PNLA Quarterly, Vol. 62 No.3 Spring 1998

Discussion Papers:
Conferences and Continuing Education

INTRODUCTION

Some exceptions to regional concerns may be training/education issues that are timely and whose needs may not have been met by other groups. Examples of timely might include how to set up your website to provide for better customer self service or for smaller communities perhaps how to determine which reference tool works best in what situation.

PNLA needs to determine if it is or will target all types of libraries or selectively target library types. Perhaps the membership list could be analyzed to determine the percentage of librarians from school, academic, public and special libraries. Is there a need for a regional association to be everything to everybody? Perhaps PNLA could specialize, e.g., academic or academic and public libraries. YRCA could continue to also be marketed to school libraries, perhaps co-sponsoring with school library groups.

Regional also means international and this must be emphasized as what makes PNLA unique. PNLA needs to nurture the international substance of the organization. After this process of refocusing to determine its unique mission, other Pacific Rim countries could be invited to participate and ultimately to join PNLA.

SCENARIOS

Continue As Is

Currently: PNLA holds a separate annual conference in August, moving the site to different member states/provinces. Alternate years a joint conference is considered.

Concerns:
a. Low attendance.
b. Not a money maker.
c. Conference programming is similar to state/provincial topics, not unique enough.
d. Reliance on too few local persons to organize conference, when each year the local people will be helping with their state or provincial conference, plus the PNLA conference.
e. Interest groups not active in programming.

Suggestions:
a. Conference themes, programs and presenters need to have specific unique regionalism in name and substance.
b. There must be regional help with organizing the conference: a committee? board members? interest groups?
c. Interest groups need to become active throughout the year with their own issues and presenting those issues at the annual conference. Their role needs to be enhanced as people who can best identify Continuing Education opportunities for their interests.
d. At joint conferences the PNLA presence needs to be evident in name and substance as uniquely regional: a pre-conference program? membership event? one day or two half days of regional programming?
e. Invite presenters and participants from other Pacific Rim countries.

Marketing:
a. A PNLA presence at each state/provincial conference more than a display table with the vendors: a workshop? YRCA program? a pre-conference? membership event? Combinations of recognized strength, such as a YRCA program, with another program aimed at a different audience?
b. Continue getting local membership rates for conferences approved by all PNLA member state/provinces and promote this.
c. Have PNLA conference materials ready as early as possible, even in preliminary form, for marketing at state/provincial conferences. Press releases starting with choice of site and theme to any planned programs should be sent regularly to state/provincial and other related association newsletters.
d. PNLA website to include member state/provincial conferences and as much CE as possible being offered throughout the region.
e. Conference largely composed of 1/2 or full or two day workshops with certificate credit available?

Resource options:
a. Increase membership fees.
b. Increase conference/workshop fees.
c. Hire someone to organize the conference each year.
d. Standing Committee to handle conferences. This could include part time employment.

Joint Annual Conferences

Currently: Alternative years a joint conference is planned.

Concerns: PNLA presence needs to be more evident.

Suggestions:
a. PNLA to provide specific, unique regional programming: always YRCA!, a pre-conference? one day or two afternoons of programming? presenters from other Pacific Rim countries? Always have significant sessions with regional representation. Emphasis always on commonalities within differences.
b. PNLA membership event that everyone wants to attend.
c. Discuss the procedures for joint conferences with Mountain Plains Library Association.

Marketing: same as #1 above, Marketing

Resources: Costs/fees for the joint conferences will need to be coordinated with the "home" site costs/fees. Will costs be less during a joint conference?

No Annual Conferences

Currently: PNLA holds a separate annual conference with joint conferences planned on alternative years.

Concerns: How or when will the PNLA membership get together without conferences?

Suggestions:
a. PNLA members get together at their state/provincial conferences.
b. PNLA members attend any PNLA CE programs offered separately or at state/provincial conferences.

Marketing: Same as #1 above, Marketing.

Resources:
a. Fees for PNLA membership event(s) and programs at state/provincial conferences.
b. Membership fees.

CE Programming Only

Currently: CE programming takes place at the annual PNLA conferences or joint conferences. Do the interest groups hold any CE programs during the year separate from conferences?

Concerns: Any PNLA CE programming must be specifically and uniquely regional to make it attractive to participants.

Suggestions:
a. PNLA provides an annual one or two day travelling workshop on a topic which is timely and unique to the region, separate from state/provincial conferences. Full day workshops meet the demand for more intense, hands on learning that typical conference sessions of one or two hours cannot provide.
b. PNLA provides the above travelling workshop only at state/provincial conferences. Co-sponsor with local associations?
c. PNLA coordinates CE courses for credit throughout the region. Each state/province is unique in its needs for formal/informal librarian qualifications. PNLA would bring the regional academic institutions together to provide credit/certificate courses throughout the region, either at conferences or separately. Alternately, PNLA could issue its own certificates, similar to Special Libraries Assn.
d. Invite other Pacific Rim countries to participate.

Marketing: Same as #1 above, Marketing.

Resources:
a. Travelling workshops separate from conferences would charge fees to cover costs. Note: if topic is of enough concern, people will attend, eg. a recent Special Libraries Association Intranet full-day workshop attracted people from distances of 8 hours drive away and a recent full-day workshop on electronic copyright attracted over 90 attendees.
b. Same as above for workshops at conferences.
c. CE courses for credit or certification would charge fees to cover costs.
d. A regional association is in a better position to know more examples of who is doing what in unique and interesting ways. Better coordination of CE for the region could also be done by PNLA working in coordination with local associations.

"The (PNLA) association is essential, for it provides the one link to professional development and communications on a region-wide basis. PNLA differs dramatically from state and provincial associations because the necessity of political activity is not present. In state, provincial and national associations, that political involvement is essential. PNLA, thus, is able to concentrate fully on library services, upon professional continuing-education programs and upon the sharing of library resources on a region-wide basis."