From Wilson Library Bulletin, February 1986. Reprinted with permission of the H. W. Wilson Company

"Library trustees need accurate information to make wise decisions," is the opening line of the workshops I conduct each year for newly appointed library board members in the seventeen counties of the Central Kansas Library System. I have conducted over 100 workshops for librarians and trustees, and I hope my experience will be of value to others.

     Remember when you were a newly appointed trustee? You were lucky to know the library hours, yet immediately you were expected to vote and decide issues regardless of how qualified you felt. What could you do? You probably either sat there like a third grader in a new school and said nothing, or else you felt like a fool for asking a lot of questions.

     If you are a library trustee and identify with this problem read on. This article is for you. If you are a librarian, read this article and pass it on to the members of your board. We will explore some of the training and information needs trustees face and discuss some ideas for becoming an effective library trustee.

Getting started

Start with your librarian, who is your link to the staff and the library. Librarians know what is going on in the library better than anyone else. Ask for a tour.

     Brush up on your listening skills. Learn to say "I see," and "Tell me more." Occasionally, summarize the content for understanding. Ask about library programs and make positive comments about what you see. The librarian will think that you are the best board member your library has had in a long time. Ask, "What is going well for the library?" Find out what areas need help.

     After you have seen the children's room, the charging system, and the card catalog, ask to see the furnace room and the magazine storage area. Trustees are responsible for the whole library.

     After the tour, ask your librarian for your copy of the board manual. If your library doesn't have one, now might be a good time to develop one. A basic manual should include a list of current board members and officers with their addresses, telephone numbers and terms of office; trustee responsibilities; duties of the librarian; a list of staff members and their job titles; an organizational chart; organizational by-laws; a statement of the library's goals and objectives; the personnel policy; other library policies including the book selection policy; the library's current budget; salary schedule and salary administration policy; and contracts with other libraries or networks.

     After you talk with the librarian and read the board manual. Call the president of the board and ask specific questions. You need to learn the library's strengths and weaknesses, and you need to know about other board members. You won't become an expert overnight, but your interest in and knowledge about the library will impress others at the first board meeting that you are preparing to make a valuable contribution.

     Now it is time to learn about library connections at the regional and state level. Find out how your library cooperates with other libraries in the state. What is the role of the state library? After six months or so, make a trip to visit some other libraries. Visit your library system headquarters and find out how the system can help you. You will find out how good your library really isãand if you get one useful idea it will be worth the effort. These visits away from your own library could be the most valuable learning experience you will have.

     Your state library probably has a trustee manual and your system may I have one, too. These valuable publications will give you specific information about library laws in your state. | Read them! It is your responsibility to know what is in them whether you have read them or not.

     As a trustee you are responsible for your library's well being. You will carry out your task by making decisions in five basic areas: setting library policy, managing money, hiring and working with the librarian, carrying out public relations, and planning. Library boards discuss and decide library matters in one or more of these categories at their monthly |meetings. Your job is to attend every board meeting: you cannot contribute if you are not there.

     Before the board meeting the librarian or board secretary should send you last month's minutes, a financial statement, a report from the librarian, an agenda for this month's board meeting, and any special documents pertinent to the meeting. To be prepared for participation in the meeting, read the material.

Setting policy

Just about everything the library board does relates to policy. Policy often determines priorities for the budget. Policy affects librarians and their relationship with the staff members. Policies are the basis for programs.

     Think about it, and count the number of motions that relate to policy at your next board meeting.

     Policy should not be a rigid set of rules, but more of a blueprint or road map for library operations. Written policies let the public and the staff know the library's position. They should be clearly written and understandable to all.

     A positively worded book selection policy, based on The Library Bill of Rights" and the "Freedom to Read Statement," is a real friend in the face of a censorship challenge. Some people will always want to dictate what other people read. If you are armed beforehand, the battle could be over before it starts.

     Good staff morale is critical to a well-run library. When you review the personnel policy, allow for as much staff input as possible. Be especially careful when it comes to vacation, sick leave or some other staff perquisite that may be revised downward. Changes in health care plans can be disconcerting to staff members, especially if they perceive the change to be a reduction in benefits. They can become very upset--even more than over salaries.

     Try not to put the library director in the middle of crossfire between the staff and board over policy.

     Policy should be flexible and subject to change, with a regularly scheduled review to guarantee that it meets current situations. Ten years ago most libraries didn't need policies on computers, videotape collections, or database searching, but today these services are part of many library programs.

     Remember this: a policy written after the fact can do little to correct a bad situation, while a well-written policy already in place can do much to keep a minor skirmish from developing into a major battle.

Managing money

Once the board sets the budget it is the librarian's job to manage the library's money. The board should review a monthly report on the library's current financial situation. Board members should approve the monthly bills and file the financial statement for the auditor.

     The library board's primary money management role is to allocate current resources. The librarian and the board work together to develop the annual budget. The librarian is the one person who is in the library every day and knows what books people read or when the roof leaks. The librarian usually makes purchases, verifies the expenditures to the board and brings invaluable information to budget discussions. The board works with that information and sets the budget for the year. Budgeting is the process of allocating available resources. First priority is usually for those line items over which we have very little control. Second priority is for those items over which we have absolute control. Utilities, building maintenance, and salaries tend to claim a lion's share of the money, while the rest gets spent on books, materials, and programs. You cannot operate a library without people, but it is a shame when books take a back seat to other priorities.

     The board's secondary role is to secure adequate funding. Most of the public libraries I know need more money. The board must constantly strike a balance between available tax money and the needs of the library. In 1980 the Friends of the Library helped my library push through a referendum that resulted in a mill levy increase for the library. Library employees maintained a low profile, providing information and clerical support. Staff members involved in fund-raising activities can be seen as self-serving; consequently, the board or others need to assume a primary role in finding more money for the library.

     The budget is the library's single most important planning document because it is the basis for the monthly financial statement. Knowing where you are financially will determine future expenditures. If utility rates double in one month, you know you will have to cut back somewhere to balance the total budget at the end of the year. The board helps the librarian make these decisions.

Hiring the librarian

"Beauty is only skin-deep, but ugly goes clear to the bone." The opportunity to hire a new librarian may happen only once while you are on the board, so remember, hire someone whose good qualities go "clear to the bone." The person you hire will set the tone for the library for the next several years. Librarians don't have to be out of the pages of Esquire or Glamour; more likely than not they will resemble the people seen in Modern Maturity or Working Mother. Patrons will respond well to a librarian who is pleasant and friendly.

     Qualifications are also important. I don't want to minimize the importance of job skills and education. If your library can afford a person with a master's degree in library science, then hire one who best meets your needs. If not, look for a person who reads, is personable and outgoing. People skills are important. You want more than a babysitter of books.

     Before you advertise for the position, decide what you want your new librarian to do. What are the duties and responsibilities? What job skills are needed? Match the skills and qualifications of the applicants to the job requirements, and invite applicants that best match the job requirements to interview. Don't worry about making a mistake: if the whole board feels good about the person you decide to hire, you are probably making the right choice. Remember that there is no one perfect person for every Job vacancy. Several people could fill the vacancy equally well.

     Be careful not to ask illegal questions in the interview. You may want to know if the applicant is married, has children or is a good Catholic. Don't ask the question! The EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) is explicit about discrimination due to race, religion, sex, age, national origin, or handicap. If an applicant can prove that he or she was denied the job because of discrimination on one of these points, you can be sued and lose. Use this rule of thumb: "If the question doesn't pertain to the applicant's performance of the job, don't ask it." If you feel you still need personal information, say, "Tell me about yourself . . ." Or ask, "How would you describe yourself?"

     When it comes to interview questions, I have two that I find useful: "What did you like best about your most recent job?" and "What did you like least about your most recent job?" The answers are clues to how the applicant will fit into your organization. Someone who couldn't get along with the board in his or her last job will probably have problems with the board in the new job.

     When you recruit a new librarian, attract as many qualified applicants as you can. Many personnel problems can be traced directly to hiring from too small an applicant pool. If you hire the only applicant for the job, you increase your chances of hiring the wrong person.

     Here again, it is a matter of matching skills and qualifications to job requirements. When we have only one applicant, we tend to dismiss obvious weaknesses, hoping they will be overcome with experience on the job. Don't count on it! The more people you have to choose from, the better your chances for avoiding problems later on.

Working with your librarian

What do you do if you inherit a librarian with shortcomings? It's a common problem: the librarian has been there fifteen years, is too young for retirement, but keeps people away with a cool, inflexible personality. What can you do? Instituting performance appraisal won't work. If you are unhappy with your librarian's present performance, starting an employee evaluation program will probably make no difference. Most likely, it is already too late. It won't change the problem behavior and it will probably make things worse.

     Behavior modification through motivation might help, but you must remember that you cannot change other people's behavior. You can only change your own behavior, and then others will respond to the changes in you. Learn these six major steps to motivating employees: gather data on current performance, set goals for improvement, establish a data collection device, provide positive reinforcement, give ongoing feedback, and use team building.

     If your librarian never smiles or says "Good morning," find out how entrenched the behavior is. Does one board member in seven receive a smile and greeting? Set a goal that the librarian will smile and greet everyone, including all board members, warmly. Data collection requires that board members visit the library often so they can collect the dataãsmiles or frowns, warm greetings or grumbles. The first board member to receive a smile and "Good morning" positively reinforces the behavior by saying, "It makes me feel good to come to the library and be greeted so warmly." And so on through the board. The librarian will soon get the idea. Feedback is passing on positive comments from others. Soon being on the "friendly team" will be the thing to do. This sounds simplistic, but it works. Transfer the technique to other targeted behaviors. The principles are constant.

     Smooth operation of the library depends on the relationship between the board and the librarian. Start by clearly separating the responsibilities of the board and the role of the librarian. The Library Trustee: A Practical Guidebook by Virginia Young (Bowker, 1978) is an excellent resource for delineating the differences. Basically, the board sets policy and hires a competent librarian. The librarian carries out the policy set by the board and runs the library. If everyone follows the rules, everything works fine . . . or at least it is supposed to!

     Conflicts arise when board members take over the role of the librarian and start meddling in daily business or when the librarian usurps more authority than has been given by the board.

     If trustees have to step in to cover daily business because the librarian isn't doing the job, maybe you need a new librarian. If you get to the point of firing your librarian, be careful. Document in writing every effort to correct the situation. Written reprimands and warnings should be signed by the recipient.

     Establish a policy and procedure for dismissals, then follow it. Clearly define the grounds for dismissal and carefully word the warning procedure. Detail the procedure for handling claims of wrongful discharge. You can be sued if you fire a librarian for capricious or unjustified reasons, but remember you do have a right to have a competent person working for you.

     If you decide to work with performance appraisal, make sure you do it with a competent, self-confident librarian who really cares about the library and the job. Performance appraisal with a librarian who is weak and ineffectual serves only to threaten or to confirm the feelings of low self-esteem.

     A good performance appraisal document is based upon the job description. It lists the basic tasks of the position and describes what will happen when the task is done well. Your librarian will have an important role in determining the specifics. The board then reviews the standards with the librarian, making positive suggestions for changes. Remember that a good performance appraisal is continuous and ongoing. "No surprises" should be the rule of performance appraisals. It is not fair to withhold uncommunicated expectations and then spring them on the employee during the review.

Carrying out public relations

Everything we do creates an image in someone else's mind. Good or bad, like it or not, we all have public relations. Our job is to create a positive image about the library. The librarian is usually the chief public relations officer, but there is much trustees can do to further the cause of the library in the public's eye.

     Trustees see the library from the public's vantage point. In fact every time they enter the library, they should try to see it as a newcomer sees it. Is the library comfortable and inviting? Are staff members friendly and helpful? Are you drawn to attractive displays that makes you want to pick up books and read them? If the answer is yes, then tell others! If the answer is no, then tell the librarian. When people come to the library they should feel comfortable and welcome.

     Outside the library, trustees make those all-important face-to-face contacts. Trustees are influential people: They can work with community leaders in ways the librarian cannot. Sometimes efforts by the librarian to increase funding are seen as self-serving, but trustees usually serve without pay, so their efforts are seen in a different light. Public relations is creating a positive image by working with people.

     Learn all you can about the current political scene. Learn how it works and where the library fits in the order of local priorities. "Politics" is not a dirty word, but a way of getting things done through people. Don't fight city hall, but don't ignore it either. Remember, you can do anything you want, if you have the votes.

Planning

Planning is intellectual creation. When we plan we create in our minds what we want to happen with vision and concentration. We need enough vision to see in our mind's eye what the finished product will be when it is completed.

     The library's goals and objectives provide us with purpose and direction for the future. Here is a concise outline for organizational planning:

     o Write down the organization's mission statement

     o Develop goals for your organization based on the mission statement

     o Create objectives for each goal

     o Devise action plans for each objective

     o Set a budget for each action plan

     o Evaluate your success or failure

     o Restate your goals and objectives

     o Repeat the process

     You see that successful planning is cyclical and ongoing. Once you complete an action plan, it is time to evaluate your success and start over.

     Budgeting for action plans is critical. Once we had a great publicity idea. We developed a place mat to give local cafes to advertise library services. It cost too much to implement at that time. Budgeting for the project brought us face to face with our priorities. Your library budget is your most important planning document. Use it to help in planning.

     Patrick Hagerty of Texas Instruments said, "Those w ho implement the plans must make the plans." Library boards need to involve their librarians in library planning. After all, the librarian is the chief implementer of the plans. Helping to make the plans the librarian "buys into the deal," and has a personal stake in the success of the outcome. And the success of the library is what the trustee-librarian team is all about.

Further reading for trustees.

Bolt, Nancy. Evaluating the Library Director. Chicago: American Library Trustee Association, American Library Association, 1983. ALTA Publication Number 6.

Indiana State Library. Multiple Choice. 16mm film, 25 min. 1972. (Out of print). Copies may be available on interlibrary loan through your state library.

Public Management Institute. Board Member-Trustee Handbook. San Francisco: Public Management Institute, 1980.

Swan, James. "New Visibility for the Small PL. Wilson Library Bulletin 51 (January 1977), 42-27.

Young, Virginia. Thc Library Trustee: A Practical Guidebook. 3d ed. New York: Bowker, 1978.

Young, Virginia. The Trustee of a Small Public Library. Chicago: Library Administration Division, American Library Association, 1979. Small Libraries Publication Number 1.

James Swan is director of the Central Kansas Library System and the Great Bend (Kansas) Public Library.

Maintained by James Swan
Last update 17 August 2000
jswan@ckls.org