PLA Blog

I landed in San Jose about an hour ago, and I’m getting my act together to start coverage on the PLA 3-day affair. Kathleen and I will both be working on the podcasts of the keynote, author talk, and my wiki presentation, while I’ll be blogging the Customer Service in Public Libraries, 21st Century Style session, and Kathleen will be blogging the Right People, Right Time, Right Work: HR Trends and Tools session, Friday and Saturday.

We do have a small crew of bloggers helping us out here at the Symposium:

• Meg Canada, Hennepin County Library
• Heidi Dolamore, San Mateo County Public Library
• Sandra Steward, San Jose Public Library
• Kristin Yiotis, Student at SJSU SLIS

You’ll hear more about our fearless crew as they begin to introduce themselves later.

Susan Hildreth, president of the Public Library Association (PLA), is pleased to announce that Mary Baykan, Library Journal’s Librarian of the Year 2007, will present the keynote address at the Opening General Session of the PLA Spring Symposium. The session, scheduled for March 1, 2007 at the Fairmont San Jose, is open to all Symposium attendees. Baykan is the director of the Washington County (Md.) Free Library and executive director of Western Maryland Public Library. In 2003, when facing a major fiscal crisis in the state of Maryland, Baykan spearheaded an initiative to conduct a survey on the perceived value of libraries. Librarians across the state were able to use the results of the survey to demonstrate the value of libraries to key community leaders, resulting in the largest increase in library support in the state’s history, including $35 million in new state funding.

The Opening General Session will be followed by a dessert reception, which is open to all attendees. Other special events include the Author Luncheon featuring Po Bronson, which is available for an additional cost. PLA thanks Random House for their support of the Author Luncheon.

Registration is still open for selected workshops. For more information on the PLA Spring Symposium, including pricing and registration information, contact the PLA office at 800-545-2433, ext. 5PLA, or visit PLA’s Web site at www.pla.org.

Currently, the PLA block at the Fairmont San Jose is sold out on Tuesday, February 27 and Wednesday, February 28, 2007. We are working to secure additional rooms for these nights. Please check back for updates. If you are holding room(s) at the hotel and NOT planning to attend the Spring Symposium, please call the hotel at 408-998-1900 to release your reservation. If you have questions, please contact Melissa Faubel, . Thank you for your patience.

  The Public Library Association (PLA) is pleased to announce that bestselling author Po Bronson will present the keynote address at the 2007 PLA Spring Symposium Author Luncheon. The 2007 PLA Spring Symposium will take place March 1-3, in San Jose, Calif. at the Fairmont San Jose. The Author Luncheon will be held on March 2 from noon to 1:30 pm. PLA thanks Random House for their support of the Author Luncheon.

Bronson’s “What Should I Do With My Life?” was a #1 New York Times best seller and remained in the Top 10 for nine months. Bronson travels the country recording the stories of real people who have struggled to answer life’s biggest questions. He has published five books and written for television, magazines, and newspapers, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and for National Public Radio’s Morning Edition. Currently he is writing regularly for Time magazine in the United States and for The Guardian in the United Kingdom.

In addition to the Author Luncheon featuring Po Bronson, the 2007 PLA Spring Symposium will feature six one-and-a-half-day workshops targeted toward a variety of public library professionals and an Opening General Session with dessert reception for all attendees. The Author Luncheon and library tours are available for an additional fee.

The registration deadline for the Spring Symposium is January 26, 2007.  To register, or for more information, visit www.pla.org.

I posted about the Arthur TV Series Grants earlier in December, bemoaning the fast-approaching December 18 deadline. As it turns out, the deadline has been extended to December 31. Read the post about the grants for more information and how to apply.

Also upcoming is the January 31, 2007 deadline for the We The People Bookshelf Grants. In spring 2007, ALA and NEH will be awarding a Bookshelf - 15 classic books for young readers on the “Pursuit of Happiness” theme - to 2,000 school (K-12) and public libraries. Selected libraries will also receive four of the titles in Spanish translation, a bonus CD, bookplates, bookmarks and posters to promote local programming.

While you’re planning for the new year with grants applications and other program plans, don’t forget to include professional development! The 2007 PLA Spring Symposium will be held in San Jose from March 1-3, and will cover topics including:

• Demonstrating Results: Using Outcome Measurement in Your Library
• Right People, Right Time, Right Work: HR Trends and Tools
• Customer Service in Public Libraries, 21st Century Style
• Refresh, Recreate, Redesign, Remodel, Retail
• Advocacy @ Your Library
• Mining Gold in the 21st Century: Strengthening Your Library with Literacy Service

Be sure to register for the Symposium by January 26, 2007!