Thoughts from Thursday at PLA

Thursday was an ambitious day for me, I set out to accomplish a lot.  Here’s a few things I did and a few thoughts those things provoked.

From 8:30-9:45 I went to the “Why we Borrow” presentation, based on Paco Underhill’s “Why we Buy” book.  It was a decent presentation, but I found myself sitting there (actually standing, the joint was packed) wondering why libraries find it necessary to get big name consultants to tell us stuff we already know.  At no point in time did the speaker say anything about library patron behavior that surprised me or any other librarian in the room.  What they did do was provide some nice metrics and visuals: the best way to dress up and validate any mundane findings.  Nice showmanship Envirosell.  I bought in on the “dot-density” map.  Librarians, lets get better at measuring things and displaying the results well, then we won’t have to hire these guys, we can just read their books.

Next I headed over to the 21st Century Library Design program, and I was looking fwd to hearing Kimberly Bolan speak but guess what:  I got kicked out cause the room was at capacity!!! I did my best to nestle in on the floor real close to a row of librarians with lots of bags and packages, but alas I was discovered and ejected from the game.  Booooooo.

Lunch was awesome because friends and I went back over to the cafe at the Walker Art Center for a killer sandwich.

In the afternoon I went to hear James Keller, the marketing mastermind from Queens Public Library.  Yeah, I come all the way to Minneapolis from Brooklyn so that I can hear a guy who lives next door to me speak.  Whatever.  Anyways, he was good, but it was a little alarming in some ways.  Librarians, we have to remember that these marketing bigwigs work for us- not the other way around.  When Keller started talking about how to create a marketing plan it sounded frighteningly like the overall strategic plan an executive director might want to come up with for their library system.  Marketing and communications departments exist to help public service folks do their jobs.  Don’t be fooled by glossy flyers or hot air balloons with logos on them.  We run the show, not them.

Later on I went to a web design for rural libraries talk that  had to leave early because i felt like I was actually un-learning eveything I had learned about good web design and information architecture.

The evening got fun: went to the Library Journal “Best Small Library in America” dinner.  Chelsea MI won the honor, and everyone was in good spirits because of the free good spirits being offered.  hahaha.  My colleagues and I actually drove past Chelsea MI on the way to Minnesota.  After the LJ party we went to some bar where the Hold Steady were rocking the place.  There were librarians all up on the stage getting crazy.  Good stuff.

OK.  Enough yammer, time to go experience Friday.