Library Board Strategic Guide: Going to the Next Level - Softcover

Miller, Ellen G.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0810856891 ISBN 13: 9780810856899

Publisher: Scarecrow Press, 2007

Synopsis

View the author's companion website for more information and extra materialsWhether they have full governance powers or are just there in an advisory capacity, trustees on library boards need to understand the complex issues that affect a library's ability to provide its community with materials and services that support lifelong learning, jobs, and quality of life. Authors Ellen G. Miller and Patricia H. Fisher have created a strategic guide that will help library board leaders handle important issues such as managing risk; local values and first amendment rights; leadership capable of achieving the library's ideal vision; getting and growing diverse funding sources; and becoming part of the community's leadership team. These issues are discussed in laymen's terms designed for busy trustees and directors who have only a few hours per month together to consider options and make decisions. Library Board Strategic Guide: Going to the Next Level seeks to help trustees and their directors in three broad areas: understanding complex issues and their local impact, assessing the trustee's role in addressing those issues, and reviewing experiences and best practices from other libraries. With many other uses, including use as a tool for board meeting discussions, for self-study, or as a benchmark for assessing your board's performance, this guide will help your library leaders reach that next level of community support.

About this title

About the Author

Ellen G. Miller is president of the Ellen Miller Group, a company that specializes in positioning strategies for complex public and non-profit organizations.

Patricia H. Fisher, an independent consultant in the areas of Marketing and Public Relations and Library Board Development, is currently working as a research assistant on a project to study the supply and demand of subject specialists in academic and research libraries as part of a joint effort by the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland-College Park.

Reviews

This is not a primer for new board members. It should, however, be required reading for all library board members, library directors, and local administrators who oversee public library operations. The authors see library governance as a team sport that requires knowledge of the complex issues facing today's libraries, political skills to acquire appropriate resources, and willingness to become community leaders and library advocates. The book consists of five chapters, each of which addresses a strategic issue that modern libraries face: "Managing Risk"; "Local Values, the First Amendment, and Challenges"; "Leadership and Management That Achieve Your Library's Vision"; "Getting and Growing the Funding Your Library Needs"; and "Getting on Your Community's Leadership Team." The material is tightly written for busy readers and includes current relevant data, real case histories, practical tips, and useful quotes. The companion Web site provides downloadable forms that can be customized. Individuals and boards that work through this manual should emerge armed with knowledge, skills, and consensus. Jane, Sally

Edition details

• Publisher: Scarecrow Press
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0810856891
• ISBN 13: 9780810856899
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 236