PLA Electronic Newsletter
Volume 6, Number 4
April 4, 2003

New ALA Web site only a week away!
Last chance to Register for Staffing for Results Workshop - May 13, 2003
Solicitation for "Best Books for the Adult New Reader 2003" list
Hotel Information for National Legislative Day

NEW ALA WEB SITE ONLY DAYS AWAY!
The American Library Association and the Public Library Association wanted to remind everyone that we will begin our transition to our new Web site April 7.  Collectively, we have converted about 40,000 Web pages to the new content management system.  The ALA also has expanded its customer service hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central to assist members and the public with navigating the new site.

The new site will feature a better search engine, one-stop pages detailing ALA's work in major areas of interest, a more modern look and feel and more content to help library professionals in their daily work.  The home page also will feature new navigation headings:

Awards & Scholarships (includes information on grants, fellowships and professional achievement awards);

• Education & Careers (includes information on accredited programs, recruitment and continuing education);
• Events & Conferences (goings-on at ALA, its divisions, office and roundtables)
• Issues & Advocacy (one-stop pages for information on issues ranging from diversity to censorship to literacy);
• Libraries & You (geared to the public, with recommended reading lists and information on how to support libraries);
• News (the latest press releases, press kits and promotions;
• Our Association (access to ALA governance, divisions, offices and customer service
• Products & Publications (everything printed, published or sold by the ALA); and
• Professional Tools (a toolbox of resources for those who work in all types of libraries, including collection services, administration and management and user services)

The ALA previewed the site during its 2003 Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia.  For a sneak peak at the site now, please go to: http://www.ala.org/newsite.

You will still be able to access the PLA site through its regular domain name, www.pla.org.  You can also reach the site through ALA's home page.  Click on "Your Association" at the top of the page, then click on "Divisions" on the left-hand side, then select "Public Library Association."  You may also use the "Search" function to locate pages you may have bookmarked in the old system.

During the first week of the Web transition, Customer Service hours will be extended to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Staff will be prepared to help locate information and switch over bookmarks.  A new FAQ also will be loaded onto the ALA home page with step-by-step information on how to get to some of the most frequently visited Web pages.

"I believe this new design positions the association for the future - giving our members the ability to customize our Web content for their use, making the site more accessible for the general public and creating a more consistent online presence," said ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels.  "We welcome member feedback throughout this transition as we continue to improve the site."  A new email address has been created to receive online feedback at feedback@ala.org.

For more information or assistance, please call ALA Customer Service at 800-545-2433 and press 5.

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER FOR STAFFING FOR RESULTS WORKSHOP - May 13, 2003
The registration deadline for PLA's "Staffing for Results" workshop is April 18, 2003!  The latest entry in the PLA "Results" series, "Staffing for Results: A Guide to Working Smarter" will help you answer key questions you have related to the output and performance of your staff.  By analyzing in a systematic way, how long work activities take, and then assigning steps to each unit of work, you will have a quantifiable measure of the staff output.  Staffing for Results walks you through the process of measuring work, identifying best practices, assigning costs to each activity, analyzing resource allocation, and communicating results.  In this one-day workshop, the coauthors of the book, Diane Mayo and Jeanne Goodrich, will provide library managers and human resources managers information on how best to use the book's figures and work forms in your library to ensure that your library is optimizing its resources.  Workshop Date:  May 13, 2003. Workshop Location: Swissotel Boston, One Avenue de Lafayette, Boston, MA 02111, 617-451-2600.  PLA has reserved a block of sleeping rooms at the Swissotel Boston at a rate of $179 single/double room, plus tax.  To make your hotel reservation call 1-800-733-SWISS.

Registration for this event is limited.  The registration fee includes all workshop materials, continental breakfast, and breaks.  Fees are as follows:

• $175 PLA Member
• $205 ALA Member
• $235 Nonmember
• $155 2-4 Registrants from Same Library or System
• $135 5 or more Registrants from Same Library or System

To receive a registration form, or for more information, call the PLA office at 800-545-2433, ext. 5PLA.  The registration form also is available on the PLA website, www.pla.org, along with more information about the event.

SOLICITATION FOR "BEST BOOKS FOR THE ADULT NEW READER 2003" LIST
The Resources for the Adult New Reader Committee of the PLA Library Services Cluster is soliciting input for its "Best Books for the Adult New Reader 2003" list.

The charge of the committee is to inform publishers that librarians have a growing interest in professional and learning materials in areas of adult education: literacy, GED, career information, and various other areas; to encourage publishers to produce and market more titles on these subjects; to encourage jobbers to carry more adult education materials; to encourage publishers of adult education materials to exhibit at library conferences; and to generate ideas for section programs and publications.

The committee is looking for titles published in 2002-2003 which would be appropriate for a best books for the adult new reader list.  Input can come from the library community or the publishing community.  Titles of books, copyright date, and publisher's name are required. 

To respond to this request, please contact Nick Fogarty at fogartyn@mail.cherokee.public.lib.ga.us or by mail at Cherokee County Libraries, 116 Brown Industrial Parkway, Canton, GA  30114.  Deadline for input is June 7, 2003.

HOTEL INFORMATION FOR NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE DAY

If you are planning on attending National Legislative Day, take advantage of significant ALA discounts by staying at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Avenue, 800-233-1234. 

Special room rates are: $189 for single occupancy, $214 for double occupancy.  Rooms must be booked by April 14 to get this special rate.  Be sure to mention American Library Association National Legislative Day when booking.  You may also book on line http://washingtonregency.hyatt.com/groupbooking/g-amel .

If you have questions, concerns, or would like assistance, please contact Gloria Bennett (gbennett@alawash.org) Camille Bowman (cbowman@alawash.org), or Lynne Bradley (lbradley@alawash.org) or phone us at 202-628-8410.

PLA is a division of the American Library Association. Copyright Statement.