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Library representatives ask CRC to clarify trusteeship and town obligations in charter
Summary
New Canaan library trustees and director told the Charter Revision Commission the library operates as an association (nonprofit), that charter language calling out 'library directors' is imprecise and asked the CRC to add language recognizing trustees and the town's ongoing support role.
Ellen Gravato and library representatives told the CRC that New Canaan Library functions as an association library governed by a board of trustees and that the charter’s historical reference to 'library directors' should be updated to reflect trusteeship.
"We're an association library," a library representative said, describing the institution as a nonprofit that has operated independently for many years while receiving significant town support. The panel noted state statutes govern minimum public library standards and eligibility for state grants; the library confirmed it recently updated policies to comply with new state legislative requirements.
Library speakers outlined the relationship with the town: the institution receives the majority of its operating funding from the town (the library estimated roughly 70–75% of annual operating support comes from the town in typical years) and supplements the rest through fundraising. They said most full-time library staff participate in town benefit plans though the library’s governance remains autonomous.
CRC members asked whether the charter should include an explicit sentence committing the town to provide library service or clarifying the trustees’ appointment and roles. Library representatives offered to draft suggested language recognizing the association-library model and spelling out the town’s funding and oversight expectations.
The CRC asked the library to provide legislative-history notes and suggested charter text to ensure the document aligns with Connecticut statutes on public libraries and the town’s historical memorandum-of-understanding arrangements.
