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Continuing Education Resources for Library Staff

Board Training Resources

Overview

The State Library of Oregon is pleased to offer the following resources for library advisory boards and library governing boards from United for Libraries, a unit of the American Library Association (ALA). These resources include the pre-recorded Trustee Trainings covering basic board topics, upcoming live webinars, on-demand webinars, and other resources such as tip sheets, guides, and toolkits.

On-demand webinars cover topics from library advocacy and support to EDI for board members to intellectual freedom and challenges to navigating the changing landscape because of COVID-19. These board training resources are available to directors, staff, volunteers, and board members of Oregon libraries and members of associated Friends and Foundation groups.

Getting started

Please note: United for Libraries has migrated their training resources from the Teachable platform to ALA’s new eLearning website.

Access 

Track your progress

Download this checklist (PDF) of available recordings and resources to track your learning.

This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the State Library of Oregon.

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Training for Trustees

These webinars are free to directors, staff, volunteers, and board members of Oregon libraries and members of associated Friends and Foundation groups.

Please note: when using the links below, you will be prompted to login to ALA's eLearning website if you’re not already logged in. Please sign up for a free account as needed.

Short Takes for Trustees

Short Takes for Trustees is a series of 10 short videos (8-10 minutes each) that can be shown during Trustee meetings to stimulate discussion about the important role that Trustees play in the governance of their libraries. Topics in the series explain the basics, such as what it means to be a Trustee (discussing the broad fiduciary responsibilities of governing boards as well as the limits of an advisory board), as well as how to set policy, how to evaluate the library director (and why you should!), along with board self evaluation, and the ethical and parliamentary standards for boards — both governing and advisory. The courses are: What It Means to Be a Trustee; Board Meetings; Board Ethics; Library Advocacy; Library Policies; Strategic Planning; Working with Friends; Evaluating the Library Director; Board Self Evaluation, and Succession Planning and New Board Orientation.

To automatically register for Short Takes for Trustees, go here.

Trustee Academy

The Trustee Academy is a series of online courses to help Trustees become exceptionally proficient in their roles on behalf of their libraries. All of the online courses are taught by a professional in the field. To automatically register for the following courses, go here.

Courses include:

  • Trustee Competencies covers the knowledge, skills, abilities, and attributes of a successful public library Trustee. The course is led by Kevin Tomlinson, area field consultant with the Idaho Commission for Libraries.
     
  • Working Effectively with the Library Director covers the role of the Board, the role of the library director, and how to communicate effectively with each other. Learn about strategic planning, board meetings, an emergency communication plan, and how to create a sustainable and effective working relationship. This course is led by Deirdre Brennan, Executive Director, of Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS).
     
  • The Library's Budget for Trustees covers understanding where funding comes from, working with the director to develop the budget, ensuring the budget is in alignment with goals, making the case for the budget to funders, making effective budget presentations, and monitoring the budget at monthly meetings. This course is led by Marcellus Turner, City Librarian, The Seattle Public Library.
     
  • Everyday Advocacy – Why the Library Matters! covers getting to know your funders and letting them know what the library is doing and importantly – why it matters. Learn how to be a powerful voice at budget time to ensure your library receives the funding it needs. This course is led by Libby Post, Strategist-in-Chief and President of Communication Services.
     
  • Equity, Diversity, Inclusion: What Library Trustees Need to Know - Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) impacts all communities and all aspects of librarianship. Library Boards of Trustees have an important role in supporting EDI and related initiatives. This workshop will help trustees and library directors understand how to incorporate EDI into policy development, strategic planning, funding initiatives, board development, and more. Anne will present a variety of interactive scenarios in which EDI issues are a factor, with time for Q&A and discussion. In this event, Anne Phibbs, PhD, Founder and President of Strategic Diversity Initiatives, will give a basic introduction to EDI and discuss what library trustees and boards need to know about EDI.
     
  • Vendor Negotiation That Supports Patron Privacy and Intellectual Freedom - Libraries are well versed in protecting intellectual freedom as it pertains to books but many do not have similar policies for online resources and services. Digital library collections are often provided by third-party vendors, who may have different goals than libraries. This disconnect has led to intellectual freedom issues, specifically regarding privacy, in recent years. How much responsibility do vendors have for patron privacy? How can libraries best negotiate with online vendors without infringing upon patron privacy and other intellectual freedom issues? This panel has representatives from both libraries and vendors to discuss this topic.

To automatically register for the above courses, go here.

Upcoming Webinars

These webinars are free to directors, staff, volunteers, and board members of Oregon libraries and members of associated Friends and Foundation groups.

Please note: when using the links below, you will be prompted to login to ALA's eLearning website if you’re not already logged in. Please sign up for a free account as needed.

Learning Live Events

Learning Live events are hosted on the second Tuesday of each month a 11:00a PT. Each session is recorded and available for 30 days (only) after the original presentation date. These sessions (and their recordings) are available to directors, staff, volunteers, and board members of Oregon libraries and members of associated Friends and Foundation groups.

June 14, 11:00a - 12:00p Friends of the Library & Book Sales: Branch Sales, Online Stores, and More

Register here.

Join staff with the Friends of Montgomery County (Md.) Libraries as they provide tips and answer Q&A on branch book sales, full-time used bookstores, online store fronts, and more. 

Ari Z. Brooks, MSW, is executive director of Friends of Montgomery County Libraries. An experienced fundraiser and nonprofit manager, she has held leadership positions in three not-for-profit organizations for 25 years in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Her work has primarily focused on engaging and inspiring the community to provide volunteer and philanthropic support. She lectures and trains library-support groups throughout the region on organizational development, fundraising, and program development and evaluation. Ms. Brooks earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of the 2004 Class of Leadership Montgomery and the inaugural 2009 recipient of the Emerging Leader Award for the County Executive’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities.

Lance Salins is business operations director with Friends of Montgomery County Libraries. He manages all aspects of business development of the organization including overseeing both of the Friends of the Library, Montgomery County bookstores. Mr. Salins began volunteering in 2009 and was hired part-time as a Clerk working for the organization in 2011, before being promoted to Assistant Manager and, then, full-time Business Coordinator in 2014 and currently serves as the Director of Business Operations. Mr. Salins earned his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, magna cum laude, from The University of Maryland. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Hose2Habitat, a Maryland based nonprofit working to enhance the welfare of animals in zoos and sanctuaries.

July 12, 11:00a - 12:00p Gift Acceptance Policies through a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Lens.

Register here. Full description coming soon.

Recording available until June 10: Libraries Build Business: Support from Boards, Friends, and Foundations

Libraries Build Business (LBB) is a national initiative of ALA, supported by Google.org, intended to build capacity in libraries offering programming or services to local entrepreneurs and the small business community, prioritizing low-income and underrepresented entrepreneurs. Learn how library boards, Friends of the Library groups, and library Foundations can help support libraries in their business-related services and programming. Megan Janicki, project manager of Libraries Build Business, will provide an overview of the program. Susan M. Preece, director of the Topsham (Maine) Public Library, will discuss how the library’s board and Friends have supported the LBB program in their library. Stacey Goddard, public services manager at the Spokane (Wash.) County Library District, will address their library Foundation and board’s involvement. 

Recently Recorded Webinars

These webinars are free to directors, staff, volunteers, and board members of Oregon libraries and members of associated Friends and Foundation groups.

Please note: when using the links below, you will be prompted to login to ALA's eLearning website if you’re not already logged in. Please sign up for a free account as needed.

First Amendment Audits: What Your Library Board & Staff Need to Know

Access this recording on ALA's eLearning websiteIn the menu, click on Handouts to download slides and the scripts. A list of links shared in the chat and additional resources are forthcoming.

Presented by United for Libraries and the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom
What should library staff do when self-proclaimed “citizen journalists” enter the library claiming a right to question employees and film in any space accessible to the public? Learn what your library board and staff need to know about so-called “First Amendment audits,” and how you can prepare by adopting well-crafted policies and training staff. 

This program will also cover the library as a public forum and the necessary components of user behavior policies and meeting room policies. The program will include opportunities to participate in role-play scenarios that demonstrate best practices when board members interact with library users and members of the public. The program will include a Q&A with presenters.

Keeping Governance on Track - A Free Series for Library Boards (recorded session)

Access these recordings on ALA's eLearning website.

  • Part 1 focuses on “Steps to Be Prepared & How to Handle Problems.” Participants will learn what actions and preparation boards and library directors can take now to be ready for issues that may arise (including meeting disruptions by non-board members, a board member overstepping boundaries or pushing their personal agenda, etc.).
  • Part 2 is a “Mock Board Meeting,” with an enactment of a library board meeting and Sylvester providing “in-the-moment” tips to handle misbehavior, conflict, disruptions, etc.

Access on-demand webinars, topics include:

Some recorded webinars may be listed under more than one category: download this checklist (PDF) of available recordings and resources to track your learning.

Resources

These resources are free to directors, staff, volunteers, and board members of Oregon libraries and members of associated Friends and Foundation groups.

Please note: when using the links below, you will be prompted to login to ALA's eLearning website if you’re not already logged in. Please sign up for a free account as needed.

Trustee Resources for Program and Materials Challenges

With the severe uptick in local and statewide book challenges, ALA offers this clearinghouse of resources to assist library workers and library advocates in responding to and supporting others facing those challenges. Remember to report challenges to the Office for Intellectual Freedom, and let ALA know if you need assistance.

The American Library Association opposes widespread efforts to censor books in U.S. schools and libraries. Read the statement from ALA's Executive Board and the Boards of Directors for ALA's Eight Divisions.

Additional resources that include the following are also available:

  • Tip sheets
  • Sample policies
  • On-demand webinars

Resources

Use the Resources dropdown menu to access these items: