Link to archive: Motivating Your Board: Money, Lawsuits and Facilities
Webinar Summary
Care & Feeding of Passionate Boards: Library board culture rules! So where does yours fit on a six-point continuum, from passive to passionate? At the July 31st “Motivating Your Board” webinar, most participants chose the middle ground.
Boards listen up to three proven motivators -- lawsuits, money and facilities. Trustee Jim Connor told how a meeting room policy caused a First Amendment lawsuit in federal court. Partnerships should include for-profit entities, too. And whether you repaint, remodel or get a new building, you’ve boosted the library’s and the board’s image.
Transitioning from one board to another can be thorny. The previous Aztec, NM advisory board loved high-profile partnerships that got national kudos. The new board worried about being over-extended. To bring the new board on board, director Leanne Hathcock:
- Invited state library staff to talk about legal responsibilities and roles
- Reviewed facts about the library’s acclaimed partnerships
- Had the board do more, e.g., set its meeting agendas
One bonus for having a passionate board? It makes recruiting the trustee skill set you need easier, noted emcee Ellen Miller.
