Massachusetts Public Library Trustees Handbook 

Be active and encourage all other trustees to be active by attending meetings, studying, questioning, voting on all issues, monitoring progress and maintaining active committees. Don't condone conflicts of interest on the board. A generally accepted rule of thumb is that a trustee or his/her family may not receive any gain (tangible or intangible) in dealing with the library. Write a letter of protest for the record if you believe conflicts are occurring. It protects you.

The conflict of interest law has particular relevance for trustees. It is explained in the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission's publication A Practical Guide to the Conflict of Interest Law for Municipal Employees which is available by calling their office (617-727-0060) or visiting their web site at http://www.state.ma.us/ethics See Chapter 1 of this Handbook for a discussion on the code of ethics for trustees and librarians.

Vote against proposed actions if you feel you have insufficient information on which to base an opinion. If you abstain until more information is provided, follow up on the issue and let the record show your position. Be sure that minutes of each meeting are maintained and that your vote is properly recorded.

Publish minutes, reports and financial statements in the local newspapers, etc. Adopt new policies, rules, regulations, and budgets formally, following Robert's Rules of Order, revised edition or another agreed upon model. Keep policy and procedure manuals up to date for ready reference. Have rules and regulations available and posted for the public.

Review fiscal records and controls at regular intervals. Be sure that standard budget forms and annual report forms are prepared; file as required by law.