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Trustee Handbook Book Club
Trustee Handbook Book Club
Join co-author of the
Handbook for Library Trustees of New York State,
Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, and friends for this fun and informative series! For each session, trustees are encouraged to read a chapter of the Trustee Handbook and send in questions that the authors will address during each session.
Trustees from all public library systems in New York State are welcome. Library Directors from across the state are welcome to attend as well. The Mid-Hudson Library System is an approved trustee education provider in the eyes of New York State. All trustee events offered by the Mid-Hudson Library System are eligible under the
New York State Trustee Education Requirements
Attendance Certificates
MHLS Member Library Trustees
should watch these recordings through the
MHLS Training on Demand platform
in order to obtain a Certificate of Attendance.
View MHLS’s Statement on Trustee Education Certificates.
Non-MHLS Member Library Trustees
will not be issued a MHLS Certificate of Attendance but can use the
Self-Assurance Reporting Form
found on the NYS Division of Library Development’s web site.
The
2023 Handbook for Library Trustees of New York State
can be accessed for free online
. Print copies can be ordered through your library system.
Upcoming Sessions
June 17, 2026 –
Trustee Handbook Book Club:
Laws & Regulations
| Online: 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM. |
Ensuring your library is in compliance with laws and regulations is a tall order, while you’re not expected to be an expert, you will want to be familiar with the most common areas of law that intersect with your responsibilities as a library trustee. Join Trustee Handbook co-author Rebekkah Smith Aldrich for an overview of laws and regulations, where to find answers to common questions, and advice on when to call the lawyer.
Oct 29, 2026 –
Trustee Handbook Book Club:
Duties & Responsibilities of Key Officer Roles
| Online: 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM. |
Join co-author of the Handbook For Library Trustees of New York State Rebekkah Smith Aldrich and friends for this fun and informative series! At each session, trustees will take a deeper dive on a topic relevant to their role and responsibilities as a library trustee.
In this session, the team discusses Duties & Responsibilities of Key Officer Roles.
Panelists TBD
SUBMIT a question
for the presenters.
Recent Recordings
Hiring and Evaluating the Library Director with Brian Hildreth | April 2026
Hiring and evaluating the Library Director is one of nine Trustee Responsibilities. While all responsibilities are important, deciding who will be your library’s chief executive officer determines how successful a board will be at carrying out all other responsibilities. The decision has tremendous weight as it impacts your library and community. Regularly evaluating your director is equally important because it fosters a positive and healthy relationship between board and director. Furthermore, it supports the director in a way that empowers them to deliver on mission in partnership with board, staff, and all other library stakeholders. This installment of the Trustee Handbook Book Club offers a surface level overview of these two processes, and answer trustee questions in real time to provide a deeper understanding, which should strengthen the relationship between boards and directors.
View the resources for this event.
Freedom of Information Law | Feb 2026
Kristin O’Neill, Committee on Open Government (NYS), joins Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, co-author of the Handbook for Library Trustees of New York State and Brian M. Hildreth, Executive Director, Southern Tier Library System, to provide an opportunity for viewers to learn more about a public library’s rights and responsibilities in relation to the Freedom of Information Law. The webinar focuses on the areas of concern most relevant to libraries and discusses unusual situations.
View the resources for this event.
Open Meetings Law with Kristin O’Neill | Jan 2026
In this session, Kristin O’Neill, Committee on Open Government (NYS) provides an opportunity for attendees to learn more about Library Board of Trustees’ obligations under the Open Meetings Law.
Resources for this event:
Handbook for Library Trustees of New York State (2023 Edition)
Open Meetings Law (OML) Frequently Asked Questions | NYS Department of State
Presenter Slides
Next Level Trusteeship: Building an Effective and Impactful Board Culture | Nov 18, 2025
Terry L. Kirchner, PhD, Executive Director of the Westchester Library System, joins Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, co-author of the Handbook for Library Trustees of New York State and Brian M. Hildreth, Executive Director, Southern Tier Library System, to discuss what makes a positive board culture.
Resources mentioned in this video:
Handbook for Library Trustees of New York State (2023 Edition)
BoardSource: Six Characteristics of Effective Boards
New York Public and Association Libraries Minimum Standards
You Found Your WHY. Now What? The Practical Guide to Putting Purpose Into Action
Westchester Library System Strategy Committee
Recruiting & Retaining Quality Staff | July 15, 2025
Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, co-author of the Handbook for Library Trustees of New York State, Brian M. Hildreth, Executive Director, Southern Tier Library System; and Ron Kirsop, Executive Director, Pioneer Library System; as they discuss best practices for recruiting & retaining quality staff.
Resources mentioned in this video:
Paying Living Wages
Consumer Price Index (CPI) Inflation Calculator
Cost of Living (COLA) Calculator
Jury Information for Employers, New York State Unified Court System
New York State Voting Leave Rights, New York State Board of Elections
Paid Prenatal Leave, New York State Department of Labor – Division of Labor Standards
Paid Leave for Bone Marrow Donation, New York State Labor Law – Chapter 31, Article 7, Section 202-A
Breast Milk Expression in the Workplace, New York State Department of Labor
Excused Leave to Undertake a Screening for Cancer, New York State Civil Service Law – Chapter 7, Article 10, Section 159-B
Public Library District Toolkit: Strategies to Assure your Library’s Legal and Financial Stability
Director Evaluation
(Helping All Trustees Succeed (HATS)]
Evaluating the Director Resources
Mid-Hudson Library System
Georgia Public Library Service
Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
Board Development: Recruitment, Orientation, Education and Evaluation | April 30, 2025
Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, co-author of the Handbook for Library Trustees of New York State, Brian M. Hildreth, Executive Director, Southern Tier Library System; and Ron Kirsop, Executive Director, Pioneer Library System; as they discuss board development strategies and best practices.
Resources mentioned in this video:
Trustee Education Requirements
Trustee Information & Application (Patterson Library)
Orientation of New Trustees Chapter
Board Self-Evaluation Questions
These questions and corresponding statements are provided in a survey & board members use a ranked scale to indicate their level of agreement with the statements.
Advocacy | January 22, 2025
Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, co-author of the Handbook for Library Trustees of New York State, Brian M. Hildreth, Executive Director, Southern Tier Library System; Ron Kirsop, Executive Director, Pioneer Library System; and guest speaker Kevin Verbesey from the Suffolk Cooperative Library System, as they discuss library advocacy.
Resources mentioned in this video:
A History of Library Aid Chart-NYLA
Libraries an American Value (ALA)
New Yorkers for Better Libraries
NYLA Advocate Sign Up
Libraries & Immigration Enforcement (ALA)
Information to Help New York’s Libraries Safeguard the Rights of Immigrants (NYS Library)
After Party IV
Join Jerry Nichols & Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, the authors of the Handbook for Library Trustees of New York State; Brian M. Hildreth, Executive Director, Southern Tier Library System; and Ron Kirsop, Executive Director, Pioneer Library System, as they ask and answer a round-up of previously unanswered questions from the 2024 season.
Resources mentioned in this video:
Committee on Open Government guidance on the use of videoconferencing & sample policy
Trustee Education Requirements: Division of Library Development: NYS Library
Sample Trustee Education Policy
Governance Structure: The Role of Board Officers and Board Committees
Join co-author of the Handbook For Library Trustees of New York State Rebekkah Smith Aldrich and Ron Kirsop, Executive Director, Pioneer Library System as they take you through Governance Structure: The Role of Board Officers and Board Committees.
Resources for this event include:
Presentation Slides
Fiduciary Questions
Non-profit glossary
Open Meetings Law, Section 106: Minutes
Trustee Oaths of Office
[New York State Library]
Trustee Education Requirements
[New York State Library]
Role of a Board President
[Helping All Trustees Succeed (HATS)]
The Public Library Treasurer: Their Role and Legal Responsibilities
[Helping All Trustees Succeed (HATS)]
Evaluating Board Effectiveness
Individual Trustee Report Card
[Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners]
Evaluating Board Effectiveness
[Mid-Hudson Library System]
Director Evaluation
(Helping All Trustees Succeed (HATS)]
Evaluating the Director Resources
Mid-Hudson Library System
Georgia Public Library Service
Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
Libraries for the Future: An Introduction to Sustainability as the Newest Core Value
Join Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, co-author of the Handbook for Library Trustees of New York State, Brian M. Hildreth, Executive Director, Southern Tier Library System; and Ron Kirsop, Executive Director, Pioneer Library System, as they introduce you to the newest core value, Sustainability.
Resources discussed during this session include:
Sustainability in Libraries: A Call to Action (ALA)
Collective Impact (ALA Center for the Future)
Concord Free Library Sustainability Plan
NYS Citizen Preparedness Corps
Repair Cafes
Road Map to Sustainability (SLI)
Sustainable Library Certification Program (SLI)
U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit
The Librarian’s Disaster Planning and Community Resiliency Guidebook
(New Jersey State Library)
Ready.gov
Presentations from Certified Libraries
The presentation slide deck
What’s New in the 2023 Edition of the Trustee Handbook | March 19, 2024
Join Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, co-author of the Handbook for Library Trustees of New York State, Brian M. Hildreth, Executive Director, Southern Tier Library System; and Ron Kirsop, Executive Director, Pioneer Library System, as they introduce you to what is new in the
2023 Edition of the Handbook For Library Trustees of New York State
and answer a variety of trustee questions live!
Resources discussed during the session include:
Public Library District Toolkit: Strategies to Assure your Library’s Legal and Financial Stability
Open Meeting Law guidance on videoconferencing
(includes a model resolution and model procedures)
Trustee Education Requirements
Information on Required Policies
Information required to be posted to your website
Sample Public Library Policies & Policy Development Tips
Sexual Harassment Prevention Model Policy and Training from NYS
E-Rate
Public Library Collection Policy Template and Guide
Unite Against Book Bans
Check out the Trustee Handbook Book Club Archive
to view past session recordings mentioned during this session.
After Party III
| January 25, 2024
Join Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, co-author of the Handbook for Library Trustees of New York State, Brian M. Hildreth, Executive Director, Southern Tier Library System; and Ron Kirsop, Executive Director, Pioneer Library System, as they ask and answer a round-up of previously unanswered questions from the 2023 season.
Topics include:
committee on open government
board director relationship
financial planning & budgeting
strategic planning, equity
diversity, inclusion, access & justice
financing and managing construction projects.
Have a question for the team?
Submit your question here.
Looking for past recordings?
View recordings from previous years in the
Trustee Handbook Book Club Archive
Previous sessions include:
The Board-Director Relationship
Budgets & Finance
Duties & Responsibilities
Effective Meetings Using Parliamentary Procedures
Ethics & Conflicts of Interest
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Access & Justice
Facilities
Financial Planning and Budgeting
Financing & Managing Construction Projects
Library Board Meetings
Open Meetings Law
Personnel
Planning & Evaluation
Policies & Risk Management
PR & Advocacy
Strategic Planning
Promotional Partners
Mid-Hudson Library System
| 103 Market St. | Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 | t 845.471.6060 | f 845.454.5940 |
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