Welcome to BCLTA’s Online Trustee Orientation Program (TOP)
BCLTA’s mission is to “develop and support library trustees to advance public library service in BC”. Trustee education, through course development and delivery, is one of the most important ways that we serve and support our members. This online program is a tremendous new resource for trustees.
The program is divided into two main units:
- Unit I - Background and Current Context for Public Libraries in BC is ideal for new trustees as it describes the overall context for public libraries and then focuses more specifically on the basic roles and responsibilities of trustees.
- Unit II Board Effectiveness and Leadership will appeal to both new and experienced trustees as it describes in detail the characteristics of effective boards.
Much of the content of Unit I is based on BCLTA’s highly regarded TOP classroom program that has been available for many years and this online program can be used to review and supplement the classroom sessions.
The entire online program has been developed in cooperation with Dr. Ken Haycock, an internationally recognized consultant. All of the video content comes from a training session that Ken delivered on behalf of the British Columbia Library Trustees’ Association in 2006. As such, some of comments made during the session may reflect the personal opinions of Dr. Haycock. During the video there may be references to page numbers in workbooks used in the original training session. Although there is no workbook for this online program, most of the printed materials that are referenced in the video are attached to the individual chapters of this program as part of the “Related Links” and “Related Files”. Simply click on the file icons to expand these folders to display their contents.
Some users of this online program may wish to add some comments about the program or to share their experience with other users. Comments from users will appear at the bottom on the screen within each chapter. If you would like to post comments, you’ll need to register. Simply click on the “Register” button in the upper right corner of the screen. Once you are registered, to add comments at any time in the future, you will only need to click on the “Login” button. Registration is only required if you wish to post comments. BCLTA reserves the right to review and edit any comments posted to the site, as appropriate.
BCLTA would like to acknowledge the financial support of our training programs that is provided by Public Library Services Branch, Ministry of Education.
Finally, as with any service offered through BCLTA, we value your feedback. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns or comments you have about this program.