Budgeting and Finance for Library Trustees
One of the most significant responsibilities of public library trustees and directors is financial. Most trustees have the fiduciary responsibility to establish a financial system, propose an annual budget to their constituents and manage the library’s finances. This workshop will cover the nuts and bolts of creating a budget, best practices for advocating for funding, and best practices for expending, tracking, and reporting expenditures. Presenters Adam Shlager and Brittany Durgin, both New Hampshire library directors, will offer best practices for incorporating strategic goals and stakeholder input into a budget, presenting budget requests and building relationships with town and city officials, the benefits of and establishing a Capital Improvements Plan (CIP), and answer common questions related to operating budgets and trustee-managed funds. The workshop will be interactive with the opportunity to ask questions.
Presenters:
Brittany Durgin is the Library Director at Moultonborough Public Library. With eight years experience as a library director in New Hampshire public libraries, she has helped craft and oversee library budgets in small and rural communities, led and executed strategic planning initiatives, and has participated in statewide advocacy efforts. Brittany helped launch and served as chair of New Hampshire Library Association's Sustainability Committee, with which she is still an active member. She also serves on NHLA's Advocacy Committee and was a member of NHLA's first Strategic Planning Committee in 2021. Brittany has earned numerous grant awards for the libraries where she has served and continues to offer her time as a grant reviewer and consultant for New Hampshire Charitable Foundation's Library Technology Grant Program.
Adam Shlager is the Director at the Weeks Public Library in Greenland NH. Adam has been involved with libraries as a volunteer for many years and stepped into the library profession around 7 years ago, starting as a page, then technology librarian, then director. His previous experience ranges from 20 years in restaurant management and 20+ years in healthcare consulting and administration. He has advised on finance, budgets, policy, strategic planning, space planning, information technology, and commercial construction in his various careers. He conducted educational seminars on communication strategies across the Massachusetts healthcare community. Adam holds a MS in Corporate and Professional Communication and a MSLIS.
This workshop is FREE. There will be a brief lunch break. Please bring a bag lunch and beverages.
Deadline to register: Sunday, June 30, 2024
If you have questions, please contact Rosemary D’Arcy at r.darcy@nhlta.org.
