2024 ALA Annual Conference - Public Libraries Online

PLA Member Spotlight: ALA Annual Conference 2024

Eliana Kleiman — Thu, 27 Jun 2024 11:52:49 +0000

The 2024 ALA Annual Conference will take place in just a few days during June 27–July 2, 2024 in San Diego, CA. PLA will host over a dozen top-quality educational programs on public library topics at #ALAAC24, alongside the conference’s 150+ educational programs available on the Conference Scheduler. Two PLA members are among a spectacular panel of presenters on the program “Turning the Page: How to Design a Library for the Future”, taking place Sunday, June 30, at 9:00am-10:00am PT. Read on to learn more about these PLA members!

Tammy Baggett has served as library director of Durham County Library for nearly 14 years and is passionate about delivering quality library services. Tammy is an invaluable resource for assisting with team building, change management, coaching for success, and goal setting. She enjoys giving back to the profession by mentoring others and providing motivational speeches. She is committed to service excellence and providing resources within the library system that reflects the rich tapestry of our community. It’s her philosophy that we should all work together to make the world a better place; and what better way to start that the power of reading for pleasure and knowledge.

“I’m excited to attend the upcoming ALA conference and to hear, learn, and collaborate on best practices, impact stories, and to support one another with the challenges we face within the library profession. ‘Turning the Page: How to Design a Library for the Future’ is an opportunity for others to better understand the process of designing a public library that exceeds community expectations.”

Terri Luke‘s career began in a school library in Dallas, Texas. Forty-seven years later, that career has brought her to Nashville Public Library, where she serves as Interim Director.

Before assuming that role in July 2023, Terri was Assistant Director for Branch Services, responsible for 21 branches in the NPL system. One of these branches – a newly built, two-story facility that measures 25,000 square feet– will open in June 2024. Before arriving at Nashville Public Library, Terri served for thirty-two years at Wake County Public Libraries, including as a Senior Manager for Facilities. In that capacity, she managed nine renovations and seven new construction projects. She earned national recognition for excellent facility design by an appointment to the AIA/ALA Library Building Awards jury.

“I’m passionate about this program because I believe that warm, inviting, and inspiring library facilities are places to create joy and bring communities together. Sometimes, a building project happens once in a person’s career. With the experience I’ve earned in facilities projects, I enjoy sharing my knowledge and learning from others.

“At the ALA Annual Conference, I’m looking forward to learning from fellow library employees across the nation and getting a chance to network with people who share a passion for public libraries and a commitment to public service.”

View the full list of PLA programs taking place at the ALA Annual Conference here. Browse all the programs taking place at the conference here.

The post PLA Member Spotlight: ALA Annual Conference 2024 first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

PLA Member Spotlight: ALA Annual Conference 2024

Eliana Kleiman — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 16:57:55 +0000

The ALA Annual Conference will take place this year during June 27–July 2, 2024 in San Diego, CA. PLA will host 16 top-quality educational programs on public library topics at #ALAAC24, alongside the conference’s 150+ educational programs available on the Conference Scheduler. We can’t wait to hear from PLA members and public library workers on hot topics in the library field today—one such topic being food justice work in public libraries. Read below about the PLA members presenting the program “Food is a Right: Libraries Respond to Food Inequity” taking place on Sunday, June 30, at 9:00am-10:00am PT.

Lauren Boeke is the Assistant Youth Services Coordinator for the Toledo Lucas County (Ohio) Public Library.

“One of the best parts of my job is helping with the Connecting Kids to Meals partnership. Connecting Kids to Meals provides meals at 15 of TLCPL’s branches. Youths 18 years and under have access to free, nutritious hot meals with no eligibility requirements. TLCPL also intentionally builds programming and homework support around mealtimes, so children and their families have access to all that the Library has to offer. In 2023, nearly 60,000 meals were served at the library.”

Anastasia Diamond-Ortiz has served as the Executive Director of the Lorain (Ohio) Public Library System since 2016.

“For the last few years, we have been moving in the direction of supporting food justice initiatives developing in the communities we serve and I’m excited to share our journey during the presentation with Urban Libraries Council and my colleagues. Food justice work aligns with programs and services many libraries already provide and the community forming around this work is growing all the time. I look forward to the questions, conversations and connections that are sparked from talking about food justice because learning from the great work happening in libraries across the country is the best part of conferences like ALA Annual.”

View the full list of PLA programs taking place at the ALA Annual Conference here. Browse all the programs taking place at the conference here.

The post PLA Member Spotlight: ALA Annual Conference 2024 first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

PLA Member Spotlight: ALA Annual Conference 2024

Eliana Kleiman — Wed, 15 May 2024 19:07:47 +0000

The ALA Annual Conference will take place this year during June 27–July 2, 2024 in San Diego, CA. PLA will host 16 top-quality educational programs on public library topics at #ALAAC24. We can’t wait to hear from PLA members and public library workers on topics ranging from the results of PLA’s Technology Survey to building homeschooling resources at the public library. Read below about a PLA member who is a presenter for the program “Safety and Security in Public Libraries: Strategies and Resources to Help” taking place on Sunday, June 30, at 1:00pm-2:00pm PT.

Pilar Martinez is the CEO of the Edmonton Public Library (Edmonton, Alberta), and chair of the Canadian Urban Libraries Council (CULC) Safety and Security Working Group.

“We are passionate about the topic of safety and security in public libraries because it directly impacts the well-being of both staff and customers. As community hubs, libraries play a crucial role in reducing barriers and providing access to resources that can help address underlying societal issues. We believe that by sharing our experiences and collaborating with other libraries, we can develop stronger solutions and create safer environments for all visitors.

“At the American Library Association conference, we are looking forward to discussing the results of the Canadian Urban Libraries Council’s working group and sharing the toolkit of best practices developed to address safety and security challenges. We are excited to learn from other participants and gain valuable insights and strategies that can be implemented in our own libraries. We are also eager to engage in discussions about how to effectively communicate safety and security challenges with partners and decision-makers to garner support and resources.”

View the full list of PLA programs taking place at the ALA Annual Conference here.

The post PLA Member Spotlight: ALA Annual Conference 2024 first appeared on Public Libraries Online.