“I was quite cynical about young people,” says Joy Robinson, senior adult services librarian at Piscataway Public Library in New Jersey. “But I was totally proven wrong. Interns bring a readiness to tackle the issues of the day — they gave me a sense of relief for the future of libraries and society.”
A lot of the 2018 PLA Conference for me was sharpening the tools I have in my toolbox to ensure I am standing on a firm foundation when designing and implementing programming. Can I speak to how the programs I am doing align with the mission of my library? How do I know that I am actually doing what my community wants? There is a lot of information I am still digesting and sorting through, but below are the top three lessons that I am working on putting into practice.
PLA’s Project Outcome is a free online toolkit designed to help public libraries understand and share the impact of their programs and services by providing simple, standardized surveys and an easy-to-use process for measuring and analyzing outcomes.
The Public Library Association (PLA) service awards and grants highlight the best in public library service and honor those bringing innovation, creativity and dedication to public libraries. The deadline to apply for PLA 2017 Service Awards and Grants is Dec. 5, 2016, at 11:59 p.m. CST. 
