Being a library trustee means that you have been entrusted with the welfare of an important community institution capable of serving everyone in your community. A trustee’s first loyalty is to the library and the community it serves.
Library Trustee Resources (PDF)
- Annual Trustee Letter
- New Trustee Orientation
- COVID-19 Open Public Meetings Act Webinar with Michael Cerone
- Library Statistics
- Library Structure and Funding
- Tip Sheets for Trustees
- Working Together: Roles & Responsibilities Guidelines Chart
- Guidelines for Writing Resolutions
- Sample Board Resolution Generic Template
Community Focused Strategic Planning by Alliance Research and Training – February 7, 2024 – Slides
Open Public Meetings Act Webinar with Michael Cerone (July 28, 2021)
Intellectual Freedom and Materials Challenges – What You Need To Know (March 22, 2022)
More Resources are at the bottom of this page.
Trustees on Track
This collection of eight videos, produced by the Utah State Library in 2009, features library trustees sharing their experiences and thoughts on topics that every library board faces.
ALA United for Libraries
On February 1, 2009, Friends of Libraries U.S.A. (FOLUSA) and the Association for Library Trustees and Advocates (ALTA) joined forces to become an expanded division of ALA known as the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations, now United for Libraries. Through this partnership, United for Libraries brings together libraries voices to speak out on behalf of library services and free public access to information.
United for Libraries is a national network of enthusiastic library supporters who believe in the importance of libraries as the social and intellectual centers of communities and campuses. No one has a stronger voice for libraries than those who use them, raise money for them, and govern them. By uniting these voices, library supporters everywhere will become a real force to be reckoned with at the local, state, and national levels.
Trustee Manual for New Jersey Public Libraries
- New Jersey Public Libraries: A Manual for Trustees (Download the whole manual)
- Introduction
- Section 1: The Job of a Trustee and the Operation of the Board
- Section 2: Policy Making for the Library
- Section 3: Personnel Matters
- Section 4: Laws Governing Trustee Actions
- Section 5: Funding
- Section 6: Strategic Planning
- Section 7: Capital Planning
- Section 8: Marketing and Public Relations
- Section 9: Institutions Supporting Public Libraries
- Section 10: Trustee Continuing Education
- Section 11: Resources
- Supplementary Documents
Trustee Institute Presentations
- Planning for Innovation in Today’s Libraries by Diana Brown and Dr. Annie Norman
- Library and Local Government Law: A Primer by Michael Cerone
- Hiring and Evaluating Library Directors by Rick Vander Wende
- I’m a Library Trustee: Now What? by Patrica Pavlak
- Library Services and Space: A Primer by Anders Dahlgren
- Show Me the Money by Leslie Burger
- Laws Library Trustees Need to Know by Michael Cerone
- Roles and Responsibilities of the Library Trustee by Patricia Pavlak
- Hiring and Evaluating Library Directors by Rick Vander Wende
- Growing the Library Everyday: Fundraising, Capital Campaigns, Foundations + More by Leslie Burger
- Growing the Library Everyday Handout by Leslie Burger
- Rising to the Challenge: Re-envisioning Public Libraries by Maureen Sullivan
- People, Place, and Platform by Maureen Sullivan
- Strategies for Success by Maureen Sullivan
- Action Steps for Library Boards of Trustees by Maureen Sullivan
- Action Steps for Library Boards of Trustees Worksheet by Maureen Sullivan
- Beyond Library Law by Michael Cerone
- Everylibrary: Building Voter Support for Library by John Chrastka
- Building a Social Library by Johannes Neuer
- Roles & Responsibilities of the Library Trustee by Margaret Shapiro
- The Right Leader at the Right Time by Leslie & Alan Burger
- Transform Your Library the SWAT Team Way
Library Trustee Online Resources & Reference Center
Checklist for Advocacy:
- Community Connections: The Trustees Role in Developing a Culturally Responsive Library
- Community Connections: Outreach Services
- Community Connections: Guide for Conducting Community Leader Interviews
- Connecting with Elected Officials
- Libraries from Town Hall to Washington DC
- Don’t Let Democracy Get you Down
- Marketing
- The Small Public Library
- Small Library Outline
- Social & Digital Media
- Social & Digital Marketing
- Working with Friends 2012
- When Friends Aren’t Friendly
- How to Organize a Friends Group
- The Role of the Friends Board
- Responsibilities of the Library Director, Trustee, and Friend
- Friends Board Development
- Guidelines for Giving (1)
- Guidelines for Giving (2)
- Sample MOU for Libraries & Friends
- Why Can’t We All Get Along: Friends & Foundations – Available to watch now, this free webinar series “Why Can’t We All Get Along: Friends & Foundations” discusses ways in which Library Friends and Foundation organizations can better work together to accomplish similar goals. Additionally, we discuss the opportunity of merging your support organizations. This webinar is produced by Library Strategies Consulting Group and hosted by consultants Peter Pearson and Stu Wilson.
- Hiring, Evaluating & Replacing the Library Director
- Hiring, Evaluating & Replacing the Library Director Bibliography
- Trustee Toolkit: Hiring a New Library Director
- You Get What You Pay For
- Sample Library Director Performance Appraisal
- NJLA Personnel & Salary Guides
- Sample Interview Questions for Library Director Candidates
- Practical Guide to Finding the Right Library Director
- Wisconsin Dept. of Public Instruction: Hiring a Library Director
- ALA Library Bill of Rights
- Budget & Finance, WebJunction
- Budgeting for Knowledge
- Core Competencies
- Effective Board Meetings
- Everyday Leadership for Trustees
- Free Management Library: All About Boards of Directors
- I’m A Trustee
- Library Trustee Oath of Office/Oath of Allegiance
- Open Public Meetings Act (“The Sunshine Law”)
- Pay to Play Disclosure Form
- Policy & Its Development
- Rice Notice
- Role of Trustees
- Roles and Responsibilities of the Library Trustee 2012
- Sample By-Laws
- Trustee Trouble Videos, Wyoming State Library
- Trustees on Track Videos, Utah State Library
- Will It Hold Up In Court? Writing Enforceable Policies
The NJ State Library would like to thank our Trustee Institute presenters for allowing these handouts to be posted.
For questions concerning Trustee issues contact:
Michele Stricker
Deputy State Librarian, Library Development Bureau
New Jersey State Library
at 609-278-2640 Ext. 164
or email mstricker@njstatelib.org