United for Libraries Virtual: Trustees – Friends – Foundations

Programs by Day

Scroll to the bottom of this page for program descriptions.

Trustee Day - Tuesday, July 29, 2025

• Get Familiar with Freedom of Information Laws
• Meetings That Matter: Driving Results, Not Just Discussions
• Public Official Basics for Trustees: Introduction to Public Administration and Public Finance
• Top 10 Things Library Board Members Should Know - But Often Don't
• Why Is It Always a Battle?: Concerns of Public Library Trustees in the United States
• Microlearning to be announced soon!

Foundation/Fundraising Day - Wednesday, July 30, 2025

• Library Storytelling: How to Find Memorable Library Stories to Use for Marketing and Promotion
• Let Your Impact Ring! Sharing Your Library’s Successes so Funders Will Listen
• Overcoming the Barriers to Library Fundraising Success
• Strengthening Library and Foundation Relationships: The Role of the Memorandum of Understanding and Relationship Committee
• Microlearning to be announced soon!

Friends Day - Thursday, July 31, 2025

• Friends for Everyone: Inclusivity and Accessibility Best Practices
• Get Strategic: Creating a Strategic Plan for Your Friends Group
• Gnomes Need Homes: A Different Type of Silent Auction!
• Lessons from a New Board President
• Library Funding 101: Understanding How Things Get Paid
• Microlearning to be announced soon!

2025 United for Libraries Virtual Registration Options

Flexible registration options are available, including individual full conference, individual single day or multiple days, or group viewing single day or multiple days. United for Libraries personal members save 35% off all registration rates. When purchasing multiple seats, you can save up to an additional 40% off per seat.

Unsure which option is the best fit?

• See below or check out the full details including registration, attendance, and participation; available discounts; detailed pricing charts, and frequently asked questions.
• Contact United for Libraries staff by phone at (312) 280-2161 or by email at united@ala.org.
  

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Program Descriptions

Trustee / Board Member Day

Register for Trustee / Board Member Day

Meetings That Matter: Driving Results, Not Just Discussions

Maryam Phillips, Executive Director for Hosting Solutions and Library Consulting (HSLC)

Tired of board meetings that go off track? Are your meetings too short? Too long? This session will show you how to run focused, efficient board meetings that drive action and produce results. Learn how to prepare for, organize, and run board meetings that keep your trustees engaged and your library moving forward.

Why Is It Always a Battle?: Concerns of Public Library Trustees in the United States

Shannon Crawford Barniskis, MLIS, PhD, Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky School of Information Science

Do you, as a trustee or someone working with them, sometimes struggle with decision-making or with board conflict? Are some discussions always a battle? Do you find yourself wondering what values your fellow trustees are relying on as they vote, or is it hard to find good new board members? This hands-on program will share such experiences of trustees nationally and capture YOUR experiences, allowing you to collaborate to find locally effective solutions.

Top 10 Things Library Board Members Should Know - But Often Don't

Mary Beth Harrington, President, Timberland Regional Library Board of Trustees

Too often, board members think that their experience on one nonprofit board adequately prepares them to be on your library board, so they resist board training. Board members who do not sufficiently understand their role are more likely to venture into areas that are not their responsibility. Learn 10 things that every board member should know, more importantly, how to get your board members more open to the idea of hosting a board training session.

Get Familiar with Freedom of Information Laws

Sarah Lamdan, Deputy Director, ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom

State and federal freedom of information laws (FOIA, FOIL, open meeting laws, and other state information access laws) are a valuable tool for gaining access to government information, but they also pose privacy concerns for trustees, library workers, and others who work with and for public institutions. Learn how freedom of information laws work, how you can use them to obtain information, and how to protect your privacy from freedom of information requests.

Public Official Basics for Trustees: Introduction to Public Administration and Public Finance

Clare Membiela, Library Law Consultant, Library of Michigan; Karren Reish, Library Grants Coordinator, Library of Michigan

The majority of public libraries in the U.S. are governmental entities, funded by public money and accountable to a myriad of local, state and federal laws that regulate multiple aspects of a library's operations, including funding, accounting, purchasing, governance and accountability. However, most library trustees do not have experience in public administration or governmental accounting. This session will provide an introduction to the most important concepts of public administration and include resources to help trustees and library administrators on the path to success as public officials.

Foundation / Fundraising Day

Register for Foundations / Fundraising Day

Overcoming the Barriers to Library Fundraising Success

Chad Barger, Productive Fundraising

Fundraising is a challenge at almost all public libraries. This is especially true at small to medium-sized libraries and those located in rural settings. Join fundraising master trainer Chad Barger, ACFRE, ACNP, for a presentation focused on actionable solutions to common fundraising problems. Chad will reveal the most common barriers to effective fundraising at the libraries that he has served and provide tips for overcoming them. Attendees will also be given free access to document samples and templates, which will help to fast-track the implementation of these solutions. Ample time will be reserved for questions so that attendees can also pick Chad’s brain for solutions to their “not so common” library fundraising challenges.

Let Your Impact Ring! Sharing Your Library’s Successes so Funders Will Listen

Joyce Garczynski, Assistant University Librarian for Communication & Digital Scholarship; Tywanda L. Cuffy, Director of External Relations, Communications and Development Initiatives, University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press; Skip Dye, SVP, Library Sales and Digital Strategy, Penguin Random House; Karlene Noel Jennings

Donors have a multitude of causes they can support, so how can your library resoundingly stand out to get the funding you need? Often, it’s your impact in your community that resonates. In this panel discussion, experienced fundraisers, library advocates, and supporters will discuss what impact is, why it matters to donors, and how libraries can communicate their impact in a meaningful way. Panelists from a variety of different library types will share how data and stories surrounding library activities, collections, and services can be used to make the case for government and donor funding.

Library Storytelling: How to Find Memorable Library Stories to Use for Marketing and Promotion

Angela Hursh, Manager of Engagement and Marketing, NoveList

You know the power of storytelling. After all, you work in a building where you are literally surrounded by some of the best stories in the world. So why is it so hard for libraries to tell their own stories? The quest for library stories that evoke emotion and have a compelling story arc for library advocacy is more difficult than it sounds... or is it? This session is packed with examples from real libraries (bring your Kleenex… some of these will certainly make you weepy!). You’ll learn how a good story becomes good marketing. You'll also leave with a list of practical tips to find stories your library can use for advocacy and building community support. This session includes a five-minute activity.

Strengthening Library and Foundation Relationships: The Role of the Memorandum of Understanding and Relationship Committee

Kari May, Library Director, Jackson County Library Services; Ginny Auer, Executive Director, Jackson County Library Foundation

The relationship between the Library Director and Foundation Executive Director plays a pivotal role in organizational growth and community impact. Attendees will leave with insights to strengthen the relationship between the Library Director and Foundation Director by using a Memorandum of Understanding and building trust from the Board Leadership through the use of a Relationship Committee. By fostering a culture of collaboration and mutual support, libraries and foundations can maximize their impact and drive sustainable growth in their communities.

Friends of the Library Day

Register for Friends of the Library Day

Get Strategic: Creating a Strategic Plan for Your Friends Group

Amanda Standerfer, Founder and Lead Consultant, Fast Forward Libraries

Every organization needs a road map that shares a common understanding of where the organization is heading. Often, it can feel overwhelming to engage in a strategic planning process to create that road map. This session will review a three-step process for creating a plan for Friends groups of all sizes. From engaging stakeholders in providing feedback to dreaming about the future to creating documents to manage plan implementation, we’ll talk about ways to design a strategic planning process that’s right for your group and how to ensure your plan is a living document that guides you down the road into the future.

Gnomes Need Homes: A Different Type of Silent Auction!

Sue Ann Miller, Ed. D., Friends of the Lakewood Ranch (LWR) Library

This presentation shares how to conduct a silent auction in the library to raise funds for a Friends organization. Learn how to involve library staff and community organizations. All materials and procedures for how to take bids and notify winners are included.

Lessons from a New Friends Board President

Mary Beth Cox, President, Friends of Chesterfield County Public Library

Learn key insights and lessons learned from a Friends Board President, including how to partner with the library system, how to have effective and efficient board meetings, the importance of asking for help, improving board recruitment and succession planning (have a playbook!), saying 'yes' to new ideas, showing appreciation, and more.

Friends for Everyone: Inclusivity and Accessibility Best Practices

Hillary Pearson, Accessibility Services Program Manager, ALA's Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services (ODLOS)

Friends are key library ambassadors to the community. Is your Friends group using inclusive and accessible practices in its materials, outreach, programming, and more? Learn basic accessibility information Friends of the Library need to know and how to ensure that those with disabilities can participate in Friends programs and access Friends materials. Find out tips and best practices for online and offline communications, programs, events, and more.

Library Funding 101: Understanding How Things Get Paid

Clare Membiela, Library Law Consultant, Library of Michigan; Lauren Trujillo, Executive Director, Santa Barbara Library Foundation

Whether city, county, or state funded, or an independent taxing authority, learning where library dollars come from and who and what gets paid is key for library trustees, staff, and the community. Learn all about library funding with public and private dollars and, more importantly, how to talk about the funding needs to constituents as a part of advocacy and funding requests.