Travel and Event and Membership Policy

The Board of Trustees may modify, amend or supplement this policy, as it deems necessary and appropriate.

TRUSTEE AND STAFF TRAVEL AND EVENT ATTENDANCE

All trustees and staff are encouraged to attend District-related events (conferences, meetings, workshops, etc.) subject to budget constraints. Trustee attendance is subject to Board of Trustees approval, and staff attendance is subject to approval by the Executive Director.

Trustees may have the opportunity to attend regional, statewide and national events for library purposes upon approval by the Board at a regularly scheduled board meeting and are subject to the provisions outlined below. Staff may have the opportunity to attend regional, statewide and national events for library purposes upon approval by the Executive Director and are subject to the provisions outlined below.

All event attendance must follow appropriate District procedures. Financial and informational accounting is expected of each trustee and staff member for each event. This includes completion of all required forms for the event and turning in all available receipts. No reimbursement will be made without appropriate documentation. No entertainment expenses, as defined by the Local Government Travel Expense Control Act, shall be paid. Entertainment includes, but is not limited to, shows, amusements, theaters, circuses, sporting events, or any other place of public or private entertainment or amusement, unless ancillary to the purpose of the program or event.

The Library will not pay additional expenses for persons accompanying trustees or staff

COMMITTEE AND OTHER APPOINTMENTS FOR TRUSTEES AND STAFF

All trustees who are asked to serve on a library association’s committee or other similar group must be approved to do so by the Board prior to accepting appointment.

All staff who are asked to serve on an association’s committee or other similar group must be approved to do so by the Executive Director prior to accepting appointment. This applies to service that will require staff time and/or travel expenses.

TYPE OF TRAVEL AND EVENTS FOR TRUSTEES

There are four types of authorized travel/event expense:

Attendance at national library conferences, such as the ALA (American Library Association) and PLA (Public Library Association) annual meetings
Attendance at library conferences in Illinois, such as the ILA (Illinois Library Association) Annual Conference and the Library Trustee Forum Workshop.
Attendance at committee or leadership sessions of the ALA, ILA, or United for Libraries for officers and committee members
Attendance at regional/local training and other events sponsored by local libraries, regional library systems or the Illinois State Library, or at other educational events

Travel or event expense for other situations may be approved by the Board when appropriate.

While attendance at events is not mandatory for any trustee or for any specific event unless required by law, all trustees are encouraged to take advantage of appropriate opportunities to further their education as trustees.

FREQUENCY OF TRAVEL FOR TRUSTEES

Trustees are limited to the following events, unless authorization is granted by a majority vote of the Board:

Attendance at one national conference per year (ALA, PLA, or equivalent)
Attendance at the ILA annual meeting and the ILA’s Library Trustee Forum Workshop
Attendance at up to five regional/local training events for which a fee is charged, but that require no overnight stays. Attendance at free regional/local events is unlimited.
Attendance at ALA LibLearnX, ALA leadership, United for Libraries leadership, other national library-related committee meetings, ILA state leadership, or state library-related committee meetings is limited to trustees who serve as elected officers, committee chairs or committee members as listed in the official rosters. The Board of Trustees must authorize those trustees to serve in those elected or appointed positions for travel expense to be approved.

FREQUENCY OF TRAVEL FOR STAFF

Staff attendance at events and travel is subject to approval of the Executive Director.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Financial and informational accounting through the use of the appropriate forms listed below is expected of each trustee and staff member for each event. Only relevant forms need to be completed.

The parts are:

Request for Development and Training. This form must be completed for approval by the Board of Trustees for trustee travel; staff will use tools designated by the Executive Director.
Request for Per Diem/Cash Advance. This form must be completed per Finance Department schedules if a per diem/cash advance will be requested.
Overnight Travel Expense Form or Local Travel Mileage Reimbursement Form. The appropriate form must be turned in within 60 days of the completion of the event.
Education Report. Trustees will use this form to report on what was learned at the event. Trustees are provided up to 60 days after the event to prepare their report. Trustee reports will be included in the board packet. Staff will follow departmental procedures for reporting. Include any supplemental documents that would be helpful.

RESERVATIONS

Trustees and staff are responsible for their travel/event planning and expense planning and accounting.

Reservations must be made through the District Administration office for registration, airfare and hotel, unless prior arrangements are made with the District Administration office.
Trustees and staff may use their personal frequent flyer or hotel preference account numbers when reservations are made. These should be given to the District Administration office at the time the reservation request is made.
Payment for approved registration, hotel and airfare for trustees and staff will be made by library credit card.
Every effort should be made to take advantage of early registration specials.

REIMBURSEMENT

Reimbursement for reasonable expenses will be paid by the District upon the completion of the appropriate pages of the form with appropriate receipts. This form is due no later than 60 calendar days after returning from a travel or education event, except that local mileage expense can be accumulated quarterly if properly documented.

The Library will cover the following expenses:

Economy or Economy Plus equivalent airfare to and from the out-of-state conference location with the round trip amount not to exceed $1,000.
Ground transportation expense (to and from airport; car for hire, cab or shuttle fare, etc.) with the amount not to exceed $400.
Per diem rate for meals at the United States General Services Administration (GSA) approved rate for the city. The amount will be adjusted for meals covered in special events. Meals that qualify for reimbursement are only those that are necessary for attendance at the program. Breakfast would normally only be reimbursable when an overnight stay is involved. If an overnight stay is not involved, the per diem shall be applied proportionately at the rate of GSA daily meal breakdown for lunch and dinner applicable to the location of the event. The cost of any meal paid for with the conference or program registration shall be deducted from the total per diem payable, based on the GSA breakdown for that meal type (e.g. breakfast, lunch and dinner). Alcohol will not be paid for under any circumstances.
Up to $75 per day to cover miscellaneous expenses such as gratuity, internet access, onsite transportation, etc. All expenses must be documented on the appropriate page of the form.
Luggage fees for up to two checked bags per trustee or staff at the rate charged by the airline carrier used. Receipt of payment must be provided for record purposes.
Conference/event registration fees (including special program and/or meal events)
Automobile mileage to and from local, regional or state events at the IRS standard mileage reimbursement rate. National events held in-state are also eligible.
Parking, including hotel parking when appropriate, and toll expenses
Hotel room at conference rate for up to five nights per national or state conference. Longer stays by trustees must be approved in advance by the Board. The actual cost of lodging per night is not to exceed the cost of a single room at a rate of one of the conference hotels. If additional requirements are needed for a special room, the extra cost will be paid by the traveler. The District does not cover the costs of other charges, such as additional guests, telephone calls, movies, etc. However, one five-minute phone call home is permissible. Charges beyond this five-minute limit are the responsibility of the traveler. Room service charges will be paid for up to the daily per diem allowance when a cash advance for per diem was not paid. If a cash per diem was paid in advance, the trustee and/or staff member must reimburse the library for all room service charges. The total reimbursement amount must be noted on the Overnight Travel Expense Form with an attached check payable to Fountaindale Public Library.

OTHER

Newly elected or appointed trustees are not eligible to attend a national conference during the first year of their term, but are encouraged to attend ILA and local/regional training events to gain a greater understanding of their role as trustee.
For trustees, attendance at national conferences shall be limited to no more than four trustees at any given conference, except that ALA, United for Libraries, or ILA elected officers, appointed committee chairs, or committee members with program responsibilities may attend in addition to the normal limit of four. When ALA or ILA is held in the Chicago metro area, the limit of four trustees will be suspended due to lower expenses.
When more than four trustees wish to attend a specific conference, the Board will consider rotating attendance among trustees and may allow a preference for board officers when conflicting requests are considered.
All forms will be reexamined as needed to provide for full accountability of trustee travel expenses.
Out-of-state travel by the Executive Director must be approved by the Board of Trustees.

MEMBERSHIPS

The District shall pay in full trustee memberships to appropriate library organizations at the following levels, subject to the availability of funds.

American Library Association (ALA) basic membership
United for Libraries (Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations) basic membership
One ALA Roundtable
Illinois Library Association basic membership

Payment for additional memberships for trustees must be approved in advance by the Board of Trustees.

Individual memberships for staff members in these and other library-related organizations, professional organizations, and/or community organizations may be paid at the discretion of the Executive Director. All professional membership dues are paid dependent on budgetary considerations and may not be renewed as financial constraints of the District warrant.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

To promote public relations and goodwill in the community, the District encourages participation by trustees and staff in community events. Tickets will be purchased for trustees and staff to attend selected functions. Payment for guests to such functions is the responsibility of the attendees. The District may pay in advance for tickets for guests of trustees and staff. Reimbursement to the District for such tickets must be made within 60 days.

If ticket holders cannot attend an event, it is their responsibility to locate substitute attendees. If substitutes are found, no reimbursement is necessary. In the event of an emergency, the requirement to reimburse the District will be waived.

APPEAL AND REVIEW

The Board of Trustees of Fountaindale Public Library District will review the Travel and Event and Membership Policy and regulations periodically and reserves the right to amend them at any time. The Board authorizes the Executive Director to waive regulations for staff under appropriate circumstances.

Any appeals for changes or exceptions to any portion of the Travel and Event and Membership Policy will be considered. An individual wishing to file an appeal shall submit it to the Executive Director in writing. The Executive Director will respond in writing.