• Christy Blanchette, Valley Cottage Library (N.Y.)
• Dawn Bostwick, Nassau County Public Library (Fla.)
• Charlotte Canelli, Morrill Memorial Library (Mass.)
• Steve Decker, Cedar City Public Library (Utah)
• Peg Hooper, Jefferson County Public Library (Colo.)
• Virginia LaRocque, Loudoun County Public Library (Va.)
• Janet Loveless, Nassau County Public Library (Fla.)
• Kathryn Martin-Albright, Wasilla Public Library (Alaska)
• Patrick Wall, University City Public Library (Mo.)

Learn why librarians participate in and what they get from the CPLA courses by registering for a 30-minute webinar about the Certified Public Library Administrator Program Wednesday, May 11, 2011, 2:00 – 2:30 pm CDT – https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/510648584.  Webinars are held on the second Wednesday of each month.

There are three library systems with two graduates.  The Director, Roberta Thomas, and Youth Services Librarian, Pat Greedan, of the Grayslake Public Library District (Ill.) finished CPLA together.  Pat said, “There’s only one director, and the other managers need to have these skills also.”  Loveless and Bostwick of the Nassau County Public Library (Fla.) took classes together and offered one another support.  Debra Tour and Donna Bachowski are also Floridian CPLA graduates, from the Orange County Library System. A list of the graduates may be found on the CPLA website.  Several other systems have multiple candidates.

Please note that any librarian may register for CPLA short courses without being a CPLA candidate.  Courses cover budgeting, personnel management, building management, technology, grantwriting, politics and networking, serving diverse populations and other critical management topics.

This 30-minute introduction to CPLA will help managers determine whether certification should be part of their future – https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/170171544.  Webinars will be held on the second Wednesday of each month.

The CPLA website has also recently undergone a transformation, thanks to University of Michigan School of Information student Jeannette Schroeder.  For her Alternative Spring Break, she improved the “curb appeal” of the website and made it more interactive.  Now it has a fresher look and quotes from CPLA candidates and graduates about the impact the program has had on their professional lives.

Please note that any librarian may register for CPLA short courses without being a CPLA candidate.  Courses cover budgeting, personnel management, building management, technology, grantwriting, politics and networking, serving diverse populations and other critical management topics.

Ms. Raphael will fill slots on the following committees:  Certification Program, Certified Public Library Administrator Certification Review, Library Support Staff Certification Review, Promotion and Fundraising, and Publishing Committees(see charges below).

All applicants must complete and submit the electronic 2011-2012 ALA-APA Committee Volunteer Form.  The form is available at:  http://www.formstack.com/forms/?961670-j0e99Vge0v.  You may serve on ALA-APA committees even if you are concurrently serving on up to three ALA committees.

In order to ensure broad representation and diversity on all committees, geographical location, type of library, gender, ethnicity, previous committee work (ALA, ALA-APA and other), relevant experience, and other factors are considered when the committee rosters are compiled.

Committee appointees will receive appointment letters after the 2011 ALA Midwinter Meeting.  Appointees will begin their committee service at the conclusion of the 2011 ALA Annual Conference.

Nominations should be submitted no later than January 31, 2011.  Questions concerning appointments can be directed to Jenifer Grady, ALA-APA Director, at jgrady@ala.org.

CHARGES

Certification Program Committee: The committee is charged to (1) encourage and promote development of certification programs, (2) monitor and evaluate the progress of such programs, (3) encourage individuals to seek certification through such programs of the ALA-APA, and (4) make recommendations to the ALA-APA Board of Directors for general improvement to ALA-APA certification, based on evaluations and trends in certification practice.  2-year term.

Certification Review Committee for the Certified Public Library Administrator (CPLA) Program: The ALA-APA Certification Review Committee (CRC) for the Certified Public Library Administrator Program (CPLA) is a standing committee with the following responsibilities: (1) Review and approve the requirements for certification and re-certification. (2) Establish guidelines for education programs offered by providers. (3) Review and approve education providers based on the provider’s self-attestation that the provider’s program fulfills the guidelines. (4) Oversee the process for development and validation of the certification program. (5) Address appeals from applicants and refer them if necessary to the ALA-APA Board of Directors. (6) Review periodically (at least every five years) the standards established for the certification program and request that the [ALA] division(s) make changes as needed. (7) Work cooperatively with ALA-APA and ALA staff.  4-year term.

Certification Review Committee for the Library Support Staff Certification Program: The ALA-APA Certification Review Committee (CRC) for the Library Support Staff Certification Program is a standing committee with the following responsibilities: (1) Review and approve the requirements for certification and re-certification. (2) Establish guidelines for education programs offered by providers. (3) Review and approve education providers based on the provider’s self-attestation that the provider’s program fulfills the guidelines. (4) Oversee the process for development and validation of the certification program. (5) Address appeals from applicants and refer them if necessary to the ALA-APA Board of Directors. (6) Review periodically (at least every five years) the standards established for the certification program and request that the [ALA] division(s) make changes as needed. (7) Work cooperatively with ALA-APA and ALA staff.  4-year term.

Promotion and Fundraising: To develop strategies and tactics to support advocacy, promotion and marketing for the ALA-APA. To work in consultation with the ALA-APA director and appropriate marketing and fundraising professionals, within and external to ALA, to develop fundraising and marketing programs and campaigns on behalf of the ALA-APA.  2-year term.

Publishing: To review and recommend editorial policies for Library Worklife and other APA publications and to provide oversight for implementation of those policies. To assist the editor of Library Worklife to identify appropriate article topics and solicit potential authors. To provide advice and counsel on ALA-APA’s publishing programs. 2-year term.

For Immediate Release
Mon, 11/29/2010 – 09:57

CHICAGO – The Certified Public Library Administrator Program congratulates those who have completed the program. 

The success of the 36 librarians who have completed the required seven managerial courses give credence to the competencies public library managers need to be effective. 

CPLA attracts librarians for many reasons, from those who want to be better at their current positions to those who want a professional development challenge, as well as those who are preparing themselves for eventual vertical moves. The courses, offered by the Public Library Association, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and University of North Texas LE@D Program, can also be taken by anyone who needs them, even if they are not a CPLA candidate.

Many graduates who have remained in their positions cite the value of the program in broadening their perspective. 

Here are stories from just a few who say CPLA changed their professional lives in some way.

“Current Issues” was helpful for Denise Stefanick, of White Lake, Mich., who graduated in less than two years. She remembers, “In my final CPLA course, ‘Current Issues,’ I found it especially interesting to exchange information about trends in library service with librarians from all over the US, Canada and even Alexandria, Egypt.  Our gracious classmate from Egypt even offered a standing invitation for classmates to tour the phenomenal Bibliotheca Alexandrina should we ever be in the neighborhood.”

Cathy Hakala-Ausperk, deputy director of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights (Ohio) Public Library, finished the program in Fall 2009 and just published a book called “Be a Great Boss.” She has been in libraries for 26 years and spoke in a recent interview about how her coursework helped her navigate budget cuts and write grants. She learned “a method of putting our budget together that, in the seven years that I’ve worked here, we’ve never used. Everyone was pleased with the results at a time when we have to share really tight budgets. I wouldn’t have known about it had I not taken the class.”

Lesa Balch, the first Canadian graduate, finished in 2009. CPLA courses helped to develop her knowledge and skills for use as senior manager at Kitchener Public Library in Ontario. She also benefited from “the ‘Current Issues’ course, which coincided with researching trends for an Environmental Scan document for our library’s Strategic Plan.”

Pat Greedan finished the program alongside her director in spring of this year. Pat is a youth services librarian for Grayslake Area Public Library in Illinois. She says, “For those of us who have been librarians for a while, the CPLA program provides an opportunity to reinvigorate professional awareness, to renew our understanding of library trends and to truly be a lifelong learner. For me, the CPLA program reduced the number of years since library school and gave me a renewed vision and understanding of the library world today.”

Of the graduates who have changed positions, Bryan Fearn, 2008 graduate, received a promotion at one Nevada system and then moved to Multnomah County to become a neighborhood library administrator. Bryan praised the marketing and fund-raising classes for helping him “coordinate two successful fund-raisers bringing in over $18,000 for programming and collection materials.”

Bonnie Tollefson, former director of the Levy County (Fla.) Public Library System, finished the program in one year. Candidates have five years to complete it. She has since retired but remains an advocate for the program. She appreciated her budget class. “I learned how to justify expenses and ask for an increase in a decrease climate. I did get a 4 per cent increase when other departments took a 5 per cent cut. – success.”  

The CPLA program also salutes the 126 librarians who are currently participating in the program. Candidates and graduates are currently from 39 states (none yet from Alabama, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Maryland, Nebraska, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming) and three countries.

Janet Loveless, assistant library director for the Nassau County (Fla.) Public Library System, is a current candidate who was just elected to serve on the Northeast Florida Library Information Network (NEFLIN) Board of Directors. NEFLIN is a nonprofit, multi type library cooperative.

Todd Dunkelberg, another candidate, was promoted and is now director of the Deschutes Public Library System, in Oregon.

Librarians who are interested in applying must have an ALA-accredited MLS and at least three years of supervisory experience in a public library. The CPLA website has the application, a list of graduates and information about the courses. Applications are reviewed quarterly and the next deadline is March 4, 2011.

The Certified Public Library Administrator program is a voluntary post-MLS certification program for public librarians with three years or more of supervisory experience and ALA-accredited master’s degrees in library and information studies.  Management courses may also be taken by individuals who are not part of the CPLA program – http://www.ala-apa.org/certification/cplacourses.html.

If you are a public librarian with gaps in your managerial experience, are looking for practical professional development or need a flexible credential, consider applying.  There are courses on nine different topics offered online and face-to-face in budgeting, personnel, grant-writing, building management and more.

CPLA® invites you to apply to become a candidate. The application for participants may be found on the CPLA® Web site: https://www.formstack.com/forms/?951619-jV0KftOlzl.  If you have questions, please call the ALA-APA Office at (312) 280-2424.

ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees is a service organization to the American Library Association and the library community. It has two missions: providing certification in specializations of librarianship and advocacy for salary improvement efforts.

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