Trustee Training

Library Leadership Team Training (in-person only/4 hours) – This session is offered annually for the Board President/Library Director team. Pairs will strengthen this crucial relationship for library success and hone their skills in managing conflict, designing effective board structures, using productive meeting practices, and building board sustainability.

On-Demand Training Sessions – These in-depth trainings for library trustees can be scheduled on-demand at your library at a date/time that works best for your library board. Many of these sessions can be offered virtually as well, as noted in the program’s description. Please contact Chris Sagaas at UHLS to discuss the specific program, your board’s needs, and to make scheduling arrangements.

• CORE Trustee Training (in-person or virtual/ 2 hours total, can be divided into two 1 hr. sessions) – See description above.
• Long-Range Planning for Library Boards (in-person or virtual/ 90 min.) – Provides the library with a scalable step-by-step process for creating their NYS required long-range plan.
• Public Funding Options for Municipal and Association Public Libraries (in-person or virtual/90 min.) – Covers the options available to all Association and Municipal libraries to have some or all of their library funding be determined by public vote. Also includes re-chartering and redistricting options.
• Legal Basics for Library Trustees (in-person or virtual/90 min.) – Discusses the general legal responsibilities of a public library board, the legal framework of a public library, and some of the areas of law which impact public libraries.
• Open Meetings Law for Library Boards (in-person or virtual/1 hr.) – Covers the key elements of NYS Open Meetings Law and how they impact ALL public library boards.
• NYS Minimum Standards for Public Libraries (in-person or virtual/1 hr.) – Takes a deeper dive into the state required 14 minimum standards for public libraries and what they mean for your library.
• NYS Public Library Construction Grant Program (in-person or virtual/90 min.) – A full review of this important grant opportunity which is open to all UHLS libraries, including project requirements and eligibility, application details, timelines, etc.
• Early Literacy Services in the 21st Century (in-person or virtual/30 min.) – Covers the elements of early literacy services, and ways for boards to leverage their value into broad community support.
• Show me the Money: Finance 101 for Library Trustees (in-person or virtual/60 min.) – Discusses the basic fiduciary responsibilities of library trustees and the financial reporting structure that all libraries should have in place.
• Meeting an Intellectual Freedom Challenge (in-person or virtual/60 min.) – Guides library trustees in preparing for a challenge. Topics include creating the policy framework; the reconsideration process; staff training; responding to the media, effective leadership team communication and support, and more
• Effective Meetings (in-person or virtual/60 min. total, can be divided into two 30 min. sessions) – Strategies for creating productive meetings. Topics include effective and efficient meeting structure, relationships and roles of meeting participants, managing conflict and unhelpful behavior in meetings, and cultivating healthy board habits.
• The Digital Collections Landscape in UHLS (in-person or virtual/30 min.) – Gives an overview of the e-content platforms, licensing models, funding structures and library collaboration that bring e-books and more to library users.
• Confidentiality of Library Records (in-person or virtual/30 min.) – Covers the legal and ethical responsibility that every public library has regarding the safeguarding of library use information.
• Teen Services in the 21st Century (in-person or virtual/30 min.) – Covers the elements of service to teens, staffing, evaluation, and ways for boards to leverage the value of services to teens into community support.
• Policy Development and Maintenance (in-person or virtual/90 min.) – TBD