The Board of
Library Trustees
Board Meetings
The Board of Trustees of the Bellingham
Public Library meet on the second Thursday of the month
at the library. The public is welcome to
attend. Please contact a trustee should you wish
to address the board and be added to the meeting agenda.
The Board of Trustees of the Bellingham Public Library:
Chair, Michael Carr
Vice Chair, Russ Lafond
Secretary, Pamela Perry
Board member, Lisa Cavossa
Board member, Suzanne Garten
Trustee Events
Trustees Michael Carr and Charlotte Rabbitt
a hosted the 2007 Legislative Breakfast at the Bellingham Public Library on March 9, 2007. Senator Richard Moore and Representative Jennifer Callahan were in attendance.
Trustees of the Bellingham Public
Library
The library board
of trustees are elected volunteers to whom the governing
of the public library
is entrusted.
"Board members are the vital link between the library
and the community. Trustees are library advocates and
leaders in developing service willingly, responsibly
and creatively for all members of the public.
"
Massachusetts Public Library Trustees Handbook
"Public
libraries have played a key role in Massachusetts'
cultural and economic
development
for more than one hundred and fifty years. Libraries
serve as a focus for intellectual growth, research
and learning for people of all ages. Through libraries,
cities and towns provide collective access to books
and other resources which no individual could hope
to afford.
The public library is a center of lifelong learning
for everyone in the community, providing access to
the ideas of the past and the present, as citizens
determine their futures. Information is organized,
collected and disseminated with the goal of providing
free and public access for every person regardless
of age, race, physical ability, gender, or creed. The
Institution of the public library serves the noble
role of the great equalizer, allowing all citizens
the opportunity to improve their lives through self-education.
As we enter the 21st century, libraries must continue
to serve as intellectual and cultural centers for their
communities by maintaining strong collections of books
and periodicals. At the same time, they must also provide
access to an expanding world of information and keep
pace with changes in information technology. It is
clear that libraries can and will play a critical role
in preparing Massachusetts residents to meet the challenges
of the future.
Each trustee brings to the board certain strengths:
skills, talents and personal experience which uniquely
serve the library. Expert knowledge in a professional
or technical discipline is valuable for specific undertakings.
Some boards must rely almost entirely on their members
for advice in such fields as construction, law and
finance. Conversely, others may make extensive use
of consultants, advisory boards or volunteers.
The board as a whole should represent a broad spectrum
of the community. A board consisting of diverse viewpoints
assures that the library will serve the total community.
Certain competencies necessary to accomplish the board's
goals should, ideally, be present in the total composition
of the board. Issues and decisions involved in the
administration of the modern public library are varied
and complex.
Successful trusteeship
creates a working relationship with the community,
library staff and fellow trustees.
Trustees take their responsibilities as public officials
beyond the library board room. An effective trustee
is one who participates intelligently in the entire
political process: understanding municipal finance,
local budgetary pressures, personnel concerns, and
the administrative practices of the municipality as
a whole. A library board which recognizes that the
library is not an island, but part of a larger municipal
structure, will build stronger partnerships within
the community it serves." Massachusetts Public Library
Trustees Handbook
For
more information on the library trustees please contact
the library.
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