This is Stacy Julian for BPS and let me begin by saying thank you. Thank you for considering Library of Memories-Library of Memories or LOM for short is a big commitment - an investment really, in your creative future. You may not know this, but this website, Big Picture Scrapbooking came into being primarily because I wanted an effective way to share my personal system of capturing, organizing and sharing my stories - my system that I call my Library of Memories. During the years that I worked as editor of Simple Scrapbooks magazine I became acutely aware of the limitations and frustrations that scrapbooking creates for many people. During these same years, as my life grew busier and busier - I was out of necessity (and almost unknowingly) fine-tuning my approach to "keeping up" and the more I traveled and taught around the country, the more I wanted to share these basic ideas that have been so beneficial for me. Long story short, being able to teach this class to a large group of people with a very personal "in-your-own-space" application is a dream come true. My desire to reach out to everyday scrapbookers, amateur photographers and anyone wanting to enable more meaningful storytelling was one of the key motivations that brought online education to the scrapbooking industry. Come on Stace … is this class really "all that?" You know what? I believe that it is, but I'll be honest with you, this class (which at times will feel more like a college course) requires a fair amount of money and a fair amount of time - there are no term papers or comprehensive final exams (phew) but it is a commitment on your part-creativity -boosting and life-altering commitment.

You've probably heard the phrase "the only thing constant in life is change." The way we take and share photos has completely changed over the last several years. We are in the midst of a digital revolution. Digital technology will continue to explode and we have the opportunity to embrace it and use it to share our photographs and enhance our creativity overall. With this in mind, I've taken a good look at my LOM curriculum and given it a refresh. My personal Library has changed and evolved over the years and it continues to do so and I'm excited to invite a full spectrum of scrapbookers to experience Library of Memories this year. For now, I remain more of a traditional paper+ paste scrapbooker, but I use digital tools and online services extensively and I'm just really excited to help any and all scrapbookers (traditional, hybrid, digital) do the same, within the context of LOM. The core concepts that bring more freedom and more meaning to your creative storytelling work for anyone and everyone, regardless of the format they create in.

Now, I am only able to teach Library of Memories once a year, which is why I authored the book, Photo Freedom, A Big Picture Approach to Organizing and Scrapbooking Your Pictures. I realize that both the price tag for the class and the limited enrollment are prohibitive to many people and in those cases I am hopeful that the book will make available the principles and processes that have quite literally sustained my enthusiasm for this great hobby of ours for well over a decade.
If you already own a copy of Photo Freedom and are wondering whether you should take Library of Memories, let me share with you some of the advantages to the online experience.

Let's start with content. The content of the book and the class is pretty much the same, but the way the content is delivered is quite different. Both book and class share the information you need to implement and adapt my system. Content in the book is organized so that it reads well - straightforward and concise. Content in the class is more in depth and presented in a way that is measured and controlled. An analogy I like is that of feeding a baby. You can put a bowl of baby food in front of her and say "here, eat this" or you can sit down in front of her and spoon-feed the contents of the jar to her. If you spoon in hand can open the jar and dive in on your own -- then the book is all you need. If you would benefit from "spoon-feeding" then you will LOVE the class. Content in the book is the nuts and bolts, content in the class is that, plus additional delivery tools (like printable worksheets and audio/video presentations) that provide inspiration and encouragement you need to make it all happen. You should also know that the pages and projects shared in the book are not the same that I share in the class - so from the stand point of visual explanation the book and the class augment each other nicely. In fact, I encourage students in the class to purchase the book if they can.

Ok now let's talk interaction. In my opinion, it is the interaction inside the BPS classroom that makes the monetary investment of the class worth it. Simply put, interaction in the class is nothing short of phenomenal, as you will be joined by hundreds of other scrapbookers working through the process together. You will be able to visit our classroom forums and ask questions and find solutions together. You can share frustrations, roadblocks, "Aha" moments and ultimate success with participants from all over the world. You will not only be able to ask questions of me, but you will also be able to get expert help from a team of trainers and coaches that have adapted LOM to their own lives and family situations. The class also comes with open online chats and access to my personal inbox. I sincerely try to respond to individual questions with individual answers.

To further help you make an informed decision, I've made both the class syllabus and the introductory supply list available to you. Please print and read through these resources carefully. If you have other questions regarding registration or the content of Library of Memories, please email admin@bigpicturescrapbooking and put LOM in the subject line.

Again, I am so appreciative of your time and consideration and want you to know that I am eagerly preparing for the first day of class. I hope you'll be there - signing off with a definitive "This is BIG!"