Utah Public Library Trustee Manual, July 2018
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
UTAH PUBLIC LIBRARY TRUSTEE MANUAL Utah State Library Division Colleen Eggett, Division Director/State Librarian July 2018 Utah Public Library Trustee Manual Department of Heritage and Arts Utah State Library Division Colleen Eggett, Division Director/State Librarian 250 N 1950 W, Suite A, Salt Lake City, UT 84116-7901 July 2018. Utah State Library Division. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International License, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ http://library.utah.gov/publications Table of Contents LIBRARIES: AN AMERICAN VALUE ............................................................................................................. 5 SECTION I – GOVERNANCE ................................................................................................................... 6 CHAPTER 1 – TRUSTEESHIP ........................................................................................................................ 6 CHAPTER 2 – LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES ...................................................................................................... 8 CHAPTER 3 – CODE OF ETHICS ..................................................................................................................12 CHAPTER 4 – ORGANIZATION AND MEETINGS ...........................................................................................14 MEANINGFUL MEETINGS .................................................................................................................15 TIPS FOR CONDUCTING MEETINGS ...................................................................................................16 CHAPTER 5 – ROLE OF THE STATE LIBRARY ..............................................................................................18 CHAPTER 6 – STATE CERTIFICATION AND GRANTS ...................................................................................19 SECTION II – PLANNING ........................................................................................................................21 CHAPTER 7 – STRATEGIC PLANNING .........................................................................................................21 CHAPTER 8 – BUILDINGS & ADA ..............................................................................................................23 SECTION III – PERSONNEL ...................................................................................................................25 CHAPTER 9 – HIRING A DIRECTOR .............................................................................................................25 SECTION IV – POLICY MAKING ..........................................................................................................27 CHAPTER 10 – POLICY MAKING ................................................................................................................27 CHAPTER 11 – INTERNET SERVICES AND PRIVACY ....................................................................................29 SECTION V – FINANCES .........................................................................................................................31 CHAPTER 12 – BUDGETING AND FINANCE .................................................................................................31 SECTION VI – PUBLIC RELATIONS ....................................................................................................33 CHAPTER 13 – ADVOCACY & PUBLIC RELATIONS .....................................................................................33 CHAPTER 14 – FRIENDS & FOUNDATIONS .................................................................................................35 SECTION VII – CONTINUING EDUCATION.......................................................................................36 CHAPTER 15 – ROLES AND GOLDEN RULES ...............................................................................................36 CHAPTER 16 – CONTINUING EDUCATION ..................................................................................................39 APPENDIX A – LIBRARY BOARD TERMS .............................................................................................41 APPENDIX B – COMMUNITY LIBRARY ENHANCEMENT FUND (CLEF) ........................................43 APPENDIX C – SAMPLE LIBRARY BOARD BYLAWS .........................................................................45 APPENDIX D – PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICE RESPONSES ..................................................................49 APPENDIX E – STATE PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION ..................................................................50 APPENDIX F – NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION ..........................................................51 APPENDIX G – LIBRARY BILL OF RIGHTS ...........................................................................................52 APPENDIX H – LIBRARY DIRECTOR JOB DESCRIPTION ..................................................................53 APPENDIX I – LIBRARY TRUSTEE SELF-EVALUATION ....................................................................54 APPENDIX J – BOARD OF DIRECTORS SELF-EVALUATION ............................................................55 APPENDIX K – A COMPARISON OF ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES OF PUBLIC LIBRARY TRUSTEES AND LIBRARY DIRECTORS ................................................................................................56 APPENDIX L – SAMPLE OUTLINE OF A TRUSTEE ORIENTATION & DEVELOPMENT PLAN ...........62 APPENDIX M – SELECTED RESOURCES ...............................................................................................64 APPENDIX N – ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR FIDUCIARY BOARDS ......................................65 APPENDIX O – SAMPLE AGENDA PROCEDURE .................................................................................66 APPENDIX P – GLOSSARY .......................................................................................................................68 Utah Public Library Trustee Manual 3 Version: July 2018 Dear Library Trustee: Thank you for the important work that you do in serving the libraries in Utah. Your work is vital to a civic society and is critical to the success of your library. You represent the people in your community and I appreciate the many ways that you serve them. The purpose of this manual is to guide you and to help make your experience as a member of the Library Board of Trustees a meaningful one, both for you and for your library constituents. It is important that you understand your role. Your library board position means being an advocate for your library, participating actively in the planning process, and working cooperatively with your library administration and government officials in developing policies that serve your community. You will be supporting and encouraging your library director in his/her efforts to sustain and improve the library. Be prepared to attend board meetings and contribute positively to group deliberations. You are in a unique and wonderful position to make a meaningful difference in the community in which you live. Please know that we support you in all that you are undertaking. You will want to become involved on the local level, and many board of trustee members also become involved on State and National levels as well. Consultants at the State Library are here to help you and your library administration. We invite you to attend training opportunities in all areas of library service, including training specifically developed for board members. Our consultants, our training, and this manual will help you become knowledgeable about funding opportunities, library “best practices,” and how to be a better board member. Thank you for joining us in our mission of providing the best possible library service to Utahns. Best regards, Colleen Eggett State Librarian/ Director, Utah State Library Division Utah Public Library Trustee Manual 4 Version: July 2018 Libraries: An American Value Libraries in America are cornerstones of the communities they serve. Free access to the books, ideas, resources, and information in America’s libraries is imperative for education, employment, enjoyment, and self-government. Libraries are a legacy to each generation, offering the heritage of the past and the promise of the future. To ensure that libraries flourish and have the freedom to promote and protect the public good in the 21st century, we believe certain principles must be guaranteed. To that end, we affirm this contract with the people we serve: • We defend the constitutional rights of all individuals, including children and teenagers, to use the library’s resources and services; • We value our nation’s diversity and strive to reflect that diversity by providing a full spectrum of resources and services to the communities we serve; • We affirm the responsibility and the right of all parents and guardians to guide their own children’s use of the library and its resources and services; • We connect people and ideas by helping each person select from and effectively use the library’s resources; • We protect each individual’s privacy and confidentiality in the use of library resources and services; • We protect the rights of individuals to express their opinions about library resources and services; • We celebrate and preserve our democratic society by making available the widest possible range of viewpoints, opinions, and ideas, so that all individuals have the opportunity to become lifelong