Trustee Resources

Information about issues important to public library board members. (If you need additional support on Trustee issues, contact John Thompson, IFLS Director)

Public Library Trustee Orientation 2023: This comprehensive presentation was created by John Thompson and is a great place to start as a new Public Library Trustee or as a review for experienced Trustees.

Trustee Essentials: A Handbook for Wisconsin Public Library Trustees from the Department of Public Instruction. An invaluable resource!

Wisconsin Trustee Training Week webinars are archived, and you can watch them anytime at the Wisconsin Trustee Training Week website.

Trustees Supporting Library Directors Series (2020) with Melissa McLimans and Stef Morrill. This excellent series is highly recommended. Watch the recordings and access other resources here.

• Session One: Understanding Your Role

Recording of Trustees Supporting Library Directors:  Understanding Your Role

Using Your Passions as a Library Trustee handout

Trustees and Directors Part 1 slides

• Session Two: Understanding the Library

Recording of Trustees Supporting Library Directors:  Understanding the Library

Trustees Supporting Library Directors, Part 2 slides

Understanding My Library Services and Resources Worksheet

• Session Three:  Connecting Libraries and the Community

Recording of Trustees Supporting Library Directors:  Connecting Libraries and the Community

Trustees Supporting Library Directors Part 3 slides

Open Meeting and Public Records Information

• Open Meetings and Public Records Compliance Guides (Wisconsin Department of Justice)
• Office of Open Government (Wisconsin Department of Justice)
• Trustee Essential #14 The Library Board and the Open Meeting Law (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction)
• Trustee Essential #15 The Library Board and the Public Records Law (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction)

Staying Informed

Looking for ways to stay informed about libraries and library issues? The following resources are some good places to start:

• Wisconsin Library Association
• Wisconsin Trustees & Friends (Wisconsin Library Association)
• American Library Association
• United for Libraries Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations (American Library Association)

Library Advocacy

• IFLS advocacy webpage
• Advocacy 101 with Jim Tripp Recording of webinar
• Advocacy 101 Activity Report
• American Library Association’s Advocacy Toolkit

Library Director Evaluation

NEW! Evaluating the Library Director  presentation slides or PDF slides to print, created by IFLS staff for IFLS-member library trustees.

Evaluating the Libray Director can be a difficult task for library boards but it is important tool for the board in evaluating library service and the performance of the director.  DPI’s Trustee Essential #6 provides a good overview of the process as well as a sample evaluation form.  Mid-Hudson Library System (New York) has additional resources for evaluating the director on their Evaluating the State of the Library – Director Evaluation page.

Library Director Hiring

• NEW! Library Director Hiring presentation slides or PDF slides to print, created by IFLS staff for IFLS-member library trustees.
• Trustee Essential #5 Hiring a Library Director (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction)
• IFLS Library Director Hiring Guide, by John Thompson (2024)
• Webinar: Navigating the Library Director Hiring Process: A Guide for Trustees & Boards (WebJuction)

Library Policies

One of the main responsiblities of a Library Board is to establish policies that govern the use of the library.  Those policies must be legal and appropriate for the community.  The Library Director should recommend new policies and review and recommended changes to an existing policy.  The Library Board should review and approve any new or revised policy.  The Division for Libraries, Technology and Community Learning has developed a Wisconsin Public Library Policy Resources website that contains links to policies from other libraries and other resources that can aid in the development of library policies.