So many books, but so few library trustees

One From The Boston Globe. Rowley boasts a new $3 million library and a new library director, but there is little interest among residents in serving on the library’s Board of Trustees.
Town officials are considering permanently reducing the number of library trustees from nine to six after no one came forward to run for three vacancies that appeared on the May 10 town election ballot.

July 12, 2005 by Uncategorized 2

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2 Responses

  1. mdoneil says:
    July 12, 2005 at 7:00 am

    If…
    If the library board is too time consuming or too much of a pain to attract anyone to run or even be appointed to the board then something is wrong with the board.

    Let the director and the librarians run the library and let the board set the policies. It is most likely that the board is micromanaging the library and that is why no one wants to stand for election.

    The board should maintain the same relationship with the library director and staff that city managers do in that type of municipal governance. The city manager (library director) is the highest ranking city (library) employee. He has broad discretion to run the city (library) as he sees fit. He has the education- MPA (MLS) and experience to do so. The mayor & commission (library board) set policy and make laws (set policy and make regulations) but cannot hire & fire or direct city (library) employees.

    Many cities, including most of those in my county, find this method superior as the city executive is there running the show day in and day out, and the mayor and commission set policy, procedure and goals for the city. To have the elected council members who most generally serve part time run the day to day operations or make decisions in individual cases is inappropriate micromanagement.

    It seems the board in this case is tasked with too much and the director and staff given too little leeway.

    Reply
  2. birdie says:
    July 12, 2005 at 7:06 pm

    Face it…
    It’s not a good time to be a library trustee. Most libraries are in trouble financially, most communities are cutting back on funding, and most librarians are disgusted with their miserable salaries and cutbacks to already underfunded systems. And nobody blames them.

    It’s a dogs job, and the people who serve as trustees (well, most of them), should be congratulated and supported in their efforts.

    Reply

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