Trustees: New Trustees

On this page, you will find information and resources particularly useful to first-time Trustees.

#1 Tip: Ask questions! The more you know about your library, your municipality and your fellow Board members, the more prepared you will be to advocate for your library. Ask your Director, other Board members (particularly the Board Chair) and us here at the MBLC. 

The Start Here page has additional organizations designed to support and inform Library Trustee Boards. 

Once you've reviewed the: 

• Trustee Pocket Guide 
• Trustee Handbook
• Sign up for the MBLC Trustee listserv
  • Stay up-to-date on important info and training opportunities, and work collaboratively with other Trustees across the Commonwealth. 
• Introduce yourself to your Library Director
  • Set up a meeting to get an overview of how your library works. You will gain a much different perspective from being a patron. 
• Talk to your Board Chair
  • Learn the Board's dynamics and what to expect during your first meetings
• Look at your Trustee Bylaws
  • They outline the duties you will carry out as a Board and your relationship to your municipality. 

The MBLC purchases a statewide membership from United for Libraries, giving access to training and guides at no cost to you. 

• Visit the United for Libraries tab for instructions to create an ALA login and take advantage of our statewide membership. 

Once you have a login, the Trustee Academy is a great place to start to orient you to your new role. (Note: this page may take you to the ALA login site if you are not already logged in.) 

If you choose to become an individual member of United for Libraries, you will get a membership to BoardSource included with your dues. 

Check out these United for Libraries resources to get you started:

Here are 9 important things you should have as you begin as a Library Trustee: 

1. Board's bylaws and schedule of meetings
2. Packets from 3 previous meetings
3. Current library budget, recent annual report and monthly reports
4. Copies of Open Meeting and Ethics Laws
5. Contact sheet for Board members and Director
6. Library's mission, goals and strategic plan
7. Library's policies and procedures
8. Tour of library and introduction to staff
9. Information about Friends of the Library and/or Library Foundation

You will also find this checklist in the Trustee Pocket Guide

Don't know where to get these items? Talk with your:

• Board Chair
• Library Director
• Library's website

Welcome to your new role as a Library Trustee! Whether you are eager to hit the ground running or feel a bit overwhelmed by your new responsibilities, this guide will walk you through some basics to get you started. 

The resources listed below will give you a primer on Library Trustee basics and essentials.

For more orientation basics, go to our New Trustees tab in this guide. Feel free to explore any part of this guide further to dive deeper or find answers to questions that commonly come up. If you can't find the answer to your specific question, please reach out with the information in the "Contact Us" box. 

Read the Office of the Inspector General's Guide for Members of Public Boards and Commissions. 

Then watch their accompanying video:

Then read these brief guides to help you understand the role of a Library Trustee more specifically:

A new trustee needs local information to review and consult. Boards are encouraged to prepare their own local orientation kits or board manuals to aid new trustees in becoming acquainted with the board and the library. At the very least, the library director or board chair should provide new trustees with:

• a roster of the full board
• a copy of the board's bylaws
• any local ordinances which affect the library
• the library's long range plan and annual updates
• its policy manual
• its current budget
• a list of all funding sources and the percentage of revenue each source represents.

Contents of a more thorough local manual may include:

Board information:​
• Description of board members' responsibilities
• Descriptions of duties of officers, committees and charges​
• Annual calendar with program and fiscal planning schedules
• List of board members (with contact info) & terms of office
• Bylaws of the board, articles of incorporation (if applicable)
• Board meeting minutes from the previous year
• List of suggested resources (publications, organizations, etc.)

Personnel info:
• Organizational chart for the library including position descriptions, pay scales, etc.
• Union contract, if applicable
• Staff list with titles, responsibilities, department/location
• Brief bio of the library director
• Procedures for evaluation of library director

Policies and planning:
• History of the library and its current mission, goals and objectives
• Policies of the library and board concerning personnel, internet access, meeting room use, etc.
• Community analyses such as census figures, economic and occupational trends
• Long range plan (which may already include the information above)
• Most recent library annual report, with prior years for comparison
• Statistical reports on circulation, services, etc.
• Promotional materials including selected articles and/or press releases about the library, brochure, website information

Budget and financial info:
• Current budget and financial reports
• Contracts with other libraries or networks

Local government info:
• Local laws, charter sections, and contracts pertaining to library
• Local government information such as list of Board of Selectmen, Finance Committee members, town meeting information, etc.

Friends/Volunteers:
• Friends of the Library history, including list of current board members
• Volunteer program information, including volunteer policy