Clearinghouse of Professional Information

Sample Policies (by topic)

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The intent of this page is to support libraries working with the Ontario Public Library Guidelines (OPL Guidelines).  Under each topic, there are sample policies from various libraries and from OLS publications.  Trillium Public Library is a fictional library name used by OLS staff to illustrate sample policies.  The first edition of the new Trillium Public Library Policy: Samples Policies (2009)  have now been posted on this Web site with the appropriate topic. For more general information on policy writing go to our Clearinghouse page on Board Development Resources.

 


 

Topics include :

Accessible Customer Service | Advocacy | Board By-Laws | Children's Services | Circulation | Collection | Community Information | Confidentiality and Protection Privacy | Finance | Funding Development | Governance Process | Inter-library Loans | Internet Use | Local History | Mission, Vision and Values | Meeting Room | Personnel | Planning | Policy Process | Programming | Public Relations | Reference | Safety Security and Emergencies | Service Levels | Sponsorship | Technology | Training | Volunteers
 

indicates an item written by SOLS staff

indicates an item written by OLS-North staff

Clicking on certain topics will open a new window, if the link is to a topic included in an other Clearinghouse page

Trillium Public Library: Sample Policies
The Library Development Guide #4, 2009

This guide assists boards with writing policies that suit the unique needs of each library. Trillium Public Library: Sample Policies includes samples of foundation policies, board bylaws, governance policies and operational policies. The samples help to identify what issues to consider when developing a policy, rather than what position to take on an issue. This guide updates and expands on the 1996 publication Trillium Public Library Policy Manual).

Download Part 1 (2009)  and Part 2 (2010) and Part 3 as .pdf documents. Download all individual policies from the Table of Contents page in Word format (.doc).

The individual sample policies can also be found under each relevant topic on this page.

NOTE:   All sample policies currently available can be accessed in Word format from the Table of Contents page or the Sample Policies (by topics) page. Some files are in Word .docx format. To covert a '.docx file' to a '.doc file' for use in earlier versions of Word, download the free Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack at http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=3 . This will help you open, print edit, and save '.docx' files in Office 2000, Office XP, or Office 2003


Accessible Customer Service
Advocacy
(A requirement of OPL Guidelines Section 1.5.1 Advocacy)
Board by-laws
(A requirement of OPL Guidelines Section 1.1 Organization of the Board)
  • Trillium Public Library. Bylaws (2009) (Word files)
Children’s services
(A requirement of OPL Guidelines Section 4.4.1 Children's Services Policy)
Circulation

(A requirement of OPL Guidelines Section 4.1.2 Circulation Policy)

Collection Plan
(A requirement of OPL Guidelines Section 3.2.4 Collection Plan)

The library has established a written collection development plan reflecting the library's collection priorities. The plan includes long and short term objectives as well as a buying plan.

Collection Policy

(A requirement of OPL Guidelines Section 3.2.2 Collection Policy)

The library board has established and adopted written policy concerning the library's collection which address such issues as: responsibility for  collection development and selection; selection criteria, weeding, disposing of gifts etc.

Community information

(A requirement of OPL Guidelines Section 4.6.2 Community Information Policy)

Confidentiality and Protection of Privacy

(Refer to OPL Guidelines 7.1.1 Technology Policy  - privacy is one of various aspects of technology that meet the requirement of this mandatory guideline. )  See also Technology

Finance

(Refer to OPL Guidelines Section 1.4 Finance – no specific policies required)

Funding Development

(Refer to OPL Guidelines Section 1.4 Finance – no specific policies required)

Governance Process
Interlibrary loan
(5.1.3 Resource Sharing Policy)
Internet Use Policy – Acceptable Use
(3.3.9 Acceptable Internet Use Policy)
Local history

(A requirement of OPL Guidelines Section 4.7.2 Local History Policy)

Meeting Room

(Refer to OPL Guidelines Section 4.8.1 Public Meeting Room Policy)

Mission, , Vision and Values
Personnel

(A requirement of OPL Guidelines Section 3.1.1 Personnel Policy)

Planning

(A requirement of OPL Guidelines Section 1.3.1 Planning Policy)

See also Clearinghouse - Planning Resources under  Mission, Vision and Values and Sample Plans

Policy Process
(A requirement of OPL Guidelines Section 1.2.1 Process)
Programming
(A requirement of OPL Guidelines Section 4.5.2  Programming Policy
)
Public relations
(Refer to OPL Guidelines Section 2.10.1 Publicity – no specific policy required)
Reference
(A requirement of OPL Guidelines Section 4.2.2 Reference and Information Policy)
Safety, Security and Emergencies
(A requirement of OPL Guidelines Section 3.5.1 – Safety, Security and Emergencies Policy)
Service Levels
(Refer to OPL Guidelines Section 6.3 Service Levels – no specific policy required)
Technology

(A requirement of OPL Guidelines Section 7.1.1 and 7.1.2 Technology Policies )

Training Policy
(A requirement of OPL Guidelines Section 3.1.8 Continuing Education and Training for Staff)
Volunteers

(A requirement of OPL Guidelines Section 5.2.3 Volunteers Policy)

 
Updated: November 9, 2011
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