If you are a trustee, a public library leader, or someone tasked with appointing or training trustees, please join us.
How are public library trustees selected and trained? What problems do they encounter, and how do they understand their work? The Trustee Project aims to find out, with your help.
These are the sorts of questions we are asking in The Trustee Project—and no one has answered these sorts of questions in a national research study in decades! Please join us in participating in this study as we seek to learn we hope to learn how public library directors and other public library leaders and trustees understand their roles and do their vital work in sustaining public libraries and the communities they serve.
Our team is currently analyzing the data from Phase 1 and 2 of this project, and Phase 3 will commence Spring 2027.
This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services by an Early Career Research Development Grant (#RE-256642-OLS-24), made through the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program. The views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this website do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Preliminary Findings, presentations, and Preprints
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An annual meeting of KY library directors, brief remarks.
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This is a draft of an article in review, will host a the pre-print when the article reaches that stage. This pilot study examined directors and county judge executive experiences and concerns about trustees and their selection and appointment.
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Some of the early findings regarding trustee demographics and concerns to be aware of.
Our Team
Shannon Crawford Barniskis, MLIS, phD
Dr. Crawford Barniskis focuses on participatory action research to ensure that The Trustee Project reflects real-world needs of trustees and library administrators.
Principal Investigator
Dr Asiri specializes in political science and quantitative statistical analysis.
Research Assistant
Abdullah Asiri, PHD
Peyton Bowling
Research Assistant
Ms. Bowling is a graduate research assistant focused on administrative support and qualitative data analysis.
Ash Pechon, MLIS (left), was a graduate research assistant in Phases 1 & 2, focused on administrative support and qualitative data analysis.
Aidan Stivers (right) was a graduate research assistant in Phase 1, focused on literature review and data analysis.
Research Assistant
Janice Clayton
Ms. Clayton is a graduate research assistant, focused on administrative support and qualitative data analysis.
The Public Library Trustee Pilot Study.
Library boards and the trustees that form them are largely unexplored in terms of their training, selection, and practices.
Through interviews and discourse analysis, the Public Library Trustees pilot study examines the perspectives of Kentucky public library administrators, trustees, and county judge executives on the role of the trustee, the ways in which they are selected and trained, their perceived value, and challenges with appointing trustees or working together as judge executives, librarians, and trustees.
This study is UK Institutional Review Board study #83283. The IRB ascertains the ethical collection, storage, and use of data to protect participants; approval by the IRB is not an endorsement of the study by the University of Kentucky.
