Board Governance Principles

VPL Trustees are appointed by the elected representatives of the residents of Vancouver to provide good governance to the Vancouver Public Library, to act in the best interests of the City and Library as a whole; and to carry out their responsibilities in a manner that enhances public trust and support.

To this end Trustees agree:

To carry out their individual and collective legal and fiscal responsibilities, set out in the Library Act, other statutes, regulations, by-laws, and policies, with due care and attention;
To provide leadership in establishing the vision, values and strategic direction of the Library and to monitor progress and spending against the strategic plan and budget;
To uphold and strengthen the reputation of the Library in the community;
To maintain an active interest in and awareness of issues affecting libraries generally and the VPL in particular.
To listen and respond to the views of library users, funders, sponsors, partner groups and others with an interest in the Library’s work;
To actively participate in board meetings in a manner that supports the expression of a diversity of views and promotes informed and independent decision-making;
To identify, understand and manage potential conflicts of interest and situations of divided loyalties by abstaining where necessary;
To uphold Board decisions and respect board confidentiality;
To ensure that the Library maintains effective internal financial and management controls and has identified and managed major opportunities and risks; and
To act in a governance role and avoid decision-making of an operational or administrative nature.

Any failure to abide by these principles on the part of an individual trustee or the board of trustees as a whole shall be brought to the attention of the Chair of the Board of Trustees or the Chief Librarian as appropriate. The Chair of the Board of Trustees or the Chief Librarian may take whatever action is deemed appropriate.

Approved by the Library Board: October 24, 2012