I most enjoyed Elizabeth Elder’s discussion of her early days at Salt Lake Public Library. Before she even started at SLPL, she made a list of all the people she needed to meet (city officials, department heads, community leaders, etc.). When she met with those people, she asked them three questions:

1. What is your vision for the city?
2. What has your experience with the library been?
3. And, If I (and the library) get in trouble, will you help me?

The last question may seem strange, but it was really strategic. Elder had experienced major controversy in her previous position, and learned that libraries need defenders when there is trouble, rather than simply defending themselves. Her question was well-planned; soon after, a major problem brewed, and she went back to those local leaders for help. With the support of these people, and by engaging with the people on the other side of the particular issue, she was able to achieve a positive solution to the problem for all involved.

Elder believes that when there’s a problem, you need to turn toward it, rather than running away from it. This theme of facing conflict head-on has come up again and again in my sessions at PLA; whether the conflict is personal or political, you can’t solve it by ignoring it.

Many of Graham’s points are simple and logical (be consistent, make your rules simple and clear, document, document, document, etc.) but, with all the security issues libraries face, definitely worth making and reiterating. Most interesting to me was his discussion of staff awareness (or rather, the lack thereof in many libraries with security issues). Frontline branch staff must have their fingers on the pulse of what’s happening in the library. Some good customer service practices, like greeting people when they enter the building, are also good security practices. He advised having staff do a 30-30-30 exercise: For 30 days, all staff stop their work every 30 minutes to look around the library and observe what’s going on for 30 seconds. His reasoning is that after thirty days, this observing will become an ingrained practice. I would say that staff on public service desks should really be observing the library much more frequently than once every half-hour, but I like the simplicity of the exercise and I could see it being an effective way to get staff to begin to heighten their awareness.

Consistency came up over and over again — consistency in rules, enforcement, consequences, etc. A man at the circulation desk in a suit yelling needs to be treated the same way as a homeless man yelling, and as a teenager yelling. Thank you, sensei! I was so glad to hear this said — library staff should not accept bad behavior from anyone, nor should we pre-judge patrons as problems in they aren’t breaking the rules.

During the Q&A, someone asked about building relationships with police. This was a great point to bring to the forefront. Graham recommended meeting with your local police chief and educating him or her on the security issues that your library has, while also stating that you have well-trained (or, hopefully, soon-to-be-well-trained) staff who will only call when an issue truly needs to be addressed by the police. Warren also recommended building relationships with shelters and soup kitchens so you can make referrals, etc.

Thank you, sensei!

Nicole Pasini, San Mateo County Library

Nancy Pearl told the audience that readers advisory is simply about putting people together with books they will enjoy reading.

In doing so there are a few bedrock beliefs that she feels librarians need to have. The first is that we need to publicize our ability to provide readers advisory. Many people wouldn’t even consider asking a Librarian what book to read. Nothing cements a Library in a community like providing the connections that service gives. Librarians also need to provide holistic readers advisory. Don’t be afraid to recommend a book on CD or a video on a subject someone might like. Librarians should help readers discover they can have the same reading experience by taking books from different parts of the Library not just the same area they always visit.

Everyone can do a good job of readers advisory because there isn’t one right answer. The point of readers advisory is to give the reader a range of books to choose from. We should “suggest” books, not “recommend” them; and we should do so with the invitation to come back and discuss the book with the Librarian. We should always ask the patron to tell us about books they liked reading. Don’t ask what they like, but what they liked about it.

Sometimes the Library itself gets in the way of effective readers advisory. The segregation of fiction and nonfiction makes an artificial barrier. We need to do what we can to narrow the boundary. After all, much of the Non Fiction is actually fiction (think of the Fairy Tales and Literature call number ranges).

Readers Advisory isn’t like a reference interview. In a reference interview the Capital of Peru will always be Lima. But they books we might suggest depend on the mood of the reader and on us. We also might feel like we can only suggest books we have read. We can’t do that, it is impossible to remember all the books we have read and to remember all the plot details. We need to remember the readers advisory is not about us. The reader should never know our opinion about a book unless they ask us for it.

In an effort to be effective we need to make an effort to read books in areas we wouldn’t normally read. If it is a subject matter you hate, read the keystone book in that area (for True Crime which she dislikes, Nancy read Truman Capotes’ “In Cold Blood” for example). We also need to read more widely, something she called “reading promiscuously.” We need to be willing to read anything. Even if we don’t like it we only need to read it long enough to answer the question “what kind of reader would like this book?”

Remember, we are not recommending, we are suggesting. This is a key idea. When we recommend something we are hoping people will have the same experience as us. We recommend restaurants or service people. But in reading a book, not everyone has the same experience. It is impossible because everyone reads a book in their own way.

She told the story about going shoe shopping and the clerk brining out three pairs of shoes. One was the exact shoes she had on, the other was a close match and the third was not at all like the others, it was a reach. The clerk had heard her talk about needing shoes for work and so he thought these would be good for her. We should do the same in readers advisory, provide three suggestions. The first two should be close to what the reader wants and the third should be that “reach”, the book you think that they might enjoy because of some other aspect it shares with the other two.

When we read a book we enter the story through the doorways the author has written. There are four doorways in books: story, character, setting and language. Every book has all four of these, but the difference is the size of each of these doorways.

We need to recognize these doorways and how they relate to what people read. When a patron tells us why they like a book we need to know which of these doorways is the largest so we can suggest books that also focus on that doorway.

Nancy told the story of a Librarian who helped a man who said he loved the novels Patrick O’Brien wrote. After talking to him for a while she remarked that she enjoyed the love story that developed between the two characters. The man was a little shocked because that wasn’t the reason he read the book, he read them simply for the naval aspect of it. In this case the man liked the setting and read it for that, but the Librarian liked it for the character aspect. We cannot assume why a person liked a book which is why we need to ask.

Just because we know which doorway a person enjoys doesn’t mean we can always suggest books they will enjoy. Mood and motivation come into play. Sometimes people just aren’t in the mood for the kind of book we suggest. We have to help them find what they are feeling like reading. And sometimes if a book is assigned and they have no desire to read it the suggestions we give wont sound good anyway. But we have to try and build that personal connection not just for us, but for the patron to connect to the library.

If we keep these factors in mind we can provide readers advisory. It is easy and anyone can do it if they know what to look for.

Participants will learn:

*the ins and outs of LEED certification;
*techniques that can be used to operate routine library services, like the circulation desk, in a green manner;
*methods for partnering to promote and implement a greener way of life throughout the community.

This preconference will be held Tuesday, March 23, 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and continues on Wednesday, March 24, 8:30 a.m. – Noon.

Visit www.placonference.org to to see a complete list of PLA preconference programs and for registration information.

Interactive learning environments promote skills in areas such as literacy and kindergarten readiness, science, and the arts. In this program, you’ll learn about successful models already operating in several public library systems which range in scope from small, inexpensive, portable units to permanent, sophisticated destinations. Presenters also will share their experiences from planning through completion, and lessons learned through operation. By the end of this preconference, participants will:

*understand how interactive children’s learning environments are a valuable complement to contemporary public library services;
*recognize the broad range of possibilities in developing, creating, and operating interactive learning environments for children of all ages to experience with their parents and caregivers; and
*know how to identify goals for an interactive learning environment and the necessary steps to achieve it.

Get more information and register for this preconference at www.placonference.org.

The content has been designed for public library administrators, senior managers, and staff assuming new responsibilities, who want to increase their capacity to lead, with an eye toward managing future challenges. These challenges, as identified by the PLA Leadership Development Task Force include: demographic shifts, institutional relevance, and new economic, business, and service models.

Attendees should have a minimum of five years management experience or be stepping into a management role with greater responsibility.

By the end of this preconference participants will:
*Have developed a leadership skills portfolio
*Understand/apply change management theories;
*Have extended their professional network in order to stay ahead of critical issues and current trends.

Presenter: Adam Goodman, Director, Leadership Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill; and small-group facilitators (to be announced).

Attendance at this preconference is by application only. Fee is $160 for PLA/OLA members, $250 for ALA members, and $270 for nonmembers. Click here for application and more registration information.

Developed by PLA with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Turning the Page is an advocacy training program designed to equip librarians and library supporters with the skills, confidence, and resources they need to create community partnerships, build alliances with local and regional decision-makers, and ultimately increase funding for their libraries. This training is primarily offered to library systems participating in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Opportunity Online hardware grants program, but is being offered free of charge to 200 PLA members.

Turning the Page includes:
* Guest speakers who will inspire and motivate you to get excited about telling your library’s story.
* Breakout sessions taught by subject matter experts and tailored specifically to your role in developing an advocacy plan at your library.
* Access to multiple resources, including a free copy of the best-selling PLA publication, “Libraries Prosper with Passion, Purpose, and Persuasion: A PLA Toolkit for Success.”
* Lunch on both days with special lunchtime speakers to enlighten you about how funding decisions are made.
* Opportunities to network with your peers and learn what other libraries are doing to advocate for their library during and after the workshoip.

To register for Turning the Page and to get more information about PLA 2010, visit www.placonference.org.

Nancy Pearl presents “Book Buzz”
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 10:30am – noon
Join Nancy Pearl and assorted friends from the world of publishing as they talk about some of the best upcoming books. Pearl recommends books regularly on NPR’s “Morning Edition,” as well as local public radio stations in Milwaukee, Seattle, and Tulsa. Her books include Book Crush: For Kids and Teens: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Interest and Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason. This session is open to all registered conference attendees.

Nicholas D. Kristof to Keynote PLA Conference Opening Session
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 2:30 – 4:00 p.m.
For over twenty years, New York Times journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winner Nicholas D. Kristof has been at the forefront of world issues, from his coverage of the pro-democracy movement in Tiananmen Square to his recent reportage of the genocide in Darfur. His recent book (which he co-wrote with wife Sheryl WuDunn) Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide charts the oppression of women in developing countries and serves as a call to action to combat these issues. This session is open to all registered conference attendees.

Thursday’s Adult Author Luncheon to feature Scott Turow
Thursday, March 25, 2010 Noon – 1:45 p.m.
Scott Turow made a huge splash in the book world with his debut novel Presumed Innocent and has continued his streak of acclaimed best-selling books ever since. He has won a number of literary awards, including the Heartland Prize in 2003 for Reversible Errors and Time Magazine’s Best Work of Fiction 1999 for Personal Injuries. His latest novel, Innocent, will be published in Mary 2010. This event requires an additional fee.

Thursday’s Young Adult Author Luncheon to feature Virginia Euwer Wolff
Thursday, March 25, 2010 Noon – 1:45 p.m.
Virginia Euwer Wolff has made an indelible impression on the YA landscape over the past twenty years, all the more notable considering she spent the first half of her career as an English teacher. Her books include the Make Lemonade trilogy, Bat 6, Probably Still Nick Swansen, and The Mozart Season. Each of her books has been named either an ALA Notable Book or ALA Best Book, and she received the National Book Award for True Believer. This event requires an additional fee.

Audio Publisher’s Dinner
Thursday, March 25th, 2010 6 – 8:30 p.m.
Some of the best mystery authors writing today will converge at the Audio Publisher’s Dinner. This year’s speakers include Chelsea Cain, who has gained prominence with her Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell series; Sue Grafton, author of the Kinsey Milhone mysteries; Tony Award-winning actress Judy Kaye, who voices Kinsey Milhone on the audiobooks; and Marcia Muller, recently named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. This event requires an additional fee.

Friday’s Adult Author Luncheon to feature Luis Urrea
Friday, March 26, 2010 Noon – 1:45 p.m.
Author, poet, and essayist Luis Alberto Urrea was a 2005 Pulitzer Prize finalist and was recently inducted into the Latino Literature Hall of Fame. Powerful and evocative, Urrea’s writing has concentrated largely on the Tijuana border culture and sheds light on a too-often forgotten people. He has written eleven books including The Devil’s Highway, The Hummingbird’s Daughter (based on the life of his great-aunt Teresita, often labeled “The Mexican Joan of Arc”), and, most recently, Into the Beautiful North. This event requires an additional fee.

Children’s Author Luncheon to feature Kadir Nelson
Friday, March 26, 2010 Noon – 1:45 p.m.
Kadir Nelson began his career as an award-winning illustrator of many children’s books, including Thunder Rose and Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom. His authorial debut, We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, was a New York Times bestseller and won the Sibert Medal among many other awards. He has recently created a book called Change Has Come: An Artist Celebrates Our American Spirit about the historic election of Barack Obama. This event requires an additional fee.

Sarah Vowell to Keynote Closing Session
Saturday, March 27, 2010 11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Sarah Vowell is the author of four bestselling books and has been a contributing editor for NPR’s “This American Life” since 1996. Vowell’s Assassination Vacation is a hilarious and haunting road trip to tourist sites devoted to the murders of presidents Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley. Her latest book, The Wordy Shipmates, a history of American Puritans, was published in 2008 and she is currently at work on a history of 19th century Hawaii. This session is open to all registered conference attendees.

Offered biennially, the PLA National Conference is the premier event for public libraries, drawing librarians, library support staff, trustees, Friends and library vendors from across the country and around the world. The conference includes nearly 200 top-quality continuing education programs, preconferences and talk tables, plus several social events and networking opportunities and a bustling exhibits hall. PLA 2010, the PLA 13th National Conference, will be held March 23-27 in Portland.

For more information about PLA 2008, visit the National Conference Web site, www.placonference.org. For more information about other PLA events and programs, contact the PLA office at or 800-545-2433, ext. 5PLA, or visit PLA’s Web site at www.pla.org.