Guidelines, Duties, and Responsibilities
The Arlington Public Library is a service department of City of Arlington, receiving the major portion of its funding from city taxes and governed by the City Council under laws, policies and regulations adopted for its management. Board members shall respect and adhere to the City of Arlington governmental structure as outlined in the City’s charter, policies and procedures.
Duties and Responsibilities
This Board serves in an advisory capacity to the Director of Libraries and the City Council concerning library services of the City. They also promote public interest and support for an effective library program in the community.
The City's Boards and Commissions Policy Statement at the end of Paragraph 2 Article III
The Board shall consist of ten (10) members. The Mayor and each City Council member shall nominate a member with confirmation by majority vote of the City Council in accordance with the City of Arlington Boards and Commissions Policy Statement. One of the ten (10) members will be a youth representative nominated by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council who is a junior or senior in high school and in good standing at the respective high school. The youth representative must maintain good standing with the respective high school. The members shall be residents of the City of Arlington. All members shall be voting members. In the event of a tie in votes on any motion, the motion shall be considered lost. The Board shall conduct its business under such rules and regulations as it may prescribe.
10 Ways to be an Active and Effective Board Member
- Understand your official role as an advisory board member and of where the library fits into the City of Arlington.
- Attend all meetings and share your ideas and opinions—your voice speaks for our community!
- Visit the library often and share your experiences (good and bad!) with the Director. Visit all library facilities and be aware of the different needs they serve.
- Click on ALL the various links on the Library’s website—you can learn a lot about our events and services by spending just 30 minutes on the website! Read the Library’s printed monthly calendar of events every month too.
- Participate in Adult Summer Reading Challenge (or sign your children or teens up for Summer Reading Challenge).
- Be a library advocate—know what’s going on at the federal, state and local level that impacts library funding and services. Give feedback to your elected officials on library issues.
- Be a literacy advocate—be aware of how the Arlington Public Library programs serve Arlington’s literacy needs and how literacy levels impact many of the social problems present in our city.
- Give of your time and resources—join the Friends and Foundation of the Arlington Public Library, contribute to their initiatives, volunteer to assist with FFAPL activities or volunteer at any library location. Encourage others to do the same.
- Tell friends, neighbors, and relatives about a service provided by the library and commitment to advocating for Library services and resources to the community.
- Attend Library functions and commit to promoting Library programs and events to the community.
