Congratulations! You are a Public Library Trustee...Now What?

As you saw in the previous section, public library trustees have specific legal responsibilities.  The Board employs the Library Director to implement and manage library operations. Effective boards understand how their role is different from that of the director and maintain healthy communication and boundaries between the responsibilities each has.

Trustee responsibilities are distinct from those of the director. The director is your trusted partner in making your library the best it can be! We have organized responsibility areas into the following buckets: policy making, administration of the library, personnel, budget, board meetings, public relations, continuing education, and planning for the library's growth.

You can use this list to focus your effort on areas where the Board has direct responsibility.

Policy Making

• Determine the goals and objectives of the library, as well as methods of evaluating progress towards them
• Consider what policies are needed
• Officially adopt policies

Administration of the Library 

• Employ director, adopt plans, policies and budget, which gives board indirect responsibility
• Keep in touch with library's progress via personal visits to the library, librarian's reports, and feedback from the public

Personnel

• Employ library director and confirm staff appointments
• Develop personnel policies and make sure working conditions are acceptable.
• Evaluate library director

Budget

• Scrutinize preliminary budget, make necessary changes, adopt official budget.
• Explore and consider ways of increasing library funding.
• Authorize expenditures.

Board Meetings

• Attend and participate in all regular and special meetings.
• Maintain "open meetings" as required by law.
• Approve minutes.

Public Relations

• Establish and participate in planned public relations program.
• Serve as link between the library and the community
• Keep political fences mended.

Continuing Education

• Read trustee materials and library-related publications.
• Attend continuing education workshops 
• Provide an orientation to new trustees.
• Attend Federation or trustee-related meetings.
• Support continuing education for library staff and board members.

Planning for the Library's Growth

• Analyze the community and consider library's strengths and weaknesses.
• Set goals and adopt short and long range plans for the library
• Set priorities and decide on course of action.

Self-Check Questions

Which of these responsibilities are you most interested in?
Which responsibility do you need to learn more about?
Which responsibility do you feel most confident about?