Continuing Education Policy

We love our members! CMRLS member librarians receive priority for attendance at Central Region programs, then member library staff from other Regions, then students enrolled in a graduate school of library and information science.

If space is available, Massachusetts librarians who are not members of a Massachusetts Regional Library System may register for programs at a cost determined by the CMRLS Executive Board.

Librarians outside of Massachusetts may register on a space available basis for double the cost determined by the CMRLS Executive Board. Payment must be received at time of registration. A 75% refund will be issued if individual cancels 10 days prior to the date of the scheduled workshop.

If programs are designated to meet the needs of one library type or function, member librarians of that group will receive priority.

Registrations are taken on a first come, first served basis, limited to one person per library if oversubscribed. Participants will be notified if their requests cannot be accommodated.

CMRLS will contact individual registrants two weeks before the workshop date to confirm their attendance. This enables CMRLS to make decisions about whether to hold or cancel workshops. Paid presenters are contractually given one week’s notice before cancellation.

Members must respond to CMRLS’ workshop confirmation. If CMRLS does not receive a confirmation 6 business days in advance of the scheduled workshop, the name will be dropped from the workshop registration.

If a member cancels after having confirmed her/his attendance at a workshop and neither that member nor CMRLS is able to fill their seat, that member’s library will be charged a $20 fee. Each member library will receive one free cancellation within a week of a workshop each fiscal year before this fee is assessed.

All programs are subject to cancellation if registration is low. For a Roundtable or computer lab workshop the acceptable minimum is 5 people. For all other workshops the minimum will be 10 people. Registrants will be notified as soon as the decision to cancel a program has been reached.

In the event that a member did not register for a program but wants to attend, s/he should call the CMRLS office to confirm that there is space available and that the program is being held as advertised. Staff should not attend the program without first registering.

CMRLS will survey member libraries to determine continuing education needs and interests. Suggestions of topical interest are welcome at any time.

CMRLS issues Certificates of Attendance with a corresponding number of Professional Development Point (PDP) hours required by the Massachusetts Department of Education for teacher recertification. Library Teachers should consult their Professional Advisors to incorporate PDP hours into their certification plan.

In the event of inclement weather, if the Worcester Public Schools are canceled, workshops scheduled to be held at CMRLS HQ will also be canceled. Workshops at other locations will be cancelled if schools in the hosting community are closed. Check school closings on the internet or radio to learn that district’s status.

Revised January 2004
Revised April 2006
Revised February 2008
Adopted by the CMRLS Board 2/26/08

Register now for summer workshops!

Things are heating up in our summer workshop series! Cool off with an interesting class or two. We'll save you a seat!

Need temporary help?

BiblioTemps is your staffing solution!

Temporary workers needed!

We're looking for a few good people - catalogers, circ staff, children's librarians, reference librarians and more. Apply now!