Trustees

Rural and Small Libraries, Trustees, Webinar
Webinar: The Rural Library Trustee
September 8th, 2010 | Permalink | Comment?

How do library trustees get trained? How are director and trustee roles defined to ensure a healthy library organization? How are trustee relationships cultivated both in and outside the library circle? Join us on September 14, 2 pm Eastern, for The Rural Library Trustee: Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships, a webinar exploring these and other questions related to library trustees that will provide you with practical ideas and tactical strategies to support and advocate for your library organization as a trustee, or library director in a small or rural community. This webinar is brought to you by ARSL (Association for Rural and Small Libraries) and featuring presenters: Sally Gardner Reed, Executive Director ALTAFF (Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations); Kim Armentrout, Library of Virginia; and Jim Minges, Director of the Northeast Kansas Library System.

Register Now »
ARSL, Trustees, Webinar
Trustee Blog: Dream Team = City Hall + Courthouse + Your Board
October 3rd, 2008 | Permalink | Comment?
By Ellen Miller

Listen up, trustees! It’s time to get serious about showing your library’s value to your community. A rocky economy means fierce competition for tax dollars from the police, Public Works and others.

Make sure local officials help, not hinder, your library. Where to start? With ARSL’s first-ever two-part webinar, Library Value: What’s YOUR score? On October 9, find why you need “TWO goal posts: Library and community.”
- Learn why trustees are the essential ingredient in savvy communications with officials
- Review the skill set needed for an effective board
- Hear “How we made friends with officials and gained control of our own budget” from library director P.J. Capps, Atchison, KS
Veteran trustees Jim Connor and Ellen Miller will join PJ to “tell it like it is” to get your dream team. Audience participation includes rating your relations with city/county officials, Q&A and a webinar evaluation.

On November 13, log in for the ARSL webinar’s second part, “How they see us: Bulls-eye or fringe?” Topics will include:
- Image and marketing – and why your hard-pressed staff should bother!
- How partnerships can stretch dollars and show your community commitment
- Ways to position your library to get seats at – not under – decision-making tables
Tip: Bring a power bar to these fast-paced sessions! To join the ARSL webinars visit us at: http://www.webjunction.org/rural-webinars

Trustee Tips and Tricks is a regular guest feature on BlogJunction. You can reach Ellen at www.ellenmillergroup.com and keep on top of the series by following the BlogJunction Trustees category.
Advocacy, Trustees
Trustee Blog: Library ROI-What’s Your Community’s Rating?
September 17th, 2008 | Permalink | 2 Comments

by Patricia H. Fisher

Money talks! In good times and tight economic times, people are conscious of spending their money wisely. People also want their hard-earned dollars, given in the form of tax dollars, spent wisely. As a library trustee on a governing or an advisory Board, can you convince elected officials, your neighbors and taxpayers in general that they are getting a good return on their investment (ROI)? In other words, can you talk in dollars?

Investment

For-profit companies, non-profit organizations and government agencies need money to provide products and services. People who invest in these organizations, stockholders, individuals and grant agencies and taxpayers, all ask: “How do I measure my return on investment?” and “How do I know if my investment is really paying off?”

(more…)
Trustees
Trustee Resources on WebJunction
September 4th, 2008 | Permalink | 1 Comment

Recently, an old friend (hi Alane) asked about WebJunction’s trustee resources. We did a quick poll around the office and created a nifty little set of links to all the current trustee resources on WJ. Here they are, in case it’s helpful to you too:

Trustee topic:
http://www.webjunction.org/trustees

Friends & Trustees discussions:
http://www.webjunction.org/friends-trustees/resources/discussion

“Become an Effective Trustee” course:
http://www.webjunction.org/catalog/courses/details/WJ_Global/UNT_Trustee
/ONL/1210745400000

Trustee Blog series:
http://blog.webjunctionworks.org/index.php/category/trustees/

Board Challenges and Successes – Webinar Archive:
http://www.webjunction.org/rural-webinars/articles/content/455948

Motivating Your Board: Lawsuits, Money and Facilities – Webinar Archive:
http://www.webjunction.org/rural-webinars/articles/content/4645872

Two upcoming Trustee webinars in the series listed here (rural focus, but relevant to all trustees):
http://www.webjunction.org/rural-webinars
Rural and Small Libraries, Trustees, Webinar
Webinar Recap: Care and Feeding of Passionate Boards
August 14th, 2008 | Permalink | Comment?
By Ellen Miller

Library board culture rules! So where does yours fit on a six-point continuum, from passive to passionate? At the July 31st “Motivating Your Board” webinar, most participants chose the middle ground.

Boards listen to three proven motivators—lawsuits, money and facilities. Trustee Jim Connor told how a meeting room policy caused a First Amendment lawsuit in federal court. Partnerships should include for-profit entities, too. And whether you repaint, remodel or get a new building, you’ve boosted the library’s and the board’s image.

Transitioning from one board to another can be thorny. The previous Aztec, NM advisory board loved high-profile partnerships that got national kudos. The new board worried about being over-extended. To bring the new board on board, director Leanne Hathcock:
- Invited state library staff to talk about legal responsibilities and roles
- Reviewed facts about the library’s acclaimed partnerships
- Had the board do more, e.g., set its meeting agendas
One bonus for having a passionate board? It makes recruiting the trustee skill set you need easier!

View the webinar archive for more tips and register now for the upcoming two-part trustee/board webinar, “Library Value: What’s Your Score?”
- October 9, 2008—“TWO goal posts: Library & Community”
- November 13, 2008—“Your Library’s Role: Bulls-eye or Fringe?”
Trustee Tips and Tricks is a regular guest feature on BlogJunction. You can reach Ellen at www.ellenmillergroup.com and keep on top of the series by following the BlogJunction Trustees category.
Trustees
Trustee Tips: Move Your Board from Passive to Passionate
July 15th, 2008 | Permalink | Comment?
By Ellen Miller

Library trustees are busy folks. Jobs, family, medical appointments, other volunteer gigs. No wonder amnesia is a job hazard – “What, we voted last month to be open on Friday nights?” Apathy lurks close behind. A lack of crises can spawn a “same old, same old” attitude.

Board adrenaline spikes with these proven motivators:

ROI (Return on Investment): Showing the library’s economic value to all community stakeholders is “must do,” not a rainy day chore. Your competition does it—police, fire, parks and recreation, etc. Tell how library tax revenues are leveraged for the community’s benefit.
- Get partners! Nine southwest Ohio public library systems commissioned an economic benfit study. They turned $74 million received in 2005 into a quantifiable direct economic benefit of $238.6 million. That’s $3.81 for every $1 received.
Lawsuits. Library Friends make a huge difference. Some help just one branch. Others serve the entire system. Either way, they provide much-needed money for staff training, summer reading, etc. And their advocacy at city hall and the courthouse is invaluable.
- However, relations can crumble. One library’s request that its Friends do a financial audit and that group’s desire to fund non-library recipients prompted a lawsuit. Moral for a mutually satisfactory relationship? Both parties agree to good business practices.
Facilities. Bricks-and-mortar projects hit trustee hot buttons! Their name goes on a plaque, leaving a legacy. They get to critique fancy architectural drawings and fabric samples. They get kudos for the community’s new amenity.
- However, pitfalls lurk. Is your board mired in endless “do we or don’t we?” discussions? Book a meeting with the architect. Learn how to evaluate your current space.
- Library café. Nothing irks busy patrons more than having to duck out for lunch or caffeine. Consider a café when remodeling. It’ll help hungry users and your image. First, find out how it’s worked in other libraries.
Add CE to Your Board Meeting

Crises and opportunities motivate boards. So can continuing education (CE). The problem? Trustees dislike extra meetings. Solution? Add a short CE to your monthly board session – no travel, no hassle. For example, use a short DVD segment on trustee responsibilities and self-evaluation.

Directors, YOU be the trainer! Does your board need help with “Effective Board Meetings,” or “Marketing the library to the community”? Get a ready-made, one-page director outline and its short trustee handout. The Kansas Trustee Education Program (KanTEP) pilot test showed that all 46 trustees at four libraries wanted occasional board meeting CE topics.

More at the Upcoming Trustee Webinar!

Join the Association of Small and Rural Libraries’ webinar, “Motivating your board: Money, lawsuits, facilities!” Veteran trustees Jim Connor and Ellen Miller have worked with dozens of boards. Cameo speaker Leanne Hathcock, director of the Aztec, NM Public Library, shows how to bring a new board on board with earlier, important partnerships.
- Thursday, July 31^st, 11 a.m. PDT, 2 p.m. EDT
- Details about “Motivating your board: Money, lawsuits, facilities” and webinar set up instructions are available on WebJunction
- Sponsors: WebJunction and the Association of Small and Rural Libraries
Tip: Eat a power bar first! This fast-moving webinar includes audience participation, samples and examples.

Trustee Tips and Tricks is a regular guest feature on BlogJunction. You can reach Ellen at www.ellenmillergroup.com and keep on top of the series by following the BlogJunction Trustees category.
Advocacy, Trustees
Trustee Tips: Serving your community. If you don’t measure it, you can’t grade it!
May 30th, 2008 | Permalink | 1 Comment
by Patricia H. Fisher

Library boards and the library director are responsible for seeing that community needs are addressed by providing library services that are well-planned and that fulfill the library’s half of the social contract—making a difference in stakeholders’ lives in return for taxpayer funding. It’s in the job description!

But how to go about it?

Start with a “Give ‘Em What They Want!” philosophy
- Conduct a community needs assessment as the first step in periodic strategic and market planning.
- Focus on programs and services which meet community needs.
- Write program or service goals as statements of benefits that members of the community will receive.
- State the objectives, which are measurements that will be used to determine the progress made toward the goals.
Measurements

One way of measuring is to have “benchmarks,” which are sometimes called “standards,” for comparisons. Georgia has operating and primary standards, to evaluate its public libraries. The standards describe essential, full and optimal levels of service in enough narrative detail to allow boards and directors to determine where their libraries fall on the continuum. (more…)
Trustees
Trustee Blog: Get The Buff Library Board You Need-Recruiting, Appointers, Orientation
May 1st, 2008 | Permalink | 3 Comments
By Ellen Miller

How to build a savvy, diverse board that gets results? Start with candidates who match your skill profile. In addition to racial, ethnic, gender or age diversity, look at job and community experience. For example, adding Don Developer not only strengthens planning for your new branch – he also counterbalances that powerful city architect.

Recruiting FAQ
- Should only library users apply? No! Library virgins bring an outsider’s eye to strategic issues such as annual budgets and the collection development policy. They could be your most credible advocates, too.
- Who does the recruiting? It depends. Practices range from director-only to board chair-only, and every combination in between. Whoever does it, make sure prospects care about the library – and are willing to be a link with the community.
- How to set realistic expectations? Urge the prospect to attend 2-3 board meetings. Agenda, time management, personal chemistry – they’ll see both diamonds and duds. Sending your trustees’ duties list and ethics statement show that legal and fiduciary duties are more than fancy words.
Once Walter Wonderful is hooked, he’ll either file for election or fill out an application form. This blog post deals with appointments. (more…)
Trustees
Trustee Blog: Ace your Director-Board Division of Labor
March 26th, 2008 | Permalink | 1 Comment
We’re pleased to announce the launch of a new series of guest blog posts focusing on “Trustee Tips’n'Topics” with three active WebJunction members / nationally recognized trustees: Ellen Miller, Jim Connor, and Pat Fisher. The series augments other relevant resources in the Friends and Trustees area and related discussions

Coming posts will tackle trustee-centric issues as Board Candidates and Orientation, Metrics, ROI, and more. You can follow the series via RSS and by watching the BlogJunction Trustees category.

by Ellen Miller

Library boards and library directors need a practical division of labor that covers who-what-why-when-how. Get results instead of trying to herd fish!

The Director:

Remember, directors come first – only you think libraries 24/7/365! Your division of the labor has four main parts:

1. Organize the board’s time.They have authority only when acting as a group, a.k.a the monthly board meeting. Help them reach timely, thoughtful decisions via:
- Meaty meeting agendas.
- A substantive board packet sent out ahead of time, not stray papers passed out as the meeting starts.
- Regular review of collection development and other policies. (more…)
Online Collaboration, Rural and Small Libraries, Trustees, Webinar
Rural Webinar: Board Successes and Challenges
February 28th, 2008 | Permalink | Comment?
By Ellen Miller

Working with library boards can be a roller coaster! Will they come prepared or tune out? Will they stick to business or swap recipes? Will they vote or once again table the budget?

On March 6, the ARSL Rural In Focus webinar “Board Successes and Challenges” will tell you how to help your board get results and to feel successful.
- This webinar starts with YOUR vote – what’s the single most important improvement your board should make?
- Find out causes, a.k.a problems, behind those needed improvements from veteran trustee Ellen Miller.
- Review a director-board division of labor that really works!
- Check out practical antidotes that can turn your board from observers to team players.
- Learn how the comeback kids at the Basehor, Kansas Community Library turned a 58% “No” vote into a 66% “Yes” vote in just two years. Get practical advice from director Carla Kaiser.
- Find URLs for board resources you can use at home.
- Ask questions, then rate this webinar’s usefulness.
Alert: These speakers may not be politically correct. And the pace moves fast, so bring some energy bars!

edit: View the archive of the Board Successes and Challenges webinar!

~~Join us for the free, hour-long webinar: Thursday, March 6, 2008, 11:00 am PT/2:00 pm ET~~
- Information on this Webinar and archives of all Rural In-Focus Webinars
- Instructions for Joining the Webinar

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Trustees

Rural and Small Libraries, Trustees, Webinar

ARSL, Trustees, Webinar

By Ellen Miller

Trustee Tips and Tricks is a regular guest feature on BlogJunction. You can reach Ellen at www.ellenmillergroup.com and keep on top of the series by following the BlogJunction Trustees category.

Advocacy, Trustees

Rural and Small Libraries, Trustees, Webinar

By Ellen Miller

Trustee Tips and Tricks is a regular guest feature on BlogJunction. You can reach Ellen at www.ellenmillergroup.com and keep on top of the series by following the BlogJunction Trustees category.

By Ellen Miller

Trustee Tips and Tricks is a regular guest feature on BlogJunction. You can reach Ellen at www.ellenmillergroup.com and keep on top of the series by following the BlogJunction Trustees category.

Advocacy, Trustees

By Ellen Miller

Coming posts will tackle trustee-centric issues as Board Candidates and Orientation, Metrics, ROI, and more. You can follow the series via RSS and by watching the BlogJunction Trustees category.

by Ellen Miller

Online Collaboration, Rural and Small Libraries, Trustees, Webinar