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Trustee Education: Resources

Resources & Information

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?

 

 

 

Library Bill of Rights

Robert's Rules of Order

Freedom of Information Law

New York State’s Freedom of Information Law (Public Officers Law §87 et. seq.) allows members of the public to access records of governmental agencies. FOIL provides a process for the review and copying of an agency’s records. More information about the Freedom of Information Law can be found at: http://www.dos.ny.gov/about/foil2.html.

Public Library Law