#pnla2012

Together with the other members of my division (my boss and co-worker – we’re a small team), I co-presented on collections management at the University of British Columbia (UBC). We tried to make our presentation less show-and-tell and more a discussion about how collections management is changing and what approaches you can take to not just survive the shift, but thrive and provide improved collections and services.

Presentation Outline:

In 2010 and 2011, UBC Library conducted comprehensive reviews of its technical services, systems, public services and reference services, with an eye to transforming all four areas. The Collections Management and Planning unit, part of Technical Services, has worked since 2010 to assist the library in developing new modes and methods of collections management and space planning. We have employed an eclectic mix of methods, including data analysis, development of new tools, dialogue across the organization, organizational transformation, workflow analysis and project management. Our approach is unique because it brings both systems and technical services strengths into the collection management arena. The objective of our presentation is to explore how libraries must begin to think about shifting their collections and space management practices if they are to survive and thrive.

Please check out the presentation slides on my slideshare account. Overall, there was a fair amount of input from the audience, and even more feedback and comments after the presentation and throughout the rest of the conference. If you happened to be in attendance for the presentation and have any comments about our presentation, or about collection management at your institution, please share in the comments section or via email.

One of the highlights of the second day of the conference was the presentation on the Librarians Build Communities volunteer program. Established by ALA, the program is an extension of the association’s annual volunteer service day, Libraries Build Communities. 

Breakout Session: “Librarians Build Communities: Advocacy through volunteerism” 

Presenter

Coral Sheldon-Hess, Web Services Librarian, University of Alaska Anchorage 

Focus

The presentation provided an overview of ALA’s Librarians Build Communities program (from its inception and development, to current national, state, and local pilots).

Highlights

Sheldon-Hess rightfully pointed out that librarians have a PR problem: library advocacy, for the most part, focuses on the library and not library workers. As a result, there are still misconceptions about what exactly library-related work involves. That is where Librarians Build Communities** comes in. Library employees can have a range of specialized skills – research, budgeting, marketing, and database and website design – so why not volunteer these skills? By partnering library workers with local organizations, both the organizations and the library benefit. Organizations can gain access to and begin developing expertise that they did not previously have, and the library can engage with the community in a non-library setting and showcase the skill sets involved in library work. 

The presentation also showcased the Librarians Build Communities toolkit, and went over how local pilots can coincide with library conferences. I really appreciate that branding was taken into consideration – the 2012 emerging leaders group that worked on the program commissioned a new logo. That being said, I do find the branding to be a bit one-dimensional. The logo is of a female librarian, wearing glasses, holding a book – and while it is attractive and very well done, it would be nice if there were several different logos that showcased library diversity.

On the first day of the PNLA 2012 Conference, I attended two sessions and co-presented one myself. I’ll cover the presentation I was a part of in another post, but I wanted to share some of the highlights from the other two sessions.

Breakout Session: “Stalking the Wild E-Books: Helping Academic and Public Patrons Bag E-Content”

Presenters

Suzanne Reymer, Consulting Librarian, Montana State Library

Jan Zauha, Academic Librarian, Montana State University

Focus

The presentation explored how we can better integrate eBooks into academic and public library collections and services. The presenters discussed formats and eReaders, educating staff, collaborating with other libraries, and meeting patron needs.

Highlights

I love hearing about how libraries are collaborating, especially when it comes to digital content and services. One attendee spoke about a regional meeting on electronic resources involving libraries of all types, and mentioned the interesting (and important) perspective provided by the school librarians. And I have to agree – school libraries and librarians should not be removed from discussions around electronic resources and services. And although schools and public libraries already partner on programming, I am interested in the potential for collaboration between schools and academic libraries, especially involving online and electronic reading and research.

Breakout Session: “Thriving in a Challenging Environment: Creating Technology-Rich, Collaborative Learning Spaces on a Shoestring"

Presenters

Joan Petit, Humanities & Social Sciences Librarian, Portland State University

Thomas Bielavitz, Assistant University Librarian for Administrative Services and Planning, Portland State University

Focus

The presenters led an interactive session that looked at the newly renovated spaces at Portland State University, and how they used technology differently, collaborated with new funding partners, and repurposed their space using a low-cost model.

Highlights