Communication with the Public
Board Policy: Philosophy (1.17)
POLICY STATEMENT
Pierce County Library System’s Board of Trustees is dedicated to communicating with the public to ensure the Library provides individuals with services to meet the needs of the communities the Library serves. The Board recognizes that to meet the needs of communities and fulfill the responsibilities as Trustees, the Board and Library staff must maintain adequate and effective opportunities for and methods of collaborative communication with the public.
DEFINITIONS
Communications: the act or process of providing or exchanging thoughts, opinions, or information through various written, spoken, visual or other collaborative forms.
Public:the people constituting a community.
POLICY
Public Audience
The Library seeks to communicate and collaborate with people living in or who have an influence upon people in its service area.
The Library seeks to communicate and collaborate with people who use or who may use its services, as well as individuals who have an opportunity to support the use of library services.
The Library seeks to communicate and collaborate with the communities it serves and the individuals and organizations that influence those communities.
Purpose of Communication
To learn from and respond to the needs of the communities the Library serves to provide optimal, contemporary library services to meet those needs.
The Board of Trustees and Library staff welcome the opportunity to respond to requests from the public. The Board affirms the importance of the role that Library managers and the Board play to develop and maintain communications through participation in community activities and by seeking opportunities to collaborate with individuals and organizations to plan and evaluate library services.
Communication Tools
The Board will solicit advice and opinions at board meetings, from Friends of the Library groups, from the Foundation Board, and through direct day-to-day contact from people living in the communities the Library serves.
Reference to related Policy
Statement of Responsiveness to the Public and Communities We Serve (Administrative Policy 97-02).
Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Pierce County Rural Library District on March 13, 1997. Revised February 17, 2000. Revised August 31, 2009.
PROCEDURE
Programs Open to All
Programs are open to all people regardless of economic status, social condition, and physical limitation. Every attempt will be made to accommodate all who wish to attend programs offered by the Library. However, when safety or the success of a program requires it, attendance may be limited. This will be accomplished on a first come, first served basis either with advanced registration or at the door.
The Library will endeavor to offer a wide variety of programs for children, teenagers, adults, and families to appeal to the range of interests and information needs to engage communities.
The Library will strive to offer programs to collaborate with individuals and organizations within communities.
Other Related Organizations
Friends of the Library groups, Pierce County Library Foundation, or other organizations and individuals may also provide programs.