PLA Blog

I had the best time at PLA.  The best!  I was having so much fun, in fact, that I didn’t even finish blogging until I had been home for two days.  It took that long to recover!  I must say, my first PLA was a resounding success, leaving me with the desire and excitement to implement all I learned.

Thank you to everyone who attended for being so nice and polite and friendly to me!  And thank you to all the presenters for making my eyes sparkle with possibilities.

Thank you, John Wood, for showing us how simple it can be to make a difference.

Thank you, Nancy Pearl, for being my rock star and being so gracious about my giddiness.

Thank you, Sarah Weeks, Brian Selznick, Avi, and Pam Muñoz Ryan, for a phenomenal preformance.  I could watch your Reader’s Theatre every day.

Thank you, Paula Poundstone, for making me laugh until I had to leave the room or make a mess on my chair.  Thank you, also, for making me the envy of pretty much everyone I know.  Because I got to see Paula Poundstone and they didn’t.

Thank you to everyone who smiled at my exuberance and told me that my excitement was infectious.

Thank you for reading this blog.

And most importantly, thank you all for being librarians.  I’ve never known a nicer people!

Flew in from Indianapolis yesterday, took the Light Rail in from the airport and checked into the Westin (it was so easy.)  Since this is my first major conference in the library field, I was surprised to see how easy it was to recognize other library professionals.  You know the stereotypes of how we look (think Nancy Pearl inspired action figure) but I think it is in more how we carry ourselves, a sense of competency.  (OK- more like we know what we are doing or if we don’t, we don’t mind asking someone).

Finally found free internet access - hotel was 12.95 per day - and am sitting here surrounded by people reading and responding to email.  I am so excited to see the presentations and will report more later.  I do think the nifty PLA blue tote bags are a tad heavy, I guess they are full of goodies.  Next time, I’ll check in early and then edit the contents of the tote before I go the convention.  Live and Learn.

Nearly 200 people are registered to attend the PLA 2008 Virtual Conference (everyone who attends the PLA 2008 conference in Minneapolis can also log in now to participate, or later to gain access to the archives), and so far, everyone seems to be really happy with it. I was recruited to “host” the conference, which really means a cheerful welcome message at the beginning of the day and chatting with the attendees during the “Virtual Happy Hour” at the end of the day (sans cocktails, sadly). It’s been a hoot so far. The Learning Times crew has been doing an excellent job of keeping everything together and moving!

The Adobe Connect interface that the attendees see isn’t much different from the interface that the presenters see (click on the screenshots for a larger view complete with interface notes):

Here you mostly see the areas for slides and chat, but normally you could also see a floating list of attendees. Live, on-the-fly polling, white boards, co-browsing and desktop sharing is possible with the interface, so it really adds to the interactivity of the experience. So far, getting the presenters ready for their sessions has been really easy: put on the headsets, show them the interfaces, and off they go. We’ve had a few problems with streaming audio and video simultaneously, but I think that might actually be an internet connection problem in this case.

Speaking of interactivity, one of the best examples is the Inside the Author’s Studio sessions. Yesterday, Nancy Pearl donned a headset and spoke directly with Virtual Conference attendees for a full hour, taking questions directly from the audience and answering them.

Since the Adobe Connect interface can be altered on the fly to meet the needs of the presenter, Learning Times set her up with a a “Questions for Nancy Pearl” chat box that was separate from the General Chat. That way, attendees could still talk amongst themselves, and Learning Times could pass along links related to Nancy’s comments — for example, she mentions an author, they go out and find the URL of the author’s site, and post it to the chat — and Nancy could focus directly on what people were asking her.

It’s really a nice setup.

Today’s session was especially interesting, because we experienced a typical conference problem: a presenter who doesn’t/can’t show. I still haven’t heard what happened with those presenters, or what the plan is, but in a pinch they needed someone to fill a slot. Since I had mentioned the PLA 2008 Twitter experiment to the Virtual Conferencees, hoping they would also share their thoughts using the #pla08 hashtag, and there were many librarians who instantly had questions, I was called in to pinch hit with an impromptu presentation about Twitter. Overall it was really interesting, and I think most attendees got something out of it. I know I got about 12 new Followers on Twitter for my time :). It also led to a really interesting chat discussion about using Twitter and Meebo for reference, the idea of roving reference, single service points, and more, and I’m glad we recorded all of it for the archive. Who knows, maybe you’ll all see me as a future PLA presenter at some point.

Virtual Conference attendees: be sure to sound off in the comments here!

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.

I wasn’t planning on spending all my computer time at the convention center at the wireless location, and have found that the internet connectivity at the hotel (Doubletree Suites) is less than satisfactory.  I’m sitting in the lobby writing. Had to ask another laptop user which network she was using.  I love my little Apple and it generally connects without my even noticing.  Not here.My name is Melissa Malcolm. I have never blogged before but want to try it at the library so hope that this experience will help with that.    I’m a new library director in Gloucester, VA, which is on the “Middle Peninsula”.  It’s rural and beautiful and I love it.  I’m a bit discombobulated, though.  I woke up at 3 am yesterday for a very early flight.  Left my cell phone somewhere so got another one.  (We survived without cell phones at conferences years ago–could I do it again?  Didn’t even want to try.)  I’m walking around with a broken foot–don’t ask!–and have been  dozing since the walk to the public library yesterday.  Lying on my bed, but also through a program this afternoon. I wonder if anyone noticed?Last night I attended the FOLUSA author reception, which has become one of my favorite events at ALA and PLA conferences.   I have an autographed copy of a memoir (can’t remember the title–it’s up in the room) by a young Hmong woman.  Her brief talk was moving and enlightening.  Remember Garrison Keillor talking about the Hmong and Vietnamese young people in his library in St Paul?  The future of our country, I think he called them.My favorite program today was Susan Hill Pieper’s on library web pages.  I’ve heard her before and enjoy her common sense, her enthusiasm and her self-deprecating sense of humor.  I’ve seen web pages that are pretty and have little real content.  I prefer those that may not be the most sophisticated but that help library patrons find what they need to know.  Susan’s at Paulding County, Ohio is one of those.  The suggestion that I’m going to follow is to work on building a historical postcard collection.  Scan those cards and get them on the web.  Your genealogists and history buffs will love them.I’m enjoying my visits with the exhibitors too.  As my new library has an unfamiliar (to me) automation system and utilizes different methods of ordering materials, I’ve taken the time to look at the new (to me) products and procedures, and talk to former vendors and jobbers about setting up new accounts.  Not too soon, though.  I’ve seen a few pursed lips at suggestions I’ve made for changes in procedure and I don’t want to find out what they mean, exactly.Let’s hope that I have a better grip on this whole process tomorrow and can post without a struggle.    

If you want to see more of my time at PLA than I have posted here, you can check out my flickr photo set for more pictures and snippets!

I was a bit leery when I read the course description for this workshop. I just didn’t believe there was any way to get the children at my library off the computer and excited about reading. I thought I had tried it all.

I’m happy to say, I think I was wrong. The Global Reading Challenge is another of those “infectiously inspiring” nuggets that this conference seems to be full of this year. Who would have ever thought you could turn reading into a sport? Not me, that’s for sure! But that is exactly what the Global Reading Challenge has done.

Working within a core set of rules, but infinitely malleable, the Global Reading Challenge gives teams of children a set of books to read and then pits them against each other to answer questions pertaining to the stories. The highest scoring teams advance, culminating in a tournament for the Global Reading Challenge trophy.  And there is always cookies and juice.

I was gobsmacked by the videos of children clamoring to be involved.  One presenter even said that Global Reading Challenge was more popular than Summer Reading Program!  Many schools have even incorporated the Challenge into their curriculum — reading one or more of the selections in the classroom.

I’m extremely excited to get home and try and figure out how this program could work for us.  We are small, but we are mighty and I’m always up for a good game!

Please pardon my lack of posting yesterday; I couldn’t get my login to work. I promise to make up for it tonight with a series of posts about my first two days at PLA. I have to say, that I’m definitely filling the “way too excited about everything” niche.

Wednesday, after our Party Bus arrived, I stood amongst the other librarians milling about, wondering what I could expect and what anyone could possibly want to talk to me about for two and a half hours. Once we were finally allowed to funnel into the dark hall — why was it so dark, anyway? No house lights? — I began to feel flutters of anticipation, but I still had no idea what inspiration there was in store.

“He had me at hello” was made for men like Jon Wood. I swear, 5 minutes in to his presentation, I was all teary. And then I figured out why the room was so dark — so people like me could hide and not feel quite so goofy about the premature tears.

Room to Read is one of those monumental efforts that could be daunting, but is, instead, exhilarating. It was only 10 minutes in when I dug through my bag, searching for a notebook and pen.  I wrote down two things: the url for the Room to Read website, and “What can I do to help?” Because Mr. Wood shows you just how easy it can be.

Every year during Summer Reading Program, we have our children work on a service project to see the importance of giving back. It wasn’t 15 minutes before I knew that Room to Read would be our project this year. We have a wishing well that the children can put their pocket money in and I’m going to approach a few local businesses about matching the childrens’ donations. At $1 a book, I think even my small town can make an impact.

Not sure if I’m posting something everyone else already knew about, but if any blog readin’ librarians get a chance to escape the conference for an art show I have a suggestion.  Go over to the Weisman Art Museum, a phenomenal Frank Gehry creation that resembles a giant hobbit-hut from the year 3000, and see The Exquisite Book: The International Library by Helmut Löhr, et al

Here’s a little excerpt from the site:

The Exquisite Book features selections from Helmut Löhr’s ongoing project, The International Library. For this project, Löhr created a series of altered books with their torn pages on the outside and their covers on the inside, and sent them to a number of artist-collaborators around the globe who were charged with further transforming them and returning them to Löhr. The Exquisite Book features collaborations with such internationally renowned artists as Lawrence Weiner, Buzz Spector, and Doug Beube. Also featured are several Twin Cities-based artists including James Conaway, Harriet Bart, and Nancy Randall.

Greetings Everyone. It’s been a long ride, but I’m finally sitting here in Minneapolis in a hotel room the night before the PLA conference begins. My name is Nate Hill, I work at the Brooklyn Public Library, and I’m going to do my best to share bits and pieces of my favorite conference experiences on this blog.

It hasn’t been easy getting here, but its been an awful lot of fun. Myself and two colleagues, Emily Nichols and Molly Phelan drove all the way here from Brooklyn. Our voyage has been filled with adventure, so here it is in one long run-on sentence:

Start by picking up a car in Newark NJ at 6:00 AM, then driving through the snowy mountains in PA, stopping at cloned rest areas in Ohio (that looked an awful lot like libraries, don’t you think?), discussing bad tattoos with our waiter over tapas and saffron infused vodka in Ann Arbor MI, waking up with the flu but pressing on, looking for anything nice to say about the passage of I94 through Gary, Indiana, spending time in Chicago (I can’t speak to this part, unfortunately I was knocked out with the flu), driving on to Madison WI, visiting the House on the Rock (truly the wackiest place of all time), eating squeaky cheese curds, and then finally marveling at a setting sun as we approached St. Paul.

Can’t wait for the conference to get going! I’m going to do my best to tweet sort of regularly during this thing, so if you want to follow me on Twitter my name is natenatenate. See you all out there tomorrow!