Trustee Education

Trustee Trainings are Hosted on Niche Academy

Click here to be directed to the Trustee Academy .

Trustee Education Requirements

Beginning January 1, 2023, each member, elected or appointed, of a board of trustees shall be required to complete a minimum of two hours of trustee education annually. (Education Law 260-d added by Chapter 468 of the Laws of 2021).

Per Education Law, trustee education topics may include financial oversight, accountability, fiduciary responsibilities and the general powers and duties of a library trustee. Libraries should consult with their public library system about acceptable trustee education topics, formats, and activities.

To track trustee education, report hours completed to your board president. Your library should have a Trustee Education Policy with a Self-Assurance Form to help track CE hours.

Libraries must confirm that all Trustees have taken the required CE hours each year on the Annual Report for New York State.

Click here for Frequently Asked Questions regarding Trustee Education Requirements .

Eligible Training Sources

The following sources may be used to complete Trustee Training requirements as long as they cover the topics of financial oversight, accountability, fiduciary responsibilities, or the general powers and duties of a library trustee.

• OWWL Library System (Recorded Links Below)
  • The OWWL Library System Trustee Academy hosts our recorded workshops.
• Trustee Handbook Book Club
• New York State Library/Division of Library Development
• WebJunction
• New York Library Association (including the Library Trustees Section and other Sections/Roundtables)
• American Library Association
• Office of the New York State Comptroller Webinars

The OWWL Library System Board may approve other training sources for Trustees.

OWWL Library System's Trustee Education Schedule

All recorded Trustee Workshops are now available on the OWWL Library System Trustee Academy.

Visit our LibCal Calendar for an up-to-date list of upcoming Trustee Education events.

Other Resources

• Effective Board Meetings
• Financial Oversight
• Four Library Types
• Key Laws & Regulations for Libraries
  • Compliance Toolkit
• Updated Minimum Standards for New York's Public and Association Libraries