The Massachusetts Library System is pleased to announce that we have contracted with ALA to provide our members with access to their live webinars.  These webinars are free to MLS members who register through our calendar.  Please do not register directly with ALA. Members who register directly with ALA are responsible for paying their registration fee. 

Please help us keep MLS sponsored training free for all members. If you are unable to attend the live webinar, please cancel your registration. A cancellation link can be found in your confirmation email, or you may contact Sarah Donnelly at sdonnelly@masslibsystem.org to cancel. 

Description

Whether you currently offer or are considering offering notary and passport services, this session has context and resources for you. Adding passport and/or notary services to your library's offerings provides a new venue for customer engagement, a new revenue stream, and new hurdles. Learn how to build in passport and notary services at your library as we highlight getting started and creating clear processes to avoid monopolizing staff time from both a management and administrative perspective. Additionally, we will walk through ways St. Louis Public Library has been strategic to be sure staff feel supported and prepared for difficult situations, including legal requirements, associated costs, training requirements, our structure, and potential pitfalls.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this webinar, the participant will be able to:

• Start notary and passport services at a library
• State expectations of staff who are Passport Acceptance Agents or Notary Publics
• Create best practices for managing service demands

Presenters

Amber Gordon is an Assistant Manager at Buder Library with St. Louis Public Library in St. Louis Missouri. With a background in Student Affairs and time in Wisconsin, Kansas, and Missouri this Midwest library worker loves storytime, board games, and community engagement. Whether the day's agenda includes updating the schedule, Pete the Cat, Wingspan, a romance novel with Meet Cute Book Club, or outreach with the play parachute at a local festival she loves her job through it all.

Marrissa Owens is the Community Engagement Librarian at Buder Library, part of the St. Louis Public Library system in St. Louis, Missouri, She holds a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) from the University of Missouri and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Missouri State University. In her role, Marissa is dedicate to planning and coordinating programs and outreach efforts, representing the library at local festivals, and assisting patrons with passport and notary services. Her passion for community engagement and library services ensures that the library is a vibrant and accessible resource for all.

Accessibility Information

If you have questions or requests regarding accessibility, contact ce@ala.org or at 312-280-5100.