Session Descriptions 2011

Keynote; Celebrating the USS Constitution; Sarah Watkins

Sarah will describe the events and activities surrounding the USS  Constitution and the bicentennial of the War of 1812 where adventurers of all ages are invited to set sail on a voyage of discovery in  All Hands on Deck:  A Sailor’s Life in 1812.  The exhibit features newly-unearthed stories of the Ship’s crew from America’s “Second War for Independence” and presents them in a dynamic, rich format that serves as a model for other history museums to use in years to come.   Visitors step into the roles of the actual sailors who served onboard “Old Ironsides” during the War of 1812 and experience the challenges, hardships, fear, monotony and exhilaration of daily life in the confines of this isolated community. 

 Selling Online; Arthur Weinburg

Book sales and marketing strategies to increase sales will be a central focus of this discussion. Mr. Weinberg will identify different bookselling web sites and the strategies for selling books on each. Techniques for identifying books of greater value will be discussed. Important problems and issues in attracting donations and building inventory will be analyzed.

 Getting the Most Out of Events; Karin Turer

 So we booked a room...now what? Are you looking to hold a fundraising event for your library?  Nonprofit event consultant Karin Turer will show you the best ways to turn a low budget event into a success for your organization. She'll give you hints on how to get the most out of every dollar spent, and how to give guests a positive experience that will bump your library up their priority list.

Ebooks 101

This session provides an overview of ebook hardware and software. It provides information for those who have heard the terminology but don’t fully understand what it means for your library. This would be good background for the Implementing Ebooks session.

EBooks 101 PowerPoint Presentation

Implementing Ebooks in Your Library; Panel

So you want your library to use ebooks. Now comes the hard part. How do we get the most “bang-for-the-buck?” What do we buy? What restrictions do the licensing requirements mean for us? How do we track what ebooks are where? Can we “lend” a book without the reader? These are some of the issues that the panel members will discuss in presenting their solutions for their libraries as they walk us through their decision making and implementation of their libraries’ ebook “solution”. The session will wrap up with a Q&A segment.

Legal Issues for Non-Profits; Robert Abruzzo

In this session we will introduce Friends groups to their legal requirements, primarily what you have to apply for and what you have to file at both the federal and state levels. By the federal level we mean the I.R.S., including filing for an E.I.N. number, obtaining the tax exempt non-profit status under section 501©(3) and filing the annual tax return, Form 990.

By the state level we mean becoming a recognized non-profit corporation through the office of Secretary of State and, perhaps most important of all, filing as a recognized public charity with the office of the Attorney General. If you have done some of these things in the past, but have lost track of your current status, we will show you how to look these things up and see what your status is. The session is accompanied by a detailed guide you can download from:

Advocacy 101; Millie Gonzalez, Alison Kenney, Cindy Roach

Do you have a strong passion for libraries?   Come and learn how to take that passion and become an advocate for your library on the local, state and national levels.  Millie Gonzalez, Reference/Electronic Resources Librarian, Framingham State University and Alison Kenney, Friend of the Swampscott Public Library will explain why they became advocates and what you can do to promote your library.  Millie and Alison were first time attendees at National Library Legislative Day in Washington D.C. They will join Cindy Roach, Board of Library Commissioners, in a discussion of why libraries want you to speak on their behalf.

Technology "Petting Zoo"

Several examples of technology being used today in Massachusetts libraries. Come get your hands on bookreaders, tablets and a host of other technologies. The "Zoo" will be open throughout the day.