Orientation & Continuing Education for Board Policy
Answer
New Board Member Package
- The Board recognizes the need for orientation of new Board members and the need to acquire skills and knowledge relating to their roles as Board Trustees. The Board is prepared to provide resources and materials for orientation of new Trustees.
- The Board will provide an orientation package to each new Trustee. This package shall consist of:
- The library board’s bylaws and policy manual
- Municipal bylaw establishing the library board
- The library board’s rules of order for board meetings
- Information about the legal and ethical responsibilities of board trustees, including the responsibility to “speak with one voice” and maintain confidentiality
- Financial statements and budget
- Annual report
- Sources of Library funding, including information about the fiduciary responsibilities of library boards
- Alberta Libraries Act and Regulations
- Introduction to the local library system and the services it provides
- Introduction to the Provincial library network and the services it provides
- Library’s current plan of service
- Map of area served by Library
- List of Trustees and committees
- Names and positions of staff, including an organizational chart
- Information about the relationship between the library board and staff, especially between the library board and the library manager
- Trustee job description
- A Trustee’s orientation package will be distributed to each new Board member at their first Board meeting or shortly thereafter. The Board Secretary and members of the Board delegated by the Secretary shall be responsible for the orientation package preparation and distribution.
- The Trustee should keep his or her orientation manual for ongoing reference. The Secretary will distribute updates to the manual when required. The Trustee should return the manual to the Secretary when the Trustee leaves the board.
Orientation of Board Members
- The orientation process will be the responsibility of the Chair, Treasurer, and the Library Manager. This process will include an explanation of the materials in the new trustee’s orientation package and a tour of the library.
- The Library Trustee will, with the Library Manager, acquaint him-or herself with procedures and programs at the Library.
Continuing Education of Trustees
- The Board recognizes the importance of having informed Trustees. To ensure this, the Board provides, within the limits of its budget, financial support for attendance at library conferences and relevant workshops and membership in library organizations.
- Trustees are expected to regularly attend library or trustee courses or conferences in the area, as time and budget guidelines permit.
- Within budget guidelines, expenses incurred by individual Trustees for travel, subsistence, lodging, and registration fees will be reimbursed, as per established procedure.
- Trustees are expected to provide a verbal report on conference attendance to the Board.
- All Trustees will regularly attend trustee workshops, as time and budget guidelines permit.
Association Memberships
- The Board purchases an annual institutional membership in the Alberta Library Trustees Association (ALTA). The Board Chair is the voting representative.
- Expenses incurred by individual Trustees for association memberships may be reimbursed, with prior approval by board motion.