Administration - Board Development Resources
These resources are designed to assist with board development including evaluation of the board and running effective meetings.
April 25, 2018 - Dumont Building, Fort Peck Community College Annex - Wolf Point, MT 10 am - 4 pm
also at
May 11-12, 2018 - Marina Cay Resort, Big Fork - Tamarack Federation Meeting (anyone may attend, you do not have to be a Tam Fed member to attend this training)
Working Together: Building & nurturing positive relationships with governing agencies & the community
Presented by the Local Government Center of Montana State University, Dan Clark, Director
This all day session for library board members and library administrators is designed to address a key compentency of effective library administration: the ability to work together with governing agencies and individuals.
The session will explore the unique governing situation for libraries that are considered city or county agencies even though they have their own governing board. There will be plenty to learn for district libraries as well, about finding sustainable funding sources and relating to stakeholders.
In this day long training, our colleagues at the Local Government Center of MSU will address the following outcomes:
- Library boards and library administrators will recognize the role of their municipal or county governing body and clearly delineate each other’s responsibilities in providing library services to the public so that the community receives world-class library services that are sustainable and valued.
- Library boards and library administrators take on leadership roles within their community so that the concerns of the community and state are addressed in library planning and services.
- Library boards and library administrators implement specific positive strategies for communicating with their city or county government officials so that they are working together to advance the best interests of their city or county.
The Local Government Center of MSU works with Montana's cities, towns, and counties to strengthen the capacities of Montana's local governmental units to deliver essential services efficiently. msulocalgov.org
CE category: 6 library administration
Register to attend by logging into the MT State Library Directory - registration opens in March click here
For more information, contact Joann Flick, CE Coordinator, 406-431-1081 jflick@mt.gov
Every Library - Advocacy for Libraries archived webinar series:
Dec 19, 2017 https://vimeo.com/248069476
The Library as Cause: Lessons from Winning Campaigns
Successful political candidates know that the right way to connect with their voters starts by sharing their vision for the community they serve. For library funding - either at the ballot box or through donor support - your library strategic or facilities plan is where your vision and hope reside. In this session, learn how to create a 'fundable plan' using the tools of winning political campaigns to frame the community conversation. Join EveryLibrary's executive director John Chrastka for a practical session that will help you deploy effective communications - both positive and opposition messaging - and provide you with useful take-home exercises for staff and boards.
Presented by John Chrastka, EveryLibrary Executive Director
January 16, 2018 https://vimeo.com/251528714
The Librarian as Candidate: How to Activate Voters and Constituents for Support
Voters, constituents, and donors behave the way they do for specific reasons, and very little of it has to do with what "library conventional wisdom" says. Most of what drives their behavior—at the polls, when you ask them to advocate, or when you appeal to them for donations—is not their own user experience, but is instead their perceptions and attitudes of the public library as an institution and the people who work there. In this session, John Chrastka, Executive Director of EveryLibrary, will share critical public-perception data and field-tested messages to activate those perceptions to help you shape more effective marketing for your library. You will learn short, actionable messaging and marketing techniques to begin to update community perceptions and to change their attitudes in your favor.
Presented by Patrick”PC” Sweeney, EveryLibrary Political Director
February 20, 2018 https://vimeo.com/256821001
So Why Haven’t You Gone to the Ballot in 20 Years? https://vimeo.com/256821001
Before you bring a ballot measure before voters or a funding ‘ask’ to your local government, it’s key to understand that voters, constituents, and donors are driven by their perceptions and attitudes of the library as an institution as well as the librarians and staff. This webinar explores “frames” for activating people to update their perceptions and change their attitudes. We will provide insights on how to convene and empower inside stakeholders around your message, build a local coalition about the library and its funding future, and explore ways to get past political and emotional blocks on the path to the ballot.
Presented by John Chrastka, EveryLibrary Executive Director
Other archived webinars:
Trustee Training Session One (54 min): What is the Job of the Library Board?
Trustee Training Session Two (58 min): Relationships, the Law, and Finance
Trustee Training Session Three (1 hr): Library Planning, Policy Making, and Evaluation
Maximizing Meeting Effectiveness (56 min)
