We are professionals.

December 20, 2016 By SAL With no comments yet

Dearest trustees, last week I had the privilege of meeting board members that I had yet to encounter while leading the What Am I Doing Here?!? workshop in Belmont. Here were our major discussion take- aways:

- Assigning true cost to services (sometimes referred to in business as service chain analysis) and budgeting from that perspective is a major mind and practice shift.
- Refreshers for veteran trustees and orientations for new trustees are useful to participants.
- Trustees exhibit professionalism; Directors must be treated as (and expected to behave as) the library professional.

As educational institutions with governing boards and professional managers, building in support for development of governors (trustees) and officers (directors), is essential to the continued responsiveness of your library to community needs. Here are our recommendations:

Attend, in person or remotely, training events and fund (pay for training hours as hours worked; pay mileage) your library professionals to do the same.
Join an email list or subscribe to an e-newsletter of at least one non-STLS organization:
- The Best!: http://eepurl.com/ctqEyX
- EveryLibrary: http://everylibrary.org/
Join a professional organization, as a library or as an individual:
- NYLA Organizational Memberships (cost based on budget size): https://www.nyla.org/max/4DCGI/cms/review.html?Action=CMS_Document&DocID=53&MenuKey=membership
- Association of Rural and Small Libraries: http://arsl.info/membership/
- Library Trustees Association: http://librarytrustees.org/membershipdues.php

Making our libraries visible and viable are key to sustaining service to all of our communities and it can only happen with continued commitment to education.

Upcoming STLS Events

Wed, Jan 25, 2017 — Get the Grant! at 11:00 AM – 01-25-2017 11:00:00 AM

Tue, Jan 31, 2017 — Book Breakfast at 9:30 AM – 01-31-2017 09:30:00 AM

Sat, Feb 11, 2017 — Get the Grant! at 10:30 AM – 02-11-2017 10:30:00 AM

Tue, Feb 14, 2017 — Trustee Book Club – The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu at 2:30 PM – 02-14-2017 14:30:00 PM

Wed, Mar 1, 2017 — Advocacy, Naturally – Library Legislative Advocacy Day at 5:45 AM – 03-01-2017 05:45:00 AM

For all upcoming events, please visit the STLS program calendar. I’ll also send out a upcoming events calendar in the delivery.

As ever, please contact me with questions, concerns, and ideas.

In libraries and in learning,

Margo