Policy Development

Effective Date: November 2012
Revision Date: April 2020
Next Year of Review: 2024

In accordance with the Public Libraries Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P44, s. 3(3), the Bruce County Public Library is under the management and control of the Board. The Board has the sole authority and responsibility for establishing governance policy. This policy directs the Board to develop and monitor policies.

Policies set the framework for the governance and operations of the library and provide direction to Board and staff. The policies are the tool for achieving the library’s purpose and advancing the mission. Board members and staff are responsible for knowing, understanding and complying with the policies of the Bruce County Public Library and the County of Bruce.

Section 1: Types of Policies

The Board develops and maintains policies in the following areas:
a) Foundation policies which record the Board’s decisions on vision, mission, and values
b) Board bylaws which establish the organizational structure of the Board and how it does business
c) Governance policies which define the responsibilities and regulate the work of the Board
d) Operational policies which outline the means to achieve the Board's missions and goals and regulate the actions and service of the CEO and library staff

Section 2: Responsibilities

The Board will:
a) Establish a schedule to review existing policies and will integrate this schedule into the Board agendas. The Board will undertake a review of all Library policies at least once during its term of appointment. Additional policy reviews will take place as frequently as is deemed necessary.
b) Ensure that policies comply with the Public Libraries Act, any applicable municipal bylaws, and provincial and federal legislation.

Section 3: Policy Approval

The Board will:
a) receive all policy changes, in draft, prior to the next scheduled Board meeting
b) introduce a new policy or policy change through a motion at a duly constituted Board meeting
c) approve all policies at a duly constituted Board meeting

Section 4: Policy Distribution

The Board will:
a) ) include approved policies in the Bruce County Public Library Branch Manual
b) ensure that all Board members and staff have access to the policies
c) post policies on the library’s website

Section 5: Considerations

The development of a new policy or the revision of an existing policy can come from several sources:
a) the Chief Executive Officer
b) a member of the Board
c) upper and lower tier municipal councils
d) provincial government
e) a member of the public