Opening General Session

As mentioned earlier, John Wood was the opening presenter for this year's PLA. His talk was very interesting and quite inspiring. If you get a chance, check it out.

John's Opening General Session Presentation

Once you click the link, to open the presentation, hold down your Ctrl key and click "Launch Presentation".

Hot Topics

Bridging the Divide: Libraries Transform Communities

I wasn’t too sure what this pre-conference event was going to be about but I liked the notion of libraries being harbingers of change for the communities they served so I signed up. I was very glad I did! The discussion was about libraries being perhaps the last good place of impartial deliberation; of being a setting where all people can come together in small groups to discuss local and national events, current hot topics and public issues in a fair, balanced and impartial atmosphere. I believe every librarian works hard to create fair and balanced collection and is fully able to produce material for a patron that would give the pros and cons of any topic. Wouldn’t it also be great of we could provide that patron with a place to talk about those issues within a controlled and moderated atmosphere?

The conference leaders talked about using organizations like the National Issues Forum or the National Coalition for Dialog and Deliberation to “build the capacity for communities to work together to solve public problems”. Using these well established methods of discussion libraries could be an active player in informing and educating the public on local events and offering them a place to express their own opinions. Of course much of what they talked about was how to use the local libraries for LOCAL problems governmental and such, but I could certainly see the potential for more reaching opportunities for debate.

Being a pretty big talker myself (no laughing!) I’ve always liked the idea of getting a group together to discuss the big meaty stuff. Immigration? The deficit? National politics? How about…religion? But the problem is always keeping things on track and not allowing the discussion to get too heated or personal. How do you keep it all under control? Well…that’s just what these groups help you with.

Defiantly a great idea and one I will be investigating! I can see it now… Topics Too Hot to Handle: At Your Local Library!

"Neighboorhood" Libraries

It seems we hear a lot about whether libraries should do away with the whole Dewey thing and go wholeheartedly into a retail model of organization. Personally I cringe when I hear that because having worked in a book store I can see the drawbacks to no cataloging what so ever. I also know the feeling when a patron walks up to the reference desk, asks “Where’s your self help section?” and then looks at you like a crazy person when you send them to three very different sections. “Why isn’t it all together?” is a question I have gotten more than once.

I attended a work shop by the gang at Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library who had some great ideas on how to create more browser friendly collections while still maintaining their place on the shelves. Naturally attacking the entire collection would be a nightmare so they started by creating “neighborhoods”. First to bat was “travel”. They started by weeding the collection of all the old, out of date material, they PULLED HISTORY OUT! I could not agree more with this one! They went though and re-cataloged using SIMPLER Dewey classifications that put like materials together and even brought over specific items like phrase books for travelers and re-cataloged them into travel rather than foreign language. The object was to create a one stop browsing section where anyone looking to research for an upcoming TRIP could go and find just about everything they needed.

They went a step further and created travel bags on certain areas. The bags could be checked out as a set and included three or four books, possibly a map or travel guides and even a t-shirt that the patron could keep. The t-shirt would read something like “I booked my travel at PVLD” and the patrons were encouraged to take a photo of themselves on their travels and share it with the library when they returned the photos were then put in a display in the travel section. What a great way to get patrons involved!

I loved this idea because it took an already popular section and made it easier to use than ever. Circulation went up and patrons were excited about the new look. Taking this model you could work your way through the entire library step by step. Couldn’t you see a neighborhood on pets? How about taxes? Landscaping? Cooking? And of course…self-help!

Here is a link to their handouts: Why Do We Dewey?

JA

Keep the Net Free

Leonard Souza discussed a looming threat to open Internet access: the nation's largest telephone and cable companies -- including AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner -- would like to be the gatekeepers of the Internet. Souza encourages librarians to join the crusade to keep the Net free. Below is a segment from Souza's presentation on Net Neutrality:

There is a threat to the most advanced form of democracy ever to grace human civilization. It is called Net Neutrality. Now I bring this up because I know how important censorship, or the lack thereof, is to libraries. Net neutrality would be the first step to closing off the internet as we know it. At it’s core, net neutrality is what the internet is today. A free, interactive, unfettered source of information in all shapes and forms. There was a bill recently introduced into congress that AT&T lobbied. It stated that in order for broadband companies to continue offering their services profitably, they would require limiting certain types of content on the internet, such as video services, audio, wiki’s - you get the point. This was a feeble attempt for larger companies to start controlling what we are allowed to see on the net so that they could put a price on the liberties we enjoy so much today. Luckily, and I mean luckily, the bill was not passed. It was looking pretty hairy for a moment though. But what it did do is show that this beautiful creation known as the internet is vulnerable and there are people willing to destroy it for profit. So I ask that you stand up against those who want to take away the net’s neutrality. If this threat were ever to resurface again, and you hear a mention of it on the TV, or through congress, or however, get involved and stand up for your right to use the internet as you want to use it.

Find out more about Net Neutrality at savetheinternet.com.
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Laughing for Health and Happiness

The American population is aging! In the year 2030, 31% of the population will be over 55 years of age. So what’s to be done about it?

START A LAUGHTER CLUB!

So what is a laughter club, you ask? It is a program where people come together to improve their health, reduce their stress, and feel more positive and optimistic about life through breathing, stretching, and laughter exercises.

This was just one of the many great ideas introduced by Mary Mullen and Ing Kalchthaler of the Bethel Park Library in their presentation "Sexy Senior Programming". The duo also offered terrific suggestions for intergenerational programs such as:

· Battle of the Books—Families read books and have quiz-show style competitions
· Adopt a Grandparent Storytime—Parents and kids meet at a local assisted living center for a special storytime
· Grandma/pa and me Wii Tournaments—Libraries and schools partner to organize intergenerational Wii team tournaments

For more information on these programs and other great ideas, go to Mary's and Ing's blog and worldlaughtertour.com.
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BUZZ Marketing

The Minneapolis Public Library needed to raise 1.85 million dollars in order to gain a matching Kresge Grant to build the new Cesar Pelli-designed central library. How did they do it? By getting the Buzz out. With the help of public relations firm, AB Group One, MPL created and launched a campaign--with no media and a slim creative budget--featuring stories of famous librarians in history. Was it a bit controversial? Yes! But it certainly generated a lot of Buzz and funding!
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GAMING = LITERACY

Did you know that the average age of the gamer is 33 and rising, and an estimated 80% of the population under age 34 has played a video game! Former librarian and gaming consultant, Beth Gallaway, gave a fascinating presentation entitled “Gaming in the Stacks” in which she proposed that libraries should embrace the positive aspects of gaming. Her motto, “Gaming = Literacy”, advocates that games are just like books—they are just a new format for conveying a story.

Beth asserts that computer games can play an important role in teens’ emotional and intellectual developmental:

• kids employ artistic abilities and design skills to create 3D worlds
• they practice critical thinking, strategy and decision-making skills
• games can provide a safe place for teens to test out beliefs and form identity through game play.

View Beth's PLA PowerPoint presentation as well as other informative handouts on gaming on her blog.
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PLA Postings on the Web

By wandering the Internet, I am discovering other postings by PLA participants. There is the PLA blog featuring posts by a variety of contributers. There are photos taken at PLA posted on Flickr. There is a new spin to Twitter called Twemes where postings on the same topic can be gathered on one page by the use of hashtags. I am still learning new stuff from the PLA experience even though the conference is over!

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Zak the Yak with Books on his Back

The keynote speaker at PLA was John Wood, Founder & CEO of the nonprofit organization Room to Read. A former Microsoft executive, Wood recounted his life-changing experience during a backpacking excursion in the Himalayas. While visiting a school in Nepal he witnessed the stark circumstances under which the local children learn. The few books the school had were so precious they were kept under lock and key. Imagine his dismay when he discovered the treasured texts were cast off backpacker paperbacks the likes of Danielle Steel romances! Wood vowed to make a difference in these children's lives by providing them with proper educational resources. His initial delivery of books was conveyed by a Yak named Zak! (Wood vows one day to write a children's book about his experiences with the the above title.) Read about this inspiring story at the Room to Read website and in his memoir Leaving Microsoft to Change the World.
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Fun Stuff

Of course it wasn't all work and no play for your delegates to the conference--we also found time to explore the beautiful city of Minneapolis. We took in modern art at the
Walker Art Center and Sculpture Garden; we encountered stores, restaurants, and public art as we strolled the Nicollet Mall; we traversed the climate controlled skywalks; and marveled at the Mall of America--the largest shopping venue in the nation. The highlight of MOA was the Underwater Adventures!
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Paperless Conference

In an effort to "go green" the organizers of PLA Minneapolis made the decision to make the conference paperless: the workshop handouts are only available online. With 10,000 librarians in attendance, this approach saved a lot of trees. Check out this link for information on the presentations at PLA.
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Minneapolis Public Library

On Friday we visited the Minneapolis Public Library. It is a beautiful library that was constructed 2 years ago. We were impressed by the architecture, the collections, and the art. But I think we were most impressed with the streamlined self-contained computers!
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The Idea Store

The Idea Store

This was an awesome workshop on a new library in England. Borrowing heavily from the retail environment and fully supporting life long learning ideals, they have created a fully operational library called "The Idea Store". Integrating retail marketing concepts and customer service training models along with all the usual material lending policies and a fully operation learning center, they managed to "trebel their issues" within 3 months! For us across the pond, that's "triple their circulation". Gotta love those Brits.

JA