Library Board of Trustees Mission Statement

The Coralville Public Library is a community center serving a diverse population as a resource for leisure, knowledge and learning. Library programs and services are provided equitably in an atmosphere that is friendly, responsive, comfortable and accessible. The Coralville Public Library champions every person’s right to information and resources.


Adopted April 3, 1996

City of Coralville Library Ordinance

22.01 PUBLIC LIBRARY. The public library for the City is known as the Coralville Public Library. It is referred to in this chapter as the Library.

22.02 LIBRARY TRUSTEES. The Board of Trustees of the Library, hereinafter referred to as the Board, consists of seven (7) resident members. All members are to be appointed by the Mayor with approval of the Council.

22.03 QUALIFICATIONS OF TRUSTEES. All members of the board shall be bona fide citizens and residents of the City. Members shall be over the age of eighteen (18) years.

22.04 ORGANIZATION OF THE BOARD. The organization of the board is as follows:

1. Term of Office. All appointments to the Board are for six (6) years, except to fill vacancies. Each term shall commence on January 1. Appointments shall be made every two (2) years of one-third (1/3) the total number or as near as possible, to stagger the terms.

2. Vacancies. The position of any Trustee shall be vacated if such member moves permanently from the City and shall be deemed vacated if such member is absent from six (6) consecutive regular meetings of the Board, except in the case of sickness, or temporary absence from the City or if such member is removed for cause by the Mayor with the approval of the Council. Vacancies in the Board shall be filled in the same manner as an original appointment except that 

3. the new Trustee shall fill out the unexpired term for which the appointment is made.

4. Compensation. Trustees receive no compensation for their services.

22.05 POWERS AND DUTIES: The Board has and exercises the following powers and duties:

1. Officers. To meet and elect from its members a President, a Secretary, and such other officers as it deems necessary.

2. Physical Plant. To have charge, control and supervision of the Library, its appurtenances, fixtures and rooms containing the same.

3. Charge of Affairs. To direct and control all affairs of the Library. All action by the Board shall require a majority vote of the whole number of members of the Board. The removal of the library director, however, shall require a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board.

4. Hiring of Personnel. To employ a library director, and authorize the library director to employ such assistants and employees as may be necessary for the proper management of the Library, and fix their compensation; provided, however, that prior to such employment, the compensation of the library director, assistants and employees shall have been fixed and approved by a majority of the members of the Board voting in favor thereof.

5. Removal of Personnel. To remove the library director, by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board, and provide procedures for the removal of the assistants or employees for misdemeanor, incompetency or inattention to duty, subject, however, to the provisions of Chapter 35C of the Code of Iowa.

6. Purchases. To select, or authorize the library director to select, and make purchases of books, pamphlets, magazines, periodicals, papers, maps, journals, other Library materials, furniture, fixtures, stationery and supplies for the Library within budgetary limits set by the Board.

7. Use by Nonresidents. To authorize the use of the Library by nonresidents and to fix charges therefor unless a contract for free service exists.

8. Rules and Regulations. To make and adopt, amend, modify or repeal rules and regulations, not inconsistent with this Code of Ordinances and the law, for the care, use, government and management of the Library and the business of the Board, fixing and enforcing penalties for violations.

9. Expenditures. To have control of the expenditures of all funds allocated for Library purposes by the Council, and of all moneys available by gift or otherwise for the erection of Library buildings, and of all other moneys belonging to the Library including fines and rentals collected under the rules of the Board. All gifts, donations, devises and bequests that may be made to the City for the purpose of establishing, increasing or improving the Library shall be administered by the Board, subject to Council approval on amounts in excess of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00).

10. Gifts. To accept gifts of real property, personal property, or mixed property, and devises and bequests, including trust funds; to take the title to said property in the name of the Library; to execute deeds and bill of sale for the conveyance of said property; and to expend the funds received by them from such gifts, for the improvement of the Library.

11. Enforce the performance of Conditions on Gifts. To enforce the performance of conditions on gifts, donations, devises and bequests accepted by the City by action against the Council.
(Code of Iowa, Ch. 661)

12. Record of Proceedings. To keep a record of its proceedings.

13. Financial Estimate. To make and send to the Council, on or before the fifteenth day of November in each year, an estimate of the amount necessary for the improvement, operation and maintenance of the library for the coming fiscal year, the amounts expended for like purposes for the two (2) preceding years, and the amount of income expected for the next fiscal year from sources other than taxation.

22.06 CONTRACTING WITH OTHER LIBRARIES. The Board has power to contract with other libraries in accordance with the following:

1. Contracting. The Board may contract with any other boards of trustees of free public libraries, any other city, school corporation, private or semiprivate organization, institution of higher learning, township, or county, or with the trustees of any County library district for the use of the Library by their respective residents.
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 392.5 & Ch. 28E)

2. Termination. Such a contract may be terminated at any time by mutual consent of the contracting parties. It also may be terminated by a majority vote of the electors represented by either of the contracting parties. Such a termination proposition shall be submitted to the electors by the governing body of a contracting party on a written petition of not less than five (5) percent in number of the electors who voted for governor in the territory of the contracting party at the last general election. The petition must be presented to the governing body not less than forty (40) days before the election. The proposition may be submitted at any election provided by law that is held in the territory of the party seeking to terminate the contract.

22.07 NONRESIDENT USE. The Board may authorize the use of the Library by persons not residents of the City or County in any one or more of the following ways:

1. Lending. By lending the books or other materials of the Library to nonresidents on the same terms and conditions as to residents of the City, or County, or upon payment of a special nonresident Library fee.

2. Depository. By establishing depositories of Library books or other materials to be loaned to nonresidents.

3. Bookmobiles. By establishing bookmobiles or a traveling library so that books or other Library materials may be loaned to nonresidents.

4. Branch Library. By establishing branch libraries for lending books or other Library materials to nonresidents.

22.08 EXPENDITURES. All money appropriated by the Council for the operation and maintenance of the Library shall be set aside in an account for the Library. Expenditures shall be paid for only on orders of the Board and signed by its President.
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 384.2 & 392.5)

22.09 ANNUAL REPORT. The Board shall make a report to the Council after the close of the fiscal year. This report shall contain statements as to the condition of the Library, the number of books added, the number circulated, the amount of fines collected, and the amount of money expended in the maintenance of the Library during the year, together with such further information as may be required by the Council.

22.10 INJURY TO BOOKS OR PROPERTY. It is unlawful for a person willfully, maliciously or wantonly to tear, deface, mutilate, injure or destroy, in whole or in part, any newspaper, periodical, book, map, pamphlet, chart, picture or other property belonging to the Library or reading room.
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 716.1)

22.11 THEFT. No person shall take possession or control of property of the Library with the intent to deprive the Library thereof.

22.12 NOTICE POSTED. There shall be posted in clear public view within the Library notices informing the public of the following.

1. Failure to Return. Failure to return Library materials for two (2) months or more after the date the person agreed to return the Library materials, or failure to return Library equipment for one (1) month or more after the date the person agreed to return the Library equipment, is evidence of intent to deprive the owner, provided a reasonable attempt, including the mailing by restricted certified mail of notice that such material or equipment is overdue and criminal actions will be taken, has been made to reclaim the materials or equipment.
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 714.5)

2. Detention and Search. Persons concealing Library materials may be detained and searched pursuant to law.
(Code of Iowa, Sec. 808.12)

Iowa Code 392.5

A city library board of trustees functioning on the effective date of the city code shall continue to function in the same manner until altered or discontinued as provided in this section.

In order for the board to function in the same manner, the council shall retain all applicable ordinances, and shall adopt as ordinances all applicable state statutes repealed by 64GA, chapter 1088.

A library board many accept and control the expenditure of all gifts, devises, and bequests to the library.

A proposal to alter the composition, manner of selection, or charge of a library board, or to replace it with an alternate form of administrative agency, is subject to the approval of the voters of the city.

The proposal may be submitted to the voters at any city election by the council on its own motion. Upon receipt of a valid petition as defined in section 362.4, requesting that a proposal be submitted to the voters, the council shall submit the proposal at the next regular city election. A proposal submitted to the voters must describe with reasonable detail the action proposed.

If a majority of those voting approves the proposal, the city may proceed as proposed.

If a majority of those voting does not approve the proposal, the same or a similar proposal may not be submitted to the voters of the city for at least four years from the date of the election at which the proposal was defeated.