Trustee Handbook Book Club

Trustee handbook book club logo. Open book with multicolored gears.

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

January 22, 2025 5:00-6:30PM – Trustee Handbook Book Club: Advocacy | REGISTER

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; Ron Kirsop, Executive Director, Pioneer Library System; and guest speaker Kevin Verbesey from the Suffolk Cooperative Library System, as they discuss library advocacy.

April 30, 2025 5:00-6:30PM – Trustee Handbook Book Club – Board Development: Recruitment, Orientation, Education and Evaluation| REGISTER

July 15, 2025 5:00-6:30PM – Trustee Handbook Book Club: Recruiting & Retaining Quality Staff | REGISTER

November 18, 2025 5:00-6:30PM – Trustee Handbook Book Club – Next Level Trusteeship: Building an Effective and Impactful Board Culture | REGISTER

SUBMIT a question for the presenters.

Recent Recordings

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:

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:

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:

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:

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

New York State Library
PULISDO Public Library System Directors Organization
NYLA
Library Trustee Association of New York State
Public Libraries Section - New York Libraries Association