Library Board

Posted 6/20/25

Are you looking for an opportunity to support your local library and give back to your community? Consider joining the Cary Area Public Library District Board of Trustees! Due to a resignation, the Board is seeking candidates to fill an unexpired trustee term which ends in May 2027 after the next regular election. Interested parties must meet the eligibility requirements listed below and be available to attend meetings on the second Thursday of each month.

Eligibility Requirements (from 75 ILCS 16/30-20):

• Qualified elector/registered voter
• Resident of the Library District for at least one year
• Cannot be in arrears in the payment of a tax or other indebtedness due to the library district
• Has not been convicted in any court in the United States of any infamous crime, bribery, perjury, or other felony

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Reads Board meeting minutes, financial reports, and all other reports prior to each Board meeting. Attends Board meetings and participates appropriately.
• Follows the Illinois Open Meetings Act, the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, and all other pertinent state and federal laws.
• Assists in establishing clear bylaws that outline operating procedures for the Board.
• Maintains awareness of Board duties as outlined in the Bylaws and Policy manual.
• Assists in overseeing budget preparation, sets the annual tax levy, and ensures that documents for the Library’s annual tax levy are properly posted, published, and filed.
• Helps to ensure an audit is carried out annually and reviewed by the Board.
• Reads the Cary Area Public Library District’s Policy Manuals. Assists in establishing Library policies and helps update them as needed.
• Abides by majority decisions reached by the Board and publicly supports those decisions. Follows the established chain of command for effecting change.
• Encourages and participates in long-term strategic planning.
• Hires, evaluates, and approves compensation for the Executive Director. Recognizes that the Board as a whole supervises and deals directly with the Executive Director, while the Executive Director supervises all other Library staff.
• Maintains knowledge of current library trends and practices through reading literature of the profession as well as publications related to Library trustees, such as the Illinois Trustee Facts File and the Financial Manual for Illinois Public Libraries.
• Remains informed of services offered by the Library and promotes these services to the community.
• Maintains awareness of services and issues related to the Illinois Library Systems and contacts local and state elected officials when issues pertaining to the Library arise.

To Apply:

Submit a letter of interest to the Board by Wednesday, July 9, 2025, via email at libraryboard[at]caryarealibrary.info or by mail to:
Board of Trustees
Cary Area Public Library
1606 Three Oaks Rd.
Cary, IL 60013