Why Make a Transition Notebook?

If your library director were to depart or become incapacitated with little or no warning, how would the new (or interim) director learn to run the library? You never know what might happen tomorrow, so it is critical to the library’s continued well-being to leave a Transition Notebook. When the unforeseen happens, your staff and board will need this information as well.

The Transition Notebook is a place to gather everything you can think of that your successor (or interim administrator) might need to know. As you are assembling the contents of your Transition Notebook, please take some time to remember what it was like to be the new person and how helpful and considerate it would have been if someone had left crucial information for you in a neatly organized format. It is best not to assume that the new person or the board even knows how to turn the lights on.

This list is a work in progress, so please be sure to keep it current and add items as you think of them.

Please report any errors, omissions, or expired links to: clay.ritter@libraries.idaho.gov

The ICfL

This section contain information about the Idaho Commission for Libraries (ICfL), its services and its programs.

Q. What is the Idaho Commission for Libraries?
A. The Idaho Commission for Libraries assists Idaho libraries to build the capacity to best serve their communities. Effective July 1, 2006, the Idaho State Library became the Idaho Commission for Librareis. The ICfL’s chief administrative office is the State Librarian, who reports to a five-member board, the Board of Library Commissioners, whose members are appointed by the Governor of Idaho. For more information, see chapter 25, title 33, Idaho Code.

Q. Who is your Public Library Consultant at the Idaho Commission for Libraries?
A. Idaho’s libraries are served by the ICfL’s Public Library Consultant Clay Ritter. ICfL Public Library Consultants provide consulting services for library development, operations, and support, including library law, open meeting law, trustee issues, trustee orientation, policy formation, best practices, strategic planning, succession planning, and library districting.

Q. What is the difference between the Idaho Commission for Libraries and the Idaho Library Association?
A. These are two distinct organizations, both supporting libraries in Idaho. The Idaho Commission for Libraries is a state agency, established in 1901. The ICfL is funded with state dollars and federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds administered through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Each state in the union, along with U.S. Territories, administers LSTA grants to its state’s publicly funded libraries through its state library agency, such as the ICfL in Idaho. The Commission also accepts contributions from individuals and corporations. As a tax-funded agency, the ICfL does not provide legal advice and does not lobby.

A. The Idaho Library Association (ILA) is a non-governmental professional organization whose membership is made up of library staff and administrators, library trustees and friends, volunteers, and those who wish to support the advancement of libraries in Idaho. The ILA’s work is funded through member dues, contributions, and its annual conference. Found in 1915, the Association’s activities have varied over the years, but its central focus has always been to support the role of Idaho libraries. For more information on the Idaho Library Association, click here.

ICfL Services and Programs Provided to Idaho Libraries

Public Library Consultant

Consulting services for library development, operations, and support.

Broadband / E-rate / EOR Consulting Services

Consulting for public libraries to acquire and maintain appropriate internet service for the library and its patrons, along with assistance in navigating the regulatory, accounting, infrastructure, and federal (E-rate) and state (EOR) funding components of that ongoing process.

Continuing Education (CE) and Training

Online and face-to-face learning opportunities for Idaho library staff and grants for professional development programs and first-time conference attendance.

eBranch

Library websites hosted on www.lili.org, enabling the staff of Idaho libraries to establish a web presence with a minimum of specialized software or technical knowledge.

Idaho Library Statistics

Annual comprehensive compilations of services and programs, staff, collections, service area populations, funding, technology, connectivity, use, and expenditures for Idaho public libraries.

Libraries Linking Idaho (LiLI) Services

Through LiLI at www.lili.org, Idaho residents have free 24/7 access to a wide range of online tools that support and enhance their education, business, and recreational needs. Includes: LiLI Databases (full-text content from trusted sources); and ShareIdaho (Idaho’s group services agreement with the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) to provide resource-sharing and cataloging services to Idaho libraries.

Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grants

Federal funds awarded to ICfL from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through its Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). These grant funds are utilized in support of the ICfL’s programs and services.

Partnerships

The ICfL develops and maintains partnerships among Idaho libraries, agencies, organizations, and nonprofits which leverage resources for the benefit of communities throughout the state.

Youth Services

Programming, training, and resources providing support to Idaho libraries and their community partners as they work to help parents and caregivers foster children’s literacy skills and provide effective tween and teen services, bridging the gap between children’s and adult services.

School Libraries

Resources and services, such as Summer Summit, that help school library staff develop and sustain current, innovative programs that support students and teachers.

Talking Book Service (TBS)

The Idaho Talking Book Service equalizes access to information for any Idaho resident who is unable to read standard print, hold a book, or turn pages due to a temporary or permanent physical limitation. Audio books and magazines can be lent free of charge to any Idaho resident who is unable to read standard print, hold a book, or turn pages due to a temporary or permanent physical limitation.

Other Services

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