by Staff and Trustees from several MLS Libraries

Staff from several MLS libraries attended the 2010 National Public Library Association (PLA) conference in Portland Oregon, March 23-27. The following library staff, trustee, and first time attendee provided their observations of the conference.  Learn what speakers stood out, the trends they observed, and about the enjoyable time they had at the PLA Conference. Presentations and session handouts may be available on the PLA blog at http://www.placonference.org/session_handouts.cfm.

Welcome sign for the PLA Conference at the Oregon Convention Center.

Libraries in Transformation
Tiffany Amschl, Head of Adult Services, Crete Public Library (http://www.cretelibrary.org)

As one of nearly 8,000 conference attendees at PLA’s 13th National Conference, I found myself humbled by some of the amazing things libraries are able to accomplish, and frequently with very few resources. A recurring theme at this year's conference, PLA President Sari Felman noted in her opening speech the reality that libraries face in these economic times as library visits increase while budgets decrease.

Many of the workshops continued this theme. In her session “Reimagine, Reinvent, Reallocate: Our New Reality,” presenter Sandra Nelson stressed that a vision of the future might not even include what we have right now. She encouraged everyone to step outside the box and reinvent the services our patrons will need and then reallocate the resources we have to make those services a reality.

Some of Sandra’s examples included:

• A young adult area with gaming stations just like you find at Best Buy.
• A senior “memory place” decorated like a back porch and offering assistive devices for aging patrons.
• Downloadable AV stations throughout town and not just in the library.
• Of particular note was the children's department at the Baltimore County Public Library, which has been transformed into “Storyville” (www.bcplstoryville.org). This looks more like something we expect of a children's museum than a library, with interactive stations geared towards early literacy skills.

In short, Nelson advocated creating an environment where risk-taking is encouraged, and where we find out what our patrons really want instead of trying to force upon them what we think they need.

A stroll around the exhibits hall solidified this vision of libraries in transformation. I don't think I've ever been to a conference with more displays of self checkout equipment. I also noticed a large number of publishers of bilingual materials. And of course, you couldn't get out of the exhibit hall without at least one eco-friendly reusable bag from one vendor or another.

There were countless workshops on everything from dealing with difficult people to using the latest technology.  Almost every session touched on how we can best serve our patrons in a time when library visits are increasing and budgets are decreasing. The general consensus seemed to be that libraries have always been able to do a lot with a little when necessary, as long as we are willing to be innovative and forward thinking.

Adding a more personnel note to conference traveling, there’s the unscheduled conference time that can also be as rewarding. My sightseeing included the downtown library and the famous Powell's bookstore, reportedly the largest independent seller of new and used books in the world, which encompasses three floors and covers a city block.

Trend-watching at PLA

Susan Kunkle, Youth Services Manager, Forest Park Public Library (http://fppl.org).

It was easy to see that vampire backlash ran rampant among the librarians and publishers at PLA, but there’s good news for non-Twihards. The vampire trend looks to be giving way to a new obsession in YA fiction: Angels!

Books like Lauren Kate’s Fallen (Delacorte Books for Young Readers, December 2009) and Alexandra Adornetto’s Halo (St. Martin’s Press, September 2010), brimming with brooding love interests and supernatural intrigue, will likely lead the way.

For adult readers, Amish characters and detective novels continue to lead the pack.

Tween services also cropped up as a hot topic, starting with the session “Top Trends: Taking Teen Services to the Next Level” by Amy Alessio, Teen Coordinator, Schaumburg Township District Library.

As we discovered, Tween Advisory Groups are showing in libraries. Considering that tweens can be more frequent, or at least more consistent, consumers of library materials and services than their older counterparts, librarians may see more workshops devoted to this topic in the future. It may also indicate the time has come to consider subdividing your youth and teen collections yet again, in order to offer even better customization to our younger patrons. The model of one-size-fits-all YA collections and programming may be on its way out.

Another topic to watch: Homeschooling. A strong argument for expanding outreach for homeschoolers and their parents was presented at “The Public Library as Homeschoolers Library” by a panel from Mid-Continent Public Library and Webster Public Library.

According to the presenters, not only is homeschooling becoming more common, but in a 2007 National Home Education Research Institute Study, the demographics of homeschooling families lines up with national trends for American households.  As homeschoolers are typically among libraries’ most prolific borrowers and regular library visitors, not only does it make sense to consider them when it comes to collection development and programming, but it is the responsible thing to do.

Get Your Game On: Libraries, Learning and Games

Kim Krueger, Head of Youth Services, Brookfield Public Library (http://www.brookfieldpubliclibrary.info). 

“Get Your Bame On”, presented by Eli Neiburger, Associate Director, IT & Product Development, Ann Arbor District Library, Ann Arbor, MI, and Aaron Schmidt, Digital Initiatives Librarian, District of Columbia Public Library, Washington, D.C., provided an excellent overview of the benefits of gaming programs in libraries.

Contrary to adult fears, the most popular games among kids are not at all violent, and include the Mario series, Pokemon series and Wii Sports. Also, rather than being anti-literacy, videogames in fact require advanced literacy skills as much of the knowledge needed to play the games is acquired through text. In the Pokemon series, kids collect data about the different Pokemon in order to "catch 'em all". Pre-readers get help from their older reading friends, learning social problem-solving skills in the process.

The scientific educational community has even adopted the Pokemon model in the Phylo trading card game (http://phylomon.org) where kids can learn about biodiversity by playing with cards depicting different animal species. Because of their earlier exposure to more visual information through gaming, today's kids' brains work better than adults' brains. Of the Search Institute's (http://www.search-institute.org/developmental-assets) 40 recommended developmental assets that help kids grow into responsible, caring adults, a library gaming event can provide 27 of these assets.

So what do gamers learn by playing videogames?

• How to comprehend information and apply it immediately.
• Develop memory skills; try keeping track of 500 Pokemon!
• Learn abstract and spatial reasoning, hierarchical knowledge systems and research skills. Gamers learn the value of perseverance in a safe environment where they can experiment, fail, and try again.
• Learn that success requires risk, and that gratification can be delayed.
• Learn interface literacy, 3-D manipulation, and how to care for data.
• Learn about ethics, participate in global information communities devoted to each game, and develop skills that can directly affect their future work lives. A study of surgeons who played Super Monkey Ball revealed that they were 27% faster and made 37% fewer errors that those who did not play the game.

Neiburger and Schmidt also provided information on the various gaming platforms and suggested that a circulating collection of videogames may be less valuable than a series of gaming events. Because of platform diversity, a collection of videogames can never please all users, nor may be the most effective use of one's budget. A series of gaming tournaments with well-chosen prizes, however, will reach more users and optimize library funds. Tournament play provides a structured environment that adds value to kids' usual open play. GT System (http://wiki.gtsystem.org) offers free web tools to help libraries set up tournament brackets and keep track of scoring and other tasks.

Given all the benefits of gaming in libraries, how can we convince reluctant library staffers and board members to support a gaming program? Neiburger and Schmidt suggest that we offer education and experiential learning. Games are “content”, just as are books, but with the added benefit of cinematic content as well as narrative. Librarians can tie gaming into their library's mission statements as a cultural, educational, and entertainment added value.

Finally, let staffers and trustees try their hand at gaming, perhaps at an in-service training event.

Collective Perspective

Several staff from the Eisenhower Public Library District (http://www.eisenhowerlibrary.org) attended the conference together and share thier favorite programs below:

Ron Stoch, Library Director

Opening general session with Nicholas Kristof, New York Times Op-Ed columnistand Sheryl WuDunn, authors of “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide,” spoke about several aspects of women’s rights, economics, and education successes that are within their book due out next month.

 “It Takes A Leader To Be Strategic”, Paul D, Meyer and Adam Gay, Consultants and Audra L. Caplan, Library Director, Harford County Public Library.

• Spoke about changes to the library’s long range planning process with a decreased budget.

“Surveys Says: Getting the Most from Your Investments in Customer Surveys”, Galen Schuerlein, VP, Burges & Burges Strategists, Cleveland, OH and Tracy Strobel, Deputy Director, Cuyahoga County Library, Cleveland OH.

• Presentation included their survey process, types of questions in relation to what information sought, and the impact of using online survey’s or other social media.

“Expanding Your World Through Web Conferencing: Connecting Small Libraries in Big Ways”, staff from Southwest Iowa Library and State Library of Kansas discussed how they use web conferencing technology for state-wide conferences, library training programs for small libraries, and linking various small public libraries staffs together.

“Stop Passive Aggressiveness @ Your Library: a Dangerous Idea”, library panel from several counties in Omaha, NE.

• Stressed the need to document this type of employee
• Provide goals and keep them on tight reigns. 

Tiffany Lewis, Children’s Librarian, shares two sessions that stood out for her.

 “Everyone Serves Youth: Developing 21st Century Skills to Serve Today’s Children and Teens” with the following speakers:

Ellen Fader, Youth Services Director, Multnomah County Library
Jill Bickford, Youth Services Coordinator, West Bloomfield Township Public Library
Micki Freeny, Coordinator of Youth Services, District of Columbia Public Library
Judy Zuckerman, Assistant Director for Neighborhood Services, Brooklyn Public Library

The panel focused on the importance of all library staff being trained to handle speaking to teens and children in a manner that provides the best quality customer service for these patrons.  When staff are uncomfortable speaking and servicing youth it diminishes the value of the service.  Staff should not operate on the “us versus them” mentality of service to young people and training initiatives for all staff have been implemented in several libraries.

“Jump Start Your Fundraising” presented by Peter Pearson, President, The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library  and Sue Hall, Library Strategies was extremely informative for libraries that have or are looking to create friends groups or foundations.

One of the main ideas presented is to include board members who are not book lovers, but who are entrepreneurs and people who are active members in the community. These are the people who will be interested in fundraising activities outside an annual book sale.  The presenters also suggested not limiting the size of the board because this ultimately limits the amount of influential people that might be willing to join and work for the group. Instead have committees that are focused on very specific work. For more information, visit the Library Strategies website at www.thefriends.org.

Stacy Wittmann, Head of Reference

“Sandtraps in Cyberspace? How to Avoid Social Software Policy Pitfalls” by Arlene Keller, Bernadette Nunley and Cindy Gibbon, Multnomah County.

One of the most difficult and pressing questions public libraries face is around their online presence. With the ubiquity of sites like Facebook, Twitter and blogs, people expect institutions like libraries to have a much more dynamic web presence. Of course, as librarians we must take into consideration the implications of not only utilizing these resources but also of opening up a virtual discourse with our patrons. Keller, Nunley & Gibbon discussed how the Multnomah County Library System assessed the need for an online presence, developed policies to govern the open discourse they wanted through these sites, and how they continue to evaluate and learn from maintaining the library’s presence in cyberspace.

Nancy Devlin, Head of Children's Services

My time at PLA was one of the best I've attended. Below are highlights from the sessions I attended:

“Groove-n-Move: Making Music Meaningful” with Michelle Minerd and Trish Reid, Kent District Library 

• Purposeful movement for a kid’s story-time program.
• Kids recognize spatial awareness through exaggerated motion and continuous motion through filler actions.
• Tip: Five second rule.  It takes a toddler five seconds to process a verbal request. Hold your hand out, and count a finger for...1 Mississippi....2, 3, 4, 5.

 “What's Love Got to Do With It?”, four award-winning and best-selling romance authors talk about the genre, their books, and why when it comes to readers: romance rocks!  

• Tip: Romance Writers of America offers grants for romance programming

“SYASS (Save Your After School Sanity)”, panel presentation:

• Challenges of providing library serve to after school teens and tweens.
• Set up policies, train staff on non-confrontational language, and enforce policies fairly and consistently.
• Note: the library gets a reputation--what rep do you want?

T is for Trustee. T is for Together

Diane Bell, Board Trustee, Markham Public Library (http://www.markhamlibrary.org)

At both Author’s Luncheons with Scott Turow and Luis Alberto Urrea it was noted how special and important that my library’s director, assistant director and three board members were in attendance at the conference together.

The conference continued to reinforce our practice of working together with our library staff starting with the session, “Shortcuts to Greatness or 10 Things that Great Libraries Know and Maybe You Don’t” by Karen Hyman, Executive Director, South Jersey Regional Library Cooperative.  Karen provided tips on how to make your library more appealing to patrons including embracing social media, tossing away “old school” mentalities, and focusing on the needs of the current generation.

The Trustee Track was another great recommendation.  Attending the conference as a library board member I learned how much libraries need the support of their trustees. Libraries are not built for the trustees alone, nor only the staff, or just the patrons. Together we make our libraries an enjoyable, helpful, inviting, problem-solving place for all patrons. The sessions challenged me and my fellow trustees to step up in our roles and perhaps our presence inspired or encouraged others.

One outcome was at my library’s board meeting after the conference, everyone who attended from my library shared the positive energy that is needed to take our library from good to great. We learned, we shared, and as a result, we will all watch our library grow and improve together.

PLA President Sari Feldman, trustee Diane Bell, Markham library director Xavier Menzies, board president Glenda Timpton, and trustee LaToya Trotter.

An Outlook of a First Time Attendee
Bridget Roland, Assistant Director, Markham Public Library (http://www.markhamlibrary.org)

My first time at a library conference, I didn’t know what to expect, so I was very eager and excited about the whole trip to Portland, Oregon. There was plenty to do and well planned programs, seminars and exhibits scheduled. I was most amazed at how well attended they all were with approximately 400 or more chairs filled and still, more people were seated around the walls on the floor.

One seminar that stands out the most to me was “Shortcuts to Greatness or 10 Things that Great Libraries Know and Maybe You Don’t” by speaker Karen Hyman, South Jersey Regional Library Cooperative. Follow Karen on Twitter at twitter.com/kdhyman.
 
Karen stated that her premise was excellence and a history of support are not working as well as they used to.  For many, fun is in short or at least shorter supply.  Moving toward greatness was never more necessary, rewarding or entertaining.

She spoke on what makes a library great, and reflected on the following ten points:

1. Great libraries have great leadership. There is no alternative.
2. Visionary leadership relies on wonderful staff. There is no alternative.
3. Visionary leadership and great staff can create a great culture.
4. The library belongs to the customers.  Visionary leadership and great staff are there to make the experience that the customers love.  There is no alternative.
5. Great libraries practice rapid recovery.
6. Great libraries seize opportunity.
7. Great libraries have heart and soul.
8. Great libraries have a sense of humor.
9. Great libraries look cool.
10. Great libraries don’t wait to be great.

Of these ten points stated, I walked away with knowing that in order to achieve a great library, one must:

Have a vision statement on your website. It’s more fun to say “yes”, leaving our patrons with a sense of ownership and making them feel as though their  needs have been met. I also learned that if we’re not great, it’s our fault. We must have Commitment, A Goal and A Vision. We should Watch, Record, and Interview and then combine them all. 

The exhibits were also a major hit for me.  So many vendors, new technology were introduced, new vendors and new ideas expressed.  Vendors were so generous with gifts and prizes.  Even though it was mentioned in the PLA Daily News to save room in your luggage, I had to ship home several boxes of free samples, books, tote bags, pens, pencils, and candy to mention just a few items. 

The highlight of my experience was meeting and getting my picture with author Mary Alice Monroe who was promoting her new book, “Last Light Over Carolina”.

Bridget Roland and author Mary Alice Monroe.

My overall first time experience was utterly amazing.  Portland, Oregon is a great and scenic city.  The seminars covered everything from the Board of Trustees’ concerns to Administration goals and visions, to Front Line duties and responsibilities.  The exhibits and exhibitors were fantastic.
I commend PLA and its volunteers in a job well done and hope to attend 2012 PLA conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Published April 7, 2010 in vol. 4, iss. 7 [View]