Keeping Track Of Continuing Education Credits

With the new certification system, library staff, administrators, trustees, and others are responsible for tracking their continuing education credits. In the past participants in the certification program would ask presenters to sign a form and then mail the forms and an application to the Montana State Library.

To respond to the request for less paperwork, the State Library will no longer require CE forms with verifying signatures. Instead participants will track their continuing education activities electronically on a form provided by the State Library. When applying for certification, both the applicant and supervisor will verify that the list of continuing education activities is accurate. The supervisor for staff is the library director or department head; for library directors, the Board chair, school principal/superintendent, corporate administrator, or other individual responsible for the library; for trustees, the Board chair; and for Board chairs, another member of the library Board.

The following steps describe the process for keeping track of CE credits.

Work with your supervisor to select relevant training.

After attending a continuing education event, add that event to your CE tracking form. This can be done in two ways:

Major continuing education activities such as those sponsored by MLA or MSL will be listed for a limited time on the Certification Continuing Education List by State Library staff and include all of the information needed for your CE tracking.

For other continuing education activities such as webinars or library staff days, you will add these events directly to your tracking form if approved by your supervisor. The information required will be the Event/Sponsor, Date, Workshop/Training Title, Trainer/Presenter, Number of Credits, and CE Category. Your supervisor will help with the number of credits and CE category. If uncertain of category, please contact the State Library for assistance. For events such as library conferences that offer multiple workshops, each session attended should be listed separately on the tracking form.

When you have the requisite number of credits, ask your supervisor to verify your participation in these CE activities by signing the certification application form.

What if my director or supervisor leaves? Or what if I change jobs?

Before the change takes place, ask your supervisor to help you complete an Interim Verification Form that you will submit when you apply for certification. This form will be attached to your CE tracking form listing training attended before the change in supervisor or position.

Continue earning CE credits in your new position or under your new supervisor. You will continue tracking CE (details above) listing training attended after the change and these continuing education activities will be verified by your new supervisor.

To apply for certification, submit the Interim Verification Form signed by your previous supervisor, the tracking form with CE activities, and the application form signed by your current supervisor.