Part I: General Strategy for Orienting New Trustees
Part II: Sample Outline for New Trustee Orientation
Part III: Materials
Part I: General Strategy for Orienting New Trustees
- Initial orientation should start as soon as possible after a new member is appointed -- before their first board meeting if possible. (see a Sample Outline)
- Give them a tour of the library.
- Provide each board member with a 3-ring binder containing Trustee Essentials, and many of the other tools and documents listed in Part III, with labeled divider tabs. They can add the agendas, minutes, budgets, and other documents from meetings throughout the year, to sections you have also labeled.
Sample sections:- Trustee Essentials
- Board Agendas and Minutes
- Board Calendar for the Year
- Budget
- Board By-Laws
- SCLS Information
- Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 43
- Each of the 27 “Trustee Essentials” that make up the trustee handbook can be used for short continuing education sessions held during regular or special board meetings. Board members could take turns at leading these sessions.
Part II: Sample Outline for New Trustee Orientation
- Welcome
- Tour of library
- Information and handouts about your library. (See Part III.C. )
- Their binder. Refer to parts of it as they come up in this outline. (See Part I)
- Trustee Job Description (Trustee Essential 1)
Spend some time on this outline of their duties and responsibilities. It is also useful as a reminder, for the entire board, of their duties, as the need arises.
- Trustees and Directors
- The board’s powers and duties
- Trustee Essential 2
- Wis. Stats. 43.58 (in Chapter 43 of State Statutes)
- Library Board Powers & Duties (PowerPoint) (WI Trusteee Training Module #1)
- Division of duties between board and director
- Trustee Essential 2
- Library Board Powers & Duties (PowerPoint) (WI Trustee Training Module #1)
- Hiring, evaluating, job description, etc. of director
- Director certification
- Trustee Essential 19
- Wis. Stats. 43.15 (4) (c) 6 (in Chapter 43 of State Statutes)
- Wis. Adm. Code PI 6.03 (in Chapter PI 6 of the Administrative Code)
- Wisconsin Public Library Director Certification page
- Certification Manual for Wisconsin Public Library Directors (Revised 2017)
- The board’s powers and duties
- Essential functions of the board. Their role in:
- The library's budget (Trustee Essential 8)
- Establishing staff duties and compensation; personnel policies (Trustee Essential 7)
- Policies—Ensure existence of essential policies. Regularly review policies. (Trustee Essential 10)
- Strategic planning (Trustee Essential 11)
- Advocacy
- Trustee Essential 13
- Advocacy, Legislation & Issues from the American Library Association (ALA)
- Legal and Political Issues
- Compliance with Chapter 43 of Wisconsin Statutes
- Legal requirements for system membership
- Trustee Essential 17
- Wis. Stats. 43.15 (4)(c) (in Chapter 43 of State Statutes)
- Non-resident circulation
- County funding/county tax/exemption
- Wis. Stats. 43.12 (in Chapter 43 of State Statutes)
- Wis. Stats. 43.64 (in Chapter 43 of State Statutes)
- Open meetings
- Trustee Essential 14
- Wis. Stats. 19.81-19.98 (in Chapter 19 of State Statutes)
- Wisconsin Open Meetings Law: a Compliance Guide (PDF) (from WI Department of Justice)
- Open Meetings FAQ (from League of Wisconsin Municipalities)
- Public Records
- Trustee Essential 15
- Wis. Stats. 19.21-19.39 (in Chapter 19 of State Statutes)
- FAQ about Libraries & Wisconsin's Public Records Law (from DPI / DLT)
- Wisconsin Public Records Law: a Compliance Guide (PDF) (from WI Department of Justice)
- Intellectual freedom/confidentiality
- Wis. Stats. 43.30 (in Chapter 43 of State Statutes)
- Trustee Essential 23
- Intellectual Freedom Basics from ALA
- Ethics
- Trustee Essential 16
- Wis. Stats. 19.59 (in Chapter 19 of State Statutes)
- Other Info
- Background on SCLS and services
- SCLS Fact Sheet: What does SCLS Provide to Its Member Libraries?
- Background on your municipality (for joint library, both municipalities)
- Standards: Wisconsin Public Library Standards, 6th edition (2018)
- Acronyms and terms:
- Background on SCLS and services
- Keeping current
- See “Materials” (Part III)
- Trustee Essential 27
- Wisconsin Library Trustee Resource Page (from DPI / DLT)
- Wisconsin Library Association (WLA), and units geared particularly for trustees
- Division for Libraries & Technology Information
- Continuing education opportunities
- SCLS staff
Part III: Materials
A. Internet Resources
- Advocacy & Legislation information from ALA
- Certification Manual for Wisconsin Public Library Directors (DPI / DLT)
- Chapter 43 of Wisconsin Statutes
The latest edition of the Wisconsin Statutes should be available in print at every public library in Wisconsin. The Statutes are also available electronically. - Division for Libraries and Technology (DPI / DLT) Public Library Development Team web page
- Intellectual Freedom Basics from ALA
- Public Library Space Needs: A Planning Outline, 2009 (from DPI / DLT)
- Trustee Essentials: a Handbook for Wisconsin Public Library Trustees
- The handbook is no longer being printed by the DPI / DLT, but is updated online. When you have new trustees, be sure to have a print copy available (SCLS can print copies if you need).
- Wisconsin Library Association (WLA), and units geared particularly for trustees
- Wisconsin Library Trustee Resource Page (from DPI / DLT)
- Wisconsin Open Meetings Law: a Compliance Guide
- Wisconsin Public Library Standards, 6th edition (2018)
B. Resources available from SCLS
- Top Ten Action List for Trustees
- Library Acronyms
- Wisconsin Library Law: Chapter 43, Outline
- Wisconsin Library Law: Chapter 43, Summaries of Sections (in PDF format)
- “Non-Local Borrowing” and Wisconsin State Law
- SCLS Representatives
- Places to Advertise Library Positions
- SCLS Fact Sheet: What does SCLS Provide to Its Member Libraries?
- List of library board members, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses.
- Calendar of upcoming board meetings, and board’s annual “timeline.”
- Your library board’s by-laws.
- Organizational chart for library (if a large library); or, at the very least, list of staff, and their titles.
- List of municipal board members, for your library's municipality (for a joint library, both municipalities)
- Information about county library board and county board of supervisors, including contact information. Indicate county supervisors that represent your municipality.
- URL for your library's web page
- Library's strategic plan. This should include library's mission and goals.
- Minutes of previous year’s library board meetings.
- Most recent library annual report.
- Library's current budget.
- Statistical report for last full year. Statistical report for current year to date.
- Personnel policy. Other policies -- or, at the very least, selection/collection development, complaints/challenged materials, meeting room, internet usage.
- Current library newsletter.
- Information about library programs.
- Brief history of the library: when established, where it has been located, major additions/remodels, list of directors and years of service, awards won, etc.
- Information about the library Friends group.
For more information, contact: