PLA E-Newsletter
July 11, 2003
Volume 6, No. 10

In this issue:
One Book/One Conference Wrap-Up
PLA Announces "@ Your Public Library" Advocacy Campaign
Deadline Approaches for Talk Tables at Upcoming PLA Conference
Handouts from PLA@ALA Programs Available at www.pla.org
Tell Us How You Liked Our Programs At Annual Conference - Survey Available on Website
ALA Releases Latest Entry in PLA "Results" Series - "Creating Policies for Results"
2003 Public Library Data Service Statistical Report Now Available
Public Library Data Service Custom Searching
Shy Librarian to Cease Production

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ONE CONFERENCE/ONE BOOK WRAP-UP
PLA would like to thank all of our members who attended the PLA President's Program and Awards Reception during the recent ALA Annual Conference in Toronto. The event was the culmination of the "One Book/One Conference" project that was presented by the ALA Public Programs Office in cooperation with PLA. "One Book/One Conference" aimed to engage all conference attendees in reading Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" and participating in discussion groups about the book. The event, hosted by then-PLA President Jo Ann Pinder, drew a standing room only crowd who enjoyed an invigorating and thought-provoking presentation by Atwood as well as a gala reception following her talk. PLA thanks Ingram Library Services for their support of this event.

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PLA ANNOUNCES "@ YOUR PUBLIC LIBRARY" ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN
A task force chaired by Kathleen Reif, Wicomico County Free Library (Maryland), will begin work this fall on the "@ Your Public Library" campaign. Designed to create public awareness and understanding of the value of public libraries and librarians in the 21st century, the campaign will help public librarians promote their libraries through messages, ideas, and strategies that can be put to use immediately at the local level. The PLA 2004 National Conference, in Seattle, Washington, February 24-28, 2004, will mark the official launch of the campaign.

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DEADLINE APPROACHES FOR TALK TABLES AT UPCOMING PLA CONFERENCE
The deadline for submitting proposals for Talk Tables to be held during the PLA 2004 National Conference, February 24-28, in Seattle, is July 15, 2003. The application form is available at www.pla.org, click on the PLA 2004 logo.

Talk Tables are small group discussions on library topics of current interest, led by a facilitator. Talk Tables will be scheduled on the Thursday and Friday (February 26 and 27) of the conference only, in correspondence with the regular programs schedule.

Please read the form carefully and supply all information requested. The form is in Word format and can be saved as a Word document, completed and emailed back to PLA as an attachment. Or it can be printed, completed, and either faxed or mailed to the PLA office. Contact information is noted on the form.

PLA will notify all successful applicants by September 1, 2003 and provide date and time assignments soon after. All Talk Table facilitators are expected to attend and register for the PLA National Conference at their own expense.

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HANDOUTS FROM PLA@ALA PROGRAMS AVAILABLE AT WWW.PLA.ORG
Several presenters from the PLA programs held during the recent ALA annual conference have made their handouts available on our website. Visit www.pla.org to see handouts from the following programs:

• Policy Matters: A Guide to Writing Effective Public Library Policies
• The Best of the Best from the University Presses: Books You Should Know About
• How We Survived: Coping Strategies for Rural Libraries
• Don't Drop the Baton: Workforce Planning and Passing on Responsibility in Your Library
• Emerging Immigrant Communities: The Public Library Responds
• Compensation: Trends in Public Libraries
• Detente: Peace Between Public Service and IT Staff is Possible!
• Homework Help for Children and Youth: Strategies for Successful Library Involvement
• The Librarian as Personal Information Shopper

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What does a librarian do if an unattended child remains at closing time? Can nonresidents get a library card? What is the library's position on Internet filters? These are but a few of the kinds of issues that require clear, up-to-date library policies. If your staff makes decisions on the fly, if policies are nonexistent, outdated, and no one knows what they are, your library may be experiencing policy chaos. The answer is to create current, customized policies geared to your library. Now it's easier than ever using this one-stop, step-by-step guide that dovetails with PLA's The New Planning for Results.

Covering governance and organizational structure, management policies, and services relating to customers, circulation, information, and groups, this comprehensive how-to addresses each major library area. Follow these guidelines to assess existing policies, develop new ones, and communicate all changes to improve consistency.

• Create sound and legally defensible policies
• Customize policies appropriate to your library's specific mission, customers and size using proven work forms
• Serve customers more effectively by updating, clarifying, and communicating new and revised policies
• Address needs of a changing customer base
• Create guidance and contingency plans for emergencies
• Add details and enforcement procedures for as many situations as possible

A new offering in the bestselling " . . . for Results" series from PLA (that includes The New Planning for Results, Staffing for Results and Managing for Results), Creating Policies for Results is the must-have resource for creating and updating policies. No public library can afford to be without it. Available via the ALA online store, www.ala.org or by calling the ALA Order Department, 1-866-746-7252.

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PUBLIC LIBRARY DATA SERVICE STATISTICAL REPORT
2003 PLDS Statistical Report Now Available; Includes Results of Children's Services Survey

Designed to aid in and enhance the public library planning and evaluation process, the "Public Library Data Service Statistical Report 2003" is now available. The current edition will help library managers identify top performing libraries, compare service levels and technology usage, and provide documentation for funding requests. Also included are the results of a special survey on children's services. The data contained in this year's report was collected from 1000 public libraries. Categories include financial information, library resources and per capita measures, annual use figures, technology-related statistics and more. Library identification is also provided.

The "Statistical Report 2003" (ISBN 0-8389-8223-9) is available from the ALA Order Department, 1-866-746-7252. Price is $80 with discounts for ALA and PLA members. For more information about the PLDS Statistical Report contact the PLA office at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5PLA or pla@ala.org

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PUBLIC LIBRARY DATA SERVICE CUSTOM SEARCHING
Need quick, accurate information on how your library compares to other North American libraries? The Public Library Data Service Custom Search has your answers! All of the information currently in the database is available to you (1988-2002). The basic fee is $65 for PLDS participants, $120 for nonparticipants. This fee covers consultation with the client, approximately one hour of data analysis, and preparation of a tabular or graphic report. For projects requiring work beyond this, additional time will be billed at an hourly rate of $40 for PLDS participants and $80 for nonparticipants. A not-to-exceed estimate can be given to the client before work begins if additional work will be required. Fax or overnight delivery services will involve additional charges. To order your PLDS Custom Search, contact the University of Illinois, Library Research Center, 217-333-1980. Also, visit Bibliostat Connect, www.informata.com , a customizable database of library statistics drawn from information in the PLDS report, the FSCS (Federal State Cooperative System), and each state's own annual statistical report.

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"SHY LIBRARIAN" TO CEASE PRODUCTION
The quarterly print magazine "The Shy Librarian" has ceased production. PLA had announced that it would distribute the journal to PLA members for the 2003/2004 year, and our members did receive the first two issues of the year (Spring and Summer). However, because "Shy" has shut down, there will be no Fall or Winter issues forthcoming.

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