and the SALS presentation, outlining the application process, will be available on both the Rockwell Falls Public Library and Southern Adirondack Library System’s websites.
The application will be available on both the Rockwell Falls Public Library and Southern Adirondack Library System’s websites.
To ensure the library maintains legal compliance, NYS Education Department Board of Regents will appoint three trustees to the library board so it will have a quorum to fulfill legal obligations during this transition period.
Who is eligible to apply to be a board member?
All residents living in the Hadley-Luzerne School District over age 18.
How many trustees are being selected?
Three seats will be filled.
Who will appoint the trustees?
What will the process entail?
SALS is collecting applications from individuals interested in serving as a trustee for the Rockwell Falls Public Library.
A blind review process and rubric will be used. A rubric is a type of scoring guide that assesses each applicant based upon the competencies listed in the trustee application.
The highest-ranking applicants will be sent to the NYS Education Department. The Department will then review and forward their selections to the NYS Board of Regents for consideration of appointment.
The NYS Board of Regents will make the final decision about appointing trustees.
Once the new trustees are appointed, all board members will be required to attend an orientation and training to build a cohesive team to effectively govern the library.
Term of office: The Board of Regents and the Education Department will determine the terms of the appointed trustees.
Why these deadline dates? The NYS Board of Regents meet once a month. The next two dates are December 11-12, 2023, and January 8-9, 2024. The goal of the NYS Board of Regents, NYS Education Department, SALS and the Rockwell Falls Public Library is to open the library as soon as possible.
When will the newly appointed trustees be notified? It is up to the NYS Department of Education.
What constitutes a conflict of interest? The Rockwell Falls Public Library has a board-approved Conflict of Interest Policy for both the Board of Trustees and Library Employees https://rockwellfalls.sals.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/conflict-interest.docx-1.pdf
From the library’s policy: No Board member or committee member of the Rockwell Falls Public Library shall derive any personal profit or gain, directly or indirectly, by reason of his or her participation on the Board. Other than compensation, no employee shall derive any personal profit or gain, directly or indirectly, by reason of his or her employment by the Rockwell Falls Public Library except through activities that may facilitate professional advancement or contribute to the profession such as publications and professional service and have been fully disclosed to the Board.
Each individual shall disclose to the Board any personal interest which he or she may have in any matter pending before the Board and shall refrain from participation in any decision on such matter. Members of Rockwell Falls Public Library Board, committees, and staff shall refrain from obtaining any list of library patrons that results in personal benefit.
The library is already a part of SALS. They are not taking over? No, The Southern Adirondack Library System (SALS) is not taking over the Rockwell Falls Public Library. The Rockwell Falls Public Library is autonomous and governed by its Board of Trustees. SALS is a cooperative public library system governed by a Board of Trustees composed of three representatives from each county elected by the trustees of its member libraries. Each member library is governed by its own board of trustees and funded mainly by local taxes.
For more information about the services SALS provides, please go to www.sals.edu.
For more information about NYS Public Library Systems, please see https://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/libs/brochurp.htm
Automated library services are collaboratively provided to 48 public member libraries in SALS and Mohawk Valley Library System (Fulton, Montgomery, Schenectady, Schoharie, Hamilton, Warren, Washington, and Saratoga Counties) through the Joint Automation (JA) department. All 48 libraries and the two library systems pay JA fees to support the online catalog, access to broadband, and access to six full-time IT professionals. The Rockwell Falls Public Library pays in FY 2023 a total of $3,795.30 or $316.27 monthly. The fees will go down in FY 2024 to $3,700 or $308.34 monthly. The library pays for computers, printers, or other peripherals, which may be why the monthly invoice may be higher.
Can SALS wipe the entire board and start fresh? No. The Rockwell Falls Public Library’s bylaws: Article V Officers and Their Duties, 4. Removal. Any officer elected as provided in the By-Laws may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the Trustees then in office when, in their judgment, the best interest of the library will be served by such removal. The NYS Board of Regents, under Section 226 of the NYS Education Law: The regents may remove any trustee of a corporation created by them for misconduct, incapacity, neglect of duty, or where it appears to the satisfaction of the regents that the corporation has failed or refuses to carry into effect its educational purposes. ?A hearing in the proceedings for the removal of such trustees shall be had before the board of regents or a committee thereof and the trustees shall be given at least ten days’ notice of the time and place of such hearing. ?In case of removal the regents may appoint successors to the trustees so removed. ?The provisions of this section as to removal and filling of vacancies in trustees shall not apply to corporations now or hereafter established and maintained by a religious denomination, order, or sect. ?No person shall be ineligible as a trustee by reason of sex.
Other questions? Submit questions in writing to RFPLtrustee@sals.edu. Phone calls will not be accepted.
Deadline: 4 pm Tuesday, December 4, 2023. LINK TO APPLICATION