The Vermont Library Trustees Association (VLTA), the trustees section of the Vermont Library Association, in conjunction with the Department of Libraries will again offer a series of workshops for trustees and librarians during the spring Town Officers Educational Conferences. TOECs are sponsored by the Vermont Institute for Government, with organizational help from the UVM Extension Service which will mail a registration packet to each library in spring, 2010.
To register for any of the TOECs, find the form online at http://2010toec.eventbrite.com/ $55 online cost includes morning coffee and lunch. Many towns send carloads to the sessions. Contact your town clerk for details.
Dates/ locations:
Monday, April 5-St. Michael’s College, Colchester
Thursday, April 8-Lyndon State College, Lyndonville
Tuesday, April 13-Lake Morey Resort Fairlee
Tuesday, April 20-Grand Summit, Mt. Snow
Wednesday, April 28-Holiday Inn & Conference Center, Rutland
By 2030, twenty-five percent of Vermont’s population will be 65 or older. How will the effects of this demographic sea change play out in our communities as local officials work to meet the needs of these older residents?
Programs/Speakers:
8:00 am – coffee and registration
8:45 am – keynote: Livable Communities for an Aging Population, Jennifer Wallace-Brodeur, AARP Associate
State Director
9:45 am – Workshop 1: Planned Giving
Planned giving is a philanthropic program by which a donor can arrange a substantial and long term gift to the library. In this session, participants will learn the basics on how your library can benefit by starting a planned giving program. We will cover establishing your library’s goals and objectives, identifying and approaching potential donors, types of giving that best suit your library’s needs, planned giving policies, and promotion. (Please Note: this session will be held at 2:15 at St. Michael’s College and at the Holiday Inn, Rutland)
10:45 am – break
11:00 am – Workshop 2: Show Me the Money
Learn how to work with town officials in order to develop long-term sustainable funding for your library. Session will provide tips on making public funding requests, establishing priorities, using documentation and what to do if your request for funding is turned down. Also, what do to when your town officials ask you to charge for basic library services in lieu of town dollars?
noon – lunch
1:00 pm – Workshop 3: Blueprint for an Effective Library Board Meeting
Running an effective board meeting is critical if your board is to be productive. Poorly planned meetings will leave board members frustrated and feeling they are wasting their time. This session will discuss how to organize and plan a well run board meeting by establishing clear procedures, goals and responsibilities.
2:00 pm – break
2:15 pm – Workshop 4: Responsibilities of the Library Trustee
As an appointed or elected public library trustee for your community, it has become your responsibility to ensure that the library provides the best possible service to the community it can. To be an effective library trustee you will need to understand the major responsibilities and functions of the board, which include governance, policy making, community relations, budgeting and leadership. What are the legal responsibilities of board members? Who has the responsibility for hiring and firing staff? Who determines what is placed on display or how furniture is arranged. These and other issues will be discussed in this session.
3:30 pm – adjourn