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Home > For Libraries > District Consultants > Reading Round Up > Frequently Asked Questions

Reading Round-Up Frequently Asked Questions

1. Reading Round Up is always so crowded. Why don’t you find a larger venue?
The Planning Committee has investigated every other large centrally-located facility with multiple breakout rooms but has found nothing suitable. Colleges are only willing to rent space during spring break in March when a snowstorm would cancel the event.
2. Why don’t you repeat the program in another part of the state to reduce the crowded conditions and make it more accessible?
Speakers are usually unable to commit more than one day; this is especially true for keynote speakers, authors, and illustrators. Booking multiple venues would also increase the cost, and we try to keep the cost as low as possible to make it affordable. In addition, we often hear that participants find this statewide program a wonderful opportunity to network with colleagues from other parts of Maine.
3. April is such a busy month. Have you considered a different time of year?
The committee has thoroughly explored this idea and continues to study it annually. They try to avoid a conflict with the professional association and regional conferences as well as school vacations and holiday times.
4. Why don’t you offer payment by credit card?
Neither the Maine Library Association nor the Maine Regional Library System is currently equipped to do this. However, we hope this will be a possibility in the future.
5. Why don’t you have a third workshop series instead of a closing speaker?
We are considering adding a third workshop although many participants like the closing session at the end of the day.
6. There are never enough books for sale! Can you get multiple booksellers?
It is difficult to predict how many books will be sold the day of the event. In addition, many booksellers are often too short staffed to commit enough people for a whole day at the conference.
7. Why don’t you do a boxed lunch? Wouldn’t that be faster? And cheaper?
We may offer a boxed lunch choice next year although participants at a recent RRU breakout session who were served boxed lunches found the quality greatly inferior to the buffet. And it is not necessarily cheaper since there is more labor involved.
8. What about offering some sessions on technology? Or programming for seniors?
The purpose of Reading Round Up is “to learn ideas for promoting, marketing, evaluating, and purchasing noteworthy juvenile literature.” There are many other Maine library conferences offering continuing education on such topics but RRU is the only one devoted solely to children’s literature.