Get On Board: Emerging Leaders eCourse


This course was created by the 2023 Emerging Leaders cohort with the sponsorship and assistance of United for Libraries. It is meant to be a self-paced, asynchronous course that will help participants explore their knowledge around library boards, and encourage additional engagement.

This course has four sections: 

  1. What do you know?: This section is meant to serve as an introduction to the lack of MLS and MLIS education around working with library boards. Why is understanding more about boards important? What do you already know?
  2. Get Local!: Work through the prompts to identify different kinds of boards, library governance, and laws that pertain to your state. Then locate and share the board relationship that is relevant to you.
  3. General Skills: Explore this section to learn more about skills that can apply to any board situation such as: mediation, having difficult conversations, and the parliamentarian process.
  4. Future Steps: Now that you have a better understanding of the need for education around boards, the variety of forms a board can take, and skills related to board relationships- learn how United for Libraries can be a continuing support, and the role that they play on a national scale.

Each section has initial questions, readings, videos, an activity and reflection questions to process the questions and concepts posed. Additionally, each section has an optional discussion thread to allow participants to share with others the circumstances and experiences specific to their states and libraries.