The Hancock County Public Library Board shall consist of five members. The procedure for filling vacancies on the board is:
Libraries established as taxing districts under KRS 173.710:
- For each vacancy, the board selects two names of individuals committed to the provision of library service;
- The names are submitted to the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives;
- The state librarian and commissioner approve the names and send the recommendations to the local county judge/executive;
- The county judge-executive, with the approval of fiscal court, appoints one of the two provided names to either a full term of four years or the remainder of an unexpired term;
- The newly appointed trustee takes the Oath of Office before the county judge/executive or other judicial officer at the library board meeting which occurs after they have been appointed.
Some of the primary duties of trustee include hiring and evaluating the library director; monitoring the libraries budget and finances and the effectiveness of library services; creating and adopting policies; planning for the future—strategic and long-range planning; advocacy within the community and with local, state, and federal officials; and practicing good board management, including recruiting future trustees, orientation and continuing education, meeting management and evaluating board practices to improve organizational procedures.
An opportunity that is available for Board members is the Trustee Certification Program. Certification is voluntary, but strongly encouraged by the state library. Completion of the certification program by library board members is an area of ranking on our Public Library Standards form that we submit annually. When board members complete this certification it shows that our trustees understand the importance of being well informed on the duties of the library trustee. This program is available online and/or in person by attending the Kentucky Public Library Association Conference during the spring each year.
Trustees fulfill a public service and do not receive compensation. Board meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month in the meeting room at the main library and are open to the public. Since the library’s beginning in 1954 there have been a variety of forward thinking individuals who have served on our board of trustees. The early board members were instrumental in forming a library for Hancock County. If it hadn’t been for their vision, Hancock County Public Library might not exist today. It is with a grateful heart that we give a huge THANK YOU to each board member who has voluntarily served as a Hancock County Public Library Trustee.