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MHLS Trustee Resources: Planning & Evaluation
Do You Know?
Important
points Public Library Trustees
need to know about Board Effectiveness:
- A truly effective library board
is an organic whole with each individual board member playing a vital role.
The dynamic combination of members, each with his or her own intentions, priorities
and abilities, can create a board entity that increases exponentially in efficiency,
expertise, and leadership.
- The president of a library board
of trustees has special obligations and needs to possess special skills to
carry out his or her role effectively. Chief among these skills are humility,
integrity, empathy, organization, and an extraordinary work ethic.
- Meetings of the library board
are its public face. They are the time when the library board is judged not
only by the public and the library staff, but by each individual board member
who wants to be part of an effective decision-making team. The meetings of
the board need to be legal, efficient, relevant and artful. Work needs to
be accomplished, board members need to be engaged, and success needs to be
frequent.
- Conflicts are inevitable within
any group of people who care passionately and think deeply about issues facing
them. Library boards are no exception. Conflicts on a library board need to
be welcomed for what they are and carefully managed so that they bring the
board to greater clarity and effectiveness in carrying out its responsibilities.
This needs to be accomplished without alienating any board members.
Additional
Resources
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