Give your trustees the tools needed to translate their experiences and interests into strong results on behalf of their libraries. Sally Gardner Reed draws on her years of success leading Friends of Libraries USA to provide trustees with straightforward, easy-to-read, guidance on how to make the most of their vital role. She guides readers through important issues including sustainable fundraising and advocacy, hiring and evaluating a library director, strategic planning, director-trustee collaboration, and policy development. There is also an extensive examination of the library director's role, with advice for managing staff, determining service strategies, managing budgets, implementing policies and reporting to the board. Readers of The Complete Library Trustee Handbook will be brought up to speed on optimizing board effectiveness, board ethics issues, conflicts of interests, and efficient meeting management, and a chapter on key issues for libraries addresses intellectual freedom, user privacy, pay equity for library workers, privatization of public libraries, and funding.

Library trustees : guardians of the public trust -- Library sustainability : fund-raising and advocacy -- Critical but different roles : the library's board and its director -- Ensuring a better future : strategic planning -- An essential role : developing and approving policies -- Doing it right : the best practices of effective library boards -- Today's and tomorrow's concerns : key issues facing libraries.