Table of Contents-Letter-Introduction-Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, Glossary, Internets Links, Calendar of Events, Freedom to Read Statement, Index

Trustees and the Board

"Many people don't know what their public library offers them. We've had parents in some of our children's programs who didn't know library services are free. It meant as much to them as it did to their children to get their first library cards.
As trustees, we need to convey that excitement."

— Joan Bishop, Trustee, Lewis and Clark County Library

Trustees and the Board1

Getting Started

As a library Board member, you have two primary responsibilities: to govern the library, and to help keep the Board functioning at optimum level. Both are equally important.

To govern the library, you must plan and monitor finances and services, as well as guide and evaluate the library's progress. Accomplishing these tasks requires knowledgeable Board members who understand and value the concept of teamwork.

As you gain experience on the Board, you will continue to learn facts, statistics, history, procedures and more. But first things first:

• Get to know the other people who serve on the Board with you—not just their names, but who they are. What are their interests and concerns? What motivates them to serve on the library Board? Team building begins by knowing your teammates.
• Get to know the director, the other part of the Board team. There must be a very high level of trust between the Board who governs the library and the person you have chosen to manage the library.
• Recognize that this job deserves your very best effort. Although you are a volunteer, the governance of the library demands the best job you can do. It will require your time and your effort.
• Find out where to go for answers to your questions. Your best defense against being totally lost in the early stage of your term as a Board member is to learn where to go to get quick answers to tough questions. The director and other Board members are the best sources for learning about the library. In addition, this handbook will serve as a guide to the basics of good Board membership and answer many of your questions.

Many of the resources in this handbook are web sites. If you don't know how to use a computer, now is the time to learn. Take advantage of your library's technology resources. You will build your skills, as well as gain good insight into how your community makes use of its information resources.

1-1

Trustee Orientation

The library Board is responsible for conducting Board orientation for new trustees. Typically, Board orientation includes a tour of the library, receipt of written materials and a meeting with other trustees.

Library tour

During the library tour, the director can explain to you how the library works internally, introduce the staff and demonstrate how the programs and services operate. The director or another trustee can provide you with written materials about the library during the tour.

Materials

Information provided to a new trustee might include the following.

Board materials

• this handbook
• trustee job description
• copy of Montana Library Laws and Public Library Standards
• list of Board members and their addresses, phone numbers and email addresses
• Board bylaws
• Board code of ethics
• annual calendar of major Board and library activities
• minutes of the library Board meetings for the past year
• list of committees, job descriptions and current members

Library materials

• library policies
• written mission statement of the library
• copy of the ordinance establishing the library
• documents that report the history of the library
• long-range plan of the library
• current budget
• financial reports for the past year
• timeframe for developing and approving the budget
• job description for the director
• staff organizational chart
• annual reports for the last five years
• major contracts the library has with other public or private agencies
• marketing materials, brochures or newsletters

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Orientation Meeting

The director and a few experienced trustees usually participate in the orientation meeting. It is best if this meeting is scheduled a few days after the tour, giving new trustees time to review the written materials.

The meeting agenda should include:

• discussion of the library's mission, goals and objectives, short- and long-range plans.
• explanation of the budget, sources of funding, expenditures and the library's financial status.
• review of the past six-months' Board minutes and director's reports to give the new trustee a sense of who the Board members are and how the Board works.
• review of the policy manual, explaining policies and procedures.
• explanation of reimbursement policy for trustee expenses and the law prohibiting trustees from receiving compensation for their work.
• explanation of the library's relationship to local governing authorities, both elected and appointed.
• explanation of the library's relationship to its library federation, State Library and state and national associations.
• discussion of the respective roles and responsibilities of the trustees and the director, emphasizing that the trustee's responsibilities do not include management of the library.
• discussion of the roles of trustees as individuals versus the Board, emphasizing that duly appointed individual trustees are only spokespersons for the Board; the Board as a whole has decision-making powers.

Being a public library trustee means being confronted
by daunting problems and exciting possibilities.
How you respond affects
the future of library services in Montana.

1-3

Continued Learning

Effective library trusteeship requires ongoing learning and training. There are many opportunities for you and your Board to keep learning, including the following recommendations.

Essential

• Set aside time at each meeting to review an aspect of the library's administration or services.
• Rotate meeting locations at branches of a system.

Good ideas

• Join the Montana Library Association (MLA).
• Attend MLA's annual conference and other events.

Other opportunities

• Attend the American Library Association (ALA) annual conference.
• Participate in professional organizations: Mountain Plains Library Trustee Association (MPLA), the Pacific Northwest Library Association (PNLA) and Association of Library Trustees and Advocates (ALTA).

See Chapter 17 for more information about the library resource organizations mentioned here.

Montana State Library
http://msl.mt.gov

MLA
www.mtlib.org

ALA
www.ala.org

ALTA
www.ala.org/alta

MPLA
www.usd.edu/mpla

PNLA
www.pnla.org

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What Did You Learn?

You will continue to learn about the library for as long as you remain on the Board. But you need to know some things from the beginning. Did you learn the answers to the following questions in your trustee orientation?

…About the Board?

_____ Who has appointed the Board members and for what terms of office?

_____ Who are the current officers of the Board?

_____  How are the Board officers elected?

_____  Who is the official spokesperson for the Board?

…About the library?

_____  What is the library's mission statement?

_____  What are the long-range goals of the library?

_____  When was the library organized and what is the service area?

_____  How many people does the library serve?

_____  What local/state/national legislative issues could affect the library?

_____  What is the relationship between the library and the local government?

_____  Has the library or the Board ever been involved in litigation?

_____  What major problems does the library currently face?

_____  Does the library meet the Public Library Standards?

…About library personnel?

_____  How long has the present director held his/her position?

_____  What training does the director have for managing the library?

_____  What is the process used to evaluate the director?

_____  How many staff does the library have and what do they do?

…About library finances?

_____  What is the library's annual budget?

_____  Where does the money come from to finance the library?

_____  What are the total assets of the library?

_____  Does the library have any debt service?

_____  Does the city/county own or rent the library facility?

_____  What equipment does the library own or rent?

_____  Are Board members reimbursed for expenses and, if so, how?

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Table of Contents-Letter-Introduction-Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, Glossary, Internets Links, Calendar of Events, Freedom to Read Statement, Index