A large board ordinarily transacts business through a chairman, a
secretary, a treasurer, and one or more committees.
The chairman has few active duties, but the position requires judgment
in appointing committees, and tact in conducting meetings. The place is
perhaps the highest public honor in small towns, and is usually and
properly given to some trustee eminent for character and public
services.
In Mr. Perkins's article, "How to make Town Libraries Successful," in
the "Government Report of 1876 on Public Libraries," it is suggested
that the librarian should act as secretary to the board of trustees;
but, aside from the fact he usually has more than enough work to do in
his own department, is it not at least doubtful whether an official,
whose conduct may at any time be a proper subject for confidential
discussion before the board, should serve as their secretary, and so be
obliged to be present throughout all meetings? The duties of a secretary
may properly provide occupation for some member of the board.
The treasurer, if he holds funds in his hands, should always be put
under bond. No matter how trustworthy he may be, it is a sound principal
that no official should handle public money without giving bond. His
successor may not be so careful or so honest, and, unless the precedent
is established while the danger of loss seems small, it will be
difficult and invidious to insist upon a bond when occasion may require
it. If no trustee is willing to accept the position of treasurer with
bond, it is usually possible to leave the library funds in the hands of
the already bonded town treasurer, and draw on them as needed to pay
bills.
As to committees, it is better to have as many as can actively be
employed, in order to enlist the cooperation or advice of every trustee.
In large boards, even with small libraries, four standing committees can
find occupation; namely, executive, book, finance, and progress.
The executive committee can take charge of the daily work of the
library, of purchases, and of the care of the building. They should be
efficient men, with prompt business habits, with an active interest in
the library, with leisure to attend to their duties during library
hours, and with sufficient discretion to sift and formulate business to
be presented at the meetings of the trustees. While discharging their
executive duties promptly and thoroughly, they ought to be careful not
to assume too much of the power and responsibility which properly belong
to the full board, whose will they are appointed to execute.
[In very large libraries, these duties of an executive committee are
sometimes subdivided among additional committees on building and
grounds, on purchase of supplies, on reading-room and so on, as
different departments increase in importance.]
Inasmuch as the range of reading, the literary taste, and the critical
faculty, which qualify a man to select books for popular use, are not
necessarily united with executive ability, it will often be best to
intrust the choice of books to a book committee, selected for that
purpose alone. This is a sufficiently important duty to occupy all the
spare time of a committee, even where the initiative is taken by the
librarian, and appeal on doubtful points is made to the full board.
The duties of a finance committee are often confined to a perfunctory
and occasional examination of accounts, but they may be made very
important. To make and watch investments, to provide that money on
deposit shall always draw the best interest, to see that purchases of
books and supplies are made on the most favorable terms, to keep close
watch on all the controllable expenditures, to examine and verify bills,
and to audit carefully the treasurer's accounts, will give full
employment to a good committee of business men.
In addition to these obviously useful committees, there is another,--a
"Committee on Library Progress"--which often serves to increase the
activity and efficiency of the library. Constituted from among the
younger or more active men, and from those trustees who can find
opportunity for visiting other libraries, such a committee can do good
work in watching the experiments made elsewhere; in placing before the
board information in regard to improved methods of library work; in
comparing the library with other libraries similarly situated; and in
encouraging their own librarian, if he be progressive, or in stimulating
him, if too conservative. In short such a committee, if both active and
wise, could keep even the smallest town library in the full tide of
modern progress.
It will be best not to leave too much discretion or power permanently to
any committee, but to require all committees to report their acts and
plans frequently for the approval or criticism of the full board.