Personnel

Personnel

Essential Standards

1. Staff members are offered health insurance according to local policy.

2. Staff members are offered retirement benefits according to local policy. 

3. The Board adopts a sufficient budget for continuing education.

Training is necessary as new technological tools and the sheer pace of change means new services and new ways of providing traditional services.  The board’s support of continuing education is critical if staff are to receive additional and on-going training in the library field.

4. During 90 percent of all open hours, paid staff are available to assist users.

Paid staff are necessary in order to make sure that all open hours are covered.  Volunteers are often loyal and dedicated, but they are volunteers.  Volunteers are a wonderful addition to the library, but they should be placed in positions where they either free library staff to offer new services or assist with offering new services themselves.  

5. Staff have the tools and training they need to perform their work.

Numbers refer to standards in the corresponding section of the Complete Library Standards document

Guide to Essential Public Library Standards