Ordinance number 94-0-16, adopted May 24, 1994 by the Leesburg Town Council, established the Thomas Balch Library Advisory Commission to encourage citizen involvement in governance of Thomas Balch Library. The Commission's mandatmandatee includes includes long-range planning for the Library, and it serves in an advisory capacity to the Library Director with regard to oversight and guidance of Library operations, staffing , maintenance, capital improvements and funding, assistance in the preparation of tthe Library's annual budget, and promotion of the Library, including private fund raising and cooperation with Friends of the Thomas Balch Library, Inc. Commissioners liaise with their respective Councilmembers and with the Town Council regarding Thomas Balch Library.

The Commission, which meets monthly excepting August, is comprised of nine members. Seven citizen members, appointed by the Leesburg Town Council and selected because of their interest in the Library, serve four-year terms. AA Leesburg Town Councilmember and the Leesburg representative from the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors serve terms corresponding to their official tenures. A chairpersonOfficers are is elected annually by the members.

The Commission sponsors the annual Loudoun History Awards. The awards were established in 1993 to recognize contributions of local historian John Elbert Divine (1911-1996) in preserving Loudoun County history. The Loudoun History Awards highlight diverse aspects of the county's history. They honor individuals who have made significant contributions to preserving Loudoun's past through collection of county documents and memorabilia, preservation of historic landmarks, visual arts, writing and long-term involvement in local history organizations. Presented annually except in 2000 when renovation of Thomas Balch Library prevented the event, these awards have recognized some of Loudoun County's best known historians, writers, preservationists, and conservationists.