Comments on: Thoughts from Thursday at PLA http://plablog.org/2008/03/thoughts-from-thursday-at-pla.html The official blog of the Public Library Association Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:32:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: teddy walls http://plablog.org/2008/03/thoughts-from-thursday-at-pla.html#comment-2107 teddy walls Tue, 01 Apr 2008 20:57:50 +0000 http://plablog.org/2008/03/thoughts-from-thursday-at-pla.html#comment-2107 Word. I think this only proves that the need for professional advocacy is as important as ever. There is still a great need for library managers to invest in the continued education of their employees. Just think if the library's governing board (or whatever they may be called) decided to invest in internal staff development instead of outsourcing. I'm sure some nifty economist out there could do the math on this one and show that it would actually be less expensive. (Hey, maybe the profession needs to attract some math geeks and biz school grads along with those chart drawers?) Otherwise, I think the ALA is doing some important work in getting the professional development message across, it just needs to be "actioned" up as they say in the marketing world: The Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees: http://www.ala-apa.org/ ALA's LibraryCareers.org: http://www.librarycareers.org/ala/hrdr/librarycareerssite/home.cfm ALA Library Support Staff Resource Center: http://www.librarycareers.org/ala/hrdr/librarysupportstaff/library_support_staff_resource_center.cfm Word. I think this only proves that the need for professional advocacy is as important as ever. There is still a great need for library managers to invest in the continued education of their employees. Just think if the library’s governing board (or whatever they may be called) decided to invest in internal staff development instead of outsourcing. I’m sure some nifty economist out there could do the math on this one and show that it would actually be less expensive. (Hey, maybe the profession needs to attract some math geeks and biz school grads along with those chart drawers?)

Otherwise, I think the ALA is doing some important work in getting the professional development message across, it just needs to be “actioned” up as they say in the marketing world:

The Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees:
http://www.ala-apa.org/

ALA’s LibraryCareers.org:
http://www.librarycareers.org/ala/hrdr/librarycareerssite/home.cfm

ALA Library Support Staff Resource Center:
http://www.librarycareers.org/ala/hrdr/librarysupportstaff/library_support_staff_resource_center.cfm

]]> By: Andrea Mercado http://plablog.org/2008/03/thoughts-from-thursday-at-pla.html#comment-2079 Andrea Mercado Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:09:24 +0000 http://plablog.org/2008/03/thoughts-from-thursday-at-pla.html#comment-2079 I totally encourage posts of constructive criticism on the blog, with an emphasis on constructive. It makes for balanced, yet professional, content. :) I totally encourage posts of constructive criticism on the blog, with an emphasis on constructive. It makes for balanced, yet professional, content. :)

]]> By: Tony Ross http://plablog.org/2008/03/thoughts-from-thursday-at-pla.html#comment-2077 Tony Ross Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:39:12 +0000 http://plablog.org/2008/03/thoughts-from-thursday-at-pla.html#comment-2077 Nice roundup of the day, I particularly appreciate your critical/skeptical perspective on the sessions. I posted on the Keller session and didn't mention some of the slightly creepy aspects of his presentation, such as the idea of having McDonald's do bookmarks for the library with "Free Big Mac" coupons... Nice roundup of the day, I particularly appreciate your critical/skeptical perspective on the sessions. I posted on the Keller session and didn’t mention some of the slightly creepy aspects of his presentation, such as the idea of having McDonald’s do bookmarks for the library with “Free Big Mac” coupons…

]]> By: Andrea Mercado http://plablog.org/2008/03/thoughts-from-thursday-at-pla.html#comment-2075 Andrea Mercado Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:16:54 +0000 http://plablog.org/2008/03/thoughts-from-thursday-at-pla.html#comment-2075 I'm thinking that you were right when you said that librarians and vendors need party planners. The fact that at least 4 receptions were happening in the very same time slot last night is really kinda silly. Someone needs to learn to stagger these events, so that natural social flow points are created: schedule a party so that it becomes the place to go after the end of one party, but before hopping to the next. You know, like that. But I'm just saying. I’m thinking that you were right when you said that librarians and vendors need party planners. The fact that at least 4 receptions were happening in the very same time slot last night is really kinda silly. Someone needs to learn to stagger these events, so that natural social flow points are created: schedule a party so that it becomes the place to go after the end of one party, but before hopping to the next. You know, like that.

But I’m just saying.

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