Trustee Connections

Illinois Library Day - April 10

2008-02-15T13:41:42-06:00

Mark you calendar for April 10, 2008. Join other librarians and trustees from around Illinois for a day in Springfield. We will meet with our State Senators and Representatives to discuss legislative issues affecting libraries. More information and link to online registration is on the Illinois Library Day website.

Shaping Your Mission Statement

2008-01-29T14:12:11-06:00

Mission statements can be bright, shining beacons of the hope you see for your library’s future and be the road map for reaching that destiny. Unfortunately, too often, they flop. However, a vibrant, effective, and (here’s the real kicker) oft-consulted mission statement can help provide focus and clarity to your library.

This past fall, LTLS collected mission statements from member libraries. We had just over 40 libraries of all types respond with their mission statements, and a few commonalities emerged. Most included words such as “information,” “education,” “resource,” and “community.” Nearly half of the statements expressed a cooperative spirit within their community and beyond.

A good mission statement should clearly state the purpose of your library and all it hopes to be in the future. It should use clear, concise language and should be full of action words. The mission statement is about telling what your library does the best and what it strives to achieve.

A mission statement should provide guidance for how your library should respond when faced with a tough decision. According to Seth Godin in his blog, Seth’s Blog, “the purpose [of mission statements] was to force management to make hard decisions about what the company stood for. A hard decision means giving up one thing to get another” (Read the full article.). Too often, mission statements fail not because the crafters weren’t diligent when shaping the words, but because the hard work isn’t consulted when we enter the fray.

Trustee - Mini-Survey

2008-01-29T14:11:49-06:00

LTLS is interested in learning how long the average trustee serves on the library board.
If you are a library trustee, please take a moment to respond to our short survey. Thank you.

ILA Library Trustee Forum 2008 Workshop

2008-01-29T14:10:21-06:00

Marriott Hickory Ridge Conference Center, Lisle

Saturday, February 23, 2008

The ILA Intellectual Freedom Committee has offered training sessions utilizing Defending Access with Confidence: A Practical Workshop on Intellectual Freedom, by Catherine Lord in eight workshops around the state. The training is now being offered in a workshop customized for library trustees. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to equip yourself for any potential challenges your library may face!

Presented by Rose Chenoweth, Alliance Library System, and Sally Decker Smith, Indian Trails Public Library District, ILA Intellectual Freedom Committee Members.

Schedule

6:30 – 8:30 a.m. Breakfast in Hickory Ridge Dining Room

8:30 – 9:00 a.m. Library Trustee Forum Business Meeting

9:00 a.m. Introductions

9:15 – 10:15 a.m. History and Philosophy of Intellectual Freedom Policies

10:15 – 10:30 a.m. Break

10:30 a.m. – noon Library Policies and Procedures

noon – 1:15 p.m. Lunch in Hickory Ridge Dining Room

1:15 – 2:15 p.m. Skills for Recognizing and Responding to Challenges

2:15 – 2:30 p.m. Break

2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Strategies and Practice – Pulling It All Together!

A block of rooms has been reserved for Friday, February 22. For hotel reservations, please contact Marriott Hickory Ridge Conference Center, at (800) 334-0344. The single room rate is $89, double rate is $109, plus tax per night. Please note the conference rate deadline is February 8, 2008.

Remember to contact the hotel directly for room reservations!

Full-Day Registration:

$110 ILA Members
$125 Non-Members

Register multiple trustees and save! Register one trustee at the full price and each additional trustee from your institution will receive a $10 registration discount. Please send a separate form to register each trustee. Go to the ILA Events Page to register.

Board Development Workshops for Trustees

2007-01-19T17:20:36-06:00

The Illinois Library Association’s 2007 Trustee Forum Spring Workshop will be held Saturday, February 24, 2007 at the Hickory Ridge Marriott Conference Hotel, 1195 Summerhill Drive, Lisle, IL 60532. Speakers include George Needham, OCLC Vice President of Member Services, Phillip B. Lenzini, Attorney, Kavanagh, Sully, Sudow, White & Frederick, P.C., and David Seleb, Metropolitan Library System, Director of Consulting & Continuing Education. The registration fee is $100 (ILA Member), $115 (non-member), with $10 discount for multiple attendees from the same library. Register online at https://www.ila.org/events/reg_tfw.htm. The deadline for registration is Febraury 12, 2007.

Also note that LTLS will host 2 additional workshops at LTLS this Spring specifically for library trustees. “Trustee Trends and Issues,” will be held on March 13, 2007 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. (Register online at http://snipurl.com/14yas). “Our Changing Community,” will be held on April 24, 2007 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. (Register online at http://snipurl.com/16gan)

New Trustee Connections Newsletter

2006-12-01T16:30:29-06:00

New Trustee Connections Newsletter
Welcome to the first of an irregular electronic publication, Trustee Connections, for Public Library Trustees of Lincoln Trail Libraries System member libraries. The purpose of this publication is to provide information about issues that face trustees as stewards of public libraries in local communities. Among the most important issues that will be addressed are those related to the legal responsibilities of library trustees. In addition it is important for trustees to understand the collaborative arrangements that are available to the library through their Lincoln Trail Libraries System membership and the positive impact that cooperation has on local library service. LTLS consultants get many questions relating to both of these topics, and as a team we want to answer the questions and provide information in a timely manner to the individual library as well as share that information with all trustees.

Two other components will be part of the trustee section of the Web site. We will include graphic charts about interesting trends and statistics that happen within LTLS libraries. This information will be similar to what you might find in the USA Today charts that are regular parts of the printed newspaper. Also, another section will be “ASKLTLS.” We want to provide a Q & A section of the Web site for trustees to ask the LTLS consultants questions about issues. We will answer quickly, and those questions and answers will be shared with all of your colleagues in LTLS. There are more than 390 public library trustees in LTLS and the time is right to give this community of individuals an opportunity to share ideas, learn about issues, and work together more effectively.

This publication will be “your” section of the LTLS Web site, but there are many other parts of our site that you might and should be interested in. For example, those libraries that are part of the LINC automation system that provides an online catalog, circulation, and other local time saving services can check out the technology services section of the Web site (http://www.lincolntrail.info/automation.html). In that section you will find information about the operation and administrative policy discussions that affect the management of this important service. In addition the LTLS staff regularly adds information to a “blog” which is a news update service that alerts LTLS members of important discussions.

The “home page” (http://www.lincolntrail.info) is filled with a wealth of information about current events, featured topics of importance for libraries, information about libraries in LTLS, as well as a section that I write about how libraries are working together in cooperation across the state and around the globe.

Let us know what you think about our new publication, share ideas with us, and share the information with your fellow public library trustees.

Jan Ison, Executive Director

Trustee Workshops

2006-12-01T16:26:19-06:00

LTLS will be hosting two trustee events this spring. The first workshop, entitled “Trustee Trends and Issues,” will be held on March 13, 2007 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. This workshop will be a whirlwind overview of issues and trends in topics such as laws, levies, policies, and general responsibilities that all trustees need to know in order to be effective in library oversight. The second workshop, entitled “Our Changing Community,” will be held on April 24, 2007 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. This workshop will focus on the important role of a library trustee to represent the total community and how to become a link between the community and the library. If your library is not a member of CLaSS, the cost for each workshop will be $35.00. Trustee education is important to continue to learn and grow with the changing landscape of libraries. LTLS hopes to see you there!

2007 Election Information

2006-12-01T16:25:20-06:00

Public Library boards consist of trustees who are elected to their terms in office. (Exceptions to this are city libraries where trustees are appointed by the mayor libraries in villages “under the commission form of government” where trustees are appointed by the village council). When openings arise on the board, there are particulars about the election process that need to be followed.

In the past, library boards received information from the Illinois State Board of Elections in the form of printed handbooks entitled the "Local Election Official's Handbook" and "Candidates Guide." However, for 2007, these handbooks are only available as downloadable documents from the Illinois State Election Board Web site. In preparation for the 2007 upcoming trustee election, public library boards should have the following documents on hand:

2007 Local Election Officials Handbook
http://www.elections.il.gov/Downloads/ElectionInformation/PDF/LocElecOff.pdf
2007 Candidates Guide
http://www.elections.il.gov/Downloads/ElectionInformation/PDF/07CanGuideandforms.pdf

These handbooks cover election dates, petition requirements, filing guidelines, objection procedures, and information on filling vacancies, ballot certification, absentee voting, notices, public questions, lottery procedures, and current law changes concerning canvass procedures.

Besides documents that cover the election process, there are helpful Web sites that include dates in a calendar format so deadlines are not missed.

At the Illinois State Election Board Web site is the 2007 Election and Campaign Finance Calendar - Amended 11/02/06
http://www.elections.il.gov/Downloads/ElectionInformation/PDF/07ElectionFinanceCal.pdf

The Illinois Library System Directors Organization has also published a calendar called “Library Days and Dates” for many important deadlines that must be adhered to in the administration of any public library (http://www.ilsdo.org/res_daystoremember.html). This document should also be in the hands of each public library trustee.

Open Meetings Act

2006-12-01T14:34:30-06:00

The Illinois Open Meetings Act was first passed in 1957 and has been updated many times to reflect the changes in our society and how public bodies conduct business for the good of the public. The goal of the Open Meetings Act is to provide an avenue for open government and prevent secret deliberations of matters that should be conducted in the public view.

Here are a few simple things you can do to make sure that you are operating in compliance with the Act:
Public Notice: Meeting times and locations of all regular meetings must be posted in a visible location at the beginning of each fiscal or calendar year stating the date, time, and location of each regular meeting at both the location of each meeting as well as the main location of the public body. An agenda is required to be posted 48 hours in advance of the meeting at both the location of the meeting and the main location of the public body.

Taping and Filming: All open meetings can be taped or filmed. If the public body is doing the taping or filming, these items are subject to the Freedom of Information Act.
Minutes of Open Meetings: Written minutes must be taken during the meeting. These minutes must be available for public viewing within 7 days after they have been approved.

Additionally, beginning In January 2007, a new amendment will almost certainly go into effect that will once again update the Open Meetings Act. This change, introduced by Rep. Robert F. Flider, further defines what a “meeting” is and addresses the use of electronic means to conduct public business:

Amends the Open Meetings Act. Redefines a "meeting" to include gatherings, whether in person or by telephone call, electronic means, or other means of interactive communication, of a majority of a quorum of the members of a public body held for the purpose of discussing public business (now, a meeting is defined as a gathering of a majority of a quorum of the members of a public body held for the purpose of discussing public business) Full text of HB1057.

These changes could potentially impact the way that your board conducts business because it means that a quorum can no longer be obtained in an electronic setting—“a majority of the quorum must be physically present at the place designated in the notice of the meeting” (Attorney General’s Web site.

More information about this change can be obtained by contacting Lincoln Trail Libraries System or the Office of the Attorney General.