Skip to Main Content

Public Library Operations and Board Governance

This guide offers resources and best practices for library operations and board governance.

What You'll Find

Sample policies and procedures are available to help libraries provide excellent and equitable library services to everyone in Pennsylvania.  These resources are developed by the Policy and Procedure Development Steering Team.  The Steering Team includes members from a variety of roles, skills, and experiences from public libraries across the Commonwealth. 

Looking for a sample policy or procedure?  Complete this form and the Steering Team will add it to our list.

 

These policies and procedures, along with any additional documents, are only samples.  Any policies your library creates should be tailored to the library's specific circumstances and approved by the library's board of trustees or governing body.  If you have legal questions or need guidance on implementing a policy, be sure to consult with your library's attorney.

The members of the Policy and Procedure Development Steering Team include:

Past members of the Steering Team:

Policies versus Procedures: What's the Difference?

A policy is essentially a plan or approach that guides decisions and actions.  It helps library staff know how the library operates, and helps the community understand how to use the library.  Policies should be understood and approved by the library's board of trustees or governing body and reflect the library's mission.

On the other hand, a procedure is a set of specific steps that are followed in a particular order.  Procedures help us understand how to carry out a policy and can be followed by library staff and the community when accomplishing a task.  They don't need approved the library's board of trustees and often provide clear, step-by-step instructions to ensure a policy is followed correctly. 

It's important to know the difference between a policy and a procedure and understand which one to develop and use for guidance.  This blog post, written by Erin Halovanic, Director of Library Services at HSLC (Hosting Solutions and Library Consulting), a partner of the Office of Commonwealth Libraries (OCL) in supporting Pennsylvania libraries, shares some key points for us to consider about whether a policy or procedure is best for a situation:

If it tells you WHY you do it, it's a policy.

If it tells you HOW you do it, it's a procedure.

In this LibGuide, you'll find both required and recommended sample policies and procedures.  While they are a great starting point, please keep in mind they are just examples.  They may not fit every library's unique needs.  We encourage you to adapt them to suit your library and community.  Any policies your library creates should be tailored to the library's specific circumstances and approved by the library's board of trustees. or governing body.  If you have legal questions or need guidance on implementing a policy, be sure to consult with your library's attorney.  

 

While the Bureau of Library Development (BLD) advises libraries on many topics, it is not a provider of legal advice, an advocacy organization, or a law enforcement agency. Public libraries are independent organizations and the BLD does not govern local library policies and activities or municipal decisions regarding libraries. The BLD's ability to hold libraries accountable to library laws is only related to the eligibility and standards required of libraries that receive state aid or other state and federal funds administered by the office.

 

Resources: