
Hello PNLA members,
The PNLA Board just completed their annual retreat this past weekend. We have a dedicated and thoughtful Board who are passionate about librarianship in the Pacific Northwest. I thought it would be good to report out briefly what was discussed and decided.
The Board had an in-depth discussion on the PNLA finances and budget. The Board takes stewardship of the membership’s finances seriously and responsibly. We are working to shore up our practices to make efforts sustainable and consider new ways to bring in revenue to PNLA. I would like to specifically thank Lisa Fraser for her dedication and hard work as our PNLA treasurer.
The Board voted to join the Association of Rural and Small Libraries (https://arsl.info/) as an Affiliate Member. Collaborating with ARSL will allow PNLA to further its support, professional development, and advocacy for all libraries in the Pacific Northwest.
The Board discussed finalizing plans for the PNLA 2018 conference in Kalispell, Montana, the hashtag of the conference will be #PNLA18– The call for proposals is still open – so please consider submitting a session or program.
PNLA will be drafting a Statement of Diversity, Inclusion, and Appropriate Conduct for our conferences and interactions. Be on the lookout for that before the conference.
Samantha Hines our PNLA Quarterly Editor will be working to form an editorial board and also look at applying Creative Commons licensing to articles. The next issue will focus on Leadership. The call for articles is still open — so consider submitting your writing. http://www.pnla.org/call-for-papers
PNLA will be focusing some of its social media efforts on Twitter — so see some expanded content there. We are already on Facebook and LinkedIn. The Young Reader’s Choice Award (YRCA) will hold a virtual meeting to share best practices and award planning. The meeting will be a good time to learn about YRCA and hear how other libraries in the Pacific Northwest participate in this award. Look for an invitation soon to this virtual meeting.
The Board discussed the PNLA website and online membership management database transition from Membclicks to Wild Apricot that will be occurring soon. This new membership platform will save PNLA significant money. Be on the lookout for a refreshed website from PNLA soon.
The Board also voted to create a reduced student membership level and discussed various efforts to engage library school students with PNLA. This will roll out with the new website as well as some other potential membership options for regular members.
The Board undertook some strategic thinking exercises and philosophical discussions about whether PNLA is “an association of library associations in the Pacific Northwest” or “an association of librarians in the Pacific Northwest” — The Board concluded that PNLA is “an association of librarians in the Pacific Northwest”. This sentiment is mirrored in PNLA’s mission “to facilitate and encourage communication, networking, and information exchange for the development and support of libraries and librarianship in the Pacific Northwest”. With this reaffirmation of PNLA’s mission in mind, members may see some new strategic efforts, facilitated conversations, professional development opportunities for members, and possible expansion as PNLA moves forward.
If you have questions about PNLA or this brief report on the PNLA retreat — please feel free to contact me directly.
Rick Stoddart — PNLA President 2017-2018