2016 KANSAS PUBLIC LIBRARY TRUSTEE MANUAL PREPARED BY: Kansas Regional Library Systems, June 2016, and endorsed by the Kansas Library Trustee Association. KANSAS PUBLIC LIBRARY TRUSTEE MANUAL PREPARED BY Kansas Regional Library Systems, June 2016, and endorsed by the Kansas Library Trustee Association. Contents INTRODUCTION: THE PUBLIC LIBRARY IN THE 21st CENTURY ............................ 3 QUALIFICATIONS OF PUBLIC LIBRARY TRUSTEES .................................................... 5 BOARD ORGANIZATION .............................................................................................................. 5 Section I – Types of Library Boards........................................................................................... 6 Section II – Officers ........................................................................................................................ 8 Section III - Bylaws ......................................................................................................................... 9 STATUTORY POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE LIBRARY BOARD ............................ 9 Section I – Corporate Status of the Library Board ................................................................. 9 Section II – Statutory Powers ..................................................................................................... 10 TRUSTEE ORIENTATION ............................................................................................................ 12 EFFECTIVE BOARD MEETINGS .............................................................................................. 13 Section I – Meeting Structure ..................................................................................................... 14 Section II – Meeting Guidelines ................................................................................................ 15 Section III – Meeting Records .................................................................................................... 17 Section IV – Pitfalls That Prevent Boards from Being Effective ..................................... 18 LIBRARY BOARD SELF EVALUATION ............................................................................... 19 TRUST OF THE LIBRARY BOARD ......................................................................................... 20 PERSONNEL....................................................................................................................................... 24 Section I - Respective duties of Trustees and Library Staff .............................................. 24 Section II - Hiring a New Director ............................................................................................ 25 Section III - Evaluating the Director ........................................................................................ 27 Section IV - Dismissing the Director ....................................................................................... 28 FINANCES ........................................................................................................................................... 28 Section I - The Public Library Budget Process ..................................................................... 30 Section II - Other Income ............................................................................................................ 33 COMMUNITY FUNDRAISING ................................................................................................... 34 Section I - Effective Fundraising Techniques ........................................................................ 34 Section II - Saying Thank-You .................................................................................................. 36 Section III - Planning, Patience, and Perseverance .............................................................. 36 LIBRARY BUILDINGS .................................................................................................................. 36 KANSAS PUBLIC LIBRARY TRUSTEE MANUAL – 2016 [1] Section I - Library Building Programs ..................................................................................... 37 Section II - Financing a Building Program ............................................................................. 38 Section III - Library Building Project Errors to Avoid ....................................................... 38 LIBRARY TECHNOLOGY ........................................................................................................... 39 Section I - A Plan for Technology ............................................................................................ 39 Section II - What Should Technology Accomplish for a Library? .................................. 40 COMMUNITY INFORMATION .................................................................................................. 41 PLANNING AND EVALUATION .............................................................................................. 42 Section I - The Library's Long-Range Plan ............................................................................ 42 Section II - Project Evaluation ................................................................................................... 43 MARKETING THE LIBRARY ..................................................................................................... 44 Section I - Hard Questions .......................................................................................................... 44 Section II - Marketing the Library to Community Leaders ............................................... 47 Section III - Marketing the Library to Library Users .......................................................... 48 Section IV - Reaching Non-Users ............................................................................................. 48 ADVOCACY ....................................................................................................................................... 50 Section I – Working with Local Government ........................................................................ 51 Section II - Tips on the Art of Lobbying ................................................................................. 52 Section III - Tips on the Art of Testifying .............................................................................. 53 INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM ....................................................................................................... 53 Section I - Protecting the Library's Position on Intellectual Freedom ............................ 54 Section II - If a Challenge Does Occur .................................................................................... 56 Appendix A: Sample Bylaws .......................................................................................................... 57 Appendix B: Rules of Order ............................................................................................................ 59 Appendix C: Kansas Public Library Standards .......................................................................... 61 Appendix D: Library Bill of Rights ............................................................................................... 62 Appendix E: Pew Research .............................................................................................................. 63 Appendix F: Reconsideration Form .............................................................................................. 64 Appendix G: Resources ..................................................................................................................... 65 Appendix H: Conflict of Interest .................................................................................................... 66 Appendix I: Referenced Kansas Statutes ..................................................................................... 67 Appendix J: Sample GAAP Waiver .............................................................................................. 90 KANSAS PUBLIC LIBRARY TRUSTEE MANUAL – 2016 [2] INTRODUCTION: THE PUBLIC LIBRARY IN THE 21st CENTURY Libraries transform communities. Public libraries began with educational and inspirational reading. We now provide recreational fiction, audiobooks, music, movies, children’s programming, computers, the Internet, adult education, and more. As books, movies, and other media became universally available and cheaper, library boards and librarians began exploring ways to keep their libraries relevant to communities. Libraries are now providing spaces, tools, and instructions for creating and making things. In 2014, ALA funded a pilot project promoting a new way libraries can help their communities. “Libraries Transforming Communities” trained staff of 10 public libraries on how to bring people together to discover and achieve community aspirations (http://tinyurl.com/lvmrxet). This process started with citizens discussing the following questions: 1. What do you want the community to be? 2. How is this different from what you see now? 3. What are the challenges for achieving these aspirations? 4. What changes are needed to overcome these challenges? These questions provide different answers than the traditional questions about “What do you want the library to do for you?” The answers to community-focused questions reveal themes (e.g., safety, more welcoming community, more activities for children, concern for the environment,