, it is a sound principal
that no official should handle public money without giving bond. His
successor may not be so careful or so honest, and, unless the precedent
is established while the danger of loss seems small, it will be
difficult and invidious to insist upon a bond when occasion may require
it. If no trustee is willing to accept the position of treasurer with
bond, it is usually possible to leave the library funds in the hands of
the already bonded town treasurer, and draw on them as needed to pay
bills.

As to committees, it is better to have as many as can actively be
employed, in order to enlist the cooperation or advice of every trustee.
In large boards, even with small libraries, four standing committees can
find occupation; namely, executive, book, finance, and progress.

The executive committee can take charge of the daily work of the
library, of purchases, and of the care of the building. They should be
efficient men, with prompt business habits, with an active interest in
the library, with leisure to attend to their duties during library
hours, and with sufficient discretion to sift and formulate business to
be presented at the meetings of the trustees. While discharging their
executive duties promptly and thoroughly, they ought to be careful not
to assume too much of the power and responsibility which properly belong
to the full board, whose will they are appointed to execute.

[In very large libraries, these duties of an executive committee are
sometimes subdivided among additional committees on building and
grounds, on purchase of supplies, on reading-room and so on, as
different departments increase in importance.]

Inasmuch as the range of reading, the literary taste, and the critical
faculty, which qualify a man to select books for popular use, are not
necessarily united with executive ability, it will often be best to
intrust the choice of books to a book committee, selected for that
purpose alone. This is a sufficiently important duty to occupy all the
spare time of a committee, even where the initiative is taken by the
librarian, and appeal on doubtful points is made to the full board.

The duties of a finance committee are often confined to a perfunctory
and occasional examination of accounts, but they may be made very
important. To make and watch investments, to provide that money on
deposit shall always draw the best interest, to see that purchases of
books and supplies are made on t