BCinDC & the 2011 Convention

Archive for the ‘BookCrossing Convention 2011’ Category

Do you want to help out the 2011 Convention and get something out of it? There are now three awesome benefits for our Bookworm convention donors:

Donate to the Convention and Get:
*Listed on the thank you webpage, which will remain online in perpetuity, with your name or screen name and a link to your website or BookCrossing bookshelf!
*Wings for a month(for you or for a friend), courtesy of a generous anonymous donor!
*A chance to choose the color we dye our hair!

Find out more and donate with just the click of a button here: http://www.bcindc.zoiks.org/?page_id=844

The theme of our convention is Choose Your own BookCrossing Journey. However, we realize that all our attendees’ limitations are different and some people might require additional information to choose scheduled activities that will be most enjoyable for them.

Therefore, we now have information for you to consider that takes into account mobility and other concerns. Special arrangements can be made upon request if we are given enough notice. Check out the new Accessible Activities page.

This post is part 18 of our Wednesday Adventure Series. Each week we will highlight something different in the Washington, D.C., Metro Area, many of which will be options for part of your own BookCrossing Journey. With so many things to see and do, how will you choose?

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (B.E.P.) is mostly known for printing paper currency used in the United States. However, it’s also responsible for printing Treasury securities, military commissions and award certificates, and security documents and identification cards for a variety of Government agencies. It even printed stamps from 1894 until 2005. What it is not responsible for is coinage, which is produced in Philadelphia and Denver at the United States Mint. There are two locations of the B.E.P.: Fort Worth, Texas (where the 2005 BookCrossing Convention took place) and Washington, D.C. (where the 2011 BookCrossing Convention will take place).

Some fun facts about the B.E.P. and money include:
· A bill (or note) weighs about 1 gram
· The largest denomination note ever printed was a $100,000 Gold Certificate, Series 1934
· The Secretary of Treasury is responsible for choosing the design for the notes
· By law, only portraits of deceased individuals may appear on currency
· A $1 bill’s lifespan in circulation is roughly 42 months, during which time its travels may be tracked at wheresgeorge.com.
· Bally Bucks issued at the 2011 Convention are not legal tender

The B.E.P. is integral to the US, as we use what it produces every day. However, it was not in the original government plan for the country. There was a drain on the supply of coin currency during the Civil War, so in 1861 the government realized another option should be instituted. A private company was hired to print Demand Notes (like IOUs from the Government). The sheets of notes were sent to the Treasury Department where many different clerks cut the notes apart and signed them.

It still took time and many changes to get from that stage to what we have today. The agency went through many names including: National Currency Bureau, Printing Bureau, Small Note Bureau, Currency Department, and Small Note Room. In 1874, congressional legislation made the name “Bureau of Engraving and Printing” stick.

By 1864, the B.E.P. already printed more than just currency and notes. They were responsible for producing Treasury bonds and even passports for the State Department. It wasn’t until the sale of bonds during World War I in 1918 that the power presses at the B.E.P. were redesigned to print eight notes per sheet instead of just four. Currency itself was redesigned in 1929 to standardize size, allow twelve notes to be printed per plate, and combat counterfeiters. Today’s bills are being redesigned slowly to combat modern day counterfeiters; the new $100 bill is just now being released with new security measurements. And today we use systems that can print 32 notes per plate in a process of inking, wiping, and pressing the paper (made of 75% cotton and 25% linen) into the plate where the engraved lines still contain ink.

You can see this process firsthand by touring the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, which is one of your Friday morning early bird add-on choices for the 2011 BookCrossing Convention. Guided tours are 30 minutes long and you will have a chance to visit the gift shop where you can buy anything from shredded money to sheets of uncut currency. You can find out more about the B.E.P. by visiting their aptly-named website: http://moneyfactory.gov.

Due to popular demand, we are pleased to now offer 2011 BookCrossing Convention Day Passes. The price for day passes on Friday or Sunday are $50 each and the price for Saturday is $100. This includes whatever activities and meals will take place as outlined on the Convention Schedule. So if you’re only able to attend for a day, now you can join in on the fun. Register for the Convention and get ready to Choose Your Own BookCrossing Journey with us!

The idea behind a reverse scavenger hunt is to leave a book at each of the locations on the list during the convention. In honor of it being the 10th anniversary of BookCrossing, there are 10 items on the Reverse Scavenger Hunt this year for the 2011 BookCrossing Convention in Washington, D.C:

1. Somewhere “American”
2. In front of a museum
3. By cherry blossoms
4. On a statue
5. Somewhere funny OR a funny release
6. Somewhere yellow
7. In a tree/bush
8. Within sight of a monument
9. At an OBCZ other than the Sheraton*
10. Somewhere that has to do with “ten” or “celebration” or “birthday”

*This one might be changed in the final version, depending upon how many OBCZs we are able to set up in the area.

The form is available here in pdf if you would like to download or print it in advance:

You can find info about the reverse scavenger hunt on its own page under the Convention->Schedule section of this website.