| Friday Follow-up: a message from Brian M. Hildreth, STLS Executive Director |
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Avoca, Howard & Fillmore Libraries Embrace Complex Relationships I was a 25-year-old library director when I attended my first board meeting. I was green as the July grass and extremely intimidated. The situation was new for me. I had four years of academic library experience and supervisory skills from working with student assistants. Moreover, I was armed with a business degree and two years of retail management. You would think sitting at a table with 7 board members would be less frightful. Nevertheless, I was scared! I have attended more than 250 board meetings since that day. This includes my time with member library trustees. Still, there are moments, as trustees work through an agenda, where I feel as I did long ago. It happens rarely. I try not to show it. And I always push through.
I tell this story because I want trustees and directors to recognize our working dynamic is quite special. I know being a director can be challenging, and at times, lonely. It is difficult having several direct supervisors with multiple opinions who may only be in your work space once per month. Similarly, board oversight is tough. At the end of the day, trustees are legally and financially responsible for the well-being of the public library. How do we embrace this complex relationship?
The answer will never be distinct. There are many things members can employ or have in place to prevent board/director shortcomings. Some tools or approaches to foster this relationship may include:
I know members hear this from me often, but I assure you these fundamentals work.
This week I met with five different member libraries. Each meeting entailed strategic conversations. It is interesting to observe boards and directors working together. I really value this element of my job.
Great examples of healthy workings were most demonstrated at two separate meetings. The first was a joint meeting of Avoca and Howard libraries. Justin Zeh (Avoca director) and Lorraine Nelson (Howard director) did a incredible job of presenting ideas while allowing trustees time to process what had been said. There was also a period for questions and answers that ultimately led to overall agreement. Both boards and directors felt fairly good about the discussions because everyone’s voices were heard and respected.
Another demonstration of exemplary board/director conversations took place at the Wide Awake Club Library in Fillmore. Roxanne Baker, Fillmore’s director, vocalized the needs of her patrons to her trustees in a way the made sense to everyone in the room. In mutual fashion, the trustees showed respect for Roxanne’s ideas. More importantly, they publically expressed their appreciation for Roxanne’s commitment to service. This small gesture can go a long way. It was quite gratifying to witness.
This week I just want trustees and directors to embrace the idea our working dynamic isn’t simple. There are many components to our relationships that can either lead to poor or stellar library service. Employing some of the recommended fundamentals will in turn lead to the latter of the two.
Have a great week, STLS. And, to those members I visited this week… keep up the great work!
Kindest Regards, Brian Hildreth, Executive Director Read past Friday Follow-ups: http://www.stls.org/blog Follow me on Twitter: @comlibpartner Suggested or Related Readings:
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