“Librarians need you,” Mary Beth Harrington told library board members, foundation members, and Friends in attendance at a June 30 program at the American Library Association 2024 Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Diego. “They need you more than ever.”
As libraries and library workers face censorship attempts, campus protests, and budget cuts, among other challenges, Harrington—a consultant and current president of the Timberland Regional (Wash.) Library board of trustees—led the program “Top 10 Things Every Library Board Member Should Know—but Often Doesn’t.”
As the heart of an organization, the board must function as a whole, she said: “You can fight like cats and dogs about something in the board room, but when you walk out that door, you have to speak as one.”
To strengthen a board, Harrington said members must first identify the type of board they belong to:
- Operational/nonprofit: mostly civic groups, start-ups
- Governing: sets policy, has financial oversight, supervises the director, does strategic planning
- Fundraising: develops community connections, raises money, procures grants
- Advisory: advocates for and provides wisdom
- Hybrid: provides a mix of the above
She then discussed 10 items that every board member needs to know:
#1 Board service is a job.
“This isn’t something you’ve been born to do,” Harrington said, but you should consider it your new part-time job, because it will require 100% commitment from 100% of board members. “I get that life gets in the way,” she said, “but it’s not fair to have coasters.” In which case it’s okay to give those folks an out—or, as Harrington said, “to bless and release.” Members should view it as an honor, privilege, and duty to serve.
She suggested having a board commitment letter that restates the job description, including how many meetings each member is expected to attend.
#2 Stay in your lane.
Regarding board and library staff relations, Harrington said, certain lines should not be crossed. That means the board does not supervise staffers, it does not intervene in staff issues (unless there’s litigation), its members do not communicate with staffers directly without the knowledge of the board chair and executive director, and staff members do not communicate with the board directly without the knowledge of the executive director.
“I find that boards that get out of their lane, it’s because they really don’t know what they should do—or they don’t want to do what they should do,” Harrington said.
#3 Board orientation should be required for all board members.
“Have you ever walked into the middle of a movie and tried to figure out the plot?” Harrington asked. “That’s what it’s like when you walk into a board.”
It takes the average board member two years to become effective and understand an organization, according to Harrington. Orientation should be for new members and veteran members alike, since roles have likely changed.
To keep members focused and prevent mission drift, she recommends putting the board’s mission on every agenda.
#4 Board members can be personally responsible for mismanagement.
Some “policy musts” should be established: a conflict-of-interest policy, a whistleblower policy, a document destruction policy, and a director’s and officers’ insurance policy.
#5 Board management is the responsibility of board members.
To make meetings effective, consider holding them monthly and limiting them to no more than 90 minutes. Begin and end on time. The board chair should lead meetings, and the full board is responsible for reading through all documents beforehand. Use a consent agenda, and delegate committee work to committees. Stick to the agenda.
#6 Don’t ask your friends to join the board.
Why? Because you’ll be going after the same money and perspectives, Harrington said.
“Your ultimate job is to advocate for the organization,” she added. “That means being able to articulate in a compelling way why your community would be devastated if your library didn’t exist.” Ask—and share with the community—what else your library does, such as loaning out Library of Things items.
Your board should also have a nominating committee, which should be responsible for managing new member process, not recruitment (because that should be everyone’s responsibility).
“You have people who want to serve on your board,” Harrington said. “You just haven’t asked them yet.”
#7 You don’t have to be a board member to be involved.
Committee members don’t have to be board members. “That’s your farm team,” where your future board members are, Harrington said. If they don’t perform well on a committee, then again, “bless and release.”
#8 Fundraising and advocacy are part of the job.
The most effective fundraising comes from individual contributions, Harrington said, because of the time and effort that often go into special events. But rather than discounting galas, she suggested using them to market your mission and cultivate potential new donors. More important, capture attendees’ names to use for future bond and levy efforts.
#9 Annual evaluations should be conducted for everyone.
When evaluating an executive director, the board should assign a committee to manage the process. There should be a mutually agreed upon evaluation tool, and the full board should evaluate, reporting all responses. Discussions with the director should be held in executive session, and the director should be allowed to respond to the full board. Board members should have term limits.
#10 There are specific attributes of an effective nonprofit board member.
They include a commitment to the mission of the organization; understanding of the board’s governance roles; active involvement in board activities and committees; thinking and acting strategically; not being involved in day-to-day management of the organization; abiding by the duties of care, loyalty, and honesty; and supporting the organization financially and through advocacy.
