WebJunction

Guide to Library Board Resources

Whether you refer to them as library trustees or board members, this group can be critical to the success of a library. Some boards/trustees may have governing authority over a library, while others serve in an advisory position. Either way, they may be your strongest advocates with community stakeholders and funding authorities.

General information

• The Politics of Library Boards: the ability to understand and work effectively with your board is an art and a science
• Trustee Blog series: a series of posts about trustees on BlogJunction
• Two Goal Posts: Library and Community (webinar archive): why trustees need to keep focused on these two goals

Working with the Board

• Board Challenges and Successes (webinar archive): Ellen Miller presents the POS-CURV approach to improved relations with your board.
• Motivating Your Board: Lawsuits, Money and Facilities (webinar archive): the three proven motivators of trustees

Roles and responsibilities

• Effective Governance for Rural Libraries The director-board team is charged with fulfilling the library's social contract
  
• Trustee Facts File, 3rd Edition: a broad overview of the duties, responsibilities, and tasks of the Illinois public library trustee
• Trustees Need to be in the Picture: article on Today’s Trustee: A Conversation from the Illinois Library Association Reporter
  

Recruiting board members

• Recruiting Latino Trustees: excerpt of the book "Serving Latino Communities, 2nd edtion"
• Wanted: Effective Public Library Trustees: Step-by-step process to identify,recruit and develop effective trustees for your library

Orientation and Training

• Essential Training to Library Trustees The North Suburban Library System (IL) shares their video training sessions.
• Kansas Library Trustee Certification Program
• Training Resource Kit for Pennsylvania Public Library Trustees, produced by the Pennsylvania Office of Commonwealth Libraries

Additional resources:

• Association for Library Trustees and Advocates: check out their Nationwide Database of State Library & Trustee Associations, Trustee Handbooks, and Trustee Training Manuals.
• New Hampshire Library Trustees Association
• New Jersey Library Trustee Association
• Kansas Library Trustee Association
• Trustee Trouble: Video series from the Wyoming State Library on being a new trustee

Visit the Documents tab for the full selection of resources on this topic, and please share your ideas, successes, and challenges in the Discussion.