Public Library Trustees Handbook Friends of the Library Friends of the Library are groups of citizens who join together to support, improve, and promote libraries. They understand the importance of library service to the community and work in a variety of ways to help provide quality service and to stimulate the use of the library. Their activities change as needs change. Friends usually select a limited number of activities to emphasize. The roles of trustees, library director, and Friends are related but distinct.
Trustees represent citizen control and governance of the library.
The library director represents the administration and management of the library. Friends of the Library represent citizen participation and assistance to the library. It is important to the success of the total library program that all three understand clearly their respective roles and work together toward common goals. A good relationship between the library director and the Friends group is essential in fostering a climate for joint accomplishments. They must have a basic understanding of each other's goals and objectives, a recognition of the strengths that each brings to a common purpose, and the realization that through cooperation they can achieve ultimate success.