Report from NHLA President-Elect
I have confirmed a location for the November 2008 Annual Business Meeting. We will be meeting at the Crowne Plaza in Nashua just off Exit 8 of the F.E. Everett Turnpike. For one of the three sessions, I have asked Bobbi Slossar (and perhaps some others from the new NHLA Information Technology Section) to discuss and illustrate open source content management systems (CMS). In particular, she will highlight the IT Section’s implementation of either Drupal, Joomla or WordPress. I am also trying to get in touch with Pamela Soren Smith at The Howe Library in Hanover to see if she would like to present her library’s experience implementing a different CMS.
Another possible topic I am considering for one of the three main sessions is a debate and discussion on the general topic of whether or not annual professional development requirements should exist for librarians. Should librarians need to earn a certain number of continuing education credits in order to maintain a certain status or licensure? How could such a system be designed and who should be involved? Should allowances be made for librarians from smaller libraries and/or those with potentially smaller professional development budgets? Do other states have continuing education requirements and systems?
As for a third session topic, I am still looking for more good ideas, so please feel free to forward me your ideas and suggestions. One idea that was suggested recently that I think sounds good is a panel discussion on literacy programs at libraries. How to start a program, what resources to use, what community organizations to partner with, etc.
Please feel free to submit comments to this blog entry or contact me directly.
- Steve Butzel
