PLA Members vote to approve new bylaws

Contact: Louisa Worthington
Public Library Association
(312) 280-5024
lworthington@ala.org
For Immediate Release,
May 6, 2008

PLA Members vote to approve new bylaws

<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />CHICAGO - Members of the Public Library Association (PLA) voted to approve changes to the bylaws, effectively reshaping the structure of the organization. The process to change the bylaws began several years ago when the PLA Board undertook a strategic planning process with the goal of determining how to become a more nimble organization that is highly responsive to member needs. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

PLA members were given the opportunity to discuss and debate the proposed changes at the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2008 Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia, and again at member forums held during the 2008 PLA National Conference in Minneapolis, Minn.

Major components of the bylaws changes include:

  • The PLA Board will be reduced in size to facilitate decision-making and provide greater access by members to their elected representatives. The smaller board will meet four times per year.

  • The PLA Executive Committee will be disbanded, flattening the governance structure of the organization and empowering the Board to make binding decisions without the need to go to the Executive Committee. This will allow the Board to focus on membership needs and make quicker decisions regarding the organization.Communities of Practice will replace many of the PLA Committees.Communities of Practice will be virtual groups that are interest-focused and member-driven. Members will have the power to create groups, as well as morph and/or disband them at their discretion. This will allow all 12,000+ members, many unable to travel to in-person committee meetings, to get involved with the organization and the public library issues they care about most. Communities of Practice, should the members choose, will still be able to meet in person at ALA Annual Conference and Midwinter.

PLA will transition to the new organization structure over the next two years, phasing out board members as terms expire. For more information on the timeline and the new bylaws, visit the PLA Web site www.pla.org.

PLA is a division of the American Library Association. PLA's core purpose is to strengthen public libraries and their contribution to the communities they serve. Its mission is to enhance the development and effectiveness of public library staff and public library services.