CHICAGO –Attendees at the Public Library Association (PLA) 2012 Conference in Philadelphia will have the opportunity to get a head start on professional development before the conference is fully underway. On March 13 and 14, 11 preconferences for public library administrators, managers and staff will offer practical education in a focused and interactive environment. Several programs are a perfect fit for public library trustees as well. These intensive programs range in length from half day to a day and a half and feature knowledgeable, professional instructors. The preconferences include:

Half-day in length:

• How to Get Your Point Across to the Media: Be a Myna Bird
• Opening Books, Opening Doors: Providing Effective Readers’ Advisory Service
• Special Needs, Talented Children: Outreach Services to Families with Special Needs (Sponsored by the Pennsylvania Library Association)
• Turning the Page 2.0 Kick-Off (FREE)
• Winning Grants

Full-day in length:

• Be a Great Boss: One Year to Success!
• Building a User-Centered Library Website
• Dig Deep to Understand What Your Community Needs and Wants (Sponsored by the Pennsylvania Library Association)
• Guessing Isn’t Good Enough: Using Data to Make Effective Decisions

Day and a half in length:

• Make Your Library a Community Leader: Community Building through Civic Dialogue (Sponsored by the ALA Public Programs Office)
• Changing Course: Leadership for Navigating the New Library (Sponsored by the Gerald M. Kline Family Foundation) ATTENDANCE IS BY APPLICATION ONLY.

Separate registration is required for all preconferences. Rates are available at www.placonference.org/preconferences.

Offered biennially, the PLA Conference is the premier event for public libraries, drawing librarians, library support staff, trustees, friends and library vendors from across the country and around the world.

For more information about other PLA events and programs, contact the PLA office at pla@ala.org or (800) 545-2433, ext. 5PLA, or visit 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.

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