- MSL Learn is the name for the State Library’s learning platform. It launched in January 2023.
- Library trustees, directors, and staff can take Montana-created online courses on the platform for free.
- Courses are self-paced and can be taken on your own time and schedule.
- Course activities include videos, readings, quizzes, and other interactive components.
- Login with your OKTA credentials to enroll in courses.
- Guest access is available for those who are not tracking credits or who do not have an MSL Learn/OKTA account. Watch this video demonstration.
- Complete your MSL Learn profile by adding your town and institution. Watch a quick video to learn how to update your profile.
- Earn badges (digital credentials) for each course or group of courses you take. Add your town and Institution to your profile and earn your first MSL Learn badge! Badges can be added to a LinkedIn account, social media profiles, or other professional credentialing sites.
- If you like to collect certificates, course completion certificates can be downloaded or printed at the end of each course.
- If you are tracking CE credits for MSL Certification, you can claim credits for each course you complete. Visit the MSL Knowledge Base for instructions to Claim CE credits in ASPeN
Library Administration Category
Montana Library Law
Participants will
- Learn about Montana’s open meeting law
- Learn about the laws that cover conflict of interest and trustee liability
- Learn about library board authority and the library records confidentiality act
Estimated course length: 1 hour
Continuing Education Units: 1 credit in Library Administration
Trustee Essentials: Responsibilities
Participants will
- Gain knowledge of the defined roles of trustees' and how those roles support the functions of a public library.
- Gain knowledge of the Montana Code Annotated that relate to the support and management of public libraries.
Estimated course length: 1 hour
Continuing Education Units: 1 credit in Library Administration
Trustee Essentials: Understanding Local Government and Its Relationship to the Library
Participants will
- Learn about different forms of local government and about how the form of government impacts the library
- Learn about the work of key local government officials and how the library interacts with those officials
- Be able to better understand some of the sources of tension between local government and library boards and why they exist
- Learn about techniques for managing areas of tension
Estimated course length: 1 hour
Continuing Education Units: 1 credit in Library Administration
Trustee Essentials: Understanding Local Government Budgeting and Finance
Participants will
- Learn about basic principles of local government accounting in Montana
- Learn about the role of local government officials versus the library board authority when it comes to library funds
- Learn about financial reports, revenue sources, and key expenditures found in libraries
- Learn about best practices for building a library budget
Estimated course length: 1 hour
Continuing Education Units: 1 credit in Library Administration
Best of 2023 MSL Learn Webinars: For Trustees and Directors
Participants will
- View the Basic Training for Trustees webinar and engage with resources shared in the webinar.
- View the Policy Development and Review webinar and engage with resources shared in the webinar.
- View the Public Library Survey webinar and engage with resources shared in the webinar.
Estimated course length: 2 hours
Continuing Education Units: 2 credits in Library Administration
Montana State Library: A Greater State of Knowledge
Participants will
- Learn about MSL Mission, Values, and Tenets
- Learn about MSL Programs
- Learn how to access MSL Resources
- Learn about the history of the agency
Estimated Course Length: 1 hour
Continuing Education Credits: 1 for Library Administration
Library Services to the Public Category
Youth Services Overview
Participants will:
- Understand why library services focusing on youth are important
- Learn about the basics of collection development and resources they can use to help with collection development.
- Explore different approaches to library programming and program development
- Consider different methods of library outreach and how to apply it in their specific context.
Estimated Course Length: 1 hour
Continuing Education Credits: 1 for Library Services to the Public
Youth Services: Early Childhood
Participants will:
- Understand the major physical, emotional, and mental developmental milestones of children from birth to age six and reflect on how that might influence library services, space, and policy;
- Learn about library services for young children and consider how your library’s services best support their needs;
- Learn about different kinds of library programming for young children.
Estimated Course Length: 1 hour
Continuing Education Credits: 1 for Library Services to the Public
Youth Services: School-Age
Participants will:
- Understand why library services focusing on youth are important
- Understand why library services focusing on youth are important
- Understand the major physical, emotional, and mental developmental milestones of school-age children and reflect on how that might influence library services, space, and policy
- Learn about different kinds of library programming for school-age children
- Learn about library services for school-age children and consider how your library’s services best support their needs
Estimated Course Length: 1 hour
Continuing Education Credits: 1 for Library Services to the Public
Youth Services: Tween and Teen
Participants will:
- Understand the major physical, emotional, and mental developmental milestones of teens and tweens and reflect on how that might influence library services, space, and policy;
- Learn about library services for tweens and teens and consider how your library’s services best support their needs;
- Learn about different kinds of library programming for teens and tweens.
Estimated Course Length: 1 hour
Continuing Education Credits: 1 for Library Services to the Public
Technology Category
MontanaLibrary2Go
Participants will
- Learn what MontanaLibrary2Go is, how it works, and what sorts of questions patrons and library staff might have when interacting with it.
Estimated Course Length: 2 hours
Continuing Education Units: 2 in Technology
Hacking ASPeN: A How-to Course for Directors, Staff, and Trustees
Participants will
- learn about the basic tasks and features in ASPeN
Estimated Course Length: 2 hours
Continuing Education Units: 2 in Technology
Courses of Study are groups of courses that build knowledge and skills for specific roles or topics. Currently, there are two courses of study available.
New Director Core
- Montana State Library: A Greater State of Knowledge
- Trustee Essentials: Responsibilities
- Trustee Essentials: Understanding Local Government and Its Relationship to the Library
- Trustee Essentials: Understanding Local Government Budgeting and Finance
- Hacking ASPeN: A How-to Course for Directors, Staff, and Trustees
When you complete all five courses you will earn a “New Director” badge and you can claim 4 continuing education credits in Library Administration and 2 credits in Technology for MSL Certification.
Youth Services
- Youth Services Overview
- Youth Services: Early Childhood
- Youth Services: School-Aged
- Youth Services: Tween and Teen
When you complete all four courses you will earn a “Youth Services” badge and you can claim 4 continuing education credits in Library Services to the Public.
Additional courses of study will be added as we grow our catalog.
In 2024, we will be creating new courses in Collection Management and Technical Services and expanding Library Services to the Public.
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