Trustee Academy for Mississippi Libraries and Trustees

This page is for Mississippi library Trustees as part of a bulk purchase of Trustee Academy courses facilitated by the Mississippi Library Commission. If you are a Mississippi library Trustee or library staff member, you are in the right place. If you are not associated with a Mississippi library, please visit the Trustee Academy main page for more information.

You will need the username and password provided by the Mississippi Library Commission to access the Trustee Academy courses. If you need a login, please email Jennifer Walker, Director of Development Services with the Mississippi Library Commission, or call her at 601-432-4068.

If you need technical assistance, please email bnawalinski@ala.org or call (800) 545-2433, ext. 2161. Emails are monitored evenings, weekends, and holidays to give a quick response.

Login Issues & Problems

If you are experiencing any problems logging in, please contact the United for Libraries office at (800) 545-2433, ext. 2161 during normal business hours or email bnawalinski@ala.org after business hours. You can also see our login tips (PDF, 772 kb) for step-by-step login instructions.

Logging In

To log in, you will need the login and password you received from the Mississippi Library Commission. Logging in before you click on any of the course titles will ensure a smoother process accessing the Trustee Academy. A few notes and tips to help you log in smoothly:

• If you need a login, please email Jennifer Walker, Director of Development Services with the Mississippi Library Commission, or call her at 601-432-4068.
• Please look in the top right corner of this screen now. If it says "Login" then click that link and when prompted enter the login and password provided to you. If you are not redirected to this page then follow the original link provided in your email.
• If the upper right corner of the screen says, "Logout" and you are currently logged in with a different login (personal or group member login), please first click "Logout" and close your browser completely to complete the logout process. You cannot be logged into your personal or group member website access and the Trustee Academy at the same time. Once you have returned to this page in a new browser window you can click "Login" and enter the login/username and password provided to you.
• Logging in before you click on the links below will ensure a smoother process when accessing courses. If you click on the links below before you login you will receive an error message.
• Once you have logged in to view a course you can access additional courses without logging in again during the same visit to this website. If you are an ALA member or United for Libraries group member and wish to access other member benefits you will need to first "logout" in the upper right of any screen and then login again using your personal or group member login. The Trustee Academy login provides access only to Trustee Academy courses.

Trustee Academy Courses for Mississippi Libraries & Trustees

Please login before clicking any of the links below. This will ensure a smoother experience when accessing Trustee Academy courses. If you do not login first you will receive an error message when you click on the links below. See above for login instructions and tips.

Trustee Basics, Part I covers the role of the Trustee in the community, who speaks for the Trustees, governing vs. advisory boards, holding effective board meetings (getting consensus, open meeting laws, parliamentary procedure, etc.), and board self-assessment. This course is led by Lynn Stainbrook, director of the Brown County Library in Green Bay, Wis.

Trustee Basics, Part II covers understanding and setting policy, understanding and supporting intellectual freedom and patron privacy, meeting state standards, Trustee liability and fiduciary responsibilities, considering D&O insurance, and Trustee ethics. This course is also led by Stainbrook.

Working Effectively with the Library Director covers understanding and respecting the different roles, evaluating a library director’s performance, and hiring a new library director. This course is led by Sally Gardner Reed, executive director of United for Libraries.

The Library's Budget covers learning and understanding how your library is funded, understanding how spending decisions are made and who is authorized to make them, understanding the library’s financial reports, making powerful budget presentations, and developing auxiliary funding sources. This course is led by Christine Lind Hage, Public Library Association (PLA) past president and director of the Rochester Hills Public Library in the greater Detroit area.

Advocating for Your Library covers sowing the ground with excellent public awareness and great service, how to design an advocacy campaign, collaborating with stakeholders such as Friends and patrons, and implementing the campaign. This course is led by ALA past president Carol Brey-Casiano, Information Resource Officer for the U.S. State Department and former director of the El Paso Public Library System.