Category Archives: General

Communication, General

Learning About Library Associations: Pacific Northwest Library Association (PNLA)

Library science is an enormous field, home to every interest you could imagine! This means that there are many organizations out there for you to join, in order to connect with other people who share your professional interests.

So even if you work alone in your library, there are other people out there doing work similar to yours! Each week we will highlight a different library association for you to learn more about, and depending on your work, potentially join! You can also check out our page dedicated to Library Associations.

 

This week we’ll take a look at the Pacific Northwest Library Association (PNLA). This association has over 200 members from the areas of Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, and Washington. They are the “oldest regional library association in the United States and the only binational association in North America.”

“PNLA promotes increased communication, joint advocacy, open debate, networking and support and Information sharing through its many special projects and initiatives including:

Annual Conference
Leads! Leadership Institute 
Quarterly
Job Board
Young Readers Choice Award

PNLA provides a unique regional and multinational perspective to the issues that interest all library staff: intellectual freedom, literacy, continuing education, and library leadership.”

Their annual conference this year is in Kalispell, MT in August with the theme of “Breaking the Fourth Wall.” You can stay current with the organization’s news by reading their PNLA Quarterly  issues. Check out the 2018 Nominees for the Young Readers Choice Award.  If you are looking for a library job in the area, make sure to peruse their Job Board.

Interested in becoming a PNLA member? Get all the information on their membership page!

Communication, General

Learning About Library Associations: Polish American Librarians’ Association

Library science is an enormous field, home to every interest you could imagine! This means that there are many organizations out there for you to join, in order to connect with other people who share your professional interests.

So even if you work alone in your library, there are other people out there doing work similar to yours! Each week we will highlight a different library association for you to learn more about, and depending on your work, potentially join! You can also check out our page dedicated to Library Associations.

This week we’ll learn about the Polish American Librarians’ Association (PALA). This organization’s mission is to “positively impact services provided to library patrons of Polish descent and individuals interested in Polish culture.”

PALA is having their annual meeting on April 28th in Chicago. The agenda includes a speaker on ALA’s role in reconstructing Polish libraries after WWII, a panel discussion on the 100th anniversary of Poland’s independence, and a preview of a new documentary.

Their website has a great list of resources to help with Collection Development, targeted at “non-Polish speaking librarians responsible for Polish language collections at public libraries.” The list includes classic works of Polish literature, winners of the Nike Literary Award (the Polish Pulitzer Prize), and a helpful list of notable/popular Polish authors.

Their site also has an awesome Programming page that lists ideas and examples of ways to include Polish programming at your own library, particularly in the month of October which is Polish Heritage Month. Some of these ideas include inviting a folk dance group to perform at your library, hosting a traditional Polish folk art workshop, or inviting a Polish restaurant/bakery in for a cooking demonstration of favorite Polish foods.

If you’d like more information about PALA, check out their FAQ page. And no, it’s not required to be of Polish descent to become a member! Get more membership information from their page.

 

Communication, General

Learning About Library Associations: Mountain Plains Library Association

Library science is an enormous field, home to every interest you could imagine! This means that there are many organizations out there for you to join, in order to connect with other people who share your professional interests.

So even if you work alone in your library, there are other people out there doing work similar to yours! Each week we will highlight a different library association for you to learn more about, and depending on your work, potentially join! You can also check out our page dedicated to Library Associations.

This week we’ll learn about the Mountain Plains Library Association (MPLA). MPLA is a twelve state organization of libraries, librarians, and friends of libraries in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. The main goal of MPLA is to “improve present and future library services in the Mountain Plains region through development of librarians, trustees and library employees.”

MPLA is an impressive library association with a ton to offer their members. One of the first things we noticed about this association is that they have a library podcast!! It’s called the Library Leadership Podcast and you can listen to their episodes on their podcast page. We love to see libraries podcasting!

MPLA has an annual conference, taking place this year in Wichita, KS from October 23 – 26th. They offer professional development grants to members, with the categories of mini-grants and regular grants. Their Continuing Education page is full of great resources, including links to free training, relevant state library associations, and vendors.

Their 2018 Leadership Institute is coming up in Estes Park, CO from April 29th – May 4th and will feature nationally known organizational development consultant Maureen Sullivan.  “Ms. Sullivan has over 25 years of experience in leadership development and is the Past President of the American Library Association.  She helped establish the ACRL/Harvard Leadership Institute and is a faculty member for its annual program.” Check out testimonials from past conference attendees here.

Stay on top of MPLA happenings with their newsletter, explore their posted jobs, or find out more about becoming a member of their organization! Keep up the great work, MPLA!

CMLE, Communication, General

Office Hours for March!

Can you believe March starts tomorrow? Neither can we!
Starting in March we will be holding our CMLE Office Hours on Wednesdays! (With the exception of March 20th, which is a Tuesday, because we have a Board Meeting on Wednesday) So on March 7th, March 14th, March 20th, and March 28th between 11am and 1pm we will be available at CMLE HQ to chat, no appointment needed, about all things libraries!

Why do we offer Office Hours? Well, a vital part of being a multitype library system like CMLE is that we want to be easily available to our members! You can always email us at admin@cmle.org or call our office, but sometimes it’s nice to be able to have a face-to-face conversation, especially if you need shared excitement for a new project, or sympathy for a challenge you’re experiencing.

So stop by, pat Office Dog Lady Grey who will likely be in attendance, and let’s talk libraries!
CMLE HQ is located at 570 1st St. SE St. Cloud MN 56304. We are in the cmERDC building right next to East Side Target. If you want to setup a different time to meet, send us an email at admin@cmle.org.

 

Communication, General

Learning About Library Associations: Cache Valley Library Association

Library science is an enormous field, home to every interest you could imagine! This means that there are many organizations out there for you to join, in order to connect with other people who share your professional interests.

So even if you work alone in your library, there are other people out there doing work similar to yours! Each week we will highlight a different library association for you to learn more about, and depending on your work, potentially join! You can also check out our page dedicated to Library Associations.

This week we will learn about the Cache Valley Library Association (CVLA)! CVLA is a relatively new association that was founded in 2012 and has more than 130 members. Their goals include:

  • Facilitate communication, networking, collaboration, mentoring, professional development, and socializing among all persons engaged in any aspect of library services.
  • Promote awareness of library resources, activities, practices, and goals both within its membership and to the community at-large.
  • Advocate on behalf of all libraries and their services, resources, and workers.

Membership to CVLA is free and open to anyone in their area interested in library services. “To officially join, send an email to cachelibraries@gmail.com or sign up at one of our bimonthly meetings. Registered members are eligible to vote and serve in leadership positions. ” Check out their map directory of members on their website.

CVLA has an awesome resource called “Phone A Friend” that connects members with the knowledge and experience of other library workers in their community. If you have a question in your library work, you can contact someone from their list that has signed up to offer assistance. Or if you are knowledgeable in a certain area, you can sign up as someone willing to answer questions that other library workers may have!

Check out CVLA’s job postings, annual reports or meeting minutes, or just stay up to date with the latest news. It looks like CVLA is doing great work in their library community!