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Trustee Information: Trustee Education

A resource collecting information to help library trustees explore their roles and responsibilities.

Welcome

Public Library trustees are required to receive 2 hours of training each year.  4CLS makes many programs available.  See below for registration links to upcoming training opportunities and recordings of past webinars.

Other training providers include:

For reporting attendance at training when the provider does not offer a certificate, please use this Self-Assurance Form. 

 

Upcoming 4CLS Webinars

Trustee Webinars

  • Wednesday, April 16, 6-7 PM, Legal Basics for Trustees
    • .Trustees hold an important governance role in public libraries.  Part of that role includes navigating several different areas of law and regulation. Join us for an exploration of the various laws & regulations that apply to public libraries in New York State.  
    • Register
  • Wednesday, May 14, 6-7 PM: Building a Community Based Long Range Plan
    • The minimum standards require all public libraries to develop a community-based long range plan.  What does that mean and how do you do it?  During this webinar we will explore the process of building a long range plan that meets the standard and sets the library on a positive path forward with its community
    • Register.

Archived Trustee Webinars

Archived 4CLS Webinars

  • All About The Money: Financials for Trustees
    •  An in depth look at the trustee roles and responsibilities associated with the money libraries take in, manage, and spend
    • View Recording
  • Library Trustee Basic Training
    • Designed for new trustees, this session will go through the basic rules and responsibilities for library trustees and describe how libraries fit into the educational infrastructure of New York State.  It provides a basic level of understanding that other programs build upon.
    • View Recording
  • FOIL and Libraries - 
    • Learn about the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) and how it applies to public libraries
    • With Kristin O'Neill from the Committee on Open Government
    • View Recording
  • Library Trustee Basic Training
    • Designed to give new trustees a basic understanding of the roles & responsibilities of library trustees.
  • Financial Basics for Trustees
    • An exploration of good governance, best practices, and fraud prevention.
    • View recording
  • Legal Basics for Trustees
    • An exploration of the various laws & regulations that apply to public libraries in New York State.  
    • View Recording
  • Core Values and Trustee Ethics (Webinar)
    • An exploration of the core values of our profession and the ethical standards for trustees
    • View Recording
  • Library Board & Director Evaluation (Webinar)
    • Tools and strategies for evaluating director and board performance
    • View Recording

Upcoming Trustee Education Opportunities from Other NY Library Systems

From the Trustee Handbook Club: Join co-author of the Handbook for Library Trustees of New York State, Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, and friends for this fun and informative series! For each session, trustees are encouraged to read a chapter of the Trustee Handbook and send in questions that the authors will address during each session.

Trustees from all public library systems in New York State are welcome. Library Directors from across the state are welcome to attend as well. The Mid-Hudson Library System is an approved trustee education provider in the eyes of New York State. All trustee events offered by the Mid-Hudson Library System are eligible under the New York State Trustee Education Requirements.

Here are the dates for the 2025 Trustee Handbook Book Club series:

All times: 5-6:30pm

  • Wednesday, April 30: Board Development: Recruitment, Orientation, Education and Evaluation
  • Tuesday, July 15: Recruiting & Retaining Quality Staff
  • Tuesday, November 18: Next Level Trusteeship: Building an Effective and Impactful Board Culture with guest speaker Terry Kirchner, Executive Director, Westchester Library System

You can find more information and access to the archived webinars on the Trustee Handbook Book Club web page.

Upcoming Trustee Education Opportunities from WebJunction

The New York State Library has designated WebJunction as an approved trustee education provider.

Below are upcoming webinars from WebJunction:

Thursday, May 1 | 3:00 to 4:00 pm

AI and public libraries: Panel and discussion

Learn how public libraries are using AI, ways to support community members with this new technology, and the most prevalent issues and concerns—and how to navigate them.