Policy

Policy Development

One of the most important responsibilities of the library board is to establish the policies of the library. Policies can be defined as “a broad course of action selected from alternatives and in light of given conditions, to guide and determine present and future decisions.” Policies differ from procedures in that policies are broad, and procedures are specific. Policies tend to be more philosophical; procedures, more technical.
In public libraries, policies are established by the board with the input of the director. Procedures, on the other hand, are developed by the staff in order to carry out the policy set by the board¹⁷. For example, it may be the policy of the library to open at 10:00 a.m. The procedures for opening the library include turning on the lights, unlocking the door, and so forth.

Library policies are guidelines for making decisions

• Broadly stated guidelines for actions and decisions
• General statements for supporting library operations, rules, regulations, and use
• Bases for procedures but not detailed courses of action
• Statements in accordance with purpose and legal basis for library
• Effective tools for transferring decision making to lower levels in the organization
• Effective or operational from formulation date and continued effective until revised or deleted
• Lead to achievements of objectives.

Benefits of written library policies

• They indicate a basic honesty and integrity of the library’s intentions.
• They support the library’s overall plans, goals, and objectives.
• They become available to everyone in the same form.
• They guide the library director and staff in implementation of board decisions.
• They can be referred to so anyone who wishes can check.
• They can be disseminated to all affected.
• They provide direction and consistency in day-to-day service to the community and in library operations.
• They can be taught more easily to new employees.
• They can reduce uninformed decisions-making and crisis responses to problem situations.
• They can be referred to when misunderstandings occur.
• They can compel the board to think more sharply, thus helping achieve further clarity.
• They can protect the rights of, and ensure equitable treatment of, all patrons and staff members.
• They generate the confidence of all persons in the organization concerning the library’s management.

To be most effective, policies need to be:

• reflective of the mission and vision statements of the library;
• consistent, so efficiency is maintained;
• flexible, so they can be updated as new needs arise;
• distinguishable from procedures;
• written, so they are easily communicated to staff.

Remember:

• A library policy is a library policy only when it is approved by the board in an open meeting.
• The library’s director implements policy set by the board and works with library staff to create procedures to help staff implement board policy.
• The library’s director does not make policy. Once the board has approved a library policy, it is then the job of the board to explain and defend the policy to the community. Library trustees cannot explain or defend policies of which they are unaware.
• The library’s policies are public records and must be available for public inspection at the library. One easy way to make policies available to all is to create links to them on the library’s Website.
• It is always a good idea to examine the policies of other libraries and “borrow” especially good wording instead of reinventing the wheel.
• The Idaho Public Records Law Manual is available for download.

The Nuts and Bolts of Creating Policy

The board is responsible for establishing written policies to govern and guide all phases of library operation, both internal and external.

Policy statements are tailored to local conditions and needs, and express a true commitment to service and leadership. For city libraries, it is advisable to inform the city council about policies that are potentially controversial, as they may be questioned by the community and should be cognizant of policy rationale or revisions of policy that could cause public inquiry.

Types of Library Policies
Two major categories:

• External Policies that govern the library’s service to the community, to other libraries, to other agencies;
• Internal Policies that govern the management of the library or library system.

Important policies that every library should have:

1. Board Bylaws. These are the rules under which the board will operate. Bylaws describe the board’s offices and the duty of each office, the rules under which regular and special meetings will be held, the standing committees of the board (if any), and any other permanent operating procedures for the board itself.
2. Personnel or Human Resources. This policy includes the duties and powers of the staff, job descriptions, information on evaluation and discipline of staff members, grievance procedures, and description of benefits. Sometimes salary information is also included. City libraries generally follow city H.R. policies and procedures, which need to consider the fact that the library is governed by its own independent, nonpartisan board and not by the mayor or council.
3. Collection Development and Management. This policy, sometimes known as the library’s materials selection policy, describes the types of materials that will and will not be added to the collection, based on community needs and interests. It states the criteria to be used in selecting these materials and who is responsible for materials selection. The Collection Development Policy describes how gift materials are to be handled, how the collection will be weeded, and how challenges18 to library materials are to be met. This policy often includes a section on Placement of Materials, stressing the fact that all library materials are made available to all library users, regardless of age.
   • An excellent example of a public library’s collection development and management policy is the Collections Policy adopted by the board of the Ames (Iowa) Public Library.
   • The American Library Association offers a Sample Public Library Request for Reconsideration of Material Form that a library may incorporate into its Collection Development and Maintenance Policy.
   • Please review ALA’s Freedom to Read Statement.
4. Circulation Policy. A library’s circulation policy — sometimes referred to as its library card and borrowing policy — organizes board-approved guidelines for issuing a library card, including what forms of identification and proof of address are accepted; how many times a patron may have checked out at any one time; how many times materials may be renewed; and how the library’s fines and fees work.
   • The circulation policy of the Oliver Wolcott Library, in Littlefield, Connecticut, references the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, its Freedom to Read Statement, and its related intellectual freedom documents. This is a “No Fines” policy that does not charge overdue fines as long as patrons return library materials in good condition.
   • At a public library board’s discretion, acceptable forms of photo identification and proof of residency within the library’s service area for the purpose of issuing or renewing a library card may include:
     • Current driver’s license
     • Federal-, state-, or tribal-issued identification card
     • Military identification card
     • University or school ID
     • Passport
     • Many libraries will not accept consular ID¹⁹ as a form of identification.
   • At the board’s discretion, acceptable forms of proof of residence, business ownership, or property ownership within the library’s service area (city limits or library district boundaries) may include:
     • Current driver’s license
     • Federal-, state-, or tribal-issued identification card with current address listed
     • Lease agreement
     • Mortgage statement
     • Utility bill or utility account viewed online
     • Current motor vehicle registration
     • Voter ID card issued within the past year
     • Property verification via the county assessor’s office
     • A postmarked piece of mail with the applicant’s name and current address dated within the last 30 days
     • Most libraries will not accept a post office box as acceptable proof of residency.
   • Idaho’s Address Confidentiality Program. When someone in Idaho has moved to a new location to escape domestic violence, sexual abuse, or stalking, the Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) can help keep his or her new address confidential. This is done through the use of a mail-forwarding service and substitute address. In accordance with I.C. § 19-57, all state and local agencies are required to accept the substitute address as the actual address of the individual.

     The ACP can help protect enrollees and their loved ones by keeping their physical address private, where it would appear in public records.

     The programs coordinator explains that individuals who are enrolled in the ACP qualify for a new driver’s license that lists a secure ACP substitute address as the bearer’s official address. The ACP office can also issue the enrollee a letter that will verify that he or she does physically live in a particular city or library district service area, which will then make it possible to obtain a library card at the closest public library. Although the new driver’s license serves as proof of identity, the letter is the necessary proof of physical address that libraries will need to see when issuing or renewing a library card.

     Upon approval of the applicant’s ACP application, his or her first-class mail is sent to the secure ACP substitute address (a post office box in Boise) and then forwarded to his or her new home. Enrollees can also use the substitute address for a variety of state and local government requirements, such as:

     • Applying for and receiving child support
     • Getting an Idaho driver’s license
     • Enrolling minor children in public schools
     • Applying for a marriage license
5. Sponsorship Policy. When partnering with local businesses and civic organizations to obtain new collections, equipment, and services for the library, it is important to have in place a sponsorship policy that:
   • specifies that it is the library, and not the donor, that will decide on the disposition of the gift
   • honors the right of donors to be acknowledged for their gifts to the library, while positioning the library in the forefront and minimizing the commerciality of any gift
   • prohibits the library from violating library policy in exchange for gifts of goods or services
   • The American Library Association (ALA) has created a Sample Library Sponsorship Policy.
6. Operational Policies. This group of policies will include information about:
   • when the library will be opened and closed — I.C. § 33-2702(6) requires that publicly funded library service be provided at a facility that is accessible to the public at regularly scheduled hours
   • what the staff should do in case of particular types of emergencies, such as snow days or flooding
   • what is and is not acceptable patron behavior in the library, usually discussed in the library’s acceptable behavior or patron behavior or acceptable conduct policy
   • how library staff are to handle instances of unattended children or vulnerable adults — one fine example is the Akron-Summit County Public Library’s Policy on Unattended Children and Vulnerable Adults.
7. Meeting Room Policy. A library that is fortunate enough to have a meeting room needs a policy to determine its terms of use, including rules and limitations, fees and cleaning deposits, and prioritizations of applicants. The American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights states that “Libraries that make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public that serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.” Public use of the library’s meeting rooms cannot be without restriction, as usage must be safe and not undermine the library’s other function. Library programs generally take priority over public requests for meeting rooms. Many libraries do not permit the sale of merchandise in their meeting rooms except in conjunction with a library-sponsored program. The Meeting Room Rules & Guidelines of the Boise Public Library are a good example of a library meeting room policy.