Massachusetts Public Library Trustees, May 2008(v.11,n.3)
All but a few Massachusetts public libraries are governed by boards of trustees. Trustees may be appointed, elected, self-perpetuating or ex-officio, and boards may be selected by a combination of methods, e.g., some elected and some appointed. Over half of the 370 public libraries in Massachusetts have boards that are either completely or primarily composed of elected trustees.
| Appointed: | An appointed trustee is selected by a public official or group of municipal officials. |
| Elected: | An elected trustee is selected by registered voters of the municipality in a municipal election. |
| Ex-officio: | An ex-officio trustee is selected by virtue of holding a specific public office or a specified political, committee, social or religious affiliation in the municipality. For example, the legal authorization for some boards of trustees may require that their membership include the principal of the local high school, a member of the board of selectmen, a religious leader, or a member of a prominent family. |
| Self-Perpetuating: | A self-perpetuating trustee is selected by the members of the library corporation or association, usually from the corporation or association membership, but occasionally from the municipality at large. |
| Combined: | Libraries whose trustees are selected by a combination of methods, e.g., some elected and some appointed. |
Massachusetts Public Library Trustees
| Appointed | 542 |
| Elected | 1500 |
| Self-Perpetuating | 455 |
| Ex-officio: | 76 |
| Other(emeritus) | 14 |
| Total number of trustees | 2587 |
| Total number of public libraries | 370 |
| Total number of public libraries reporting | 364 |
| Total number of municipalities with public libraries | 348 |