Public Library Board Member Resources

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.

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 website. In 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:

• Advocacy
• COVID-related
• Foundations
• Friends Groups
• Trustees

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

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.

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:

• Publications
  • Books
  • Practical Guides
  • Toolkits
  • Other
• Tip Sheets
  • Trustees
  • Friends Groups
  • Foundations
• Graphics