Large group workshops are free for member library staff, volunteers and board members. For non-members, the cost is $40. Some workshops may have a cost for a meal function or extra materials. 

Click here to register for upcoming events.

Book Repair Workshops in April

Dates: Thursday, April 3, 2008. 9:30-3:30. Copperas Cove, Friday, April 4, 2008. 9:30-3:30. Elgin.
Presenter: Mary Kay Wells
Facilitator: Laurie Mahaffey
5 hours CE credit.

View Flyer. In this workshop presented by Mary Kay Wells, you’ll find out how books are made, learn specific repair techniques that can be completed at the circulation desk, and get books back on the shelf quicker! Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  for more information.

Fast Forward: Science Fiction

Date(s): January 25, 2008, 1:30 – 3:00pm, Georgetown Public Library
Presenter: Lou Anders, Editorial Director, PYR Books
Facilitator:  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
2.5 hour CE credit

This workshop will follow the annual Friends of CTLS, Inc. Fundraising Luncheon. Lou Anders, Editorial Director of Pyr Books will share his vision of the future - and his knowledge of the Science Fiction genre – with CTLS member library staff, volunteers, board and Friends. Lou will discuss the various Sci Fi sub-genres and authors who are currently popular.  He’ll also recommend authors and titles to include in a beginning Science Fiction core collection.

Cost: Member libraries and Friends of CTLS, Inc. – no cost   nonmembers - $15 per person

Hollywood Librarian Screening & Workshop

Date:  November 20, 2007, 1:00 to 4:00, MCC Auditorium, Austin
Presenter:  Ann Seidl, writer/director of The Hollywood Librarian
Facilitator:  Suzan Nyfeler
3 hours CE credit

Hollywood Librarian websites:  www.hollywoodlibrarian.com, http://hollywoodlibrarian.wordpress.com/
Directly from the film’s nationwide release, Ann M. Seidl, the writer and director of The Hollywood Librarian:  A Look at Librarians Through Film, brings fresh energy and perspective to the discussion of the image and perception of library work.  The workshop will feature the film, plus Seidl’s thought-provoking insight on the future of the profession.  The workshop is brought to librarians, library staff and library students through the cooperation of the University of Texas Libraries and the Central Texas Library System, Inc.  

Audience:  Librarians, library staff & library school students
Cost:  No cost

Last Chance Books for Fun & Fundraising

Date(s):  September 28, 2007, 1:00 – 3:30 p.m. – Caldwell Civic Center, Caldwell
Presenter:  Julie Ousley, Friend of New Braunfels Public Library
Facilitator:  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
2.5 hour CE credit

Last Chance Books is the name of a successful fundraiser for the Friends of the New Braunfels Public Library.  Learn how use books that are “ready to assume a new life” to create furniture, purses, shaped books and altered books – and to make money for your library!  This is a hands-on event so check out the list of what to bring at www.ctls.net.  Co-sponsored with Friends of CTLS, Inc. 

Cost:  No cost

LeaderShift: Tools for Managing People

Date(s):  February 12, 2008, 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Temple Public Library, McLane Room (3rd floor)
Presenter:  Carla Penny, Organizational Development Consultant
Facilitator:  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
5 hours CE credit

Master the 4 key responsibilities of a manager and receive tools and insights which will help you apply what you’ve learned to the people you lead. Create a baseline assessment of your ability to perform the responsibilities of a manager, and develop a motivational action plan for your team. Carla Penny is an independent consultant who is currently working with Dell Computers, Montgomery County Library System, and other organizations to affect a leadershift in supervisors and managers.  Registration is limited to library supervisors. 

Cost:  Member libraries – no cost   nonmembers - $50 per person

The Library as Place:  AIA/CTLS Design Symposium

Date(s):  March 6, 2008, 9:00 – 3:30, Carver Museum/Carver Branch Library, Austin
Facilitators:  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
5 hours CE credit

Co-sponsored by the American Institute of Architects, Austin Chapter. This will be a first in Central Texas - a joint symposium for librarians and architects.  Participants will learn from the experts about planning & fundraising, building design and specifications, and construction & maintenance of a new library. Architects and library professionals will share their experience and expertise in formal morning presentations and smaller afternoon breakout sessions.  Learn about the trends and challenges in building a library fit for the future. 

Cost:  Member libraries – no cost   nonmembers - cost TBA

Must-Have Nonfiction for Small Public Libraries

Date(s):  November 29, 2007, 9:00 to 3:30, Taylor Public Library
Presenters include: Karen Ellis, Peggy Owen, Diana Miranda-Murillo, Laurie Mahaffey
Facilitator:  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
5 hours CE credit

This will be an action-packed series of sessions on collection development; topics as diverse as Home Repair, Interior Design and Remodeling, Business and Finance, How-to-do-it-Books, Consumer Health, Psychology & Self Help, Texana, Books for Spanish Speakers, Cookbooks and Dieting. 

Cost:  Member libraries – no cost   nonmembers - $50 per person

Performer's Showcase

Date(s):  January 15, 2008, 9:00 to 3:30, Patterson Civic Center, Rockdale
Facilitator:  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
5 hours CE credit

This is always a fabulous event! Watch storytellers, magicians, and other performers who are eager to work with central Texas libraries.  You can also talk to a variety of exhibitors and be able to book your summer programs.  Invite local donors, so they can see how their money is spent.  

Cost:  No cost

Reaching our Spanish-speaking Audience

Dates:     March 18, 2008,  Larry Ringer Public Library, College Station
                 May 13, 2008,   Waco, Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 
                 May 15, 2008,  Ruiz Branch, Austin Public Library
Presenter: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
9:00am - 4:30pm (Registration starts at 8:30am)
Cost: both the workshop and lunch will be provided free of charge.

6 hours CE credit

This important initiative is being supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through a grant administered by OCLC/Web Junction to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and other state library agencies throughout the United States. Participants will learn:

• Awareness of cultural differences and issues
• How to form community partnerships and collaboration between the library and the Spanish-speaking community
• Techniques on increasing awareness of the public library and public computers to Spanish-speaking customers 

Register now with the Texas State Library and Archives Commission

For more information, contact: 
Myra Arredondo Zatopek
Special Services Consultant
Toll free 1-800-252-9386 (Texas only)
or (512) 463-5527 

Texas Reading Club & Texas Teens Read!

Date(s): December 3, 2007, 9:00 to 3:30, Temple Public Library, McLane Room (3rd floor)
December 4, 2007, 9:00 to 3:30, Larry Ringer Library, College Station
Presenter: Devo Carpenter, Austin Public Library, and Kendra Perkins, Larry Ringer Library, College Station
Facilitator:  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
5 hours CE credit

Celebrate the 50th birthday of the Texas Reading Club!  Learn how to capture the minds and imagination of children and teens with your library’s summer programs, where to find great programs, and how to plan dazzling events!  The morning session will cover programs for children.  The afternoon will focus on the new Texas Teens Read program:  Game On! TTR08. 

Cost:  Member libraries – no cost   nonmembers $50 per person

Trading Spaces: How to Transform a Library Like Yours with the Money You Have Available Now

Date(s):  October 25, 2007, 9:00 to 3:30, Leander Public Library
Presenters:  Joan Bernstein and Kathy Schalk-Greene, Mount Laurel (NJ) Public Library
Facilitator:  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
5 hours CE credit

Learn how transform your library into a patron-friendly, kid-friendly space, increase usage and secure customer loyalty, just like the managers of the nationally-recognized Mount Laurel (NJ) Public Library did.  Discover how to apply retail display techniques to strategic areas of your library. Rewrite policies and improve staff culture to increase use of your library.  The workshop will also include a walk-through to help you see a library through the eyes of a customer. 

Cost:  Member libraries – no cost   nonmembers - $50 per person

Web Usability

Date(s):  December 12, 2007, 9:00 to 1:00, Fayette Public Library, La Grange
December 13, 2007, 9:00 to 1:00, McLennan Community College, Waco
Presenter:  Diane Neal
Facilitator:  Kam McEvoy
4 hours CE credit

Our library websites have a definite impact on how our customers perceive us.  Offering a user-centered website is obviously desirable, but how do you know if your site is easy to use?  Are there ways to evaluate your site for usability and decide how it could be improved?  This workshop will give you an understanding of the principles and practices of web usability and will explore techniques for integrating library resources to increase usage of your library’s website. 

Cost:  Member libraries – no cost   nonmembers - $40 per person

What Do You Tell Parents About MySpace?

Date: May 29, 2008. 10am-noon, Taylor Public Library, Taylor.
Presenters: Alison O’Reilly and Jenn Freeman, Austin Public Library Teen Librarians
Facilitator: Suzan Nyfeler
2 hrs CE credit

View Flyer. Kids know all about these popular online social networks - or do they? This course will introduce you to Austin Public Library’s successful one-hour training class created for parents wanting to help their children and teens navigate safely in the online world of social networks.

• Learn how to teach this course yourself
• Find out how to answer parent and community questions
• See demo of actual class
• For librarians, teachers & youth group leaders

Cost:  Member libraries – no cost   nonmembers - $20 per person