This year, the Mid-Hudson Library System (MHLS) is producing a series of events for library trustees and directors to help strengthen the financial future of your library.
This series is designed to meet directors and board members where they are, providing assistance for a range of developmental activities such as:
- Helping Association and Municipal Public Libraries to a pattern of annual votes;
- Creating budget goals to address issues such as a living wage for staff, benefits, adequate funds for digital collections, programming or your facility
- Building an adequate reserve fund structure or
- Minimizing risk to your organization through adequate insurance coverage
All events for trustees count toward the NYS Trustee Education Requirement for 2025.
Next in the series:
MHLS Sustainable Funding Series: Finance for Trustees Part 2: Multiyear Financial Planning
Tuesday, June 24 | 5:00 – 6:30 PM | Online | Register here
Description: Multiyear financial planning is a vital tool for library boards and directors, particularly those struggling with difficult financial conditions. It can aid decision-makers to set long-term priorities and work toward goals, rather than making choices based only on what funds are available today. This is important when resources are limited and can also be beneficial to avoiding future stress. Join Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, MHLS Executive Director & Co-Author of the Handbook for Library Trustees in New York State to review the Office of the State Comptroller’s multi-year financial planning process and helpful data sources to help strengthen your library’s financial position and ability to meet community needs.
This workshop is part of the MHLS Sustainable Funding & Trustee Education Series and is intended for MHLS member library trustees and directors only. Attendance at this event can be applied toward the NYS Trustee Education Requirements.
Salaries & Benefits: Strengthening the Future of Your Library by Investing in Your Staff
Wednesday, June 25 | 10:00 – 11:30 AM | Online | Register here
A strong salary and benefits package is key to recruiting and retaining quality library staff.
This workshop will provide an overview of how libraries can position themselves to better compensate current library employees and improve overall retention and recruitment. It will also highlight some essential tools trustees or directors can use to strengthen library compensation packages through policy, which in return will foster overall improved organizational well-being.
Presenter: Brian M. Hildreth has been a public library system director since 2013, and worked as a public library director between 2003 – 2013. He got his start in libraries in 1997 where he worked full time in an academic library throughout his undergraduate studies. Library work and family are his passion, and he has been particularly drawn to directorship and rural libraries. His areas of interest are governance, leadership, sustainable funding, digital equity, and care for all the amazing stakeholders who make up the New York State library community. Brian is the co-moderator of the Trustee Handbook Book Club Series in New York.
This session is part of the MHLS Sustainable Funding series which is designed to create long-term strategies for better funded libraries that can meet community needs. It is intended for MHLS member library trustees and directors only.
Attendance at this event can be applied toward the NYS Trustee Education Requirements.
Library Advocacy Briefing
Wednesday, June 25 | 4:00 – 5:00 PM | Online | Register here
Join Rebekkah Smith Aldrich for a status report on state aid as well as advocacy efforts to protect congressionally mandated funding, such as the Grants to State program, and check in on State plans to ensure the continued operations of the NYS Division of Library Development.
