Massachusetts Public Library Trustees Handbook
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Chapter 6. Library Personnel |  |
Library trustees and directors must recognize that sensitive situations can exist, and insist on utilizing proper channels of communication and authority. The board, director, and staff should strive toward a working relationship which produces a team effort. This is best accomplished by accepting certain general principles:
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The staff is supervised only by the library director, who interprets policies to the staff and carries out the total library program as accepted by the board.
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Trustees should not give orders or instruction to the staff except through the director.
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Trustees should go directly to the library director in case of any commentary on the performance of staff.
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Trustees should not interfere in the hiring process other than to agree to job descriptions and personnel policies.
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The board is a final recourse for employees who have exhausted normal appeals channels.
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Trustees must not be insulated from the staff, and should know the positions and programs. The library director should provide opportunities for trustees to be acquainted with the staff.
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The library director and the board should insist on proper channels for complaints.
Library policies should include a provision for adequate reporting from the library director on human management problems and concerns. Trustees should be kept up to date on personnel issues such as staff hours, salaries, and benefits. A human resources manual, maintained and updated by the library director, should be available to trustees upon request.
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| Removal of a Library Director |  |
Legal Rights of Employees to Organize and Bargain Collectively |