The theme this year is Meeting Challenges. The meeting is on Thursday, May 20, 2010 beginning at 8:30 with registration until 3:30 wrap-up.

Morning Session: Erin Logsdon, from LYRASIS, : “Generation 4.0 How the characteristics of Traditionalists, Baby Boomers,and Generations X and Y Influence Our Daily Work Experiences”.

Concurrent Sessions:
1. PaLA’s Academy of Leadership Studies (PALS) graduates from the NE Chapter describe their experiences.
2. Community Services for Children, Allentown, Speaker and Topic TBA. 3. ACRL Excellence in Academic Libraries Award Winner, Bucks County Community College Library Speaker (TBA) on what the library did to win this prestigious honor.

Lunch/Business Meeting/Election of Officers

Afternoon Session: Leslie Burger, past president, ALA and Executive Director, Princeton (NJ) Public Library: “Creative Practices in a New Economy”.

Information and schedule are available at: One Book Kick off and Ealy Learning Forum invite

Room Reservations Needed by MARCH 12, 2010

There is a block of rooms for the night of April 13 on reserve at the Hilton Harrisburg. Hilton cut off date for the room block is March 12. The code to reserve a room is PPO. Guests can make reservations under this block at index.do, 717-233-6000, or 1-800-HILTONS. If you are a Best Practices winner- you may want to book your reservation now to make sure you have one.

RSVP Needed by April 9
Space is limited for this event. RSVP by Friday, April 9 by emailing Brigette
Plummer at bplummer@pposinc.com, or by fax at717.236.6793.
Please mention any special dietary or other needs at that time

We will host all of the sessions at CADM, in the training lab.

You will receive 1 CE credit for each session you attend.

There is a limit of 9 people in the room at any time, so signups are on a first come, first serve basis. Sign up FAST.

Please review the session details at this website: placonference.org/virtual_conference.cfm and then use the sign up link next to the corresponding title for each session. This post has the links to register for Day 1 sessions. Day 2 sessions are not yet finalized. Stay tuned for a second posting for Day 2 (March 26) with additional topics.

COST: Your library will be billed after the event $5 for each session each person from your location signs up for. Please try not to cancel at the last minute, because then we’d have empty seats.

Schedule and Individual Session Registration Links:
Thursday, March 25, 2010
10:45 a.m.
Welcome and Introduction (Anyone coming for the 11:00 session can attend this.)

11:00 – 12:00 p.m.
If You Didn’t Work Here, Would You Come Here? Register for If You Didn’t Work Here, Would You Come Here

12:15p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Cross Over Readers Advisory Register for Cross Over Reader’s Advisory

1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
LITA’s Top Technology Trends Register for LITA’s Top Technology Trends

2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Inside the Author’s Studio with Booklist’s Donna Seaman Register for Donna Seaman

4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Marketing as Conversation: How to Interact with Your Community Through Your Website Register for Marketing as Conversation

5:15 – 6:15 p.m.
S.Y.A.S.S. Save Your After School Sanity Register to Save Your Sanity

6:15:
Happy Hour/Wrap-Up (If there is interest, anyone in the room is welcome to hang around to view for FREE. Note: We may be happy, but we’ll have to leave the drinks–there’s no bar in library unless you rearrange the letters. :)

Audio Poster Sessions: As an important element of the conference experience, ALL Virtual Conference attendees will receive access to explore our audio poster session which features PowerPoint presentations or Web tours with audio narration. As part of the last PLA National Conference (2008), we offered twenty poster sessions for attendees to peruse, on topics like Early Literacy, Website Accessibility, Cataloging Video Games, Public/Academic Library Collaboration, and Impact of Library Outreach. We also featured poster sessions on library programming like 52 Books – 52 Weeks, A.R.T. Revolution forTeens, Local History, and more.

Access to Archived Programming for One Year: All virtual conference registrants will have access to archived Virtual Conference programming for one year after the event. Maybe some of your staff can bring the information they learned back to train your local staff too!

• INTERACT with over 60 technology innovators, vendors & exhibitors.
• LEARN about the latest educational technologies from keynotes, vendors and peers.
• EXPLORE the latest offerings in digital technologies for education and business.
• NETWORK with colleagues from other institutions.

Come to the Expo for a chance to win a multitude of terrific door prizes. There is no cost to attend but you must register to be eligible for prizes. Register at:attendee_registration.htm

Visit the website for more details: techfair. Contact us at: TechExpo@Villanova.Edu

Frederick Stoss, Biological and Environmental Sciences Librarian, SUNY Buffalo and chair of the ALA Taskforce on the Environment, will present “Sustainable and Green @ Your Library” on April 30, 2010 at 10 a.m.

Afternoon presenters include Megan Epler, Energy Resource Specialist, SEDA-COG, Lewisburg, and John Manz, Director, PA Housing Resource Center, Weatherization Training Center, Pennsylvania College of Technology.

The West Branch Chapter is also looking for libraries willing to share their “green” ideas – ways you have cut costs, saved energy at your libraries – either in person or as part of our handouts.

For more information, please contact Stephanie Farr, West Branch Chapter Secretary, at sfarr@jvbrown.edu

Each session will last 60-90 minutes depending on Q&A interest.

1 hour of CE is available to anyone who attends this training.

DCLS, CCLS, and MDT collectively purchase this resource for use by reference librarians and library patrons.

If you want to attend, use this link to sign up: Click here to register

* Registration for these programs is completely free.
* Although multiple sessions are offered, you will only need to attend 1 session.
* Training materials, a continental breakfast, lunch, and snacks are included with registration and, again, are at no cost to participants.
* This project has been funded with federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds administered by the Office of Commonwealth Libraries. PALCI received an LSTA grant for 2009-2010 to provide disaster preparedness and response training sessions.

The training program

* The day’s program will run from approximately 9 am to 4:30 pm; exact times and meeting locations will be spent after registration.
* Some of the topics we hope to address in these sessions include risk assessment, disaster plan writing and preparation, health and safety precautions, and disaster recovery methods.
* PALCI is contracting with Tom Clareson of Lyrasis to conduct the sessions. We are also adding further disaster preparedness presenters as we finalize the program.
* This training should provide an excellent baseline of disaster preparedness knowledge for all institutions and create a solid foundation to build upon for future collaborative disaster preparedness efforts.

Who should attend?

* Staff with responsibility over or interest in disaster preparedness, risk management, and emergency response for cultural heritage organizations (such as libraries) should attend.
* Our goal is to have at least two library staff members (professional or paraprofessional) from each PALCI member institution participate. More attendees from an institution are welcome, as space allows.
* Colleagues from non-PALCI institutions are also welcome to attend. There is no charge for them to do so.

* Registration for these programs is completely free.
* Although multiple sessions are offered, you will only need to attend 1 session.
* Training materials, a continental breakfast, lunch, and snacks are included with registration and, again, are at no cost to participants.
* This project has been funded with federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds administered by the Office of Commonwealth Libraries. PALCI received an LSTA grant for 2009-2010 to provide disaster preparedness and response training sessions.

The training program

* The day’s program will run from approximately 9 am to 4:30 pm; exact times and meeting locations will be spent after registration.
* Some of the topics we hope to address in these sessions include risk assessment, disaster plan writing and preparation, health and safety precautions, and disaster recovery methods.
* PALCI is contracting with Tom Clareson of Lyrasis to conduct the sessions. We are also adding further disaster preparedness presenters as we finalize the program.
* This training should provide an excellent baseline of disaster preparedness knowledge for all institutions and create a solid foundation to build upon for future collaborative disaster preparedness efforts.

Who should attend?

* Staff with responsibility over or interest in disaster preparedness, risk management, and emergency response for cultural heritage organizations (such as libraries) should attend.
* Our goal is to have at least two library staff members (professional or paraprofessional) from each PALCI member institution participate. More attendees from an institution are welcome, as space allows.
* Colleagues from non-PALCI institutions are also welcome to attend. There is no charge for them to do so.

* Registration for these programs is completely free.
* Although multiple sessions are offered, you will only need to attend 1 session.
* Training materials, a continental breakfast, lunch, and snacks are included with registration and, again, are at no cost to participants.
* This project has been funded with federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds administered by the Office of Commonwealth Libraries. PALCI received an LSTA grant for 2009-2010 to provide disaster preparedness and response training sessions.

The training program

* The day’s program will run from approximately 9 am to 4:30 pm; exact times and meeting locations will be spent after registration.
* Some of the topics we hope to address in these sessions include risk assessment, disaster plan writing and preparation, health and safety precautions, and disaster recovery methods.
* PALCI is contracting with Tom Clareson of Lyrasis to conduct the sessions. We are also adding further disaster preparedness presenters as we finalize the program.
* This training should provide an excellent baseline of disaster preparedness knowledge for all institutions and create a solid foundation to build upon for future collaborative disaster preparedness efforts.

Who should attend?

* Staff with responsibility over or interest in disaster preparedness, risk management, and emergency response for cultural heritage organizations (such as libraries) should attend.
* Our goal is to have at least two library staff members (professional or paraprofessional) from each PALCI member institution participate. More attendees from an institution are welcome, as space allows.
* Colleagues from non-PALCI institutions are also welcome to attend. There is no charge for them to do so.

Especially for Librarians…the “Big Ideas at BEA” Conference featuring targeted Librarian sessions and the annual Library Journal Day of Dialog, a free, day-long program bringing together librarians and top executives from the publishing world will change the way you do business with new ideas and the latest trends. Plus, two places on the exhibit floor for you to meet, network and plan your day Librarian Lounge sponsored by Library Journal and the Unshelved Reading Room.

Special Librarian Deals: Registration is now open, so register today at and save with Librarian Discounts on top of Early Bird Discounts. If you’re traveling in a group, email Diana Press at dpress@reedexpo.com and she will tell you about the Librarian Group Discounts. To register go to: ar?evt_uid=134&attendeeguid=F885BDCA-CB20-4FA3-AA3B-56D968E69AB0&attendeeid=6655724&campaignid=61554381&iusercampaignid=60577603&appname=100559&campaigncode=EM2A

Be sure to also book your hotel early at the Librarian Hotel—$199 per night at the Holiday Inn Midtown 57th Street (reference code: library10 when you book.) For librarian hotel booking go to:Librarians.asp?campaignid=61555529&iusercampaignid=60577727

Earn three hours of continuing education credits for attending.

Agenda is as follows:

I. What IS the Big Idea and how it relates to state standards
II. Fun graphing activity (we promise!)
III. Real life experiences of using What’s the Big Idea in a local library
IV. Hands-on exploration of program materials with a special focus on Make a Splash! Summer theme
V. How to plan What’s the Big Idea programs, including hands-on planning time
VI. Conclusion & evaluation

To find out more about the What’s the Big Idea? program, go to:www.mothergooseprograms.org

Would your library be willing to pay a small per session or per person fee if the district (or one of our larger systems) offered to host registration, facilitation, a room, and provided a small supplement for the group registration pricing for PLA Virtual conference hosted at CADM?

CE credits would be available for each session attended.

The session titles announced for Thursday, March 25th so far include:
If You Didn’t Work Here, Would You Come Here?
Cross Over Readers Advisory
LITA’s Top Technology Trends
Inside the Author’s Studio
Marketing as Conversation: How to Interact with Your Community Through Your Website
S.Y.A.S.S. Save Your After School Sanity

Please post your interest and your thoughts on willingness to pay a partial fee to attend below. Note that because of time zones, some sessions will be in the early evening.