Trustee Education: Resources

There are a number of resources to support you during your tenure as a Board of Trustee. In addition to the resources below, Grace Riario, Executive Director of Ramapo Catskill Library System, invites you to ask questions or clarifications during T3: Trustee Training Tuesdays. Please visit the RCLS Calendar to sign up for these sessions. The calendar may be accessed here: Calendar – Ramapo Catskill Library System (rcls.org)

Duties & Responsibilities (October 19, 2021) | Recording Available Here

Preparation:
1) Read the chapter: Duties & Responsibilities
2) Thoughts to consider before watching the webinar recording:

• What is your purpose as a Library Trustee?
• What do you believe is the mission of your Library in the community?
• Have you received a thorough orientation about the Library, it’s services and how it functions?
• How can the Board be most effective as the public body entrusted with the future of the community’s library?

3) Watch the Duties & Responsibilities recording.
4) Review the program using the Duties & Responsibilities Post-Session Toolkit.

Library Board Meetings (November 16, 2021) | Recording Available Here

Preparation:
1) Read the chapter: Library Board Meetings
2) Thoughts to consider before the watching the webinar recording:

• Are your meetings well organized with a standard agenda and materials distributed well in advance?
• Do all Board members regularly attend and are well prepared?
• Are you familiar with and faithfully follow the Open Meetings Law?
• Do you review and approve all bills and personnel actions?
• Are you fully apprised of all library activities from the various departments?

3) Watch the Library Board Meetings recording below.
4) Review the program using the Library Board Meetings Post-Session Toolkit.

Tuesday, December 14, 2021 from 5:00-6:30pm: Personnel 

Before the event:
1) Read the chapter: Personnel
2) Thoughts to consider before the program:

• Do you abide by the Best Practices rubric: “Director selects; Board appoints”?
• Do you approve all personnel actions (even retroactively), including salary increases, promotions and terminations?
• If applicable, do you understand your responsibilities under NYS Civil Service Law?
• Does your Board treat the director as the CEO and avoid micromanagement?
• Do you provide sufficient compensation to attract quality staff and a competent library director?
• Do you avoid all appearances of nepotism in the hiring and promotional process?