WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP THE LIBRARY?

The Helen Plum Library is looking for volunteers to help the Board of Trustees, by serving on citizen advisory committees. The Library wants to involve more district residents in its planning and decision making, and we want to know, and serve, the needs of our residents.

Consider being involved and giving back to the Library in this important way!

The background

The Library is governed by a seven member Board of Trustees, who are elected at large by the residents of the library district.

The Board has several major areas of responsibility. These include strategic planning, representing the community, setting policy, and overseeing the building and grounds.

In order to discuss and make plans in each of these areas of responsibility, the Board has several advisory committees, which are comprised of community volunteers and one Trustee, with an alternate Trustee.

How you can help

The Library invites interested residents of the Library district (whose borders are essentially the same as the Village borders) to volunteer to serve on one of these advisory committees.

Each advisory committee is made up of district residents who are interested in that particular committee’s work, and have some personal knowledge they can bring to the table.

The committees are purely advisory, and are not responsible for taking final action.

The Committees

Each committee has a “charge”, or a definition of what they do. This is what the written Bylaws say:

• The Building and Grounds Committee shall review the general condition of the building and grounds and recommend steps for maintenance and major repairs, and investigate and recommend to the Board costs and plans for alterations, remodeling or additions.
• The Community Relations Committee shall investigate community-related issues that will impact Library services, as needed, and make recommendations to the Board of Trustees. It works to increases Trustee visibility in the community. It provides ongoing support to the Friends of the Library. It shall include the President of the Friends of the Library.
• The Policy Committee shall discuss and review all policies before presentation to the Board. The Committee shall review existing policies in a systematic fashion, considering additions, changes and deletions. All policies are to be reviewed at an interval not to exceed three years. All policies, after Board approval, will be made readily available to the public.
• The Strategic Planning Committee shall develop, monitor, and report to the Board of Trustees on the long-range plans of the Library.

The details

The Committees will establish a set meeting date and time.

Committee members are unpaid.

The Library is not trying to use committee members to replace paid staff or consultants, but need the ideas and advice of people living within the district.

Committees are purely advisory, and are not responsible for taking action.

A person may only serve on one committee at a time.

Are you interested?

If you are interested in learning more, contact the Library Director, Bob Harris, at 630-656-6901 or bharris@helenplum.org.

If you would like to be considered for a committee, complete the application form and return it to Bob Harris at the Library. Please realize that not everyone who applies will necessarily be chosen to serve. However, all applications will be provided to the Board of Trustees, along with specific recommendations for appointment by the Committee chair, and appointments will be ratified by the Board of Trustees.

Click Here to view and print the advisory committee application