HomePublic Library Associaton launches e-learneing@PLA

Contact: Kathleen Hughes
Manager, Communications-PLA
312-280-4028

For Immediate Release
November 26, 2003

Public Library Association launches e-Learning@PLA

The Public Library Association (PLA), a leader in providing continuing education for librarians and library workers, has announced the launch of its online education program, "e-Learning@PLA."  The new PLA online learning format is designed to help users learn more efficiently and to facilitate ease of collaboration between colleagues and instructors.

e-Learning@PLA is an innovative venture that combines the proven strengths of PLA's educational programming and library expertise with the ease and flexibility of the Internet," said PLA president Luis Herrera.

The first course of study offered in this new venture will be "Creating Policies for Results."  In this course, which is based on the popular American Library Association (ALA) publication, "Creating Policies For Results-From Chaos to Clarity," participants will work with the publication’s authors Sandra Nelson and June Garcia, as they encounter real library policy problems. Participants will gain useful knowledge, skills, and judgment that will enable them to produce useable policies tailored to their individual libraries. The curriculum features interactive exercises, collaborative work, and online chats with instructors and colleagues. Each participant will have approximately six-months to finish the course, and then another six-months access to the e-Learning@PLA system.

Interested parties are encouraged to enroll in one of following three sessions:

·       Session I, February 16, 2004

·       Session II, March 22, 2004

·       Session III, April 26, 2004

Registration for the first session begins on December 15, 2003. Enrollment applications will be available on the PLA Web site  (www.pla.org).

Please note that course curriculum will supplement information provided in “Creating Policies for Results-From Chaos to Clarity,” and participants will be expected to have access to a copy of the publication before they begin the course.  The book is available via the ALA Online Store at www.ala.org, or by calling the ALA Order Department at 1-866-746-7252. 

For more information regarding “e-learning @ PLA” please contact the PLA office at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5752, or www.pla.org

PLA is a division of the American Library Association (ALA).