MLA Conference Report #13

From Carla Powers of Duluth Public Library:

This year's MLA conference was, as usual, full of information and ideas. Below are a few particularly useful gems That I took away from it.

We are advocates for citizens. In a session titled "Everyone is a Library Advocate!" one of the speakers encouraged us to reframe the idea from being advocates for libraries to being advocates for the citizens whose lives are changed by libraries. I think this slight shift in approach could have a powerful impact on the way we tell our stories as public libraries. I am going to encourage my board, Friends group and foundation to focus less on the importance of the library as an institution in their advocacy efforts, and to focus on collecting and sharing the stories of the individuals who use and depend upon our services.

Libraries are about services, not stuff. This was shared in Thursday's "Engagement through Games" keynote luncheon. To me it's a gem because it points to the new way that libraries are approaching their mission. We're still in the business of loaning "stuff," but as collections and access points change we are realizing that the most important thing libraries provide is a connection between people and ideas. We accomplish this through the services we offer. As remote access to "stuff" continues to grow, I think that libraries need to emphasize their role as the Great Good Place - a place where all people are welcome and can come to spend quality time, learn something new, and interact in person with others in the community.

Get off the dance floor and onto the balcony. This phrase came from a session called "Performance Management: Theory and Practice," which featured three speakers from the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits Performance Management Institute. The speaker was referring to the importance of periodically stepping back from day-to-day operations to take a big-picture view. It's a good reminder than even though library directors and managers get very busy with the day-to-day operations of their library, we need to remember that it's our job to focus on the big picture of library service for our community.

Thank you, NCLC board, for providing this scholarship to cover my attendance at the MLA Conference. The library's travel and training funds are very limited these days, and by covering my registration you made it possible for another library staff member to attend.