For and about members of the ONTARIO LIBRARY BOARDS’ ASSOCIATION InsideOLBA WINTER 2008 NO. 21 ISSN 1192 5167 Leadership by Design to unveil One Place to Look, OLBA’s on-line library for trustees he Ontario Library everything easier to use. One Boards‘Association is Place to Look is the result of ready to unveil the latest research done by Margaret component of its four-year pro- Andrewes and Randee Loucks gram, Leadership by Design. in which trustees said they TThe project’s on-line library wanted to look for resources in for trustees, One Place to Look, one place and that the search is ready for launch at the 2008 needed to be as simple as possi- Super Conference. OLBA ble. Council has seen the test ver- Many trustees with little on- sion and were thrilled with line experience were particular- what they saw. You will be, too. ly anxious that access to trustee materials be simple. These One Place to Look builds findings informed the develop- on Cut to the Chase ment of One Place to Look, our Cut to the Chase is the on-line library for trustees. durable, laminated four-page fold-out quick reference guide Your Path to Library to being a trustee. This was the Leadership is the Key damental responsibilities in years by the Library Develop- first element in the Leadership Borrowing the name from achieving effective leadership ment Training Program spear- by Design project. Since the the Ontario library communi- and sound library governance. headed by the Southern Ontario final version of Cut to the ty’s 1990 Strategic Plan that The “Your Path to Library Library Service in combination Chase was delivered to all saw the beginning of more Leadership ” chart on the back with the Ontario Library library boards in Ontario, the intensive focus on board devel- of Cut to the Chase is your key Service-North and the Ontario response has been excellent. opment, One Place to Look to the way the on-line library is Library Trustees’ Association One Place to Look, the sec- builds directly on Cut to the organized. Pick the topic for (forerunner to OLBA). OLBA is ond element in Leadership by Chase, and will assist trustees which you need information; particularly grateful to the Design, is consciously linked to to find core information Click on that same topic at the Southern Ontario Library Cut to the Chase to make resources that support the fun- OLBA Web Site and you will be Service for permission to link to presented with a list of such resources as the Library resources related to your term. Board Orientation Kit 2004, CUT Choose one of these resources Continued on page 3 TO THE CHASE and you are taken directly to the Library governance ONE at-a-glance ONE full text of the item. NETWORKING PLACE NEED IDEAS to keep WITH TO LOOK What resources are in costs down while at OUR PEERS On-line library OUR PEERS One Place to Look? Super Conference One Place to Look contains a LEADERSHIP variety of resources. Core board Jan. 30-Feb. 2, 2008? BY DESIGN development and governance LEARNING LEADERSHIP FROM DEVELOPMENT resources for all types of boards Turn to page 7 for OUR PEERS PLANNING have proliferated over the last TOOL decade and the Ontario library our practical ways EFFECTIVE BOARD community has been active in to save at Super GOVERNANCE producing many fine titles. Conference 2008. through education Many of these resources have been developed over the See you there! ONTARIO LIBRARY BOARDS’ ASSOCIATION Leadership 2007 OLBA PRESIDENT development CATHERINE DOWD Orillia Public Library Board tool in board So much to do! So much to learn! These are exciting times! test mode ork on the third ele- he first year of the new share your insights into the Tapes can be ordered through ment of Leadership four-year library board process on the OLBA listserv. the OLAStore at orders@acces- Wby Design, the Tterms is already over. Other boards can benefit from sola.com. The cost is the same “Leadership Development Plan- Now is an ideal time to reflect your experience. as if you attended the live ses- ning Tool,” has progressed to on your experiences. Was it sion - $54 plus GST for mem- the point where a prototype is what you expected? Do you More Learning bers and $74 plus GST for non- being tested by the boards of find you have more questions Opportunities Coming Up members. OLBA Council members. than answers? Start planning now for the The diagnostic tool will last in Ken Haycock’s session ll of these tools are a enable the Board Chair and Super Conference on Financial Literacy. Part 3 means to make your CEO to assess their board’s to the rescue discusses the budget as an advo- Aboard more productive strengths and weaknesses and to If so, you're in luck. The con- cacy tool. The session runs on and effective during your terms. plan a leadership development ference is a great place to net- January 22 and repeats on They leave a legacy to future program using Ken Haycock’s work with other trustees from January 23. Check out the EI’s boards to follow. Think of them Effective Board Governance across Ontario. There are ses- Web site for more information. as a positive start to a New Year series as the foundation. sions on a variety of trustee If you missed Parts 1 & 2, and term of office. The revised tool will be open governance issues. We will be take heart. You can order a CD Happy New Year everyone. for comment at Super providing a status report on the for either or both sessions. Conference Session #620, Leadership by Design program. Consider listening to the ses- Thurs., Jan. 31, 3:45 pm. Hear about the modules that sions as a board development Catherine Dowd, Revisions should be ready in have already been distributed item for a future board meeting. OLBA President. T time for spring distribution. T and learn what modules will be rolling out next. Attend the OLBA Annual meeting to dis- MEET YOUR OLBA COUNCIL cover what Council has worked on in 2007 and to provide it LYNN HUMFRESS-TRUTE, Lynn grew up, there were many such as Borden, North Bay, with feedback. Vice-President 2007/ questions that Lynn quickly Ottawa, Edmonton… et al), Plan to meet our new President-Elect 2008 learned that ‘nice young ladies Lynn decided to retire from the Minister of Culture, the Hon. Councillor, Southwestern don't ask’ and so she found the work force and turn her focus to Aileen Carroll. Region 2006-2007 answers to all her queries at the volunteer opportunities. We hope you are taking local library. Hence she became immersed advantage of the 2-for-1 deal to A long time ago in a far- Harry and Ethel decided to in the world of not-for-profit allow new trustees an opportu- away land, a little girl was born come to live in the land of agencies. She now teaches not- nity to attend the conference. to Harry and Ethel Humfress. opportunity, Canada. Lynn, who for-profit board management The more the better! This is They named their daughter was at the University of under the Volunteer Leadership library networking at its best. Lynn because someone said a Durham at the time studying Development Program for the There are great ideas in this “lynn” was a fish – and this lit- English and Business, United Way, is on the board of issue for first-time conference tle baby was certainly a fishy- researched this far-off land and directors of an agency that pro- attendees so that they can make looking character. Lynn grew up discovered it was full of forests, vides support to persons with the most of the experience. in a place where there were no lakes and Mounties! Not the developmental and emotional televisions until she was about 5 most appealing assets for a challenges, and is the Vice- ‘Tis the season years old… and even when the young lady at the peak of her Chair of Middlesex County for evaluation lady down the street (the rich “burn the bra” era?? But her Library Board. Lynn has served As you complete your first one) finally got a TV, there was protests fell on deaf ears, and one term on a SOLS trustee year, you may be turning your just one station called the BBC, Lynn arrived in Canada in the council and has recently been attention to board self-evalua- on-air from noon till 10.00 pm. late 1960’s! appointed to the OLBA tion. Evaluating your board is So Lynn cultivated a love and After a career as an internal Council. an important responsibility. passion for books. auditor in the Department of And she still reads under the Read the article in this issue on Many a flashlight battery National Defence (where she blankets with her flashlight – why and how to conduct a was burned out under the blan- had met this young army officer only this time it’s to her grand- board evaluation. And if you do kets as Lynn devoured book who married her and swept her children! T conduct an evaluation, please after book. In the country where away to live in romantic places 2 InsideOLBA Winter 2008 Continued from page 1 WHAT’S HAPPENING @ your library® One Place to Look is the second element I HAMILTON PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD is in the process of amal- in the Leadership by Design project gamating small libraries in largely rural areas.