Get Involved
Get Involved with the CRD!
The CRD provides many opportunities for the PA academic library community to become professionally and/or socially involved. Check out the descriptions below to learn more about our open access journal, networking events, grant monies, and more!
Questions? Use this form to contact the CRD Board.
CRD Membership – Any member of PaLA may join one or more divisions. To become a member of the CRD, go to the CRD group page on the PaLA website and click “Join Group.” Members may also volunteer for the CRD by filling out the online interest form.
CRD Board – Interested in serving as a volunteer on the CRD Board, either in an elected position or an appointed position? Let us know you’re interested by filling out this form.
PaLRaP – Pennsylvania Libraries: Research and Practice (PaLRaP) is the peer-reviewed, open access journal sponsored by the CRD. The purpose of PaLRaP is to highlight the unique work of PA librarians which may not be published in other library literature. Individuals may submit research and practice articles as well as news articles, commentaries, feature articles, and letters to the editor(s). PaLRaP is published twice a year (in Spring and Fall) with all articles licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. To view submission guidelines, visit http://www.palrap.org and click on the About page. PaLRaP also has an ongoing need for peer-reviewers. If you are interested in becoming a peer reviewer or would like more information, contact the PaLRaP co-editors at palrap@mail.pitt.edu.
Connect & Communicate – The Connect & Communicate Series is the CRD’s fully-online program
featuring webinars, informal discussions, and other virtual sessions which are intended to foster a sense of community among academic librarians in PA. Connect & Communicate events are hosted using the Adobe Connect platform and are often free to attend; however, some may require a small registration fee. Previous session topics include OERs (open educational resources), library safety and security, navigating health information, and more. To see a list of recent events (as well as registration forms for upcoming events), please visit the Connect & Communicate page of this website or view posts tagged ‘Connect and Communicate Series.’
The Connect & Communicate Planning Committee regularly seeks ideas from PaLA members for future speakers or topics that would be of interest to the academic library community. If you have an idea for a future session, please fill out the following form: http://goo.gl/IljHr.
If you would like to be emailed directly about upcoming Connect & Communicate events, please submit your name and email address here: http://goo.gl/4urXl. For more information, contact the Connect & Communicate Series Planning Team Chair currently listed on the CRD Board page.
LSTA Grant – Each year, the CRD receives LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act) funding from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the PA Department of Education and the Commonwealth of PA. The CRD uses its LSTA money to provide grants to smaller organizations (including chapters and divisions of PaLA) in order to fund programs of interest to academic librarians in PA. Previously funded programs have focused on maker spaces, 3D printing, library management skills, and more. To learn more about LSTA grants or to apply for a grant, visit the LSTA Grant page of this website.
CRD Spring Workshop – Every year, the CRD hosts its annual Spring Workshop at a different institution in PA. Each workshop is a day-long event and generally features a keynote speaker in the morning and breakout sessions or a panel (often composed of PA librarians) in the afternoon. Attending the workshop is a great way to network with the PA academic library community as well as interact with some of the CRD Board members in person. In previous years, workshop themes have included the new roles of libraries, open access, the future of e-books, and digital literacy. Registration typically opens in March and closes a week or two before the program in May. To learn more about past workshops, visit the Past Events page of this website.
PALS Sponsorship – The CRD often sponsors one or two academic librarians per year to attend the PA Academy of Leadership Studies, also known as PALS. The PALS program is an initiative of PaLA and the Office of Commonwealth Libraries which is designed to help PA librarians develop their leadership potential through workshops, online training, and mentoring sessions. In addition to attending the program (generally a three-day event), sponsored participants will also learn how to become more closely involved with the CRD as well as broader initiatives within PaLA. To learn more about the PALS program as a whole, visit the PaLA website at https://www.palibraries.org/?page=PALS. For more information, contact the CRD Chair currently listed on the CRD Board page.
CRD-sponsored PaLA Sessions/Luncheon – The CRD sponsors several presentation sessions and a luncheon at the PaLA Annual Conference, a three-day event hosted at a different PA location each year. The CRD luncheon is typically held on the Tuesday of the conference and features a keynote speaker of interest to the academic library community; however, all conference-goers are encouraged to attend. Previous CRD luncheon speakers include Alison Head, Char Booth, and Barbara Fister.
Blogging for crdpala.org – The content of crdpala.org is largely generated by a group of PA academic librarians known as the CRD Blog Team. Each member of the blog team contributes relevant news articles, commentary, and personal narratives on a regular basis. Bloggers also share event announcements (workshops, programs, etc.) related to academic libraries from all different areas of PA. Blogging for the CRD is great way to get your feet wet if you’re looking to share your ideas with a larger audience or if you are new to the PA academic library world. If you are interested in becoming a member of the CRD Blog Team or would like more information about contributing to the blog, please contact the CRD’s Social Media Coordinator currently listed on the CRD Board page.
Stay updated with CRD social media – Some of the easiest ways to stay connected with the CRD are to Like us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to our blog (crdpala.org). To subscribe, scroll down the right side of the Home page until you see “EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION” and enter your email address. Join the conversation with fellow PA librarians and stay up-to-date with news, live-tweets, photos, and more!
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