Date: Friday, September 25, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Place: Online, register at https://midhudson.libcal.com/event/16210257
Presenter: Ron Kirsop, Executive Director, OWWL Library System
Join author of the Handbook for New Library Directors in New York State, Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, and friends for this fun and informative series! Prior to each session, directors are encouraged to read the corresponding chapter of the Director Handbook to the topic for that session.
Have questions for the panelists? Submit them here.
Directors of libraries located in any public library systems in New York State are welcome to attend.
Strong libraries rely on strong partnerships. In this Director Handbook Book Club session, Ron will guide directors through the core expectations, boundaries, and communication practices that support a healthy, effective relationship between a library director and a board of trustees. We will cover the distinct roles of governance and management, where responsibilities overlap, and how to steer a board toward healthier patterns if expectations have been unclear or the board has overstepped in the past. The session will also offer practical strategies for communication between meetings, trustee onboarding and education, board meeting success, and director reporting that reduces surprises and builds trust. We will close with a structured look at director and board evaluation practices that strengthen accountability, clarify goals, and connect leadership performance to strategic planning.
Topics include:
- Director-board partnership and shared success
- Roles and responsibilities: governance versus management
- Communication systems and collective authority
- Trustee onboarding and continuing education expectations
- Director and board evaluation practices aligned with planning and goals