Library Financial Management Certification Program
Contact Sherri Phillips at (678) 985-6813.
Libraries are typically formed as special purpose governments focused on providing access to information for citizens. As such, the approach to the financial management requires a different perspective than most local governments.
The Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia has created an online certification program to meet this unique need. The program is comprised of six courses: Budgeting for Libraries, Governmental Accounting for Libraries, Internal Control for Libraries, Purchasing, Payroll Administration, and Writing Financial Policies.
All classes are self-study and are delivered using recorded webinars. To receive credit for each course, the participant must successfully pass an online exam. Students are given 30 days to complete each course.
To earn the Library Financial Management Certification, participants must successfully complete all six courses in the program within a three-year time frame. Once certification is achieved, 12 contact hours of continuing education offered through the Carl Vinson Institute of Government are required every two years to maintain certification. The two-year reporting period begins January 1 of the odd year and ends on December 31 of the even year. No continuing education is required in the calendar year the certification is earned. For those certified one year but less than two during the reporting period, six contact hours will be required during the initial certification period.