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Has Your Board. Crossed. the Line? <br />Iia< your board gone from governance to micro <br />management? Naturally, both board and staff members <br />are responsible for maintaining the focus of providing for <br />the good o{the library, but there are some mar)<ed <br />differences in their duties. <br />'T'his ontliae will help the library board from cross;ng that <br />fine line from governance into management. <br />Governance: T~e Library Board. <br />• Specifies outcomes, constraints, and desires. <br />• May suggest how to accomplish desired outcomes. <br />• Determines financial resources available to <br />management and generally where available resources are <br />to be allocated. <br />• Identifies information required to maize sound policy <br />decisions and malzes decisions regarding policy. <br />•Monitors the progress and initiates conflict resolution <br />when required. <br />Management: T}re Library Director <br />• Specifies process to achieve outcomes within <br />governance constraints. <br />•.'~'Iust participate in decisions about what may and <br />may not be done. l'he goal: to ensure enough {lexiteility <br />that outcomes set by the board can tee accomplished. <br />Your Help is Needed to 'I"ell Your <br />,Story or to Aslz a Question <br />C)ther library boards can benefit if you share some <br />method, policy, or practice that you feel work for your <br />board. If you as a trustee have a question that you need <br />answered, contact Jaclt Cole, editor, at 1536 Winnetlza <br />Ave. N., Golden Valley, MN 55427; phone (612) 546- <br />'7483; fax (612) 546-7483 by April 2~ for inclusion in <br />the next issue of l,in~Zing j,i6rary Trustees. <br />Trustee Training in the Metro Area <br />'Visions of Libraries for the Future is the theme for the <br />spring MELSA Tmstee worizshop to be held the morning <br />of April 24 at the Roseville Public Literary. Topics <br />include long-term services to seniors, getting patrons <br />teadz to their libraries, Y2K, and large versus small <br />libraries. Contact Jennifer Scribner at (651) 645-5731 <br />or e-mail: Jennifer ~° melsa.lib.mn.us <br />•Informs governance of resources required and <br />recommends cost-effective allocation. <br />•Idenhfies information needed for sound policv <br />decision-ma]zing and may mate policy deliberation; <br />specifies the process for carrying out policy. <br />•Monitors progress and initiates conflict resolution <br />when required. <br />~}ro is in c}rarge o~ w}~at? <br />Code: R =Responsible I =Involved <br />I he Literacy <br />Board Director <br />R Governance <br />I Administration R <br />R Decides what I <br />I Decides how R <br />R Malzes policy I <br />Carries out policy R <br />R Set goals <br />I Plans to achieve goals R <br />R Reviews goals I <br />I Implements plans R <br />R 6> I Monitors progress R L~ I <br />Ta ba ro»t.„ued;,, L=sue 3 <br />How Others see the Value of the <br />Public Library <br />More than any other civic institution, public libraries run <br />on the principle o{ general trust. 'I he books are bought <br />with public funds or a~th money donated by "friends" and <br />the buildings are open to anyone. Borrowers are expected <br />to being the boolzs teach, and, astonishingly, they do for <br />the most part For many of us, a library card is the first <br />symbol we acquire as children that indicates we are <br />separate people, with {reedom o{individual choice and a <br />capacity for responsible action. 'T'he institution is public, <br />but perhaps because of the peculiar aloneness o{ reading, <br />the essential quality o f each person in relationship to <br />boolzs and, by extension, to libraries, is private. <br />-'1'allz o{the 'T'own <br />Nero 1'or~Zer <br />