Saturday programs

-OCLC Update Breakfast - Linda and I attended a complimentary breakfast and discussion of what's new at OCLC, our library cooperative.  Pam Bailey, Director, OCLC Global and Regional Councils, (and Rancho Cucamonga resident), gave an interesting update on their services.  Two things I took away:
*OCLC's mission is "because what is known must be shared."
*they offer 2 reference products:  FirstSearch (for library staff) and WorldCat Discovery (for library users).

-California State Library discussion- we all attended this ticketed event to find out what the State Library is doing today and where it's heading in 2017.  Presented by State Librarian Greg Lucas, we learned that the State Library is different things to different people, ranging from Research Library to Law Library to Policy Forum to Cultural Heritage Center, just to name a few.  Two takeaways:
*They will be creating a new 5 year spending plan starting in March which will run through 2022.
*Libraries can demonstrate their value by telling their community's story - new programs offered by the State Library to help libraries do that are California Revealed (preservation) and California Listens (digital stories about community).  

-Re-Examining "Keeping the Promise" Recommendations for Effective Library Service to African Americans

A panel of library professionals including Billie Dancy, retired Library Director from Pleasanton PL, and Sharon Johnson and Jene Brown from LAPL discussed the document "Keeping the Promise" which was produced by the CA State Library, l996, under the leadership of Kevin Starr, then State Librarian.  It offered guidance to public service librarians, administrators and library directors on how to improve service to African Americans throughout CA. The panel discussed the history of this report and whether the promises were kept.  Two takeaways were:
*Marion Matthews was the first African American Librarian in California- she worked for LAPL
*Keeping The Promise focused on every area of library services including collection development and political concerns.