Each supervisor from the two counties appoints one board member, and the library board itself may appoint three additional members. This arrangement allows for eight supervisory appointees and three library board appointees.
Members serve rotating four year terms.
The library is not a governmental entity of either county, but it has through the Foundation a contractual relationship with Charles City and New Kent counties. Staff members are Foundation employees. The Heritage Public Library is the smallest multi-jurisdictional public library in the state.