Survive and Thrive as a Library Director: Part 3
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Transcript of Survive and Thrive as a Library Director: Part 3
Survive and Thrive: those you report to
More show & tell time
• What have you done differently as a result of the last two weeks?
Poll time!
Who hired you?Whom do you report to?
The person who hired you may be your best supporter
So when that person leaves…
Bad manager/board chairs
Mission
Your mission is to strengthen your community. Make that known.
Know your respective roles
Read the charter and then confirm with
actuality• Tradition overrides rules until
absolutely necessary• But always work for term limits!
Bridgeport example
• Percentage of the mill rate discovery. The library won but made enemies.
What are their responsibilities?
Board committees
• Governance and nominations• Finance• Long range planning• Executive committee (officers
plus committee chairs)
But not these
• Development• Personnel• Buildings and grounds• Any others?
If a board member does anything not in the purview of the
board’s charter, they are acting as a
patron, not a board member.
You and the Board Chair(or City Manager)
A special relationship, if you’re lucky
Put yourselves in their position
Visualize the meeting, the effort, the value
Poll time!
Who does a formal board or manager orientation?
Who does board evaluation?
Board selection
Board orientation
Board orientation
Sign up for library social media, get a library card, take a tour (physical and virtual), email etiquette and rules (no reply all!), FOIA, finance and budget, past minutes, past director’s reports, committee opportunities.
Board evaluation
Using outside consultants
How do you use the allotted meeting
time?
Boards Can Become
Bored
It’s up to you to prevent that
Use images
It adds credibility and keeps it lively. Video what’s happening in your own library. “If only they had been there” is solved.
Our stories are more powerful than our
statistics
Calendar of topics
• Local issues• National issues• International issues
What does your reporting look like?
No surprises!
Have “fire drills”
Speak their language
• Economic development is always a winner
How do you use the informal time?
Have stories ready for every party, concert, and ball game.
Typical challenges
• The know-it-all (“I’m not expert, but…)• The resume-builder• The distracted one• The latecomer• The gossiper
Know their soft spots
• They are also humans with needs and feelings
• Make them smart and important
Know when to step back and forward
• Yoyo moves are common when the players change
Where do you sit at meetings?
How to make deals
When not to make deals
What did I forget to mention?
Resources
• simonejoyaux.com• ALA think tank on Facebook• Library Administrator’s Digest• ICMA (International City Management
Association
Class yearbook (monthbook?) time
Tim Wiles
Betcinda Kettells
Class #4, the final chapter
• Friends groups• Vendors• “Physical space” leadership• Plus, how to know when it’s time to
leave your position