The Library is a Special District

The Lassen Library District is a special district public library formed pursuant to library sections of the California Education code. As a special district the library is independent of other local governments and solely responsible for its policies and funding.

The Library District provides a single service, that of a library, to the residents of Lassen County and its visitors. The primary source of funding to finance its operations is a special district tax assessed on residential properties located within the incorporated area of the City of Susanville. 

To learn more about California special districts visit the Women League of Voters Guide to Government Web site.

Board of Library Trustees

As an independent special district, the governance of the district is vested in an elected administrative board of library trustees. The Lassen Library District Board of Library Trustees is comprised of five uncompensated members. These members were elected by voters living within the district’s initially established boundaries (encompassing the city limits of Susanville). The library trustees are responsible for setting the personnel, operations, patron and financial policies and the strategic direction of the library district.

Trustees are elected to four-year terms; three trustees are elected during one election cycle and the other two trustees are elected during the next election cycle. Elections are held in even numbered years during regularly held state and local general elections.

The current members of the Board of Library Trustees and their terms of service are:

The Board of Library Trustees holds regular, public monthly meetings in the library's conference room at 4 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month.

Library District Staff

Every member of the library district’s staff is a part-time employee. The staff consists of a library director, manager of library services, administrative assistant, library assistants, catalogers, and literacy program coordinators.

Go to the Employment page for complete descriptions of the responsibilites and duties of each staff position.

Current staff members are:

District Librarian
Vacant
Jeffrey Hawkins is serving as Interim Director

Manager of Library Services
Vacant

Literacy Programs Coordinator
Vacant.  Program is being reassessed. 

Administrative Assistant
Jeffrey Hawkins

Librarian Assistants 
Teresa Phillips
Maria Richards
Lynn Sheehy
Mary Cox
Haley Breitenstein 

Catalogers
Amelia Semon

Friends of the Library

The Lassen Library Friends of the Library is a group of citizens who provide support to the library by donating time and materials for the library and its programs.

The group has a four-tier membership structure with annual membership fees. One hundred percent of money collected goes to the Lassen Library for the purchase of books, magazine subscriptions, to fund special equipment purchases, provide matching funds for grant applications, fund special projects and buy plants and provide upkeep for the garden boxes in front of the library.

The Friends of the Library meet the second Thursday quarterly at 4 p.m. at the library. The public is invited to attend and are invited to join the Friends of the Library. An application form can be obtained at the library.

Membership levels and annual dues are:

Regular Member.............$10
Family Member ..............$25
Benefactor Member.......$100
Foundation Member ..... $500