Members of the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library Board were the first library trustees to qualify for certification in 2008, along with John Flower of the Basehor Community Library.
The Topeka library continues to have an active program of board development. In August of 2009, three members of the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library Board received their certificates of re-certification, which renews their status as certified trustees for another three years.
Kerry Storey, Elisabeth Ross and Melissa Masoner are pictured below with Library Director Gina Millsap and Assistant Director Rob Banks.
While it is challenging for Kansas trustees to qualify for certification since they must acquire training credits for five trustee core skills, it is relatively easy for trustees to maintain their status as certified trustees. They may pursue any training that is needed by their library and they need only to note any training they attend and request re-certification within three years of the date on their initial certificate. Five contact hours is the training requirement for re-certification.
In December of 2009, the State Library certification staff will be asking library directors to review training experience with their certified trustees and make sure that they have credit for the events they have attended. Qualified trustees may request re-certification at that time or they may wait until they are closer to their three-year renewal deadline.
The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library is one of many Kansas libraries that has actively supported the Kansas Trustee Certification Program and contributed to its success. The State Library staff offers its congratulations to the re-certified trustees.