Resources for Trustees
What Makes an Effective Board
Each trustee will bring to the board certain strengths, skills, talents and personal
experience that uniquely serve the library. A well-balanced board can bring in
less-experienced members who provide new viewpoints and who learn while serving. Some
boards rely almost entirely on their members for advice in such fields as construction, law or
finance. Conversely, other boards make extensive use consultants, advisory boards or volunteers
for information.
The board as a whole should represent a broad spectrum of community interests, occupations and areas. A board consisting of diverse viewpoints assures that the library will serve the total community. The competence necessary to fulfill all board responsibilities should be present in the composition of the board as a whole.