SLK News

In July of 2007, the State Library of Kansas launched the Kansas Library Trustee Certification Program. The staff members didn’t know what to expect, but they knew that Kansas had a strong commitment to trustee development ever since the Kansas Library Trustee Association was founded in 1999.

There were 100 certified trustees at the end of 2008, to the delight of State Librarian Christie Brandau. At the end of November 2009, there are 196. 

The success of the program is due to several factors, but the biggest is the commitment of the trustees to the Kansas libraries and communities they serve. Their discussions and questions reveal a determination to help their libraries offer excellent service, regardless of the financial climate. Many are community leaders who bring a wide variety of expertise and experience to their terms on the library boards.

Also important to the success of the program are the trustee leaders, library directors and system consultants who have given their time and expertise to this program. They have developed materials and presented programs on a wide variety of topics important to trustees. The Kansas Library Trustee Association Board members have worked hard to create, market and support this project in a close partnership with the State Library.

Another strength of the program is its flexibility. Trustees have gained their certification through statewide video training programs, through system programs and workshops, through board tutorials, through WebJunction desktop courses and through the amusing, but very informative, Trustee Trouble videos created by the Wyoming State Library. 

Recently, a number of fully certified boards have been emerging from the Southeast Kansas Library System. Southeast has made board certification part of its criteria for system grants and the response from their member libraries has been excellent. A number of Southeast trustees have attended the statewide training programs, but the majority have gained certification through board tutorials or through watching the Trustee Trouble videos.

The State Library staff has been pleased with this program and looks forward to working with it in the future. The only drawback is that they can’t spend more time talking to these Kansans who support Kansas libraries so well.

A lot of certified trustees are coming out of Southeast Kansas these days. Southeast is the first system to make the trustee certification program part of criteria for system grants. This gives the State Library staff a chance to chat with Southeast System’s library directors. There is so much going on in the libraries in this lovely part of Kansas.

Bronson Public Library has had a busy year, according to Library Director Diana Huff. They have automated and are now part of the Southeast Koha project. The library also became a member of the Kansas Library Express Courier System. They are planning some fundraisers and also a Holiday Open House.

The Bronson trustees qualified for certification through board tutorials. The certified trustees are Jo Cuppy, Hazel Dickerson, Dianna Engel, Brandi Spainhoward, Joyce Wilkins, Judy Wilson, and Sandy Woods.

The Coffeyville Public Library completed a Strategic Plan in 2009. The board members felt that information fluency should be a top priority, so the staff and board are busy putting together a laptop computer lab, where they will have computer training classes in 2010. Library Director Jennifer Dalton has been so active in Administrative Training Programs that she will have no problem renewing her own certification.

The certified Coffeyville trustees are John Collins, Jerry Hamm, Rolla Layton, Teri Robinson, Jay Shearhart, Mary Taylor, and Diane Watson. Virginia King received her recertification.

The Parsons Public Library celebrated its 100th year of service in 2009, with special programs and exhibits as well as a fully certified board. The library partnered with the Southeast Kansas Farm History Center on an oral history project that was featured on KOAM-TV. They are also co-hosting the traveling Smithsonian exhibit called Journey Stories. Library Director Jean Strader comments that the board has been very supportive of the library projects and the community partnerships.

The certified trustees in Parsons are Judy Ellis, George Hill, Naomi Long, Jody Thompson, Mary Etta Watson, Brian West, and Scotty Zollars, who is also a certified Community College Library Director.

Linn County Library District #2 at LaCygne had some very creative projects during the summer reading season. They started a Summer Reading Camp for Middle School children that featured different themes and they also took their story hours on the road to reach families that couldn’t easily get to the library. Now they are busy planning a Christmas home tour program. Library Director Chris Waddell says that the community is still enjoying the fairly new public library.

The LaCygne trustees received certification through board tutorials. They are Merris Eflin, Sandra Ernst, Mary Heide, Denna Jones, Lori Peck, Richard Teagarden and Dee Wagner. Pictured below are Mary Heide, Lori Peck, Richard Teagarden, Sandy Ernst, and Dee Wagner. Merris Eflin and Denna Jones were not present.

Savonburg is the smallest community in the Southeast region, serving less than 100 people. But the library has always been a very active member of the Southeast Kansas Library System and they were on the SEK Koha system fairly early. Director Robin Betts is a KPLACE graduate and a certified library administrator. Now the Savonburg board is certified as well.

The certified board members in Savonburg are Peggy Carlson, Jean George, Paula Goff, Kathy Hale, Deborah Root, Marilyn Joyce Walker, and Kathleen Wood.