Public libraries in Connecticut may be municipal government departments or associations. The library governing authority adopts and provides oversight of budgets, supervises the library director, adopts policy and sets direction. This entity can be the library governing board or the local municipal authority.
There are two types of library boards: governing or advisory. A library advisory board advocates for the library and represents the community by advising the library director and the library governing authority. Trustees of governing library boards are public officers and are legally responsible for the governance of the library and conducting its operations in accordance with local, state and federal laws.
Library directors and staff use sound library administration and management practices to apply the policies and statutory obligations of the governing body to the daily operations of the library.
*ACLPD is currently updating the Best Practices, for Governance under 3.4, ACLPD will be clarifying that board approved library polices must be made accessible in multiple formats and locations, including print and electronically on the library website. 6/30/2023
All Ages Welcome by
According to 2016 Pew Research Center survey data, Millennials are more likely to have visited a public library in the past year than any other adult demographic. But despite being core library users, millennials and other younger generations are often underrepresented on library boards and library advocacy groups, including Friends groups and Foundations. But you can change that, with the help of this planner's hands-on worksheets, brainstorming activities, checklists, and expert advice. Using this toolkit from United for Libraries you will understand generational differences and commonalities through statistics and analysis of Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z/post-Millennials; learn how to navigate the challenges of fundraising with the "debt generations" by persuasively answering the question "what's in it for me?"; master the ABCs of recruitment and retention, tailoring them to fit your library; craft several customized pitches, giving you confidence no matter the situation or audience; discover how to cement buy-in from two key groups, current organization members and your new recruits, thereby ensuring acceptance and enthusiasm all around; work towards defining and managing diversity for your advocacy group; and use tried and true methods for successful onboarding of volunteers, including a Board Member Orientation Checklist and guidance on mentoring. Using this resource, libraries of all kinds will be empowered to grow and strengthen their recruitment, retention, and training of Trustees, Friends, and Foundation members.
The Complete Library Trustee Handbook by
Give your trustees the tools needed to translate their experiences and interests into strong results on behalf of their libraries. Current executive director of the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations (ALTAFF) and former public library director Sally Gardner Reed draws on her years of success leading Friends of Libraries USA to provide trustees with straightforward, easy-to-read guidance on how to make the most of their vital role. She guides readers through important issues, including sustainable fundraising and advocacy, hiring and evaluating a library director, strategic planning, director-trustee collaboration, and policy development. Readers of The Complete Library Trustee Handbook will be brought up to speed on optimizing board effectiveness, board ethics issues, conflicts of interests, and efficient meeting management, and a chapter on key issues for libraries addresses intellectual freedom, user privacy, pay equity for library workers, privatization of public libraries, and funding.
The Successful Library Trustee Handbook by
This go-to guide covers the entire process of building or renovating a public library—from initial planning, to maintaining the completed space, to measuring success. * Provides you with an informal, easy-to-read, practical guide that addresses the specific needs of public librarians looking to reimagine their library space * Takes a holistic approach that covers every step from initial vision to evaluating success * Offers practical, nuts-and-bolts advice from an experienced veteran of the process * Helps you to claim a seat at the table—and shows you why the input of librarians is so important
The Best of the Board Café by
A Bestseller Becomes Even More Pertinent First published in 2005, this collection of CompassPoint online newsletter articles became instantly popular with busy board members of nonprofits. Now updated with new essays that are short enough to read over a cup of coffee, readers will find essential insights on board responsibilities, executive directors, fundraising, finance, and more. New topics include: Eleven ways to get a new executive director off to a good start A board member's guide to nonprofit insurance, how to take a public stand working boards versus governing boards the right way to resign from the board, the best way to raise money, meaningful board-staff acts of appreciation What boards need to know about copyrights
The Public Library Policy Writer by
Library policy experts Jeanette Larson and Herman Totten return with this new guide addressing today's hotbutton issues -- the PATRIOT Act, fair labor standards, disaster planning, CIPA, virtual reference services, wireless networks -- and the timeless topics that require official responses. In addition to explaining the importance of policies and the fundamentals of their creation, Larson and Totten analyze and offer model policies for over 65 crucial areas, including: * personnel and employment practices * staff and patron conduct * access to library materials, services, and facilities * collection development * reference and information services The companion CD-ROM reproduces all of the policies for easy replication or adaptation to your library.
Library Board Strategic Guide by
View the author's companion website for more information and extra materials Whether they have full governance powers or are just there in an advisory capacity, trustees on library boards need to understand the complex issues that affect a library's ability to provide its community with materials and services that support lifelong learning, jobs, and quality of life. Authors Ellen G. Miller and Patricia H. Fisher have created a strategic guide that will help library board leaders handle important issues such as managing risk; local values and first amendment rights; leadership capable of achieving the library's ideal vision; getting and growing diverse funding sources; and becoming part of the community's leadership team. These issues are discussed in laymen's terms designed for busy trustees and directors who have only a few hours per month together to consider options and make decisions. Library Board Strategic Guide: Going to the Next Level seeks to help trustees and their directors in three broad areas: understanding complex issues and their local impact, assessing the trustee's role in addressing those issues, and reviewing experiences and best practices from other libraries. With many other uses, including use as a tool for board meeting discussions, for self-study, or as a benchmark for assessing your board's performance, this guide will help your library leaders reach that next level of community support.
ACLB Public Library Trustee Handbook. Association of CT Library Boards, 2014
Association of CT Library Boards https://aclb.wildapricot.org/
Friends of Connecticut Libraries www.foclib.org
Handbook for Connecticut Library Friends. Friends of Connecticut Libraries, 2006
Model Memorandum of Understanding from ALA and United for Libraries
Sample Connecticut Library Policies
United for Libraries - Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations www.ala.org/united/
Working Together: roles and responsibilities guidelines for library directors, Trustees, and Friends. CT State Library
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