Library Education Unit (LEU) Requirements 

Ongoing professional development is your responsibility and is required for renewal of public librarian certification.  All classes for LEU credits must be completed between the date your certificate was issued and when it expires. The only exception to this is for a first temporary permit or a first 5-year certificate, in which case LEU credits may be counted going as far back as six months prior to the beginning date on the first temporary permit or- first 5-year certificate.  All workshops and classes must be approved for LEU-eligibility prior to completion.

  • Professional Assistants  must complete a total of 50 LEUs in five years.
  • Branch/Department Heads  must complete a total of 75 LEUs in five years.
  • Directors must complete a total of 100 LEUs in five years.

Librarians holding multiple professional library positions during their 5-year license period must earn the number of LEUs required for the position they held the longest during the 5-year license period.

Certified librarians shall retain copies of LEU certificates of completion, or other written documentation of LEU completion, for a period of at least ninety (90) days from the later of the following dates:

  1. The end of the certification period during which they were earned; or
  2. The actual date on which the certificate was renewed if the certificate was renewed after it expired.

The State Library does not keep this information and will only request copies of LEU records from individuals whose files have been selected for random audit at certificate renewal.

LEU Providers

Please click here for the full list of approved providers who have blanket LEU approval for all of their offerings. Other library education providers must be evaluated and approved by the Indiana State Library and should submit a completed Application for LEU approval (new)at least 30 days prior to the date of the program to the Certification Program Director at certification@library.in.gov.

What Qualifies For LEUs?

LEU courses should be library related. A limited number of non-library related units may be taken for subjects of importance to library programming, services, or operations. Opportunities for LEUs are as follows:

Library science education courses from accredited colleges or universities

  • Credit and not for credit -1 semester credit hour = 15 LEUs
  • There is no limit to how many of these courses may be used to satisfy the continuing education requirements for any particular 5-year certificate period.
  • These courses do not require LEU provider pre-approval from the State Library.
  • An official college or university transcript showing courses taken during the 5-year certificate period will be proof of LEUs earned.
  • Note: A temporary permit holder may not earn LEUs from college level library science courses taken to meet the requirements of the 5-year certificate the individual is working toward.

 Local, state, and national library association or specialist-subject related conferences

  • 1 hour = 1 LEU
  • Must have prior LEU approval from the State Library if provider is not on the list of pre-approved providers.
  • In-state library organizations will likely issue LEUs. See below for information on documenting these LEUs when the conference is out of state, online, or not a library provider.

 Workshops, seminars, institutes, lectures, training by certified trainers

  • 1 hour = 1 LEU
  • Must have prior LEU approval from the State Library if provider is not on the list of pre-approved providers.
  • In-state library organizations will likely issue LEUs. See below for information on documenting these LEUs when the event is out of state, online, or not a library provider.

Non-library related subjects of importance to library programming, services, or operations (For example, foreign language, fitness, and wellness)

  • 1 hour = 1 LEU
  • Up to ten (10) LEUs may be earned per five (5) year certificate period.
  • Must have prior LEU approval from the State Library if provider is not on the list of pre-approved providers.
  • In-state library organizations will likely issue LEUs. See below for information on documenting these LEUs when the conference is out of state, online, or not a library provider.

Developing and delivering workshops for conferences, staff in-service training, or any other continuing education opportunity available to library professionals

  • 1 hour program = 1 LEU; 2 hour program = 2 LEUs, etc. (The number of LEUs that may be earned developing and delivering workshops matches hour for hour the length of the program.)
  • Up to five (5) LEUs per five (5) year certificate period may be earned developing and delivering workshops for conferences, staff in-service training, or any other continuing education opportunity available to library professionals.
  • The program agenda and LEU approval letter will serve as verification of LEUs. A completed Microsoft Form LEU application (preferred) or  LEU Provider Application(PDF)  will need to be submitted by the provider and approved by the State Library prior to the workshop. The application must be submitted at least 30 day prior to the date of the program.

External professional committee work

  • 1 hour = 1 LEU
  • Up to five (5) LEUs per five (5) year certificate period may be earned.
  • This includes serving on a professional organization committee or as a professional organization officer.
  • The organization or committee must be library related.
  • Participation in professional committee work does not require prior LEU approval from the Indiana state library.
  • The librarian seeking to use external committee or professional organization work is responsible for getting a certificate or obtaining documentation of hours from the committee or professional organization president, vice president, director, or associate director.

 Publishing in a peer reviewed journal

  • Article that is 1,000 or more words long = 5 LEUs
  • Up to five (5) LEUs per five (5) year certificate period for researching, writing, and publishing library-related articles in a peer reviewed journal
  • Publishing in a peer reviewed journal does not require prior LEU approval from the Indiana State Library.
  • A copy of the article in original form or provided by means of an Internet website address, if the article is online, will serve as verification of LEUs.

Professional Roundtable Meetings

  • 1 LEU per roundtable attended
  • Up to ten (10) LEUs per five (5) year certificate period may be earned for attending professional roundtable meetings.
  • Professional roundtables do not require prior LEU approval from the Indiana state library.
  • The host library shall create and award LEU certificates for all attending library professionals. The certificate must include the roundtable name and date; name of host library; participant’s name; that 1 LEU is awarded; and signature of host library director or director’s designee.
  • A qualifying professional roundtable meeting is a group of professional library staff meeting (for at least 1 hour) for the purpose of enhancing their professional development or for the purpose of gaining professional knowledge and insight that will be used for the benefit of their library.
  • Note: Only individuals holding a 5-year certificate are eligible to count LEUs from professional roundtable meetings.

Library Tours

  • 1 LEU per library tour attended
  • Up to five (5) LEUs per five (5) year certificate period may be earned for attending escorted tours of different libraries.
  • The host library shall create and award LEU certificate to library tour attendees.
  • Library tours do not require advance approval from the Indiana State Library.

How do I apply for LEU approval of my workshop, conference, or staff day?

If your library or organization is planning workshops for public librarians, please complete this Forms application for Library Education Unit Approval (preferred method) or please download and submit the Application for Library Education Unit Provider (PDF)  (Revised 2014). Please allow up to 30 days for an approval decision. Please direct questions to the Certification Program Director at certification@library.in.gov, 317-234-6217.

How do I document LEUs for conferences?

Conference programming is LEU-eligible if the conference is either (1) presented by a provider on the ISL Approved Training Providers list, or (2) approved after submitting the Application for LEU Approval Form or  Application for LEU Provider(PDF) to the Certification Program Office at least 30 days advance of the conference. This includes in-person and virtual conferences.

To document your attendance:

  1. Fill out completely and sign the Indiana Librarian Conference Form.  Please see the next two FAQs regarding which conference events are LEU-eligible.
  2. Based on the sessions you attended, count up the LEUs you earned.  LEUs are awarded hour-for-hour for eligible sessions lasting longer than 30 minutes.  LEUs round up to 2 after 90 minutes.  LEUs round up to 3 after 2.5 hours, and so forth.
  3. Attach session synopses to your completed Indiana Librarian Conference Form. Gather and save written descriptions of the sessions you attended. The synopses should include the program content, length, and presenter information. A conference program or agenda usually contains all the information you need. Print or electronically save a copy of the program/agenda in your files for future reference. NOTE: Most organizations do not keep their conference information online for more than a few months. Please DO NOT rely on a link to a conference website as a record of the session content.
  4. Print or electronically save your registration confirmation as proof of your attendance.
  5. File these documents with your other LEUs. DO NOT send them in to the State Library. You will not receive a certificate from the State Library after national and out-of-state conferences. You will only need to submit your documentation to the State Library if you are notified your file has been selected for random audit.  If you are not notified as such, please do not send in this paperwork.

What conference events are eligible for LEUs?

Keynote speeches and author talks, as well as standard workshops are eligible. Eligible sessions must have a specified learning objective and make a contribution to the field of professional librarianship. If you are not sure, consult the Certification Manual for Indiana Public Library Professionals or direct questions to the Certification Program Director at certification@library.in.gov, 317-234-6217.

What conference events are ineligible for LEUs?  

Business meetings, conference registrations and orientations, time spent at vendor booths, and social events without a speaker are NOT eligible for LEUs.

If you plan to attend a conference presented by an organization that is not listed on the ISL Approved Training Providers list, please submit an Application for LEU Approval Form  Application for LEU Provider (PDF) at least 30 days in advance of the event. All events are not automatically approved for LEUs. Training that has not been pre-approved by ISL is not eligible for LEUs and any certificates participants receive from unapproved training will not be honored. Please direct questions to the Certification Program Director at certification@library.in.gov, 317-234-6217.

How do I document LEUs for Live and Archived virtual conference sessions or webinars?

Any time a staff member views an online event (or a library purchases a site license for an online event) by any of the Training Providers Approved by ISL for LEUs, the library’s designee in an administrative or Human Resources role shall create and award LEU certificates in-house.

IMPORTANT:  Some webinar providers will issue certificates; many will not.  If you do not receive a certificate, please follow the instructions below for creating them in-house. If you receive a certificate from an approved provider and it references Professional Growth Points (PGPs), CEUs, Contact Hours, or CPDUs instead of LEUs, this is still acceptable.  Only Indiana public libraries use the term LEUs (non-library organizations in Indiana, as well as libraries and other organizations outside Indiana, use other terms).  

LEUs are awarded hour-for-hour for eligible sessions lasting longer than 30 minutes.  LEUs round up to 2 after 90 minutes.  LEUs round up to 3 after 2.5 hours (and so forth).

Certificates generated in-house may be formatted any way you choose, so long as they contain the following elements:

  • Participant’s name
  • Event/Workshop provider’s name
  • Event/Workshop name, date, and number of LEUs obtained (or instruction time)
  • Proctor/Supervisor’s written name, professional title, and signature (In the case of a Library Director, the HR manager or the President of the Board of Trustees should sign the certificate).

Download a Sample LEU certificate template.

Do you have a form to help me keep track my LEUs?

This Tracking LEU Requirements form is intended to help you organize and track your LEU requirements and LEUs earned. It is a handy tool to keep you organized; however, in the event of a certification audit or temporary permit renewal, this form alone will not substitute for the LEU certificates, Indiana Librarian Conference forms, or other documents described on this page that are required to document LEUs earned. As proof of LEUs earned, you must keep the required documentation described above.