Certification for Wisconsin public library directors is required to ensure that the public libraries in the state are administered by highly qualified library personnel. The division issues certificates to public librarians, per Wis. Stat. sec. 43.09(1). Qualifications for certification are based on education, training, and experience. The statutory grade level required of a director depends upon the population of the municipality(s) that established that library. Find more information about certification here.
Participate in a collaborative initiative from the Wisconsin DPI: Policy of the Month Club will offer directors and other library policy writers an accessible framework and consistent schedule to easily create and revise policies. Each month will focus on a different policy topic. You’ll get an email with background information, tips for reviewing and revising your library’s policy, and a platform to share and discuss policy examples. The goal: to keep your libraries strong! Sign up here.
The Administrative Essentials for Wisconsin Public Library Directors is the companion document to the Trustee Essentials. This handbook can be particularly helpful to directors of small public libraries and those with limited prior administrative training and experience. At the same time, it will offer a valuable review for experienced library directors and can help focus thinking and suggest resources when dealing with challenging or unique situations.
Held every year for library directors with less than 4 years of experience, this three day event is essential as you begin your new role. Find information about past events here.
Find valuable information about being a public library director in Wisconsin here.
Trustee Essentials Handbook – The Trustee Essentials covers the basic information needed by trustees to serve their communities effectively.
Wisconsin Library Trustee Essentials – Access 27 short videos (roughly 5 minutes each) on the different parts of the Trustee Essentials: A Handbook for Wisconsin Public Library Trustees.
Wisconsin Trustee Training Week – Annual sessions in August on topics of high interest to Wisconsin public library boards, trustees, and friends. Recordings of past sessions are available.