Trustee Tool Kit forLibrary Leadership 1998 Edition California Association of Library Trustees and Commissioners California State Library Dr. Kevin Starr, State Librarian of California Sacramento, 1998 1 Trustee Tool Kit for Library Leadership This publication was supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian. However, the opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services or the California State Library, and no official endorsement by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services or the California State Library should be inferred. 2 Table of Contents Table of Contents Foreword ............................................................................................................. 7 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 8 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................... 9 Overview............................................................................................................ 10 Chapter 1. Statutory Authority ...................................................................... 12 Statutory Differences of Library Boards ..................................................................... 12 Two Types of Boards ...................................................................................................... 12 Advisory Library Boards .......................................................................................... 12 Administrative Library Boards ................................................................................. 13 Authority For Libraries and Boards .............................................................................. 14 General Law Authority ............................................................................................. 14 Charter City/Charter County Authority .................................................................... 15 Combined City-County Library Authority ................................................................ 15 Authority For Size of Library Boards ............................................................................15 Selecting Library Board Members ................................................................................ 15 Appointing Library Board Members ........................................................................ 15 Filling Vacancies For Unexpired Terms ................................................................... 15 Publicizing Vacancies .............................................................................................. 16 Requirements For Library Board Membership ....................................................... 16 Conflict of Interest .................................................................................................... 16 Terms of Office For Library Board Members .............................................................. 16 Removal from Office ...................................................................................................... 16 Compensation ................................................................................................................. 17 Chapter 2. Library Funding ............................................................................ 18 Overview: Changing Nature of Local Library Funding ............................................... 18 Current Government Sources of Library Funding ...................................................... 19 City and County Funding Sources .......................................................................... 19 Special Library District Funding Sources ............................................................... 19 Cooperative Library System Funding Sources ....................................................... 19 State Funding Sources ............................................................................................ 20 The California Library Services Act ......................................................................... 20 The Public Library Finance Act (PLF) ..................................................................... 20 Federal Funding Sources ........................................................................................ 20 Non-Government Supplemental Library Funding Sources ........................................ 21 Legal Constraints ........................................................................................................... 22 Library Board Operational Expense Budget Funding ................................................. 22 Chapter 3. Legal Duties, Liabilities, Rights ................................................ 23 Duties of Public Officers ................................................................................................23 Other Duties of All Library Board Members ................................................................ 23 Duties Specific To Administrative Library Boards ...................................................... 24 Ralph M. Brown Act Requirements For Open Public Meetings ................................. 24 3 Trustee Tool Kit for Library Leadership Requirements of Other Laws and Policies .................................................................. 24 Agendas of Meetings ............................................................................................... 24 Public Participation .................................................................................................. 24 Minutes of Meetings ................................................................................................. 24 Board Bylaws, Policies, and Procedures ................................................................ 24 Board Officers ........................................................................................................... 25 Annual Reports ........................................................................................................ 25 Personal Economic Interests Statements ............................................................... 25 Confidentiality of Library Records ........................................................................... 25 Legal Liabilities For Trustee Violation of Trust ............................................................. 25 Trustees’ Defenses To Lessen Their Liability .............................................................. 27 Defenses For The Individual Trustee ....................................................................... 27 Defenses For The Total Board ................................................................................. 27 Individual Rights of A Library Trustee .......................................................................... 27 Chapter 4. Effective Board Organization .................................................... 29 Attributes of Responsible Trustees .............................................................................. 29 Essentials for Effective Board Organization ............................................................... 29 Importance of Trustee Manual for Each Trustee ......................................................... 30 Necessity for Board Bylaws ......................................................................................... 30 Need for Board Officers with Clearly Defined Duties ................................................. 31 Provision for Committees with Clearly Defined Roles and Procedures .................. 31 Necessity of Board Records and Minutes File ............................................................ 31 Requirement of Advance, Written Agenda .................................................................. 32 Responsibility for Preparing Agenda ........................................................................... 32 Importance of Adherence to Parliamentary Procedure ............................................. 32 Need for Orientation Program for New Trustees ........................................................ 32 Value of Trustee Continuing Education Program ........................................................ 32 Significance of Trustee Resource Bookshelf ............................................................. 33 Chapter 5. Systematic Planning Process .................................................... 34 Chapter 6. Policy-Setting & Budget-Making............................................... 36 Individual Trustee Commitment .................................................................................... 36 Types of Policies Considered Important ...................................................................... 37 External Policies ...................................................................................................... 37 Internal Management Policies ................................................................................. 38 Systematic Policy Development ................................................................................... 38 New Policy Support Needed .......................................................................................... 39 Regular Policy Review Important ................................................................................. 39 Budget-Making