Question for City Library Directors
Hello everyone -- If you are a City Library Director I'm hoping you'll be willing to share some information with me. 1) Do you report directly to your Library Board or your City? 2) Is your Library Board serve in an advisory capacity only or does it serve in a decision making capacity? 3) What role does your Library Board have in making financial decisions (budgeting, expenditures, etc.). 4) When setting or changing policies, does your Board do that or do they just make recommendations to the City Commission. Any information you're willing to share would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! -- Stephanie Masin, Director Maud Preston Palenske Memorial Library 500 Market St. St. Joseph, MI 49085 269-983-7167 (phone) 269-983-5804 (fax)
Stephanie, At Benton Harbor, my library board has control over its own money. We have a voted millage for library services which the City collects and distributes to us. The Board passes our budget without the City's approval. The board approves all of the library's policies. I report to the Board, not the City. There have been city managers here that I never met because I have so little need to interact with them. The City Commission does appoint our five city board members. (The township that we also serve appoints two additional board members.) When our millage is up for renewal, the City Commission must place it on the ballot, since our board is not a taxing authority. Otherwise, we run our own ship over here. Please feel free to call me if you would like further clarification. Frederick J. Kirby, Library Director Benton Harbor Public Library 213 East Wall St. Benton Harbor, MI 49022 269-926-6139 (voice) 269-926-1674 (fax) libraryfjk@yahoo.com ________________________________ From: Stephanie <knownformylaugh@gmail.com> To: michlib-l@mail.mcls.org Sent: Thursday, October 24, 2013 12:23 PM Subject: [Michlib-l] Question for City Library Directors Hello everyone -- If you are a City Library Director I'm hoping you'll be willing to share some information with me. 1) Do you report directly to your Library Board or your City? 2) Is your Library Board serve in an advisory capacity only or does it serve in a decision making capacity? 3) What role does your Library Board have in making financial decisions (budgeting, expenditures, etc.). 4) When setting or changing policies, does your Board do that or do they just make recommendations to the City Commission. Any information you're willing to share would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! -- Stephanie Masin, Director Maud Preston Palenske Memorial Library 500 Market St. St. Joseph, MI 49085 269-983-7167 (phone) 269-983-5804 (fax) _______________________________________________ Michlib-l mailing list Michlib-l@lists.mcls.org http://lists.mlcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/michlib-l
Stephanie, There are so many ways public libraries can be organized in Michigan that it is not enough ask if a library is a "city library." It is also important to know how it is organized. The Garden City Public Library is a City library organized under Public Act 164 of 1877, section 210(a). As such, we have a six member elected governing board. 1) I report directly to the Library Board on all matters 2) My Board is a governing board. They make all decisions. 3) My Board approves my budget and expenditures. They actually approve a tentative budget which is then included with the City budget for the purpose of a public hearing. After the public hearing on the entire City budget, the Board formally adopts the budget. 4) My Board approves all policies and changes to policies. I might also add that a Bill has made its way through the Michigan Senate and has been referred to the House, which would revise the current language of PA 164 of 1877. The bill was numbered SB 546. It is worth looking at. Hope this helps. James Lenze, Director Garden City Public Library From: michlib-l-bounces@mail.mcls.org [mailto:michlib-l-bounces@mail.mcls.org] On Behalf Of Stephanie Sent: Thursday, October 24, 2013 12:23 PM To: michlib-l@mail.mcls.org Subject: [Michlib-l] Question for City Library Directors Hello everyone -- If you are a City Library Director I'm hoping you'll be willing to share some information with me. 1) Do you report directly to your Library Board or your City? 2) Is your Library Board serve in an advisory capacity only or does it serve in a decision making capacity? 3) What role does your Library Board have in making financial decisions (budgeting, expenditures, etc.). 4) When setting or changing policies, does your Board do that or do they just make recommendations to the City Commission. Any information you're willing to share would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! -- Stephanie Masin, Director Maud Preston Palenske Memorial Library 500 Market St. St. Joseph, MI 49085 269-983-7167 (phone) 269-983-5804 (fax) [Image removed by sender.]
On Oct 24, 2013, at 3:32 PM, "James Lenze <jamesl@gardencitymi.org>" <jamesl@gardencitymi.org> wrote:
Stephanie, There are so many ways public libraries can be organized in Michigan
The Garden City Public Library is a City library organized under Public Act 164 of 1877, section 210(a). As such, we have a six member elected governing board. 1) I report directly to the Library Board on all matters 2) My Board is a governing board. They make all decisions. 3) My Board approves my budget and expenditures. They actually approve a tentative budget which is then included with the City budget for the purpose of a public hearing. After the public hearing on the entire City budget, the Board formally adopts the budget. 4) My Board approves all policies and changes to policies.
I might also add that a Bill has made its way through the Michigan Senate and has been referred to the House, which would revise the current language of PA 164 of 1877. The bill was numbered SB 546. It is worth looking at. Hope this helps. James Lenze, Director Garden City Public Library
From: michlib-l-bounces@mail.mcls.org [mailto:michlib-l-bounces@mail.mcls.org] On Behalf Of Stephanie Sent: Thursday, October 24, 2013 12:23 PM To: michlib-l@mail.mcls.org Subject: [Michlib-l] Question for City Library Directors
Hello everyone --
If you are a City Library Director I'm hoping you'll be willing to share some information with me.
1) Do you report directly to your Library Board or your City?
2) Is your Library Board serve in an advisory capacity only or does it serve in a decision making capacity?
3) What role does your Library Board have in making financial decisions (budgeting, expenditures, etc.).
4) When setting or changing policies, does your Board do that or do
Yes, East Lansing has a similar set up to Garden City. The library board of trustees is a decision making/governing board. Thanks, Kristin Sent from my iPhone Kristin Shelley that it is not enough ask if a library is a “city library.” It is also important to know how it is organized. they just make recommendations to the City Commission.
Any information you're willing to share would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
-- Stephanie Masin, Director Maud Preston Palenske Memorial Library 500 Market St. St. Joseph, MI 49085 269-983-7167 (phone) 269-983-5804 (fax)
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Hi Stephanie: In Livonia the Library is part of the City government and is considered to be a City department. In answer to your questions, this means that: 1. I report to the Mayor, as the the City's administrator. I also report to our "Library Commission"(appointed by several different Mayors), but most major decisions and changes are dialogues with city hall. Routine daily matters are decided by the library administration, but we keep the library commission in the loop about library activities and changes and get their opinions/input. There are a few things that they actually do vote on. 2.As indicated above, our Library Commission serves as an advisory board. 3. They are not involved in regular daily or line item expenditures during the year. I give them a budget performance report quarterly that indicates the percentage of the fiscal year that has passed and the line items show dollars and percentages used to date. Basically I report that the budget is on track or explain the valid reason why an item is seemingly under or over spent at that particular time of the year9bu they are not approving anything). It is really just their being informed as representatives of our community/taxpayers and being assured that the library is being fiscally responsible. I also share/explain the annual budget with them that I present to the Mayor each year, but they do not approve it. Any discussion goes on between me and the City administration. The Mayor and Finance Director "present" the budget and the final approval of budgets for all City departments is done by our City Council. 4. We discuss any true, major policy changes with the Library Commission (does not include "procedural" changes) and this is one of the things that they do vote on. If a policy change involves anything financial (like fees) this would have to be approved by the City Council (they also would have to approve an unusually expensive purchase). Each of these things has only happpened once in the last 10 years that I have been the director. I hope that this helps. Good luck! Kathleen Monroe, City Librarian Livonia Public Library ----- Original Message ----- From: "Stephanie" <knownformylaugh@gmail.com> To: michlib-l@mail.mcls.org Sent: Thursday, October 24, 2013 12:23:09 PM Subject: [Michlib-l] Question for City Library Directors Hello everyone -- If you are a City Library Director I'm hoping you'll be willing to share some information with me. 1) Do you report directly to your Library Board or your City? 2) Is your Library Board serve in an advisory capacity only or does it serve in a decision making capacity? 3) What role does your Library Board have in making financial decisions (budgeting, expenditures, etc.). 4) When setting or changing policies, does your Board do that or do they just make recommendations to the City Commission. Any information you're willing to share would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! -- Stephanie Masin, Director Maud Preston Palenske Memorial Library 500 Market St. St. Joseph, MI 49085 269-983-7167 (phone) 269-983-5804 (fax) _______________________________________________ Michlib-l mailing list Michlib-l@lists.mcls.org http://lists.mlcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/michlib-l
participants (5)
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Frederick J. Kirby -
James Lenze -
Kathleen Monroe -
Kristin Shelley -
Stephanie