Continuing Education Newsletter | September 1, 2025

Continuing Education Information | Certification Information

August Certifications

• Sarah Shaw, Chouteau County Library Staff
• Jana Branch, Bitterroot Public Library Trustee
• Tim Lastowski, Conrad Public Library Trustee
• Rolane Christofferson, Prairie County Library Director
• Julie Bushmaker, Butte Silver Bow Public Library Trustee
• Carly Delsigne, North Jefferson County Library District Director
• Tiffany Christensen, Conrad Public Library Director
• Jonna Underwood, Sheridan County Library Director
• Cheri Fuhringer, Dutton/Teton Public Library Director

Congratulations!

Updates and Learning Opportunity

We’re trying a new method to earn credit and engage with information from our big catalog of recorded webinars from the last couple of years.

You can enroll in an MSL Learn course to watch the videos, work through discussion questions, and explore resources. We’ll be adding more over the coming months, but if you haven’t already watched these, you can start with one of these:

• Navigating the Elective Roadmap to Excellence - Overview
• Navigating the Elective Roadmap to Excellence - Staff Development
• Navigating the Elective Roadmap to Library Excellence: Board Development
• Navigating the Elective Roadmap to Library Excellence: Better Access to Materials
• Navigating the Elective Roadmap to Library Excellence: Programming in Libraries
• Patron Privacy and Practical Steps for Data Management in Montana Public Libraries
• Library Mill Levies Webinar

For those tracking credits for MSL Certification, credits are transferred to ASPeN at the end of each month for all course completions--no need to navigate between MSL Learn and ASPeN.

Program Changes Coming in 2026

Over the coming year, the MSL Commission will be discussing and making decisions about changes to the certification and continuing education program. Changes will likely include new Administrative Rules of Montana as well as updated requirements for certification.

With that in mind, if you are close to completing a certification track, it would be a good idea to complete that track before any changes are adopted. This will help with anticipated transitions.

Login to ASPeN to view your certification track, credit balance, and end date.

Questions? Contact Colet Bartow or Submit a Help Ticket.

• Managing Public Records
• Learning about Mill Levies and HB231/SB542
• Navigating the Roadmap to Excellence: Programming in Libraries
• Legal Topics: Children/Minors in the Library
• New MSL Resources Review

• September 9 @ Noon - Navigating the Roadmap to Excellence: Increase Community Awareness
• September 23 @ Noon – Legal Topics: Personnel Questions and Laws
• September 30 @ Noon - Legal Topics: Conducting an Executive Session in a Public Meeting

Looking Back

Montana State Library, 1997-10 - Big Sky Libraries, Volume 53 (1997-10). Montana History Portal, accessed 26/08/2025, https://www.mtmemory.org/nodes/view/115449

Questions? 

Colet Bartow, MSL Continuing Education Coordinator, 406-444-3365

The MSL Continuing Education program is made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and  Technology Act as administered by the Montana State Library.