BCLTA 2013 annual report

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ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014

BRITISH COLUMBIA LIBRARY TRUSTEES ASSOCIATION

432 Third Street, New Westminster,

BC V3L 2S2 Tel: 604.913.1424

Toll Free: 1.888.206.1245 www.bclta.ca

BRITISH COLUMBIA LIBRARY TRUSTEES

ASSOCIATION

BCLTA supports and represents trustees in advancing public libraries.

Letter to the MembershipWelcome to our 2014 Annual General Meeting, held in conjunction with the Canadian Library Association annual conference. We are delighted to conduct our trustee-related sessions with the CLA, providing our members with the opportunity to meet new colleagues and learn about library activities across Canada.

During the last fiscal year your board was involved with a number of governance activities on behalf of our members.

We held a very successful two-day retreat in Vancouver, graciously supported by the Vancouver Public Library who provided us with the use of their main board room. With all but one of our board members in attendance, we reviewed and renewed our existing strategic plan with the help of an external facilitator. We came away from the sessions more convinced than ever about the appropriate-ness of our mission and the actions we need to take to reach our vision.

The board also oversaw the completion and publication of two member surveys last year.

The first was the Planning and Governance Survey, which provided a snapshot of the planning tools currently used by BC libraries. This report was released in the spring of 2013 and has heightened the awareness of library boards of the importance of proper planning and the planning tools available to them.

The second was a membership survey of all library trustees. In conducting this survey, we hoped to better understand the diverse composition and related support needs of our library trustee community. The survey findings are being used to ensure that existing BCLTA programs, as well as the development of new ones, will best support you.

I have been fortunate to be able to visit quite a number of library boards this past year in various parts of this province, often along with our Executive Director Lauren Wolf. The visits were helpful in giving us a better understanding of your challenges and successes and we hope to continue these meetings this year.

It’s been a busy year for BCLTA staff as well, as demand for our education programs, publications and other services continue to grow. We feature many of these activities and programs in the pages of this Annual Report. As always, we are happy to provide more information, direct you to outside resources, or otherwise help you to achieve your own goals as a library trustee.

Respectfully submitted,

Paul Tutsch

President

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About BCLTAThe BCLTA, founded in 1977, represents the boards governing local public libraries in British Columbia. BC library boards operate thanks to the efforts of more than 700 trustees, who volunteer their time to oversee the successful operation of public libraries throughout the province. As BC’s only public library trustee association, we deliver trustee-specific education, networking opportunities, thought leadership and advocacy.

Our mission is “to support and represent trustees in advancing public libraries,” and in doing so, we strive to provide a range of services to trustees and boards to help them become effective leaders in their communities.

Board of Directors

Paul TutschPresident Whistler Public Library

Peter KafkaVice President Richmond Public Library

Erfan KazemiSecretary-Treasurer Vancouver Public Library

Roberta BurrisDirector Greater Victoria Public Library

William CaleyDirector Grand Forks Public Library

Lisa CameronDirector Okanagan Regional Library

Ann CarlsenDirector Coquitlam Public Library

Donna MacDonaldDirector Nelson Public Library

Jerrilyn SchembriDirector Tumbler Ridge Public Library

Upkar TatlayDirector Surrey Libraries

Donovan UnruhDirector Prince George Public Library

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2013/2014 Year in ReviewIt’s been a busy year for BC library boards and we are proud to have had a number of roles in supporting your efforts this year. The dedication, enthusiasm and competence of the BCLTA membership inspire us every day!

Lauren Wolf, Executive Director

AdvocacyBCLTA supports and encourages member boards to achieve success as library champions in their local com-munities by offering education and training on advocacy, providing information and resources needed to advocate effectively, and helping to create a vibrant and empowered trustee community.

BCLTA also acts as a public library champion by building public awareness of the positive role libraries play in the life of our communities and our province, establishing networks and maintaining relationships important to the future of libraries, and providing engagement opportuni-ties for the stakeholders and key decision makers whose opinions can influence positive outcomes for BC libraries.

In 2013, BCLTA:

• met twice with the Minister of Education for conversations about library issues and government support

• completed a new Association advocacy plan

• developed a provincial election toolkit for trustees, including key messages, documents and advocacy ideas

• organized the first Public Libraries tradeshow booth at the annual UBCM convention

• presented to the Provincial Government Budget Committee on behalf of our members.

BCLTA President Paul Tutsch and Treasurer Erfan Kazemi meet in Vancouver to discuss library issues.

Trustee EducationBCLTA’s Trustee Orientation Program is a comprehensive look at the roles and responsibilities of public library trustees in British Columbia. The overarching goal of the program is to increase the governance skills and leadership capacity of BC library boards.

In 2013, the BCLTA trained 68 trustees from 32 communities from every corner of British Columbia.

Analysis of the results of the BCLTA 2013 member survey showed that 86% of trustees who had taken TOP training were confident of their understanding of their roles and responsibilities as a library trustee compared to 61% of those who did not take the training.

“I’m glad you came up…several (trustees) have already come to me to state what a good learning experience the presentation was. This event made real to me the importance of the BCLTA.—CHIEF LIBRARIAN

“Thank you for all your encouragement…(your trainer) really hit a homer with me when she said ‘as trustees you ARE politicians.’ That statement changed my attitude to this job and gave me strength and power and a fresh understanding of how very important it is to speak up.” —BOARD CHAIR

“I think you should promote this course for all board members, not just new ones. It’s important for everyone to refresh their understanding of our roles.” —TRUSTEE

“Fantastic trainer!” —TRUSTEE

“Awesome!” —TRUSTEE

TrusteeOrientation

Program

governance

advocacyhistoryengagement

policyplanning

funding

legislation

support

orientation

education

training

resourcestrusteeroles

evaluation

programs

protocoleducation

finances

responsibilityvaluesmonitor

TOP Workbook

The Trustee Orientation Program (TOP) increases governance skills and leadership capacity.

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SurveysIn 2013, the BCLTA:

• published full results of the Chief Librarian Compensation Survey

• distributed and published results of the Planning and Governance Survey

“One of the first tasks for our Board will be a performance and compensation review for our Chief Librarian. I’m thankful for the work that BCLTA has done regarding the survey of compensation.”

—BOARD CHAIR

Website and Publications Our website, www.bclta.ca, is intended to serve as BC public library trustees’ go-to resource. We are on the right track: in 2013 the website averaged 1,500 page views and 350 visitors per month, up from 800 page views and 150 visitors per month in 2012.

In 2013:

• the website was upgraded to offer online registration and payment for training sessions, as well as online payment for membership dues

• a new members-only section now houses The Governance Series from BoardSource, licensed by the BCLTA in September 2013 for free access by our members

• the BCLTA Bulletin was delivered monthly via email to all library boards in the province, providing news, events, and trustee-focused content about public libraries and governance issues in BC, Canada, and the world

• the Effective Board Member publication along with a welcome letter from the BCLTA was distributed to all new trustees in the province to begin their library board journey.

BCLTA’s website and e-news Bulletin are key sources of news, events, support and resources. for all BC public library trustees.

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Meetings and EventsThe BCLTA delivered our annual conference offerings in a one-day event for the first time in May 2013 in conjunction with the BC Libraries Conference in Richmond. This reorganization of our conference offerings resulted in a 50% increase in trustee participation over 2012. Highlights included trustee-specific sessions on The W5 of Fundraising for Libraries, Strategic Planning, and Making the Most of the Chief Librarian and Board of Trustees Relationship, along with the 2013 AGM, awards presentations, and trustee reception and roundtable.

2013 Super Trustee award winners for outstanding service in the development of their libraries were:

• Paula Rogers, Nakusp Public Library

• Erfan Kazemi, Vancouver Public Library

• Donna McMahon, Gibsons Public Library

The Nancy Bennett Award, which recognizes a trustee who has made significant contributions to the betterment of library service at the regional or provincial level, was presented to Philip Mantler of the Prince George Public Library.

In 2013 BCLTA events included the annual conference, awards presentations, trustee roundtables and regional meetings.

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BCLTA attendance at regional meetings was a top priority. In 2013, we joined the North Central Library Federation, the Okanagan Regional Library, the Fraser Valley Regional Library and the Kootenay Library Federation at their board meetings to discuss how we could best serve their needs.

Finally, we introduced trustee roundtables in 2013 to provide networking and discussion opportunities for trustees from library boards around BC regarding their common challenges and goals. Trustee roundtables were organized at the Inspiration Summit in Vancouver, the Beyond Hope conference in Prince George, and the BC Libraries Conference in Richmond.

From left:

Conference panel discusses how to improve the partnership between library director and board chair

Lauren Wolf presents the Nancy Bennett Award to Philip Mantler

2013 Annual General Meeting

President Paul Tutsch and Awards Committee Chair William Caley present Donna McMahon with a Super Trustee Award

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Partnerships

Libraries Branch, Ministry of Education

We are grateful to the Libraries Branch for the funding which enables us to deliver our education programs at a reduced cost to our members.

The BCLTA works throughout the year with our sister provincial library associations to promote communication and achieve common goals:

The BC Libraries Association

The Association of BC Public Library Directors

Vantage Point

Vantage Point is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the education and support of other not-for profit organizations, and is our partner in trustee training development and delivery.

BoardSource

BCLTA’s print and electronic partnership with BoardSource continues to provide our members with access to top quality, free governance resources on our website.

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432 Third Street, New Westminster, BC V3L 2S2 Tel: 604.913.1424 Toll Free: 1.888.206.1245 www.bclta.ca

BRITISH COLUMBIA LIBRARY TRUSTEES ASSOCIATION

BCLTA supports and represents trustees in advancing public libraries.