Visit Washington State Public Library Policies - Washington State Library - WA Secretary of State for current examples.
Strive to have a policy that is:
- Written in language that is clear, simple, friendly, and jargon-free.
- Physically, as well as intellectually, accessible to members of the community served by the library.
- Mindful of public accountability, striving for transparency.
- In alignment with the library’s mission statement.
- Culturally sensitive, protecting the rights of staff as well as the diverse community served by the library, treating all persons fairly and consistently.
- A clear guide for the director and staff as they proceed to implement the board’s decisions.
- A policy, establishing overall direction for services and operations - not a procedure, which details how the policy will be implemented.
- A framework that anticipates needs and problems.
- In compliance with federal, state, and local laws (See Laws Affecting Libraries).
- Consistent with other policies, avoiding contradictions.
- Representative of current and best public library practices, including those listed in the ALA Policy Manual that are applicable to public libraries;
- Specific regarding how complaints or suggestions may be made and describes what the review process entails;
- Consistent and specific regarding the consequences for violating policies (e.g., suspensions or fines, etc.);
- A tool that helps guide decision-making in sensitive situations, particularly in the area of intellectual freedom and rules of conduct.
Do not create a policy that is:
- A procedure, detailing the specifics of implementation;
- Driven by deadlines—Tip: Instead of using a specific date, use words such as “periodic”;
- Riddled with mandatory words such as “will” and “shall”—Don’t make promises you can’t keep!—Tip: use words such as “reasonable” instead;
- Excessively detailed—less is more;
- A knee-jerk reaction to a one-time event.