Public Library Administrator’s Certificate Program

Public Library Administrator’s Certificate Program in Westchester: The Westchester Library System is partnering with the Palmer Institute of Public Library Organization and Management to once again make this certificate program available through WLS and to customize the offering to address regional library realities and the needs of busy library administrators.
jerry2
The challenges faced by today’s public library administrators require a solid foundation of training and experience. The Palmer School’s post-Master’s Advanced Certificate program in Public Library Administration is designed to develop and enhance the management skills and credentials of professional librarians working within the public library sector and to train the leaders of tomorrow. This certificate program is a five-course, fifteen-credit graduate-level public library management training program. This program is recognized by the New York State Education Department. You will receive an Advanced Certificate in Public Library Administration from Long Island University upon completion of the full program.

Each course will be offered in seven (7) half-day sessions. Classes will meet at the Westchester Library System, 540 White Plains Road-Suite 200, Tarrytown, NY 10591 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm on Wednesdays. The first course is expected to begin in the Spring 2016, with classes held March through early May. Exact dates will be determined once sufficient enrollment is confirmed. The courses will be offered in
this order:

1) Principles of Public Library Organization and Management (LIS 700) – Spring 2016

2) Legal Issues in Public Library Administration (LIS 701) – Fall 2016

3) Human Resources Administration in the Public Library (LIS 702) – Spring 2017

4) Financial Management of Public Libraries (LIS 703) – Fall 2017

5) Administration of Public Library Facilities and Technology (LIS 704) – Spring 2018

Instructor: The primary instructors of the program will be Dr. Terry Kirchner, Executive Director of the Westchester Library System, and Jerry Nichols, Director of the Palmer Institute for Public Library Organization and Management, and former Director of the Suffolk Cooperative Library System.

Cost: The Westchester Library System / Palmer Institute for Public Library Administration and Management partnership make this program available to library administrators at a group institutional discount rate. With the minimum number of participants (20), the tuition for each class will average $1,300 ($1,250 for 2015-16 academic year to $1,350 for 2017-18 academic year).

Here are some comments from previous participants:
• “This class has been invaluable to me. Every week I come away with ideas for improving my library or resolving current problems. The instructors are extremely knowledgeable! I’ve often wondered why they didn’t include a class like this in the MLS curriculum, but feel it is much more useful when you have some experience dealing with specific library management issues.”

• “I think the class is great! I’m learning a lot of background library things that I never knew/understood and the conversation is fabulous. I think professionally it is helping me for information (obviously), new ideas (or better ways), professional contacts and just knowing that someone else has faced or is facing whatever project I am is very reassuring.”

Interested participating? Please contact Elise Burke at the Westchester Library System (eburke@wlsmail.org) by November 15, 2015.