The library board is responsible for creating policies, reviewing and revising them,
and ultimately enforcing them with the assistance of the library staff.
Policymaking may be the most difficult job of the library board members,
requiring a thorough understanding of the issues involved and careful
consideration of the library's mission and of the community.
Because policies guide actions, it is important that they be in place when needed.
The library board should not wait until the need for a policy creates pressure to act quickly.
The best policy is developed calmly and thoughtfully, when there is a predictable
probability that the library needs one in a specific area.
A process similar to the following will help develop good policy:
- Establish the Development Procedure: Having a (small)
committee do the actual work will help to insure that more than one point of view is considered.
This committee may include, as appropriate, board members, the library director,
library staffer(s), and even outside subject experts (for example, a Website designer, or a maintenance engineer.)
- Investigate/Research: Having a (small)
committee do the actual work will help to insure that more than one point of view is considered.
This committee may include, as appropriate, board members, the library director,
library staffer(s), and even outside subject experts (for example, a Website designer, or a maintenance engineer.)
- Review the library's mission statement and long-range plan.
- Consider the goals of the policy.
- Assess community needs.
- Consider local custom.
- If there is existing policy, note where changes need to be made.
- If there is no current policy, note how situations have been handled and decisions made so far.
- Examine other libraries' policies.
- Write: Generally, one committee member will
create a draft for the committee to review and revise. It is
useful to cast the policy in two parts: first, the rationale or
policy statement, which tells the goal of the policy, and why it
exists, and second, the policy regulations, or the specific
rules that need to be in place in order to enforce the policy.
For example:
“In order to ensure that all library users have the maximum opportunity
to use materials, the Bookville Public Library Board of Trustees establishes
that the loan periods for materials borrowed from the library will be determined by the library director. . . .”
Here the rationale, the why of the policy, is stated and then the what, loan periods, is described.
All policies should include a process by which the board can respond to public comments or complaints.
Each policy should also include a statement of how often it is to be reviewed.
The writing should be clear, brief and limited in the use of professional jargon.
Policies of other libraries—many of them available on the Internet--may help provide suitable language.
- Discuss & Approve: The board as a whole should take time to review
the draft and make suggested changes. This means that generally the draft policy is
presented at one meeting, and the board votes on it at the next meeting. If board members
have any changes, these changes can be incorporated into the policy before it is approved.
The Library Board of Trustees needs to examine policies carefully before
approving them. There are four questions the board needs to ask about every
policy:
- Does the policy conform to current law? This is not just a matter of whether a policy is legal.
If laws change, then policy may also have to change. Remember that the body of law includes
not only legislation and regulation, but the history of judicial decisions as well.
A Library Board may need legal advice on some of their policies. The next three questions
will help to determine if policies conform to the law. Policies you suspect may conflict
with local, state or federal laws or regulation should be reviewed by legal counsel.
- Is the policy reasonable? A policy may sound legal, but it could be
successfully challenged in court if it is unreasonable. For example, most libraries
have policies that spell out consequences for the non-return of borrowed materials.
Restrictions on borrowing additional materials, payment for replacement of lost materials,
or fines are typical consequences. It would be reasonable to suspend borrowing privileges
until materials are returned; it would probably be unreasonable to bar offenders from the library forever.
- Can the policy be enforced in a non-discriminatory manner? Everyone
should receive the same treatment—no special privileges for “good Customers,”
or rules that are not enforced across the board. A policy, no matter how reasonable or
legal, might be challenged if it is not applied equally to all.
- Is the enforcement of the policy measurable? A policy should describe
specified or prohibited behaviors in terms that make determining whether behaviors
conform an either-or matter. For example, if a circulation policy limits the
number of items that may be checked out on a card at any one time, then it should
specify a number. A library is inviting a challenge if the policy states that
the number of items borrowed must be "reasonable." If staff must determine what
"reasonable" means on a case-by-case basis, charges of favoritism or discrimination
will soon follow. A policy against “disruptive” behavior might need to describe such
behavior in terms of loudness or duration. The measurable parts of the policy are
often the provisions in the regulations portion of the policy.
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- Review: Review the policy as specified.
Policies must be kept up-to-date in order to remain relevant and
useful. Policy review also helps educate the staff and the
governing body members about their roles and responsibilities in
implementing the policy.
- Distribute: The approved policy should
be readily available to the public. It should be distributed
to the staff, and discussed with them, so that all know what
the policy is and how it is to be implemented.
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