Consulting Services

Professional Library Consultant
Connect with your library's consultant by Zoom, phone, email or meet in-person. Your consultant can answer any questions and provide information or assistance on a broad range of library-related topics. Some examples include:

• Inclusive Services 
• Collection Management
• Library Programming
• Library Marketing
• Website Management
• eResources 
• Polaris
• Simply Reports 

Consultants provide online training webinars on a variety of topics. Contact your library consultant to request training on a topic.

• Webinar recordings - Available on Staff Niche Academy and our YouTube Channel.
• Training Materials - Available in the Training section of the website. 

Consultants coordinate professional development opportunities, often in partnership with partner organizations.

• TD Summer Reading Club
• Consultants coordinate member libraries' participation in the club each summer.

• PLS Symposium
  Consultants plan and facilitate our regional PLS Symposium each spring.

• Stronger Together Conference
  Consultants participate in the planning and facilitation of the Stronger Together Conference each fall. The conference is held in partnership Northern Lights Library System, the Yellowhead Library System, The Alberta Library, the Alberta Library Trustees Association, and the Library Association of Alberta. 

Consultants curate book blocks, storytime kits, and programming kits for loan. They also coordinate equipment rentals for outreach activities. 

Book Blocks -   Books in various formats and genres to supplement the collections of member libraries.

Storytime Kits - Kits of picture books and puppets to supplement Storytime programs. 

Programming Kits - Kits of fun and innovative technology for programming. Member libraries can use them to try our new technology before purchasing and to offset programming costs. 

Equipment - Equipment rentals for events and outreach activities. 

Your consultant is your access point for PLS headquarters. Consultants produce a newsletter and monthly Coffee Chats to promote communication among member libraries and HQ staff.

News & Notes - Consultants create quarterly newsletters for member libraries. Follow the link for the latest issue of the newsletter and to view past issues. Submissions from member libraries to the newsletter are welcome at any time and can be sent to Jill Kergan.

Coffee Chats - Consultants hold virtual Coffee Chats each month, to give members a chance to connect with PLS staff and other library managers.  

Consultants create marketing materials and content libraries that can be shared to promote collections and resources. We also coordinate a Fall marketing campaign. 

Social Media 
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Youtube.

Fall Marketing Campaign
PLS runs a marketing campaign throughout October. Consultants plan a campaign, prepare marketing materials, and coordinate a system-wide activity or contest to promote member libraries.