Tortus Newsletter November 2009

November 18, 2009

The Bookless Library

Trying to imagine a library without books can be a bit of a challenge at first. It’s like imagining a restaurant without food, or a car dealership with no cars. The word ‘library’ comes from the Latin word liber, meaning book. A library, then, is a place where you expect to find books.

Libraries evoke sensory memories of the one thing that they’re always supposed to have: shelves upon shelves of volumes; the scent of paper, new and crisp or old and musty; and, in the hush, the sound of pages turning. Without books, what exactly is the point of libraries?

“When I look at books, I see an outdated technology,” is the bold pronouncement Cushing Academy headmaster James Tracy made in a recent interview with the Boston Globe. Cushing, a preparatory school in Ashburnham, Mass., has decided to eliminate all books in their library and replace their traditional resources with digital counterparts. Tracy is a key supporter of the new learning center, which will require nearly a half million dollars to implement with the required technology. Students will do research and access many of their required texts online. Fifty thousand dollars have also been earmarked for a new coffee shop in the center. And $10,000 will be spent to purchase 18 electronic readers, which will be distributed to students who have the urge to hold a book-like device in their hands.

As you might expect, reactions to the new bookless “library” have been varied. Read more…

Tortus Talk

Tortus Launches Ten New Client Sites!

We recently helped ten clients upgrade their web strategies with new websites over the past three months. New sites have been launched for Agway, Bacon Wilson, Benchmark Carbide, C.A.R. Products, NEFCO, Stephen A. Roberts, The Difference, UMassFive College Federal Credit Union, Valley Stone Credit Union, and Villas & Apartments Abroad.

Our fearless leader and Tortus CEO Harry Moore notes that "the web recently has become the primary communication tool for business. Historically, the web was thought to be an option to market services and products. It has now become the most cost-effective and preferred channel to communicate with clients, customers, and prospects. Your website is your image and message to the world."

Learn more about the ten incredible new sites here!

Upcoming Seminar!

We'll be taking a brief seminar break in December, but we'll be right back on in January with one of our popular offerings:

Reach Your Target Audience Using Social Networking

Wednesday, January 20th, 2009 from 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Flickr, Bebo, Xanga ... you hear about them in the news, from associates, you may even be a member - but, are you using them to market your business?

Social networking can be a viable, cost-effective way to reach a large, targeted audience. Join us as we explore successful case studies from various businesses and leave with an understanding of the do's and don'ts of marketing your business...socially.

This seminar will be held at the offices of Tortus Technologies in West Springfield, Massachusetts.
Seating is limited (15 per seminar) and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Email us today to sign up.

Are You Smarter than a Tortus?

This month's question may seem deceptively simple: which state in the U.S.has the most coastline? Find out the answer here!