Trustee Essential 2: Who Runs the Library?

This Trustee Essential covers:

Responsibilities of the library board
Responsibilities of the library director
The division of labor between the library director and the board
Responsibilities of the municipal government

The mission of most public libraries is to support the educational, recreational, and informational needs of the community. Everyone is welcome at the library, from the preschooler checking out his or her first book to the hobbyist looking for a favorite magazine to the middle-aged breadwinner continuing her education by taking a class over the Internet.

Providing a large number of services to meet the needs of a diverse population requires a large supporting cast including trustees, the library director and staff, and representatives of the municipal government. When all members of the team know their responsibility and carry out their particular tasks, the library can run like a well-oiled machine. When one of the players attempts to take on the job of another, friction may cause a breakdown.

Responsibilities of the library board

The separate roles and responsibilities of each member of the team are spelled out in Wisconsin Statutes under Section 43.58, which is titled "Powers and Duties." The primary responsibilities of trustees assigned here include

Exclusive control of all library expenditures.
Purchasing of a library site and the erection of the library building when authorized.
Exclusive control of all lands, buildings, money, and property acquired or leased by the municipality for library purposes.
Supervising the administration of the library and appointing a librarian.
Prescribing the duties and compensation of all library employees.

This charge from the legislature provides library boards, but not individual trustees, with considerable discretion to operate libraries as they deem necessary independent of direct control by other municipal players--city councils, town boards, mayors, village board presidents, etc. In providing this governance structure for libraries, the legislature was attempting to keep library operations under direct citizen control and as far as possible outside the political sphere of government. Compared with other appointed boards, library boards have extraordinary powers and responsibilities. Many other appointed boards can only recommend actions to an elected board or council higher up the ladder of government. Library board actions are made independently of any further approval by other government bodies or officials as long as such actions are within statutory authority.

The independent authority granted to public library boards is intended to protect the historic role of the public library as a source of unbiased information.

Responsibilities of the director

While the library board is charged with the full responsibility for deciding what services the library will provide, and setting policy to regulate service for the benefit of all, it is the library director who should be delegated responsibility for supervising day-to-day operations of the library.

As stated above, the library board appoints a librarian who shall appoint other employees. This charge of the legislature sets up a clear chain of command between the library board and library employees. The library director is the chief operating officer of the library, reporting to and typically serving at the pleasure of the library board. All other employees report to the library director. The library director is the professional in charge of the library. His or her duties include (but are not limited to):

Oversight of the library budget and preparing reports as required by the board.
Managing of library collections, including selecting all library material according to policies approved by the board, oversight of the cataloging and classification of library material, and the operation of automated systems.
Hiring, training, supervising, and scheduling other library personnel.
Supervising circulation of material and record keeping.
Cooperating with the board, community officials, and groups in planning library services and publicizing library programs within the community.
Supervising the maintenance of all library facilities and equipment.

Depending on the size of the library, the director will provide public services either directly or with the assistance of other staff. In all cases, the library director is an ambassador to the community, the professional consultant to the board, a politician representing the library to municipal officers, and a person skilled in public relations. The days are long gone, even in the smallest library, where all the director is expected to do is to check out books and greet the public.

The division of labor between the library board and the director

The library board decides what services the library will provide and to what lengths the director and his or her staff may go to provide those services. However, it is up to the director, as the hired professional, to create the procedures needed to carry out the policies of the board and ensure that services are provided effectively and efficiently. While the board alone can decide how many employees the library should have, according to Section 43.58(4) it is the director who hires and supervises other staff. Except in extreme situations, library trustees should not be discussing library business with employees other than the director. The library board may solicit library staff input on the director's performance as part of a formal evaluation process. (See Trustee Essential #6: Evaluating the Director for more information about the evaluation process.)

Administration of the budget and expenditure of funds is a frequent source of misunderstanding regarding the division of labor between boards and directors. Section 43.58(2) states that "The library board shall audit and approve all vouchers for the expenditures of the public library." This statement is sometimes interpreted by individual boards to mean they must negotiate the necessity of every purchase with the library director, whether the purchase is an expensive computer system or a two-dollar box of pencils. Fortunately, in most libraries, the director is given reasonable latitude to administer the budget and expend funds according to board guidelines. The library board must review expenditures and keep an eye on the flow of funds, but should trust the judgment of the director when it comes to which books to purchase or which is the most economical office supply vendor.

Responsibilities of municipal governments

The most frequent source of misunderstanding between library boards and their municipal government regards expenditure of funds. This is actually one area where the statutes are quite clear on what is to happen. When the director, or his authorized staff, makes a purchase of material or service, an invoice is received from the vendor. The director will then prepare a group of invoices for review at the monthly meeting of the library board. Usually, the director will also provide a list of the invoices along with a financial statement indicating how much money will be left in each line of the budget after payment is made. According to Wisconsin Statutes Section 43.58(2), "The library board shall audit and approve all vouchers" and forward these to the appropriate municipal or county financial officer. The municipal or county officer must then pay the bill. No further approval is necessary by any municipal or county body or official.

At times, municipal and county boards believe that this procedure outlined in statute causes them to lose control over library spending. They are, after all, accustomed to approving the expenditures of other city/county departments. In fact, municipal governments maintain a great deal of leverage over library boards, since it is the municipal body that decides on the amount of the annual appropriation for library service. It is the chief municipal officer--mayor, village president, county board chair, etc.--who appoints the library board in the first place. Budgets may be cut in future years or trustees may not be re-appointed in cases where there is too much dissension between the library and its governing municipality. Therefore, close cooperation and communication between the two is essential.

One final point on finances: while the library board has full authority over the expenditure of funds, it is the municipality that holds the money. The library board may take out a bank account and/or entrust library funds to a financial secretary, but only donations and other private funds. All other funds must be deposited in the municipality's (or county's) library fund. The library board has control over the use of the money in the municipality-held library fund, but it does not sign the checks or maintain physical control over the actual dollars and cents in the fund. (See Trustee Essential #9: Managing the Library's Money for more information.)

Besides acting as the "banker" for the library, municipalities can help out the library in an infinite variety of other ways. They may help with purchasing, or with private fund raising for a building addition; they may provide invaluable consulting on building maintenance issues; in many smaller communities they may even take over building maintenance for the library. By the same token, the most successful libraries are often partners in promoting municipal service agendas. For example, the library director will attend department-head meetings with other administrators. He or she may attend city council meetings and give a report. The library may provide services on behalf of the municipality, such as maintaining the village web page. Just as the municipality is a partner in providing library service, the library can be a strong partner in providing municipal service to the community.

Discussion Questions:

What are the pros and cons of citizen board control of the library?
How are requests for expenditures presented and approved at your library?
Who prepares the first draft of the library budget?
What is the education and background of your director?
How do library personnel and/or the board interact with your local government?
How can the library board promote a positive relationship with the municipality?
How involved, or uninvolved, is your director with the community and municipal government?
How is the annual budget and funding request presented to your municipal government?

Sources of Additional Information:

Wisconsin Trustee Training Module #1: Library Board Powers and Duties (available at http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/trustee.html)

Your regional library system staff (see Trustee Tool B: Library System Map and Contact Information)

Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning staff (see Trustee Tool C for contact information)

Trustee Essentials: A Handbook for Wisconsin Public Library Trustees was prepared by the DLTCL with the assistance of the Trustee Handbook Revision Task Force. Copyright 2002 Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Duplication and distribution for not-for-profit purposes permitted with this copyright notice. This publication is also available at http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/handbook.html.

January 2, 2002

To facilitate printing, this page is available as a PDF file.

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For questions about this information, contact John K. DeBacher (608) 266-7270

Last updated on 7/28/2009 11:14:40 AM