Contact Josh Muse via email with your name and the name of your library to sign-up for the Vermont Trustees and Friends Listserv. The LibTRUSTFRIEND listserv is designed for library trustees, Friends of the Library and staff with interest in trustees and Friends issues.
Library Trustees
Core Materials
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Trustee Basic and Refresher Training - PDF of PowerPoint slides from Lara Keenan, Consultant for Governance and Management
- Laws That Govern Your Work
- Working Together chart
- Board Planning Matrix
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Videos of Trustee Basic and Refresher Training (from 2020 Trustees and Friends Conference):
- Trustee Duties and Responsibilities (28 minutes, 54 seconds); PowerPoint Slides
- Laws for Libraries (19 minutes, 37 seconds); PowerPoint Slides
- Fundraising Basics (22 minutes, 13 seconds); PowerPoint Slides
- Succession Planning (7 minutes, 55 seconds); PowerPoint Slides
- Community Needs, Strategic Planning, & Advocacy (18 minutes, 26 seconds); PowerPoint Slides
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Short Orientation Videos
- Open Meeting Law (4 min 33 sec)
- Division of Duties at Incorporated Libraries (5 min. 36 sec.)
- Division of Duties at Municipal Libraries (5 min. 16 sec.)
- Roles and Responsibilities (6 min. 46 sec.)
- Niche Academy Friends and Trustees Academy (online training)
- Law of Public Libraries
- Trustees' Manual, 6th Edition
- Division of Powers & Effective Collaboration Between Library Trustees and SelectBoard Members - 2018 VLCT Presentation by Jenny Prosser (VT Secretary of State's Office) and Lara Keenan (VT Dept. of Libraries)
- New Trustee Orientation Checklist
- Strategic Planning & Advocacy
- Working Together for Our Communities: Towns and Libraries as Partners - 2019 VLCT Presentation by Lara Keenan
Additional Trustee Materials
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United For Libraries, American Library Association's division for trustees and friends
- Organizational Tools for Trustees - including Basic Principles of Parliamentary Procedure, Sample Director Evaluations, Understanding Roles, and more
- Sample Policies
- ILoveLibraries.org - Become a Library Trustee!
- Fiduciary Duties for Trustees from the Utah State Library
- Creating a Job Description for Your Library Director - a February 2019 article from United for Libraries (see bottom of page)
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Fundraising
- How to Improve Your Library's Fundraising: Article from February 2019 "The Voice for America's Libraries" (A United for Libraries publication)
- Fundraising for Libraries: Presentation by Christine Graham, September 22, 2015
- Planned Giving: Presentation by Christine Graham, September 22, 2015
Open Meeting Law
As of July 1, 2014, Act 143 updated the Open Meeting Law. The Law was updated again in 2016 and 2018. The Vermont Secretary of State and the Vermont League of Cities and Towns have produced information to help meet the new requirements.
[Open Meeting Law update, January 18, 2022] Public bodies must comply with 1 V.S.A. §§ 310-314. In accordance with Act 78, effective through January 15, 2023, public bodies may hold fully remote public meetings. Under this temporary suspension of normal open meeting laws, a physical meeting location is not required. At a remote meeting of a public body, the meeting must be recorded, use technology that permits public attendance, and allow access by telephone. Meeting agendas must be posted and include information that enables direct access and participation. Meeting notes must be posted not more than 10 business days from the date of the meeting.
Every municipality should be in touch with its own municipal counsel for legal advice about how to handle specific situations.
Secretary of State
- Got Transparency? presentation (2019)
- Guide to Open Meetings (2014, from Secretary of State Jim Condos)
- Vermont Statute Title 1, Section 310
League of Cities and Towns
- Open Meeting Law FAQ (updated 2021)
- Open Meeting Law COVID-19 FAQS (2022)
- Hybrid Public Meeting Toolkit
- Quick Guide to Open Meeting Law (updated 05/2017)
Additional Resources
(Updated: 5/26/21)