Trustees and Directors

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.

Read Trustee Manual 2020 (Doc)

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 Statutes is available online.

Read Entire Manual (PDF).

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.

Read Idaho Open Meeting Law Manual (PDF)

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.

Read Idaho Public Records Law Manual (PDF)

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.

Read Idaho Ethics in Government Manual (PDF)

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.