PENNSYLVANIA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION Bulletin Volume 68, Issue 4 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 2013 Conference Wrap-Up Pennsylvania Libraries: Architects of Change BY Barbara ZabOROWSKI rank Lloyd Wright once said, “A great architect is not made by way of a brain nearly so much as he is made by way of Fa cultivated, enriched heart.” This can also be said of librarians, and in Octo- ber at Seven Springs was a gathering of great librarians and library sup- porters coming together to help culti- vate and enrich libraries. While I was too busy to attend many sessions, I did have the opportunity to speak with lots of conference Among the VIPs at the All-Conference Dinner (l-r): Ivy Bayard, past president; David Belanger, Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) member; Debbie Malone, past president; Cynthia Richey, attendees and all the comments I past president and GAC member; Sue Solarczyk, PCBL president, and her husband, George heard were positive. To give you a Solarczyk. quick overview, let’s take a look at the County Commissioners for being numbers: Over 550 attended the con- outstanding elected officials, Trustee ference; adding in guests, presenters of the Year to Joseph Keller, New and exhibitors, total attendance Librarian to Laura Arnhold, Distin- amounted to 953 people. There were guished Service to Anita Ditz, Library Bestselling author, 83 sessions presented by librarians, Support Staff went to the Abington Andre Dubus, III, authors, lawyers, and consultants and addresses the PaLA Community Library, and Certificates 34 poster sessions presented. Seventy All-Conference of Merit were awarded to Joseph Dinner vendors participated in the exhibit Sherwood, Allison Mackley, and hall and several sponsored the exhibit Bonnie Oldham. hall lunches and coffee breaks. All in all, 15 sponsors gave contributions What about this year’s speakers! At insight into his creative mind, and at the Platinum, Gold, Silver, and the President’s Reception, Dr. Franklin closing lunch speaker Carl Kurlander Bronze levels to help offset confer- Toker provided a historical and some- provided libraries with an opportu- ence expenses. times satirical look at the relationship nity to reach into their communities of Frank Lloyd Wright with the and be part of his Steeltown Enter- This year we had the opportunity to Kaufmanns. Conference banquet bestow several awards: to the Greene speaker Andre Dubus III gave us Continued on page 8 Pennsylvania 220 Cumberland Parkway, Suite 10 • Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 Library 717-766-7663 • 800-622-3308 (PA) • 717-766-5440 (Fax) PaLA Association www.palibraries.org PENNSYLVANIA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION President Paula Gilbert Martin Library Volume 68, Issue 4 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 159 E. Market Street York, PA 17401 717-846-5300 [email protected] 1st Vice President Janis Stubbs Delaware County Library System 340 N. Middletown Rd. Bldg. 19 Media, PA 19063 610-891-8611 Contents [email protected] 4 ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits 2nd Vice President Barbara Zaborowski 5 Humanities Are the Heart of the Matter PA Highlands Community College 101 Community College Way 6 PA Forward: The Year in Review Johnstown, PA 15904 10 Awards Presented at the 2013 PaLA Conference 814-262-6425 [email protected] 11 Laura Arnhold Chosen to Represent PaLA at 3rd Vice President ALA Emerging Leaders Charity Leonette Allegheny County Library System 15 Membership Year in Review 22 Wabash Street, Suite 202 16 Promoting Mental Health Literacy Pittsburgh, PA 15220 412-921-1123 x 304 17 PALS Builds on Knowledge-Sharing Culture in PA [email protected] 18 What to Expect from PALS Past President Debbie Malone 19 Lehigh Valley Chapter's Fall Social DeSales University 2755 Station Avenue 20 Our President, Our Memories Center Valley, PA 18034 610-282-1100 x 1253 [email protected] DEparTMENTS Treasurer David Schappert 3 President’s Message Marywood University 2300 Adams Ave. 12 It’s Academic Scranton, PA 18509 14 Welcome New Members 570-348-6260 [email protected] 24 Calendar ALA Councilor Alexia Hudson-Ward The PaLA Bulletin is published 4 times a year by the Pennsylvania Library Penn State Abington Campus Association, 220 Cumberland Parkway, Suite 10, Mechanicsburg, PA 1600 Woodland Road Abington, PA 19001 17055, Phone: 717-766-7663, 800-622-3308 (PA); Fax: 717-766-5440. 215-881-7497 Subscriptions are $40 per year; single issues and back issues $4 each. [email protected] _________________ Executive Director Managing Editor Contributing Editor Glenn R. Miller Beth Schetroma Glenn R. Miller [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Education & Finance Manager Kim Snyder [email protected] Design/Layout PA Forward Project Manager Lilo Mueller, LiloGrafik Kathy Silks [email protected] Administrative Assistant Ellen Wharton [email protected] Pennsylvania Library PaLA Association 2 | PaLA Bulletin OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE It’s a Wrap! Another Successful Year for PaLA BY PAUla GilbERT hat a successful year your president that kept popping up in interest- PaLA has had! As we look ing places around Seven Springs. Watch for more back on a hugely success- membership nuggets in the coming months as ful conference in Seven well! WSprings at the end of October, we can be Cindy DeLuca and her team have been working proud of the variety of quality sessions; on the professional development goal, keeping the great featured speakers that high- the conference accessible and relevant to mem- lighted the banquet, President’s program, bers and working to expand the PALS experience and closing lunch; and the selection of as well as encouraging the PALS group who are Paula Gilbert vendors that were present. In addition, building the Speakers Bureau for PaLA. the venue itself offered a scenic vista with plenty of free-time activities and we offered great road trips to Fallingwater and the Flight 93 Memorial. If one of these strategic areas is I am sure that everyone was also excited about having the opportunity to buy raffle tickets too! your specialty, or if you have a Many thanks to Barb Zaborowski and the Con- ference Committee for a job well done. desire to help, please contact the Thank you also, to the great folks who are work- individual goal chair or myself to ing on the strategic plan. I hope you have taken get connected to the action. the opportunity to read the plan on the PaLA website and familiarize yourself with the action Rob Lesher and his team are working on our goal steps listed there. Many of them are being to provide strong internal and external communi- worked on, some are completed already, and we cation. This includes working to utilize our web- have more to focus on in 2014. Please remember site capabilities to its highest potential and con- that this is an active document that is being tinuing to support our archivist’s activities. looked at regularly and is there to lead the orga- nization over the next couple of years. Mary Lou Repsher and her team are focusing on the last goal of efficient and accountable associa- In particular, Debbie Malone and her team have tion management. This will focus on looking at been working on ways to share the value of our bylaws and organization structure and con- librarians and we are continuing to look for new tinue to move us forward with strong leadership. ways to increase our advocacy efforts for librar- ies, as we celebrate this year’s small gain for the This work will continue through 2014 into 2015 Power Library in the Library Access line of the and we need members to volunteer time to finish budget. each goal successfully. If one of these strategic areas is your specialty, or if you have a desire to Charity Leonette and her team are working on help, please contact the individual goal chair or the membership goal and have worked hard myself to get connected to the action. to entice academic librarians to join and get involved in PaLA. In addition, they incorporated Another big thank-you this year goes to the Leg- many engaging activities around membership at islation Committee. Janis Stubbs and her team the conference, including the amazing likeness of Continued on page 4 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 PaLA Bulletin | 3 President's Message examples of how people are using PA bers of PaLA — you have made my year Continued from page 3 Forward in their libraries and how others as your president a truly enjoyable expe- are taking those ideas and using them as rience for me. Meeting members and have been very busy working with PaLA their own. The Best Practices database is non-members across the commonwealth executive director Glenn Miller and growing! All five literacy teams now and listening to all the great things that Greenlee Partners, our advocates, to have strong leadership and there are are happening is very inspiring. Your keep us in good position for the coming enthusiasm, your drive, and your con- election year. We got the small budget We have had workshops tinuing allegiance to PaLA is what helps increase this year, which is the direct to make libraries in Pennsylvania so result of consistent lobbying by mem- across the state to bring PA successful and why this organization is bers, friends groups, and our Greenlee Forward to local areas and so strong. You need to continue to talk to Partners. We are also watching as legis- people — your friends and neighbors, lation for child abuse reporting is mov- the attendance and support your local community leaders and repre- ing through the House and Senate and sentatives, our state elected officials, and how the outcome will eventually affect has been amazing. anyone else you can think of — about the library staff.