PALNI joins Professional Development Alliance of Library Consortia

INDIANAPOLIS—The Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (PALNI) is pleased to announce its membership in the Professional Development Alliance of Library Consortia (PDA), a collaborative network dedicated to making continuing education free and open for library staff. Through this partnership, library staff at every PALNI-supported institution will gain access to a rich and growing calendar of no-cost professional development programming.About the Professional Development Alliance

The Professional Development Alliance emerged in 2020 as a way for library consortia to collaborate and expand the pool of professional development opportunities available to library staff. Since its founding, PDA has delivered over 546 learning opportunities, including webinars, workshops, and collaborative events, supporting more than 1,071 member libraries across the United States.

At the heart of PDA is a shared calendar through which participating consortia contribute and cross-promote their programming. PDA consortia also collaborate on identifying knowledge gaps within the profession and developing targeted learning series and grant-funded initiatives to address them. All events are available to member library staff at no cost.

PDA’s mission is to break down barriers to learning and innovation through a collective approach to professional development, advancing the future of libraries together.

“PALNI is always looking for ways to better support library staff at our institutions, and PDA membership felt like a natural fit,” says Amanda Hurford, PALNI Scholarly Communications Director and current PDA liaison. “The Alliance has built a valuable community of consortia working together so that library staff won’t miss out on professional growth because of cost or geography. We’re glad to be part of it, and we hope our library staff will take full advantage of what’s available.”

Advancing the Consortium Model for Professional Learning

PALNI’s participation in the PDA also reflects its broader vision for what library consortia can accomplish when they work together. By joining a network that already supports more than 1,071 member libraries across the country, PALNI gains the opportunity not only to deliver more learning opportunities to its own community but also to contribute its own programming, expertise, and institutional knowledge to the larger Alliance.

To learn more about PDA and its member institutions, and to see the calendar of events, visit the PDA website. Library staff at PALNI-supported institutions who are interested in hosting a professional development opportunity through the PDA can email staff@palni.edu.

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About PALNI

The Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (PALNI) is a non-profit organization that supports collaboration for library and information services for 23 colleges, universities and seminaries throughout the state. From its inception in 1992, the PALNI collaboration has been a key avenue for its supported institutions to contain costs while providing more effective library services. More recently, PALNI has adopted a model of deep collaboration that pools resources and people as a tool to expand services while containing costs. Simultaneously, PALNI is expanding collaboration within its institutions and with external library partners to address challenges and build cost-effective services. Visit the PALNI website for more information. (www.palni.org)

PALNI Supported Institutions

Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary | Anderson University | Bethel University | Butler University | Concordia Theological Seminary | Christian Theological Seminary | DePauw University | Earlham College | Franklin College | Goshen College | Grace College | Hanover College | Huntington University | Manchester University | Marian University | University of Saint Francis | Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College | Saint Mary’s College | Saint Meinrad’s Seminary and School of Theology | Taylor University | Trine University | University of Indianapolis | Wabash College