Welcome back to Season Eight of Linking Our Libraries! We are so happy to have you with us today!

We are the Central Minnesota Libraries Exchange. Our members are libraries of all sorts: public, schools, academics, special libraries, archives, and history centers. Join us in working thorough skills library staffers can use to be more successful in their work! 

And today we have a Guest Host joining us! Julianne Trebelhorn has been a member of the Traverse des Sioux Library System board, as well as the Sibley County library board. She is here today to talk about what it takes to be a board member for libraries, and to help the libraries succeed! Welcome to the podcast Julie!

The Basics:

The organization I Love Libraries gives us a good introduction to the role of Board members. “Library trustees are powerful advocates for libraries.  Through the coordination, hard work, and determination of trustees, new libraries have been built, budgets have been restored and increased, and new respect has been generated for the powerful role libraries play in communities and on campuses. 

“As part of a trustee board, trustees serve on a volunteer basis, can be elected or appointed to a library board for a period of time, and are tasked with the duty of helping to direct the funds and policies of an institution. In general, the library board of trustees has a role in determining the mission of the library, setting the policy that governs the library, hiring and evaluating a library director, and overseeing the general management of the library. This role varies with every library system.”

The Diligent Insights website shared five things that probably every library board should be doing:

Library Board of Trustees Responsibilities:

1. Be an advocate for the library and the community it serves. Major library board of trustees responsibilities include serving as an advocate for the library within the community, and also to advocate for the community as a representative of the library board. To serve as an advocate of the library is to work for the improvement of the library services offered for the community. Advocacy includes working on obtaining the required funds for the library, finding ways to work with the community and connect with public groups, and making sure that the needs and interests of the community are at the forefront of making board decisions.
2. Establish a mission and vision for the future of the library. Planning is paramount to the survival of libraries, especially with ever-changing aspects of library services for the community. Planning is crucial to what will evolve with certain library services for the public. Library board of trustees responsibilities include being cognizant of the future of the library and shaping it to be responsive to any community needs. Establishing a mission and vision for the library, essential library board of trustees responsibilities, are foundational to planning for the future of the library and its services.
3. Observe and evaluate the effectiveness of the library. Library board members serve as representatives for the interests and needs of the community regarding the services provided by the library. The library board is entrusted by the community to make sure that the library is functioning the way it should. Library board of trustees responsibilities include continuously examining and assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of the library and its services. Assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of the library assists the library board in knowing what areas of growth exist for the library.
4. Establish and implement policies for the library. Library board trustee responsibilities also include spending time on policy issues; developing and implementing policies and monitoring the effectiveness of those policies. Once policies are adopted and implemented by the board, the library staff then perform and carry out these policies on a daily basis.
5. Hire and assess the director of the library. Hiring a qualified and capable individual to serve as director is a vital responsibility for the library board. The director of the library is tasked with managing the daily processes and operations of the library. The board of trustees should also regularly evaluate the director to be sure that the library is operating well, and that the best interests of the library and the community it serves are being addressed.

Resources for you to consult:

•  Building a Culture of Learning with Library Boards
• Roles and Responsibilities for Library Board of Trustees
• The Role of the Board and the Library Director — State Library of Iowa
• 30+ Alice’s Library Skills Board ideas | library skills, library …
• Colorado Public Library Board & Trustee Handbook | CDE
• Library Trustee Manual – Oklahoma Department of Libraries
• Library Boards & Trustees – South Dakota State Library
• Library of Michigan – Bylaws for Public Library Boards
• Nebraska Library Board Manual – Nebraska Library Commission

Now that we have some ideas and some theories about how library boards can work to support and lead their libraries, let’s talk with Julie to get some experience about actually doing the work of a board!

• How long have you been a board member? 
• What kinds of boards have you worked with?
• Have you ever had orientation or training?
• What skills do you think are most important for a board member?
• Can you tell us about something you are really proud of in your work?
• What advice would you give to a new board member?

Books Read

And now we have one of our favorite parts of each episode: sharing books! Each of us will share a book we are reading. Links to each book will be on our show notes page, with a link to Amazon.com. If you buy a nice book – or anything else – Amazon will give us a small percent of their profits. Thanks in advance!!

• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V. E. Schwab
• The Death of Expertise: The Campaign against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters, by Tom Nichols 
• The Alice Network, by Kate Quinn
• Hello, Universe, by Erin Entrada Kelly 

Conclusion

Thanks to you for joining us this week! It’s always better when you are here with us!

Here are a few quick takeaways from today’s discussion, with the skills board members can share:

• Be an advocate for the library and the community it serves
• Establish a mission and vision for the future of the library
• Observe and evaluate the effectiveness of the library
• Establish and implement policies for the library
• Hire and assess the director of the library

Be sure you are subscribed to Linking Our Libraries in your favorite podcast app – or just stream it on our website.

If you want to hear more about books, subscribe to our podcast Reading With Libraries in that same favorite app. Get a new episode each week, with more book suggestions.

Check back in with us next week for another library skill!