2012 Town Officers’ Education Conferences

Online registration begins next Monday, March 5 for the 2012 Town Officers’ Education Conferences. (http://www.uvm.edu/extension/community/?Page=toec.html)

2012 Sessions will be held at the following locations:

  • Hilton Hotel, Burlington – April 4
  • Lake Morey Resort, Fairlee – April 10
  • Holiday Inn & Conference Center, Rutland – April 18

Library-focused topics for the conferences are:

21st Century Library Service in Vermont: Looking Ahead

  • The Big Picture: what is the library buzz at the state and national level.
  • How can libraries continue to provide the services and programs your community needs in a world with tightened budgets and rapid change?

Emergency Planning: Is Your Library Prepared?

As we learned in August 2011, libraries can be at the epicenter of disaster and can play a vital role in their communities during emergency situations. At the same time, economic stress can lead to acts of theft and violence in public spaces. How can library trustees best prepare for unpredictable events?

Advocacy 101 and Beyond: Building Community Support and Creating New Partnerships

The best way to secure funding for libraries, whether for capital campaigns or the annual budget or a new programming idea, is to “hook” your patrons, strengthen relationships in the community, identify partners for new initiatives and foster collaboration. Hear from Vermonters who have had success in their libraries in a variety of campaigns and learn about the tools for those trustees new to advocacy as well as those looking for some new ideas and approaches.

Technology Trends in Libraries

You say you’ve never used a Kindle? Wonder why your website needs a widget? Does your library lend out iPads? Should you? Do you know what policies these new technologies require? What new costs and issues are inherent with the introduction of e-Readers or iPads in the library? Hear about these topics and then get your hands on some of these devices.