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