Responsibilities of Members of Advisory Committees

Member Responsibilities | Chair and Vice Chair Responsibilities

Responsibilities of MHLS Advisory Committee Members:

• Fully participate in committee activities by attending meetings and conducting business by telephone and written communications.
• Act in good faith and in accordance with what they believe to be in the best interest of the members and resources of the Mid-Hudson Library System.
• Problem solve as a group.
• Publicly disclose any actual or perceived conflicts of interest and not vote on such committee matters.
• Be aware of (through attendance, review of minutes), and able to discuss issues directed to the committee by the Directors Association.
• Decide as a group what the chair will report on at the Director's Association meeting.
• Represent their county and bring committee issues to that forum.

January 2003

Responsibilities of the MHLS Advisory Committee Chair and Vice Chair:

The advisory committee chair and vice chair, working in partnership, are responsible to facilitate the work of the committee, provide oversight and ensure timely communications within the committee and between the committee and the other components of the Mid-Hudson Library System. To do this they:

• Prepare the agenda including topics of current concern as well as topics that have been referred to the committee.
• Keep the work of the committee focused on charges from the Executive Director and the Directors Association, and aligned with the MHLS Plan of Service.
  • Keep the groups attention focused on what needs to be done.
  • Keep discussions on track: periodically restate the issue and the goal of the discussion.
• Guide, mediate, probe and stimulate discussion.
  • Direct the group and manage the problem solving process.
  • Use well placed questions, seek points of information and clarification, and periodically summarize to keep the discussion focused.
  • Help to resolve conflict.
  • Establish relationships among committee members ideas.
  • Promote group discussion by asking for facts, opinions and suggestions.
  • Monitor participation: control talkative members and draw out silent members.
• Ensure that the meeting stays on schedule, that breaks are taken, and that the meeting adjourns on time.
• Close the meeting by noting achievements.
• Review action items from the previous meeting and ensure completion.

Additional Responsibilities of the Chair:

• Give committee meeting report at Directors Association meetings. If the chair will not be at the DA meeting, it is their responsibility to arrange with another committee member to give the committee meeting report.

Additional Responsibilities of the Vice Chair:

• Ensure the committee actions and achievements can be tracked through minutes.
• Send minutes to be posted to the website.
• Get those items that the committee decided to send to the DA into the DA meeting packet.

December 2003

Home | Public Library Catalog | Calendar | Contacts | Services | Bulletins | Member Libraries | MHLS Board of Trustees | Web Site Index

Administration & Management | Resource Sharing & Millennium | Reference & Collection Development | Library Programming | Professional Development | Marketing, Advocacy & Funding | Youth Services | Trustee Resources