PLA Communities of Practice

In May, PLA members voted overwhelmingly in favor of changing the organization’s bylaws. In addition to flattening the structure of PLA, the new bylaws provide an opportunity for all members to participate in PLA through the new Communities of Practice.

What is a Community of Practice?

A Community of Practice (CoP) is a group of people who continuously come together to share their knowledge and enthusiasm for a specific subject. Their regular interactions produce an even greater understanding of a specific subject and serve to solve problems or even generate new ideas or projects within a field.

• CoPs will replace most PLA committees.
  

• Unlike committees, CoPs will be accessible to members regardless of whether or not they are able to commit to traveling to in-person meetings. The CoPs will exist primarily in a virtual space allowing members to communicate and network on an ongoing basis. But, if members choose to meet at ALA Midwinter or Annual Conference, PLA will provide a meeting space for them to do so.
  

• There will be no appointing process. Members can join (and leave) CoPs at their discretion, and members can develop new communities if their area of interest is not represented. As new topics and issues emerge, members are encouraged to form groups for investigation, discussion, and management of projects.
  

• CoPs will be able to recommend conference programs, PLA products, and services for consideration.
  

CoP Technology:

• PLA will provide technology that will allow members involved in CoPs to interact, communicate, and network online.

• PLAspace is currently being developed. This will be a Web site where members can connect in communities, similar to other social networking tools.
  

• The site will include a CoP blog with comments, a group events and calendar feature, wiki-like pages, project pages, and member profiles.

• Three committees will be able to beta test the site in mid-August 2008.

• The site will be open for all CoPs in September 2008.
  

What about the Committees?

• PLA will continue to maintain standing committees, advisory groups, and task forces that support the association and have specific work outcomes. These include: award juries, Bylaws and Organization Committee, Budget and Finance Committee, Conference committees, Nominating committee, program committees, and publications and products committees.

• You can find a full list of the standing committees below.

• We encourage all the other existing committees to transition to a CoP.
  

How can we transition?

Interested members should go to www.pla.org to find out more. If you plan on participating in a CoP, please send an e-mail to Doug Dawson, PLA web services manager, at ddawson@pla.org with your name, email address, current committee, and library name (if applicable). If you provide your information, you will receive periodic updates about the progress of PLAspace.

The following three committees will be initial transitioned to CoP’s in August 2008:

• Technology in Public Libraries
• Reader’s Advisory
• Cataloging Needs of Public Libraries
  

Below are a list of Standing Committees, Advisory Groups and Task Forces which are continuing under the revised PLA Bylaws.

Standing Committees:

• Awards Juries
  

• Advancement of Literacy Award
• Allie Beth Martin Award
• Baker & Taylor Entertainment AV Award
• Charlie Robinson Award
• DEMCO new Leaders Travel Award
• EBSCO Excellence in Small &/or Rural Public Library Service Award
• Polaris Innovation in Technology John Iliff Award
  
• Gordon M. Conable Award
• Highsmith Library Innovation Award
• Institutional Scholarships Award (2006 Pilot Project)

• Bylaws and Organization Committee

• Budget and Finance Committee
  

• Nominating Committee
  

• National Conference Committee

• Local Arrangements Subcommittee

• Program Committee
  

• National Conference Program Subcommittee
• Spring Symposium Program Subcommittee
• Annual Conference Program Subcommittees (2 based on year)
  

• Publications and Products Committees
  

• Pubic Libraries Advisory Committee
• Public Libraries Data Statistics (PLDS) Committee
• PLA Monographs work groups (as needed)
  

Advisory Groups:

• Intellectual Freedom
• Legislative
  

Special Committees (currently two):

• Every Child Ready to Read Evaluation Task Force 2007-2009
• Leadership Task Force 2007-2009

Below is a list of existing PLA committees which are able to be transitioned to CoP’s. (Current chairs are encouraged to identify with their committee interest in moving forward as a CoP; please notify Doug Dawson if interested in transitioning.)

• Practical Applications of Technology in Public Libraries - is combining with the "Technology in Public Libraries" CoP
  
• University Press Books for Public Libraries - is on the list to become a CoP
  
• Audiovisual
• Small and Medium Sized Libraries - is on the list to become a CoP
• Public Library Systems
• Metropolitan Libraries
• International Relations
• Rural Library Service - is on the list to become a CoP
• Basic Education and Literacy Resources and Services
• Public Policy in Libraries
• Research and Statistics
• Marketing Public Libraries
  

These two committees will be combined into the new "Public Library Services for Children" CoP:

• Services to Elementary School Age Children and Caregivers
• Services to Preschool Children and Their Caregivers
  

Below is a list of brand-new CoP’s:

• Branch Libraries
• Advocacy
• Public Library Services for Children
  

Board Reports on Communities of Practice

CoP Requirements Document
Emerging Leaders Report on CoPs