Position Description

The Groton Public Library Board includes one non-voting student representative who is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the Board. This position offers opportunities to both the student and the Library Board. The Board established the position with these goals:

• To improve library services for students and encourage the use of those services by them.
• To provide an opportunity for high school students to participate in and learn about local government.
• To give students practical experience working with a community organization.
• To provide students with leadership opportunities to serve and improve their community.
• To facilitate the exchange of information and ideas between the library and local schools.

Qualifications

The student representative must:

• live in the Town of Groton and be enrolled in a Groton school.
• be a sophomore or junior after July 1 in the year when she/he applies.
• be a patron of the Groton Public Library and use the library regularly.
• be in good academic standing.

Responsibilities

The student representative:

• Attends and participates in the monthly meetings of the Groton Public Library Board.
• Gives the Library Board brief monthly reports on school activities that might be of interest to the Board.
• Provides input on the library’s services, policies and collections, especially for students.
• Offers the perspective of the library’s young patrons and advises the Board and library staff concerning pertinent issues, especially as they relate to younger patrons.
• Serves as a liaison between the library and his or her school. The student representative communicates information and ideas to the Board as a means to improve library services for students, and also shares information about the library with his or her school. The library coordinates with the school to identify a facilitator on the school staff to work with the student.

Student representatives have the same responsibilities as regular Board members. They may serve on Board committees but do not participate in executive sessions.

Selection Process

Applications for the student representative are solicited in the spring. Application forms, including requirements for references, are available at the Groton Public Library.

Students are interviewed by a subcommittee consisting of the Groton Public Library Director and a member of the Groton Public Library Board. After interviews, the subcommittee recommends an appointment for the Board’s approval. Once appointed, the student representative may serve until graduation. His or her successor begins serving July 1 of that year.