Library Advisory Committee

The Library Advisory Committee is charged with guiding Rice Public Library in the development of goals, library policies, programs, services and collections that meet the needs of the community library patrons.

The Library Advisory Committee consists of seven voting members: one Town Councilor, one member from the non-profit Library Board of Directors, one member from the Friends of the Library and four citizen members. The Library Director is an ex officio member without voting rights.  Citizen member appointments, or reappointments, are to be for three-year terms, except as otherwise specified.

Members representing the Council, non-profit Library Board of Directors, and Friends of the Library serve until their successors are appointed by their respective boards.

The duties of the Library Advisory Committee include:

• Establishing bylaws to govern routine Committee proceedings;
• Developing and recommending to the Council a mission statement for the Rice Public Library, and promoting and advocating for the mission of the Rice Public Library;
• Understanding the needs and goals of the community and guiding the Rice Public Library in the development of programs, collections, and services that meet such needs and goals;
• Preparing and recommending for adoption by the Town Council a five-year strategic plan with evaluation goals; updating and monitoring progress towards implementation of the adopted strategic plan;
• Recommending the establishment and timely update of library policies for programs, collections, lending, confidentiality, and services that are aligned with the American Library Association and State of Maine’s Public Library Standards, and that advance the goals of the Library and support the strategic plan;
• Staying informed of the library statistics, financial status, funding sources and needs of the Library, advising on the annual development of the budget, focusing on the strategic plan implementation;
• Reviewing and providing input on the annual capital program to the Capital Improvement Program Committee; and
• Reporting at such intervals as the Town Council may direct on programs, use, and implementation progress of the strategic plan.