Continuing Education Newsletter | December 1, 2023

Continuing Education Information | Certification Information

For Everyone

Webside Chat  Stay up-to-date with news from the State Library!  Friday, December 8, 2023, at Noon Meeting link in ASPeN Events Calendar. CE: Library Administration - 1 hour Access recordings in the MSL YouTube Channel.

New Certifications

Congratulations to the following individuals who have completed certification tracks since July 1, 2023

Directors

New Director and Trustee Handbooks

Have you heard? MSL has published new versions of the director and trustee handbooks.

Access the Handbooks

Trustee Manual Vol. 1: Getting Started - a handbook for trustees with information on duties and responsibilities of the job

Trustee Manual Vol. 2: Continuing On - resources and information on hiring a director, marketing and planning for the future

Library Director Manual - a resource for public library directors with information on managing a successful library

These handbooks are a significant update to the ready reference tools you have available to learn about the responsibilities and scope of the job of a public library director or trustee.

You can watch a recording from our November 21 webinar to learn:

• What’s in each handbook
• Where to find them on the MSL website
• How to use the handbooks

Upcoming WebJunction Webinar

Libraries Foster Social Connection: Responding to the Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation

January 4, 2024

1:00-2:00 p.m.

Libraries can play a vital role in building social cohesion and promoting community resilience, especially in challenging times. The Surgeon General’s 2023 Advisory on Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation brings even greater urgency to the need for us to connect. This engaging session will explore ways to intentionally design for social connection in library services and programs, from passive to hosted. These innovative and practical strategies can deepen engagement with staff, trustees, local officials, volunteers, and community members of all ages and backgrounds. Through the lens of "social connector," we will explore how libraries can invite the community in with intention, build relationships that enhance social infrastructure, put community at the center of the library, and demonstrate the library’s impact.

Strengthening social cohesion can be accomplished in ways that adapt to libraries of all sizes and budgets. Engagement strategies can support many facets of library work, from strategic planning and community assessment to programming and partnerships. The strategies are highly scalable – you can start small, build skills, and maintain flexibility. 

Presented by: Brooke Doyle, Senior Project Coordinator, OCLC; and Jennifer Peterson, WebJunction Community Manager, OCLC

The views, findings, conclusions, recommendations, or opinions expressed in this training are solely those of the speakers, and do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Montana State Library, or the Montana State Library Commission.

Access to WebJunction funded through the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Trustees

Best of 2023 MSL Learn Webinars: For Trustees and Directors

As we reflect back on 2023, what better time than to bundle some of the webinars into online courses.  This first “Best of” bundle includes three webinars

• Basic Training for Trustees
• Policy Development and Review
• Public Library Survey

Estimated course length: 2 hours

Resources from each webinar are embedded in the course plus bonus material!

If you are tracking CE credits for the optional Trustee Track, you will be able to claim 2 credits in Library Administration.  Guest access is available for those who are not tracking credits or who do not have an MSL Learn account. Watch this video demonstration.

The 2023 MSL Learn Webinar Series recordings are available in our YouTube channel if an online course is not appealing to you.

Library Staff

CE Plan

Back in September, I asked you to respond to a short survey.  One of the interesting results was the high number among the 55 respondents who said they have a formal continuing education plan.  That is great!  A good CE plan can provide a solid roadmap to plan out your time and activities.  For those of you who do not have a formal plan, here are some resources you can use to create your own plan or work with your supervisor to put a plan in place: CE Plan Instructions and Template (PDF) Blank CE Plan Document (Microsoft Word version will download)

Questions? 

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

Check out our 2023-24 Continuing Education Program Dashboard to see data about Certification, MSL Learn, MSL YouTube Channel, Webpages and Newsletters, and Training Survey responses. Watch this short video to learn about how to view and use dashboard data.