PLA Blog

PLA Awards honor excellence in public library service by recognizing libraries and individuals whose service to the community is extraordinary. Be sure not to wait until the last minute to apply for a PLA Award. Many awards include significant cash prizes and are highly competitive.

The deadline for all applications is December 3, 2007.

• Advancement of Literacy Award, honoring a publisher, bookseller, hardware and/or software dealer, foundation or similar group that has made a significant contribution to the advancement of adult literacy;
• Allie Beth Martin Award, $3,000 honorarium, honoring a librarian who, in a public library setting, has demonstrated extraordinary range and depth of knowledge about books or other library materials and has distinguished ability to share that knowledge;
• Baker & Taylor Entertainment Audio Music/Video Product Award, $2,500 in Audio Music or Video products to promote the development of a circulating collection in a public library;
• Charlie Robinson Award, $1,000 honoring a public library director who, over a period of seven years, has been a risk taker, an innovator and/or a change agent in a public library;
• DEMCO New Leaders Travel Grant, up to $1,500, enhances the professional development of public librarians new to the field by making possible their attendance at major professional development activities;
• EBSCO Excellence in Small and/or Rural Library Service Award, $1,000 honorarium to a public library serving a population of 10,000 or less that demonstrates excellence of service to its community;
• Gordon M. Conable Award, $1,500 to a public library staff member, library trustee, or public library that has demonstrated a commitment to intellectual freedom and the Library Bill of Rights;
• Grow Your Own @ your library Institutional Scholarship, $8,000 in reimbursement of public libraries employees’ course tuition costs at the undergraduate or graduate level;
• Highsmith Library Innovation Award, $2,000 recognizing a library’s innovative and creative service program to the community.

Questions? Contact the PLA Office at .

Registration for PLA 2008, the 12th National Conference of the Public Library Association, is now open. The PLA Housing Bureau is also accepting hotel reservations. To register and request housing online for PLA 2008, or to download registration and housing forms, visit www.placonference.org. Popular events such as preconferences, tours and author luncheons are expected to fill up quickly. A special early bird rate is available for PLA members and members of the Minnesota Library Association who register before January 18, 2008. All other advance registrations must be received by February 29, 2008.

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 more than 100 top-quality continuing education programs, preconferences, talk tables, several social events, networking opportunities and a bustling exhibit hall. PLA 2008, the PLA’s 12th National Conference, will be held March 25-29, 2008, in Minneapolis, Minn.

For more information about PLA 2008, visit the National Conference Web site at www.placonference.org.

Harry Potter is legendary, not only in the realm of wizards but also in
the real world of children’s literature. Kids, even reluctant readers,
have read and reread the books. Adults have read them. Our
vocabularies have been enriched by words like “muggle,” “quidditch,” and
“Slytherin.”

What has is your library’s perspective on the Harry Potter phenomenon?
That’s the topic of the next “Perspectives,” the regular feature in
Public Libraries, the journal of the Public Library Association. We
welcome essays on any aspect of Harry Potter: have you had special
programs? Created partnerships with other agencies to promote new book
releases? Have the Harry Potter books brought you new patrons? How
have you helped them discover other books to read? Your experience may
be with kids, ‘tweens, teens, or adults — or it may be personal. If
you have a contrarian position that can be considered as well.

Essays should be 750-1,000 words. Photographs are welcome. Letters of
intent are appreciated, with first drafts due September 15, to

Nann Blaine Hilyard
Perspectives Co-Editor

Zion-Benton Public Library
Zion, IL 60099

The Public Library Association is an approved provider of Certified Public Library Administrator (CPLA) courses. This series of continuing education programs is designed to meet both the requirements for CPLA certification and the needs of library managers wanting to enhance their skills outside of the CPLA framework.

The basic content of the workshops is of equal interest to librarians pursuing certification and librarians desiring to enhance their professional skills in more informal way. The workshops have been designed to be practical rather than theoretical and include interactive exercises and group work. Librarians pursuing CPLA certification will be required to take both a pre-test and a post-test and will be asked to do outside readings or complete a project.

All of the PLA courses for CPLA are interactive and include a variety of group exercises based on a case study about a medium-sized county library with multiple branches. Using the same case study throughout each training program will give participants an opportunity to apply what they are learning in a practical way in the “real” library – and to see the effects of the decisions they make throughout each of the two-day programs.

The September schedule of courses is below - more information about each course as well as registration is available at www.pla.org.

Course: Budget and Finance
Date: September 11 & 12, 2007
Instructor: Sandra Nelson
Location: Kansas City Metro Library and Information Network, Kansas City, Missouri

Course: Planning and Management of Buildings
Date: September 5 & 6, 2007
Instructor: Cheryl Bryan
Location: Ohio Library Council, Columbus, Ohio

Course: Current Issues
Date: September 19 & 20, 2007
Instructor(s): George Needham and James McPeak
Location: Peninsula Library System, San Francisco, California

Course: Current Issues
Date: September 25 & 26, 2007
Instructor(s): George Needham and James McPeak
Location: Southern Adirondack Library System, Saratoga Springs, New York

Course: Marketing
Date: September 26 & 27
Instructor: Wayne Piper
Location: Atlanta-Fulton County Central Library, Atlanta, Georgia

“2007 Best of the Best From the University Presses, ” a PLA program held during the recent ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. will air this weekend on Book TV. The program, in which five librarians discuss their top picks among books published recently by university presses - will air on Saturday, July 28, at 12:00 PM.

John Wood, founder and CEO of Room to Read, will present the keynote address at the Opening General Session at PLA 2008, the PLA 12th National Conference, on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 in Minneapolis.

At the age of 35, John Wood left an executive career track at Microsoft Corporation to form Room to Read, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping over one million children across the developing world break the cycle of poverty through the power of education. Since its start in 2000, Room to Read has sponsored the opening of more than 280 schools and 3,600 multi-lingual libraries across the developing world. The organization has distributed over 2.8 million children’s books and supports more than 2,300 girls with long-term scholarships. Room to Read plans to increase this literacy network to 20,000 libraries and schools serving at least 10 million children.

Wood illustrates his experience with Room to Read in a recent memoir, “Leaving Microsoft to Change the World” (HarperCollins 2006), a book described by Publishers’ Weekly as “an infectiously inspiring read.” Translated in to 10 languages, it is popular with entrepreneurs, philanthropists, educators and internationalists alike. Visit Wood’s website for more information and to watch a short video about ‘Leaving Microsoft to Change the World.’
Offered biennially, the PLA National Conference has a reputation for excellence. The conference includes more than 100 top-quality continuing education programs, talk tables, several social events and networking opportunities and a bustling exhibits hall. PLA 2008, the PLA 12th National Conference, will be held from March 25 to 29, 2008, at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

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 800-545-2433, ext. 5PLA, or visit PLA’s Web site at www.pla.org.

Indeed, this was the weekend of Harry Potter. Devotees lined up at bookstores everywhere to pick up their copies at midnight. Many readers stayed up all night and then some reading the book, sometimes only stopping for food and bathroom breaks. “NO SPOILERS!” signs are popping up on blogs and discussion forums all over the web, for those who are taking the slow and scenic route, savoring every last moment of the final chapter in the story.

Public libraries were right there with the fans to celebrate the 7th canon. The Allen County Public Library coordinated a huge evening chock full of activities and music at their new library on Library Plaza, which you can read about care of the Fort Wayne News-Sentinal online (they also have a listing on their home page in the scrolling news graphics for a house elf clothing drive, which is very clever). Thanks to All Things Web 2.0 for the tip via your post! You can also peruse their entire photo set devoted to the party on Flickr.

By the looks of several Flickr photostreams, there were lots of libraries that had a really good time Friday night:

• Olds Municipal Library (Canada): Dumbledore, book reading, trivia, and more
• Kettleston Memorial Library (Alaska): potion mixing, quiz by Professor Trelawney, prophecy reading, and more
• Rancho Cucamonga Public Library (California): the “storm,” house elves, Hagrid, and more

You can also see library events on YouTube. Wellesley Free Library (Massachusetts) had quite the celebration, and you can see it all edited up quite nicely into 4m30s by video blogger Wellesley Townsman (a.k.a. Brad Reed). In a play on the epilogue of the book, you can watch Harry’s future as a library employee at the Hays Public Library (Kansas) battling the evils of vending machine vandalism and book theft.

I leave you with a video of the magical 2 minutes at the Land O’ Lakes branch of the Pasco County Libraries (Florida), when they opened the box at midnight:

Did your library have an event on Friday night? Post links to your photos, videos, articles, and more in the comments on this post! And, don’t forget a link to your library’s web site.

PLA is proud to be an approved provider of Certified Public Library Administrator (CPLA) courses. This series of continuing education programs is designed to meet both the requirements for CPLA certification and the needs of library managers wanting to enhance their skills outside of the CPLA framework.

The basic content of the workshops is of equal interest to librarians pursuing certification and librarians desiring to enhance their professional skills in more informal way. The workshops have been designed to be practical rather than theoretical and include interactive exercises and group work. Librarians pursuing CPLA certification will be required to take both a pre-test and a post-test and will be asked to do outside readings or complete a project.

All of the PLA courses for CPLA are interactive and include a variety of group exercises based on a case study about a medium-sized county library with multiple branches. Using the same case study throughout each training program will give participants an opportunity to apply what they are learning in a practical way in the “real” library – and to see the effects of the decisions they make throughout each of the two-day programs.

Detailed list of courses, locations, dates, and more information including registration

For more information about PLA, visit www.pla.org

Public libraries have provided services on behalf of other government agencies. Twenty years ago the issues were tax forms and voter registration. Many libraries now provide passport application processing and assistance with Medicare forms. With more government forms available online only, patrons often ask library staff to assist with completing the forms.

Some libraries consider this an unfunded mandate. Others consider it an opportunity to extend the reach of the library into the community.

What is your Perspective? Consider writing an essay for Perspectives, a regular feature in Public Libraries, the journal of the Public Library Association. You may choose to write about why your library has pulled back. You may choose to write about what your library does to promote government services to target audiences. What are the results?

Essays should be 800-1,000 words and should reflect actual experiences in public libraries. (Please, no articles on the principle alone.) Photographs are welcome.

Due date is August 10 for publication in the November/December issue. Inquiries and essays to Nann Blaine Hilyard, Zion-Benton Public Library, (847-872-4680 x110).

Thanks for your interest!

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On Sunday, June 24, I attended the program “Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails: Every BOY Ready to Read @ Your Library,” presented by Dr. Leonard Sax, M.D., Ph.D. He explained the gender differences between boys and girls and how we could use this in our storytimes. A few highlights from his Powerpoint presentation:

•Gender gap
-Between 1980-2004, gender gap of leisure-time reading
-1 in 10 boys now reads for fun
-Gender gap has become a chasm (“…a marker of gender identity: girls read, boys don’t.” –Bauerlein & Stotsky 2005, Bauerlein 2007)

•Sex differences in brain development (Harriet Hanlon, et al. 1999)
-studied 224 girls, 284 boys, ages 2 months to 16 years
-fine motor skills and language : girls develop faster
-gross motor skills, spatial memory, visual targeting : boys develop faster

•Learning styles
-Boys listen better when they are standing (rather than sitting – “their brains shut off”)
-Most young girls learn better when sitting
-Does not mean there is a difference in rank (or abilities)
-Boys are taught to sit still in school like the girls (so then school = girly … why they hate it)
-Best temperature to learn: 60 degrees boys, 75 degrees girls (children and young adults for normal size) – 6 degrees of separation

•Extraneous noise (Colin, Elliot and assoc.)
-Bother girls and women at sound levels 10 to 40x lower than boys/,men
-Girls are aware of what’s going on around them
-90-92% of boys not bothered by noise

•Storytime
-Offer Noisy Time Story Time (and Quiet Time Story Time)
-Noisy:
-Turn the thermostat down
-Seats are optional (bean bag chairs?) – boys love to crouch
-Rule: No hitting, can’t disturb others
-Choose stories boys enjoy (Watch out for “demand characteristics” – what’s the right choice?)
-Allow buzzing/tapping/clicking

For more information, visit Dr. Sax’s website: www.boysadrift.com (same title as his new book, being published in August 2007)