Board of Trustees Continuing Education

Question: What is MSL’s definition of continuing education?

Answer: Library-specific training provided by library or library-related organizations that is presented in a structured learning situation is eligible for continuing education credits.

• Is training presented in a structured learning situation?

• Is it library-specific?

• Does it help you do your job better?

• Does it address one or more of the competencies you need to know to do your job? (Source: Current Certification Manual)

Question: If a board member or library director attends a training and comes back to present that training to the other board members, does that count as continuing education?

Answer: No. While it is valuable to talk about training experiences and that kind of sharing often deepens learning that occurred at a workshop, presentations about trainings don't typically count for continuing education credit. 

To count as continuing education, the presentation would need to be structured where other board members have direct access to workshop materials, practice what was learned, and are given opportunities to discuss content in a meaningful way that is relevant to the library and assists everyone in doing their job well.

Question: Our board is planning to do the following to meet the 3-hour continuing education requirement:

Watch two webinars  

• Book Challenges and Intellectual Freedom (Webjunction 1 hour and 6 minutes)

• Hooray for Freedom! Part One:  Privacy, Confidentiality, and Intellectual Freedom in the Library (56 minutes)

Review United for Libraries Toolkit: Challenges to Materials and Programs: The Role of Library Trustees & Board Members  

Review the Library's Collection Development Policy and Request for Reconsideration Process

If we include a 10 -15 minute conversation at the Board meeting about the materials, that would equal 3 hours of training. Do you think that this process meets the Library standard?

Answer: Yes, if the trustees follow up to discuss and share what they learned in a regular meeting.  Having the discussion as an agenda item provides documentation for meeting the standard. If this plan is adopted by the Board prior to implementing the plan, then it is clear to everyone how the board will meet the standard. 

Question: We understand there has to be a quorum for the credits to count towards the 3-hour requirement. Does this mean the trustees must attend the same sessions at the same time? Does attending the same conference but not the same sessions count?

Answer: Yes. If a Library has a quorum of their Board at a conference and they’ve noticed that fact, in that sense they are behaving as a quorum. Even if they do not attend the same sessions conference attendance with a quorum of the board would count.  Boards are encouraged to share and discuss what they learned during the conference sessions in a future board meeting.

Question: If a quorum of trustees complete the same webinar but not at the same time. Does that count?

Answer: Yes, as long as the trustees discuss and share what they learned in a regular meeting.  Having the discussion as an agenda item provides documentation for meeting the standard.