by Linda-Jean Schneider, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, Philadelphia, PA

The 'word cloud' of the past two weeks, and more particularly in recent PLL and AALL communications, would feature: DEADLINES / AWARDS / PROPOSALS / MEETINGS / REGISTRATION / MUST HAVE BY...

It's an exciting time, as everyone returns to work following an intense Holiday Season, and everything hits at once! The key, as my friend and colleague, John DiGilio, assures us, is "In the BALANCE." Nonetheless, in order to gain and maintain momentum, we need those deadlines, triggers, meeting appointments, and commitments to propel us to accomplishments. Fortunately, we have a great crew of PLL Volunteers who are Chairing and guiding the Committees and Groups to some impressive accomplishments. These include:

• AALL Conference Planning - Thanks to the expert guidance and vigilance of Education Chair Jennifer Berman, several PLL members contributed programs relevant to our interests and concerns-some targeted to firm, while others cross library type lines. We also have a PLL-sponsored program: "Surrounded by Geniuses," with a star-studded , international cast.
• AWARDS -- The ubiquitous Sarah Mauldin, who also happens to serve on the AALL Committee on Awards and is a past winner of the AALL Emerging Leadership Award, is on a mission to identify more ways to recognize the accomplishments and significance of PLL Members.
• BYLAWS -- As a result of our migration to an electronic Newsletter from the Perspectives pdf, we are in the process of slightly revising the Bylaws. Bylaws Chair Johanna Bizub, and the intrepid Caren Luckie worked through the revisions for us. Watch for the vote to be disseminated to the PLL Membership shortly.
• COMMUNICATION and MEDIA/PR-- These two Committees are tackling the ongoing challenge of making sure both our internal and external communiques are effective, by tackling the website revision and several other projects. John DiGilio and Steve Lastres head the Communication Committee, while Marcia Buriss and Lori Martin are Media/PR co-Chairs. In addition to publicity about the professional, the Summit, the AALL Conference, and article publications, these Groups also provide support to the webinars put on by the Groups, such as IP and KM. (e.g., under the direction of Steve Lastres, PLL is hosting a series of 5 KM webinars on "Aligning People, Process, and Technology for Knowledge Management Success."  
• EXECUTIVE BOARD - Along with the ongoing AALL meeting planning, and other activities, PLL Secretary Kristine Lloyd is shepherding the process of revising the PLL Procedures Manual -- no easy task, as others have attempted it yet not succeeded for the past several years.
• GRANTS -- Following the excellent example of colleagues in the ALL-SIS, we are offering a $1,000 Grant for someone to attend the AALL Management Institute in March. Frances Schach heads this Committee and will also guide the applications for both AALL Conference and PLL-SIS Summit attendance in a month or so.
• IP GROUP -- Under the impressive leadership of Emily Florio, Jeff Bois, and Luci Barry, this group proposed several programs for the AALL Conference, and will be hosting at least one Webinar in March this year.
• MEMBERSHIP -- Committee co-Chairs Cameron Gowan and Karen Silber with several Committee members have constructed an in-depth Membership Survey which will also be distributed to the PLL-SIS shortly. This is an important follow-up to the PLL Strategic Plan, as they are addressing a variety of topics to better plan for membership offerings in the future.   WATCH FOR THE SURVEY IN YOUR E-MAIL!
• NOMINATIONS - Patricia Barbone and her Committee have already opened the Nominations process, and will do their usual excellent job of identifying PLL Members both 'willing and able' to pursue the professional path of PLL elected office.
• STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS -- The fearless Martha Goldman is taking a well-deserved 'official' rest this year, although she is always at the ready to provide support and guidance when requested.
• SUMMIT --   Co-Chairs Jean O'Grady and Joan Axelroth have begun the intense planning for this much-anticipated PLL-SIS 'event.' SAVE THE DATE(s): Friday, July 12 (evening reception-optional) and Saturday, July 13, 8:00 - 5:00 pm PT.

FEELING LEFT OUT??? With so much going on, feel free to join in the fun. Contact any of the above Chairs or Group Heads, or members of the Executive Board, particularly to respond to the Nominations process.

Thanks for your attention and support, and we look forward to seeing you at the Conference in Seattle.

Linda-Jean Schneider, PLL-SIS Chair, 2012-2013