Assigning Roles and Responsibilities

You have been elected chair! Now what? You need to elect or designate the other important roles that will assist you and your board to function lawfully and effectively. In a small community, these roles may be filled by Trustees. In larger centres the roles of Secretary and Treasurer may be staff positions, such as Board Secretary and Chief Financial Officer or Treasurer.  

Vice Chair

The Vice Chair serves as your co-leader and stand-in when you are not available. Responsibilities include:

• Assumes duties of the Chair in the absence of the Chair
• May have signing authority on library accounts
• May have ongoing assigned duties, such as trustee orientation or recruitment.

Secretary

The Secretary is a member of your Board, a paid staff person, or a volunteer, who looks after the many logistical tasks that make meetings run smoothly and in accordance with law and your bylaws and policies. Responsibilities include:

• Ensures meeting logistics are handled lawfully and competently.
  • See Calling a meeting
• Records minutes and circulates to Trustees.
  • See Keeping records
• Handles Board correspondence
• May hold signing authority for library accounts.

Treasurer

The Treasurer is a member of your Board or a paid staff person, whose tasks may run the gamut–from bookkeeping to financial monitoring and reporting. The treasurer works with Trustees to ensure the financial health of the Board and the Library: Responsibilities include:

• Sets up and monitors bookkeeping or accounting procedures
• Provides financial summaries and status reports to Board on an agreed-to schedule
• Prepares, audits and submits an annual financial report to Public Library Services Branch
• Presents the Board’s budget to Council
• Has signing authority for Library accounts
• Spearheads the development of Board financial policies.

Resources

Learn more about the roles of the library board, manager, and staff. Review sample position descriptions here