Michael Scott, Assistant Director

I just realized that I'd neglected to post on the last couple of days of PLA, specifically March 28th and March 29th, 2008.  There were some great programs and talktables on those days and I wanted to hit the highlights of a few.

On Friday morning, I attended a session entitled Less IS More:  Vendor Partnerships Re-engineer Collection Development/Technical Services.  This program, by the Brooklyn Public Library, described how they were able to work with their library materials vendors (Baker & Taylor, Unicont, and Midwest Tape) to improve efficiency and workflows, relieve the pressure on their internal delivery system to the library system's branches, and create effective interfaces between the library's financial system, their ILS (Innovative Interfaces, Inc.) and the selection tools available from the vendors.  This was a wonderful presentation on a library partnering with their vendors and leveraging the strengths that each party brought to the table.  However, to keep it all in perspective, one of the learnings that BPL wanted to leave with the audience was that this project won't ever be done and it will continue to evolve.  Which is why comunication, communication, communication was another learning!  Click here for the PowerPoint slides

Also on Friday, I attended a talk table entitled Libraries & Lexiles:  Summer Reading and Beyond.  I was not sure what lexiles were but one of our SELS school members had asked the question recently so I thought I go and find out for myself.  Lexile scores are derived as part of the Lexile Framework for Reading^®, created by MetaMetrics. Lexiles have become a widely adopted reading measure which can match a reader's ability and text difficulty.  The table talk I attended discussed how Durham County (N.C.) Library partnered with MetaMetrics to address the issue of summer reading loss.  A free book search was created which uses Lexile scores and student interest areas.  I did get a better understanding of what lexiles were and took away another idea that may be another way to help SELCO connect libraries.

All in all, PLA was excellent and well worth attending!  Looking forward to what PLA 2010 in Portland, Oregon has in store.