Volunteer on the Library Board
Volunteering as a Library Board Trustee can be a rewarding way to give back to your community. Library Board Trustees participate in making many decisions that will shape public library service in our community for years to come.
​
What is the role of a Library Board?
Simply stated the role of the library board is to govern. The phrase ‘governance’ refers to the board’s activities to oversee the purpose, plans and policies of the organization.
​
Under the Public Libraries Act, R.S.O 1900, c. P44, public libraries in Ontario must be operated under the management and control of a public library board. The Board is the legal authority of the library and is the ultimate authority for decision-making and has the authority to formulate policies concerning the operations and services of the public library. While boards are accountable for the library’s services, they are not responsible for managing the programs or the people who carry out those programs. The board’s role is oversight and monitoring of the library’s performance.
In other words, library boards are not there to run the library, but to ensure that the library is properly run.
Governing is different from managing. The governing role differs from that of administration, in that governance requires different information. It deals with the long term, rather than the short, and with priorities, rather than details. The nature of governance is proactive and focused on the future and on the relation of the organization to the community’s development.
​
Primary Board Responsibilities
2. Board's Responsibility for Planning
3. Board's Responsibility for Policy
6. Community Relations and Advocacy
7. Fiduciary Duty ​​​​
​
How to Apply?
Applications must be submitted via the Municipal Clerk's office.
​