Putting the public back in public libraries: PLA's California conference.

This article highlights the fourth annual conference of the American Library Association's Public Library Association held in San Diego, California on March 20-23, 1991. The 4,282 people who came to the conference were also saturated with public relations (PR) savvy in programs on how to serve special segments of the population, such as latchkey children, the homeless, the illiterate and the aged. PR wizards Arch Lustberg and Kare Anderson packed the rooms for three seminars. If adopted, their effervescent techniques would bring patrons into libraries just to see the librarians perform. Lustberg's dynamic presentations centered on converting into communication and included such assessments as: In 1991 style is more important than substance. James Autry delivered the conference keynote address--his sensitive observations on the power of the word. The poet-president of Meredith Magazine Group and chair of People for the American Way read from his poetry and talked about the two main reading problems in America today: A lot of people who cannot read and too many people who can trying to tell others what they should and should not read. Among the programs that tackled censorship was Ed Volz's Audio Survey of Banned Music, 1870-1990. Tape player in tow, he presented excerpts from everything from La Traviata to Me So Horny by 2 Live Crew, in some instances asking the audience to guess why the music had been banned.