CHICAGO – The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office (PPO) and the ALA Public and Cultural Programs Advisory Committee (PCPAC) will present a day-and-a-half preconference during the Public Library Association’s (PLA) 2012 National Conference in Philadelphia. The preconference, titled Make Your Library a Community Leader: Community Building through Civic Dialogue, will be held 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 13,  and 8:30 a.m. – noon, Wednesday, March 14. It is aimed at library directors, department heads, senior staff, trustees and others looking to increase their library’s visibility and community impact through civic engagement initiatives.

Participants will learn how to strategically position the library as a hub for community connections, civic involvement and collaboration utilizing a model that has successfully worked for many libraries, colleges, foundations and other community organizations. This hands-on workshop will train participants in dialogue facilitation skills, with proven success in strengthening partnerships, building effective teams across departments and organizations and raising the profile of the library as a center for community life. The valuable facilitation skills acquired in this session can immediately be put to use for the benefit of libraries and communities.          

Presenters at the preconference will include Carolyn Anthony, director, Skokie (Ill.) Public Library; Adam Davis, director, Project on Civic Reflection; Carrie Willson-Plymire, head of technical services; Western Maryland Regional Library; Ryan Lewis, senior program officer, Illinois Humanities Council. Registration for the preconference is available to members of PLA and the Pennsylvania Librarian Association for $255, ALA members for $310 and non-members for $385. For more information, including conference registration and hotel information, visit www.placonference.org.

The ALA Public Programs Office and PCPAC will also present two programs at the PLA National Conference:

• Programs That Pack the Place: Successful Community Collaborations
  Friday, March 16, 2012 10:45 a.m. - noon
  Public programming delivers information and educational benefits, provides opportunities for outreach and collaboration and enhances the library’s presence in the community. Learn about new trends and how to update current programs to attract new or underserved audiences. Experienced programmers will share how libraries produce successful programs without breaking the bank or burning out staff.

  Speakers: Carolyn Anthony, director, Skokie (Ill.) Public Library; Deborah Schneider, librarian, King County (Wash.) Library System; Sharon Cox, Library Manager, Queens (N.Y.) Library
   

• Maximizing the Impact of Programming: Getting the Most from Your Efforts
  Friday, March 16, 2012 2:00 - 3:15 p.m.
  Continually creating successful, community-engaging programs can be a struggle for even the most seasoned librarians. Learn to take your library’s programming to the next level and get the most impact from your hard work in this groundbreaking session. Listen to programming librarians from resort and suburban libraries talk about community partnerships and high-tech methods for reaching modern audiences, then learn from Tribeca Film Institute about how to secure independent films for your library.

  Speakers: Scott Doser, program coordinator, Wilkinson (Colo.) Public Library; Eileen Newman, managing director, Tribeca Film Institute; Carson Block, IT director, Poudre River (Colo.) Public Library District; Barbara Brattin, library director, Wilkinson (Colo.) Public Library

The ALA Public Programs Office promotes cultural and community programming as an essential part of library service in all types and sizes of libraries. Successful library programming initiatives have included the Let’s Talk About It reading and discussion series, traveling exhibitions, film discussion programs, LIVE! @ your library and more. Recently, the ALA Public Programs Office developed www.ProgrammingLibrarian.org, an online resource center bringing librarians timely and valuable information to support them in the creation of high-quality cultural programs for their communities. For more information on the ALA Public Programs Office, visit www.ala.org/publicprograms. 

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