From the
By state law, library
trustees are the governing board of the library. (RSA 202-A:2 II) "The library trustees shall have the
entire custody and management of the public library and all the property of the
town relating thereto..., except trust funds held by the town.” (RSA 202-A:6)
Each trustee is elected by
the general population unless a municipal charter or deed/charter for the
establishment of the library specifies otherwise. The Board of Trustees has sole responsibility
for hiring and firing employees of a public library (RSA 202-A:17) and the securing of sufficient funds to provide and
maintain adequate library service or to supplement funds otherwise provided. (RSA 202-A:4)
Trustees represent the
community to the library and the library to the community.
Qualifications:
·
Resident of
the municipality the library serves. (RSA 669:6)
·
Knowledge of
the services provided by the library and commitment to its roles in the
community.
·
Knowledge of
the community’s social, educational and political structure.
·
Ability to
work well with others, listen effectively, and plan
for the future.
·
Willingness to
devote time and effort to the duties of trusteeship and participate with local,
state and national government and library leaders to improve library service at
all levels.
Essential Responsibilities of the Trustee:
·
Recruits,
appoints, supervises and reviews performance of the library director.
·
Appoints all
other employees of the library and determines their duties and wages in
consultation with the director.
·
Establishes, reviews and revises all policies, including but
not limited to personnel, material selection/use and the use of the building.
·
Enforces all
local, state and federal laws that pertain to the library, including library
employees and accessibility to materials and their use.
·
Prepares the
annual budget in consultation with the director.
·
Presents and
defends the budget to the budgetary authority of the municipality each year.
·
Has sole
authority to determine budget lines for expenditures and move monies from one
budget line to another.
·
Maintains fine
monies in a separate non-lapsing account from the operating budget and approves
all expenditures of those funds.
·
Provides
adequate insurance to cover the building and collection materials and their
replacement costs.
·
Reviews budget
on a regular basis and approved expenditures for unforeseen circumstances.
·
Adopts, reviews and revises by-laws, rules and regulations
for the board’s own transaction of business and for the governance of the
library.
·
Develops and
approves the mission statement of the library; contributes to and approves the
development of short and long term goals for the library.
·
Actively
participates in and contributes to the meetings and work of the board; supports
all decisions made by the board.
·
Acts as a
member of the board and assumes individually only those duties delegated by the
board.
·
Utilizes the
Library Trustee Manual and acquires full knowledge or awareness of local, state
and federal laws pertaining the governance of a public
library.
·
Seeks training
opportunities for enhancing the performance of trustee duties and
responsibilities.
·
Advocates for
the library and library service in the community, state and nation.
·
Participates
in state and national library organizations.
·
Supports and
abides by the American Library Association Library Bill of Rights, its
interpretations and the Freedom to Read statement.