Continuing Education Newsletter | April 1, 2024

Continuing Education Information | Certification Information

In this Issue

For Everyone

• Resource Sharing
• Library Safety and Security

 Directors

• Connecting with Local Government Officials - New Series
• Check Your Certification Track
• LAFCON

Trustees

• Workshops

Staff

• MSL Learn Online Courses
• 2024 MSL Learn Webinar Series

Looking Back

For Everyone

Resource Sharing

A significant topic of discussion for the Network Advisory Council, State Library Commission, Trust for Montana Libraries, and the Montana Library Association is resource sharing.

What is resource sharing and what does it look like across Montana libraries? Whether you are a trustee, staff member, or director we have a couple of ways for you to get informed and maybe even contribute your new ideas for how to support and grow resource sharing into the future.

• Watch this video for an overview of the history of resource sharing in Montana libraries.
• Learn more and join the conversations at the Montana Library Association Conference in Butte
  • April 18, 11:15-12:15
  • Resource Sharing in Montana: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Library Safety and Security

We had a great webinar on Friday, March 1, about library safety and security.  Please take time to view the recording and take a look at the resources that were shared.

• Annotated Slides with Breakout Session Summary and Poll Results

Directors

Connecting with Local Government Officials – New Series

April 23 @ Noon - Join Tracy Cook, Lead Statewide Library Consultant, for this introduction to resources and an ongoing series of learning opportunities to help build communication strategies and understanding between libraries and local government officials. Attendees will learn about a new handbook and the proposed webinar and learning opportunities. Please review the Handbook before attending this session or watching the recording.

May 15 @ 11:00 - Join Tracy Cook, MSL Lead Consulting Librarian, and Dr. Gregory Gilpin, Montana State University Economist to learn about an economist's view of how libraries add value to their communities. This session will be divided into a 30-minute introduction and then 30-minutes of applied learning in breakout rooms. This is the second in a series of webinars focused on connecting with local government officials. 

October 17 @ 10:30 - Join State Librarian Jennie Stapp as she interviews Crosby Kemper, retired IMLS Director, about libraries, literacy, and how to connect with local governments in solving issues around literacy in our communities.

Series Information Handout

Visit ASPeN for meeting links and claim continuing education credit.

Check Your Certification Track!

When does your current certification expire? It’s important to regularly check your certification track to confirm when your track will end. You have four years to complete a certification track. The clock starts ticking on the "Begin Date." Make a plan to earn credits if you are getting close to the "End Date."

Watch this quick video for how-to steps.

LAFCON

Library Advocacy and Funding Conference (LAFCON) - July 24-26th, 2024

Registration

Ticket Prices

Early Bird: January 15-April 15 - $255

General Registration: April 16-July 15th - $295

Last Minute Registration: July 15th-July 24th - $350

From the Conference Website

Join LAFCON to learn advocacy and library funding strategies from experts from some of the largest organizations, campaigns, and elections. You'll have the opportunity to explore three days worth of content focused on navigating the world of politics and building voter and public support for library funding. The unique virtual structure of the conference will allow participants to attend all sessions, dig deep into a particular track or mix-and-match a program that meets their needs.

Trustees

Workshops

The MSU Local Government Center (LGC) strengthens the capacity of Montana’s local governments by providing training and support to elected, appointed, and administrative officials and staff. This support includes engaging, interactive board leadership training which, when done appropriately, can increase employee engagement, streamline decision-making, and improve board efforts to provide services to the public.

Training Topics

• Principles of good governance
• Roles and responsibilities of board members/trustees
• Montana open meeting laws
• Montana citizens right to participate laws
• Executive session/closed meetings
• Board member liability
• Effective meeting management
• Meeting agendas and managing public comment
• Montana’s code of ethics
• Meeting minutes

Participants will have up to four hours of board training at each location and receive reference material packets prepared by the trainers.

This training is designed for library trustees and directors who are new to the job or experienced.

Please register in advance!

Presenters

Dan Clark, Director

Dan Clark joined the Local Government Center in April 2008. He has been serving Montana since 1997.  Prior to joining the MSU Local Government Center, he served as the Statewide Director for the Montana Horizons program from 2006 to 2008. Previously, Dan worked as a Montana State University Extension faculty member in Teton County from 1997 to 2006.  During this time, he served as Mayor of Choteau, Montana for four years.  He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Arizona in Agricultural Education and taught high school agriculture for three years before joining Extension. 

Ashley Kent, Associate Director

Ashley joined the Local Government Center (LGC) in July 2014. She currently manages the certified education programs the LGC offers for local government officials, provides governance and leadership workshops, and is developing new educational tools to enhance the LGC training offerings. Ashley earned her bachelor’s degree in business management from Montana State University in 2012 and her Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Montana in 2017. Prior to the Local Government Center, Ashley worked in other departments at MSU including Human Resources and Institutional Equity. 

Library Staff

MSL Learn Online Courses

MSL Learn is our free online course platform.  Our collection of 14 self-paced courses are focused on Montana-specific information and some fundamental youth services topics.

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

2024 MSL Learn Webinar Series

Our theme this year is “Discovering Montana Information and Collections.”  Visit the ASPeN Event Calendar to see the lineup of programs we’ve planned through 2024.

In Case You Missed It (ICYMI): March MSL Learn Webinar Recordings

• Let’s Talk About It: Library Safety and Security
• Montana Census Data and Demonstration
• Partners: Sharing Groups, Collections, Processes, Possibilities
• OCLC: How to update your library's information in WorldCat
• Learning about Libraries and the Montana Legislature

This newsletter gives a preview and update for the Montana Library Association Conference in April 1953

Questions? 

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