The employment by the Library of ‘relatives’ of staff, administration, or Board members can cause myriad problems including, but not limited to, charges of favoritism, conflicts of interest, family discord, scheduling conflicts, internal Library operations dysfunction, public resentment and a variety of other deleterious impacts upon the mission and operation of the North Shore Public Library. Accordingly, the Board of Trustees has determined it to be in the best interests of the Library to establish a policy which clearly provides and promulgates the intent of the Board to avoid all adverse impacts that can emanate from the hiring of relatives of those individuals associated with the Library.
For the purposes of this Policy the term “relative” shall include relationships established by blood, marriage, or legal action, such as: a spouse, mother, father, son, daughter, sister, brother, mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, stepparent, stepchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, grandparent, grandson, granddaughter, or cousin. The term also includes domestic partners (a person with whom the employee’s life is interdependent and who shares a common residence) and, a daughter or son of an employee’s domestic partner.
No relative of the Board of Trustees, Library Director, or current employees shall be employed by or serve as Library Trustee of the North Shore Public Library.
As to those “relatives” currently employed by the Library, the Library will endeavor (to the degree permissible) to avoid the compromising of supervisory authority by way of effecting personnel transfers that will avoid the supervision of one relative over another. Any employee presently employed will not be subject to dismissal based upon this Policy’s requirements.
It is the responsibility of every employee to identify to the Library Director any potential or existing personal relationships which may fall within the ambit of this Policy.
Policy Adopted: 6/24/2025