Boulder Public Library District

Legal basis

• C.R.S. 24-90-107 (2022-11-08) · creates · Colorado Library Law: establishment of a library district by petition source
• Resolution No. 1325 (2022) (2022-12-01) · creates · Establishing the Boulder Public Library District and appointing two council members to the trustee selection committee source source
• C.R.S. 24-90-108 · governs · Colorado Library Law: library board of trustees source
• IGA Regarding Joint Obligations (County of Boulder, City of Boulder, Boulder Public Library District) (2023-11-30) · governs source
• Boulder Public Library District Board of Trustees Bylaws (signed March 18, 2025) (2025-03-18) · governs source

Appointed by

Selection Committee, City Council, Boulder County Board of County Commissioners. A Selection Committee of two City Council members and two county commissioners appoints trustees; City Council and the Board of County Commissioners must each ratify by a two-thirds majority. source source

How

Applications collected by the city and county; the Selection Committee reviews applications, interviews candidates and recommends one nominee per open seat; council and the county commissioners each ratify by two-thirds within 60 days (or the nominee is ratified automatically). The district may name up to two trustees as non-voting ex-officio Selection Committee members. The Selection Committee continues to fill vacancies. · as seats open (terms end May 15); the 2025 Selection Committee met April 3, 2025 · city-council and party:boulder-county-commissioners (two-thirds each) source source source source as of 2023-11-30

Seats

7 source as of 2025-03-18

Seat types

• resident of the district's legal service area, at least 18 ×7 qualified

source

Term

5 years (initial 2023 terms staggered from one to five years) source

Term limit

No more than four consecutive full (five-year) terms, plus any partial term; a former trustee may reapply after one year off source

Staggering

Initial 2023 terms: one 1-year, one 2-year, one 3-year, two 4-year and two 5-year terms, so terms end in different years; full terms end May 15. source

Powers

decision-making. Decides: Governs the library district: budget, long-range planning, policies, hiring the Library Director, contracts, property.. To council: Nothing goes to council for approval; the district reports annually to the city and county under the Joint Obligations IGA. source source

Council liaison

not applicable: The district is a separate government; the city sends no liaison. City Council's link is its two members on the trustee Selection Committee and the annual report and joint meetings the IGA requires. source source

Staff liaison

Boulder Public Library District (Library Director) · David Farnan source source as of 2023-11-30

Relations

• Boulder County Board of County Commissioners appoints Boulder Public Library District · ratifies the trustees' appointments, as City Council does ratifies by two-thirds source
• City Council appoints Boulder Public Library District · ratifies the Selection Committee's appointments by two-thirds source
• Selection Committee appoints Boulder Public Library District source
• Library Commission succeeded by Boulder Public Library District · policy review and approval moved from the commission to the district's Board of Trustees in 2023 source source

History

• 2022-11-08 · created · Voters in the proposed district approved the citizen petition to form and fund the district (3.5 mills); the same day city voters approved Ord. No. 8539 repealing the Charter's Library Commission sections. source
• 2022-12-01 · created · City Council adopted Resolution 1325 establishing the district (with the county) and appointing two council members to the trustee Selection Committee. source
• 2023-05-04 · transitioned · Initial seven trustees ratified by the county commissioners (May 2, 2023) and City Council (May 4, 2023). source
• 2023-11-30 · transitioned · Joint Obligations IGA among county, city and district signed (after an interim IGA of June 16, 2023 extended the deadline to December 31, 2023); library assets, staff and services moved from the city to the district. source