Trustee Education
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
OWWL Library System's 2025 Trustee Education Schedule
All recorded Trustee Workshops are now available on the OWWL Library System Trustee Academy.| Title | Date | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Trustee Handbook Book Club: Advocacy | 🗸Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at 5 PM | Recording |
| 2025 FAQs with Ron Part I | Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 5 PM | Registration |
| Trustee Handbook Book Club - Board Development: Recruitment, Orientation, Education and Evaluation | Wednesday, April 30, 2025 at 5 PM | Registration |
| Bylaws and Policy Refresh (in-person at Wadsworth Library) | Monday, June 9, 2025 at 5 PM | Registration |
| Meeting Room Policies (in-person at Victor Farmington Library) | Monday, July 14, 2025 at 5 PM | Registration |
| Trustee Handbook Book Club: Recruiting & Retaining Quality Staff | Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at 5 PM | Registration |
| Critical Personnel Policies (in-person at Sodus Community Library) | Monday, August 11, 2025 at 5 PM | Registration |
| Board Meeting Prep and The Critical Partnership (in-person at Cordelia A. Greene Library in Castile, NY) | Wednesday, September 17, 2025 at 5 PM | Registration |
| Trustee Handbook Book Club:Next Level Trusteeship: Building an Effective and Impactful Board Culture | Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at 5 PM | Registration |
OWWL Library System Trustee Academy
In January 2025, the OWWL Library System Trustee Academy was rolled out. The Trustee Academy allows all Trustees to view eligible Trustee Trainings, track CE hours, and receive certificates on-demand.Recorded Trustee Workshops
All recorded Trustee Workshops are now available on the OWWL Library System Trustee Academy .| Title | Date | Link |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 FAQs with Ron Part II | December 4, 2024 | Trustee Academy |
| New York State's Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) | November 18, 2024 | Trustee Academy |
| Trustee Handbook Book Club: Governance Structure: The Role of Board Officers and Board Committees | October 15, 2024 | Recording |
| Board Organization - Oaths, Terms, Charters, and Bylaws.pdf | September 10, 2024 | Recording |
| Trustee Handbook Book Club: What’s New in the 2023 Edition of the Trustee Handbook | March 19, 2024 | Recording |
| Trustee Handbook Book Club: Libraries for the Future: An Introduction to Sustainability as the Newest Core Value | June 18, 2024 | Recording |
| State Aid for Library Construction Info Session | January 31, 2023 | Recording |
| Roles and Responsibilities for New Trustees | February 6, 2023 | Recording |
| Trustee Handbook Book Club: Open Meetings Law with Kirsten O’Neill, Committee on Open Government | February 21, 2023 | Recording |
| Key Laws & Regulations for Libraries | March 9, 2023 | Recording |
| Trustee Handbook Book Club: The Board-Director Relationship | April 18, 2023 | Recording |
| Q&A with Ron at Wadsworth Library in Geneseo (Resource Page) | April 27, 2023 | Recording |
| Trustee Handbook Book Club: Financial Planning & Budgeting | June 20, 2023 | Recording |
| Budgeting Q&A with Ron and Kelly (Resource Page) | July 17, 2023 | Recording |
| Trustee Handbook Book Club: Strategic Planning | August 15, 2023 | Recording |
| Trustee Handbook Book Club: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Access & Justice | October 17, 2023 | Recording |
| Trustee Handbook Book Club: Financing & Managing Construction Projects | December 19, 2023 | Recording |
| State Aid for Library Construction Info Session | Monday, January 10, 2022 | Recording |
| Trustee Book Club: Budgets & Finance | Tuesday, January 18, 2022 | Recording |
| System Orientation for New Trustees | Monday, February 7, 2022 | Recording |
| Trustee Book Club: Facilities | Tuesday, February 22, 2022 | Recording |
| A Board's Guide to Book Challenges in Public Libraries | Thursday, March 10, 2022 | Recording |
| Trustee Book Club: Policies & Risk Management | Tuesday, March 29, 2022 | Recording |
| Trustee Book Club: Ethics & Conflicts of Interest | Tuesday, April 19, 2022 | Recording |
| Trustee Book Club: Planning & Evaluation | Tuesday, May 3, 2022 | Recording |
| Trustee Book Club: PR & Advocacy | Tuesday, June 14, 2022 | Recording |
| Facilities Planning for Your Library | December 6, 2021 | Recording |
| Developing Library Policies | March 16, 2021 | Recording |
| Four Types of Libraries | August 10, 2021 | Recording |
Other Resources
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