Trustee Trouble 10: Self Assessment (Wyoming State Library): Library Board membership is a great way to give back to the community and the library. Sometimes that first year on the board is tough, there is a lot more to being a library board member than you might think. In this series of episodes, laugh and learn along with Dan, a new library trustee, as he muddles through his first year on the library board. We suggest viewing one episode per month and then as a group, discuss the episode and answer the questions asked at the end of the segment.
Toward Tech Savvy Trustees (WebJunction & ARSL): Library staff are expected to embrace technology advancements and keep their skills sharp and their libraries relevant. But what about library boards—how tech savvy are your trustees? The more that trustees are dialed into a personal use of technology, the better advocates they will be for the library’s technology needs. Learn some fun and practical ways to inspire greater tech savviness in your trustees. You don’t need a board of IT specialists, just a board that has a sharper set of digital tools.
To Fine or Not to Fine (Montana State Library): A discussion about the evolving policies at libraries on assessing fines for overdue items. While every library and the community it serves is unique, many libraries are instituting policies that end fines in order to promote good will, increase library usage among certain groups they want to serve, while sustaining revenues and managing staff time or other costs.
The Power of Small: How Rural Libraries Help Their Communities Thrive (WebJunction): All libraries provide vital services to their communities, but libraries that serve small, rural populations have the potential to go beyond providing information and access—they can inject the vitality that will help their communities thrive. Addressing the challenges faced by rural areas may seem daunting to a library with few staff and limited resources, but any tiny library can find more ways to support the needs of their community by thinking strategically and creating new connections with their stakeholders, patrons, and other library staff.
