In Idaho, public library boards are not advisory boards. They are governing boards. A governing board of trustees sets library policy; sets and oversees the library’s budget; hires, supervises, evaluates, and works as a team with the library’s director; and makes sure that its community is well represented and informed regarding their local library and public libraries in general.
Your ICfL Public Library Consultant supports each public library trustee and director with consulting services, information, and tools necessary to help fulfill the responsibilities of the office.
Manuals for Trustees
The manual provides a convenient and reliable information source for current and prospective trustees and library directors on issues concerning public libraries and boards of trustees.
is published by the Idaho Commission for Libraries as a resource and training guide for the state’s public library trustees and directors. It contains sections from Idaho Code that pertain to public libraries, including public records, open meetings, and elections. Each public library receives two printed copies. Because this reference work is not printed and distributed every year, the most current version is always the online version, which incorporates changes through the most recent legislative session. The full version of Idaho Code is available online.
is published by the Office of Attorney General Lawrence Wasden to inform government agencies — including publicly-funded libraries — of their obligations, and citizens of their rights, under Idaho’s Open Meetings Law.
has been prepared by the Office of Attorney General Lawrence Wasden to educate citizens, the news media, and government employees about Idaho’s Public Records Act.
is published by the Office of Attorney General Lawrence Wasden to help ensure that public officials remain public servants. Honest and open government is fundamental to a free society and all Idahoans who serve in public office, whether elected or appointed, accept an ethical duty to serve honestly and in the public’s interest.
Public libraries are units of government. They can pay for spending by borrowing, a method of distributing tax burdens through time rather than a replacement for taxes, by taking out loans and issuing bonds.
Succession and Emergency Planning
Thoughtful succession planning prepares an organization for leadership transitions, expected or unexpected. Succession plans may address emergencies, expected departures, and strategic leader development.
• Succession Planning, Incite! Consulting Group, Trustee Connections 2019
• Emergency Succession Plan template
• Maintain a Transition Notebook
Offers resources for public library trustees when faced with the crucial task of hiring the right director to take charge of the day-to-day operations of the library.
Additional Resources for Trustees
These grants are made available for public library trustees through the ICfL.
District Library Elections
• 2022 Library Election FAQ and Timeline
This ICfL guide for setting policies regarding internet use in public libraries also discusses the requirements of CIPA and of Idaho Code section 33-2741.
Trustee Roles and Responsibilities
Roles and Responsibilities of Public Library Trustees in Idaho — city libraries, district libraries
The Public Library and the City It Serves — city libraries
Social Media, Personal Accounts, and Library Business
In Idaho, library trustees—whether appointed or elected—are government officials. Government officials who use social media, electronic mail, or telephone accounts to carry out their official duties are engaged in “state action” and are therefore bound by the First Amendment. The Idaho Public Records Act requires that agencies retain records for any content “prepared, owned, used or retained” by an agency “regardless of physical form or characteristics”. Therefore, these records in Idaho should be considered public records under the Law.
Here are some resources to help library trustees better understand how the use of social media, email, and telephones—including their personal accounts—to discuss library business creates public records:
• Social Media for Public Officials 101
The Idaho Commission for Libraries does not provide legal advice. Please direct legal questions to your library’s attorney and/or the Idaho Counties Risk Management Program (ICRMP) at intake@icrmp.org or at 208-336-3100.
Intellectual Freedom and Patron Privacy
Intellectual Freedom (IF) is the right granted by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution of any person to read or express views that may be unpopular or offensive to some people, within certain limitations (such as libel or slander). Legal cases concerning free speech issues are heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. Click here to connect to the homepage of the Office for Intellectual Freedom of the American Library Association (ALA).
ALA’s Definition of Intellectual Freedom
Intellectual Freedom: Issues and Resources
The Universal Right to Free Expression
Interpretations of the Library Bill of Rights
Access to Library Resources and Services
Economic Barriers to Information Access
Library Services to the People Living in Poverty
Services to People with Disabilities
Restricted Access to Library Materials
Access to Library Resources and Services for Minors
Intellectual Freedom for Minors
Answering Questions about Youth Access and Access to Library Resources
ABC-CLIO’s definition of a challenge
Access to Digital Information, Services, and Networks
Library Privacy for Library Websites, OPACs, and Discovery Services
