Public Library Section report 4/17/2002

The PLS Planning Board met 15 February 2002.

Major items discussed were completing the Planning Board ballot count (which turned out to be unanimously in favor of the slate nominated), membership, participation in the Leadership Conference in October, and holding a Disaster Planning & Recovery Workshop open to all librarians. Directors Sherrie Antonowicz, Greensboro PL, and Marie Spencer, New Hanover County PL, will lead the search for new PLS members. (NCLA has since sent names of current and past PLS members as potential recruits for NCLA & PLS.)

Planning Board had reports from active committees Audiovisual (Deb Andrews, Randolph County PL, & Linda Ruffin, Wilson County PL), Government Relations (Lynn Thompson, Southern Pines PL), Technical Services (Ron Ritter, Davidson County PL & M J Goodrum, Chapel Hill PL), and Young Adults (Katherine Trott, Southern Pines PL).

The Development Committee’s name was changed to Awards Committee (Mary McAfee, Forsyth County PL).

New committees established with chairs were Branches (Naomi Galbreath,, Archdale/Randolph County PL), and Reference (Susan Hartog, Charlotte-Mecklenburg County PL). All committees are already working on proposals for workshops for next year Conference and have list-serve sites, recruiting additional members, or other activities. All are looking for more input on NCLA webpage as soon as we get a webpage committee started.

A Disaster Planning & Recovery Workshop will be held Thursday, September 12, 2002, 9 AM – 4 PM with a one-hour networking lunch. Fees proposed are $35 for NCLA members and $45 for non-members. We expect to more than clear our costs and are not asking for a supplemental grant.

Awards Committee is exploring a Public Librarian of the Year Award to be named after Bill Roberts. This will require NCLA approval. The criteria will be broad but winner must have worked or be working for a public library, may be for a career or for a specific contribution. A $2,000 donation to start the Award has already been promised.

NC Library Legislative Day is scheduled for Tuesday, June 25^th. PLS will help NCPLDA in whatever way it is asked. Friends of the Public Library groups are being asked for a donation to help fund activities and lunch at the Legislature. The PLS Government Affairs committee is also monitoring and reporting on CIPA, Patriots Act, and other laws and regulations which affect public libraries. Frannie Ashburn of the State Library also helped report on this and other State Library activities. A member of the State Library consultant team is invited to each of our PLS Planning Board meetings.

The Planning Board will meet again on Friday, May 10, Archdale Library, Randolph County Public Library.