Activism Project

1. Building Trust In Library Trustees:
An Ethical Framework
Lari Rega
December 3, 2017
LSC 515

2. Ethics is...
-A model for handling turmoil and confusion
-Impacted by history, religion, civilization, and knowledge
-Something larger than just a “written” system
-A leadership technique
-Attached to efficient supervision
-The study of morality (what is right and wrong)

3. Ethical Institutions…
-Are open and available to varied groups and disparate populations
-Engage honestly with all partners
-Aim for high quality
-Uphold the expectations placed upon them by the public
-Preserve an atmosphere of service and assistance

4. Trustees...
-Perform to standards dictated by the library
-Attend to the operation of the library in a public setting
-Supervise and regulate the institutional budget
-Comply with relevant rules and governances
-Choose and designate the appointment of the library director
-Create and authorize the policies of the library
-Are elected representatives of the general public

5. Trustees’ Functions and Obligations
The Trustee is entrusted to act as a public servant with three major responsibilities
-Integrity: Perform with honest intentions
-Dedication: Commit to the organization
-Compliance: Achieve the goals of the institution
The board acts with shared power and unified jurisdiction for the greater good of the
library

6. Trustees’ Legal Duties
-Adhere to the principle of open meetings
-Post written notices of upcoming meetings
-Welcome and respect the right of the general public in their meeting
-Maintain a quorum when voting on legislation
-Keep a written log of the minutes of the meeting
-Be cognizant of the individual rights and responsibilities of the each
trustee

7. Trustees’ Fiscal Duties
-Appoint a treasurer who oversees the institutional finances
-Elect a board member to be the fiscal officer who works in tandem with treasurer
-Maintain an open and accessible record of all financial transactions in the form of written
reports
-Allocate a source of funding to be held for future use or as needed
-Satisfy all state regulations concerning financial transactions

8. Trustees’ Personnel Duties
-Establish guidelines for employees highlighting approved methods and systems of
professional conduct
-Outline the tasks and functions of the library director
-Preserve the overall shared power of the board
-Draft contracts and professional documents for employees
-Mediate any conflicts between personnel
-Conduct annual performance reviews of the library director

9. Trustees’ Policy Duties
-Policy constitutes the written regulations of the library
-These regulations must be carefully cultivated and updated often
-These regulations are designed to give you and the library legal security should any
situations arise
-However it should be noted that these regulations are of no value to any of your patrons if
nobody has any knowledge of them

10. Trustees’ Ethical Responsibilities
-Conflicts of Interests: Members of the library board are strictly forbidden from acquiring
any individual earnings or benefits through their involvement on the board and will recuse
themselves should a conflict arise
-Respect: Members of the board will respect the views of their fellow board members and
citizens even if they do not agree with the other person’s viewpoint.
-Equality: Members of the board will not undertake any discriminatory practices of any
type towards others
-Privacy: Members of the board will advocate for the right of patrons
to their privacy when using the library

11. Trustees’ Ethical Responsibilities
-Impartiality: Members of the board shall be freely aware of any differences in their
individual beliefs and the library’s official policy and will not let their beliefs interfere
with the position of the library on those subjects on which they disagree
-Confidentiality: Members of the board shall uphold the confidentiality of the patrons who
use the library and not share any private information to anyone while also maintaining
knowledge of and obeying the law concerning Freedom of Information
-Neutrality: Members of the board must not intervene in the supervisory duties of the
library director or the management of library employees
-Anticensorship: Members of the board will champion the staff in
their bid to overturn the censoring of library resources by people.

12. Cited Resources
Lorenz, Jane B. (2011). Ethics for Trustees: A Guide for All Who Serve As Trustee.
Authorhouse.
United For Libraries (November 2014). Short Takes for Trustees: Board Ethics Resource
Guide. American Library Association.
Singh, Kunwar (November 2011) Professional Ethics and Development. Department of
Library and Information Science at Utkal University