PLA's Conference Receives Raves

The Public Library Association's (PLA) most recent conference earned high marks from librarians working with children and young adults. The conference, held March 12–16 in Phoenix, AZ, was praised for its emphasis on family literacy, teen programming, and collaboration with youth agencies.

Many of the conference sessions were standing room only. One of them highlighted Project LIFT's (Literacy Involves Families Together) efforts to help teenage mothers teach preliteracy skills to their children through sharing songs, rhymes, and stories. Other popular sessions featured the work of "Mobile Migrant EVEN START," a library-sponsored outreach program for migrant workers and their young children, and "Prime Time Family Reading Time," a nationwide program that promotes reading by bringing together younger and older generations.

Teen programming was in good hands. Library consultant Patrick Jones and other experienced teen programmers presented a smorgasbord of ideas. At a time when the Internet and other electronic media are competing for teens' attention, Jones and crew offered a number of practical suggestions for getting teens involved in summer reading programs.

This year's PLA conference broke previous attendance records with a total of 7,891 registrants. In a telling sign of the times, the event offered a technological first for an American Library Association-sponsored conference: according to PLA spokesperson Kathleen Hughes, the entire schedule could be downloaded onto a Palm Pilot or other personal digital assistants.