“The significance of PALA’s affiliation is two-fold,” says PALA President Ewa Barczyk. “First, it supports our mission of having a positive impact on services provided to library patrons of Polish descent and individuals interested in Polish history and culture.  Second, it is a form of professional recognition of the Polish diaspora and the library profession’s responsibility to address the service needs of Polish communities in America and around the world.” There are roughly 20,000,000 people of Polish ancestry living outside Poland, making the Polish diaspora one of the largest in the world and one of the most widely dispersed. 

“This affiliation offers PALA members a clear pathway to greater professional participation at the national level,” says Marianne Ryan, Dean of Libraries at Loyola University Chicago and PALA board member who represented PALA at the Council meeting in Philadelphia, along with PALA member Danuta Nitecki. Among the benefits of affiliation are: inclusion in the electronic ALA Handbook of Organization and the final program at ALA Midwinter Meetings and Annual Conferences, the ability to reserve meeting room space and sleeping room blocks at Midwinter and Annual at ALA rates, program cosponsorship opportunities, free conference registration for an official representative, and free participation in the affiliates booth in the exhibit hall.

“Perhaps the most important benefit of all,” says PALA board member Leonard Kniffel, who was instrumental in obtaining affiliate status, “is that we can state on palalib.org, on our correspondence and publicity material, and at all our events  that we are affiliated with the world’s oldest, largest, and most influential library association.”

The PALA Board will be planning an event to celebrate affiliation and PALA’s 10^th anniversary during the 2020 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, June 25-30, and all PALA members interesting in attending or helping to plan the program are invited to contact PALA President Ewa Barczyk at ewa@uwalumni.com.

List of affiliates of the American Library Association:

• American Association of Law Libraries
• American Indian Library Association
• Association for Information Science and Technology
• American Theological Library Association
• Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA)
• Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association
• Association for Library and Information Science Education
• Association for Rural and Small Libraries
• Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services
• Association of Jewish Libraries
• Association of Research Libraries
• Beta Phi Mu
• Black Caucus of ALA
• Catholic Library Association
• Chinese American Librarians Association
• The Joint Council of Librarians of Color
• Latino Literacy Now
• Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa
• Medical Library Association
• Music Library Association
• National Storytelling Network
• Online Audiovisual Catalogers
• Patent and Trademark Resource Center Association
• ProLiteracy Worldwide
• REFORMA
• Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials
• Theatre Library Association

       CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE

Przybylski retired in 2012 from Chicago Public Schools after 38 years as a teacher-librarian. She received her B.A. in History in 1972 and an M.A.Ed in Instructional Media in 1980, both from Northeastern Illinois University. She is also a volunteer for the Polish Museum of America in Chicago.

“I have been an active PALA member since 2011,” says Przybylski. “As a board member I hope I can bring useful ideas and connections that will help sustain the organization in the years ahead.”

“We are pleased to welcome Hanna Przybulski to the board,” says PALA President Leonard Kniffel. “She is a wise and experienced activist in the Polish community and will be a tremendous asset as we forge ahead in advocating for more and better representation of Polish history and culture in America’s libraries.”

The appointment is for two years. Visit the PALA website for more information about the organization and its Board of Directors.

The big hit in the Poland booth was the display of graphic arts from children’s books, highlighted by a book signing by Aleksandra and Daniel Mizieliski. Other books on display included elegant tomes from the Fryderyk Chopin Institute in Warsaw, collectible editions of classic Polish works from Kurtiak & Ley, language-learning aids from Prolog Publishing, and dozens of popular titles. Another popular feature was The Witcher, an opportunity to sample Poland’s popular video game. A large selection of books by Polish-American authors was also on display, and a four-color catalog of those books was distributed (A Selection of Books in English about BEA’s Guest of Honor Poland).

Polish American Librarians Association President Leonard Kniffel helped staff the booth, and PALA members took full advantage of the focus on Poland to enrich their libraries’ collections and programs courtesy of the “Books from Poland” sponsors. A special librarian programming track resulted in small but focused audiences at associated events and at a variety of venues around Chicagoland.

Five panel discussions about publishing in Poland during the convention’s May 11 “Global Market Forum” focused on the evolution of the industry since the fall of communism in 1989: “Poland’s Book Market: Insights, Trends & Developments,” “Investing in Poland: Risks and Opportunities in an Emerging Market,” “Innovative Global Successes of Polish Multimedia & Transmedia Publishing,” “Why Poland? Why Now? Strategies for Promotion of Polish Literature in the U.S.,” and “The New Golden Age of Polish Books for Children: An Overview of Current Trends.”

Among the BEA programs sponsored by the American Library Association was “Polish Literature Is for Everyone: How to Curate Core Collections of Polish Literature at Public Libraries,” presented May 13 by Isabella Nowak-Osika of the Chicago Public Library. Illustrated with a dynamic PowerPoint presentation, her talk centered on the best-of-the-best Polish classic and contemporary books. She also touted the “All of Polonia Reads to Kids” campaign—which PALA has been actively promoting—and showed video ads that target fathers and encourage them to read to their children from birth.

Elsewhere around Chicago, the Polish Book Institute hosted a cocktail reception and a moderated discussion of “The Art of Narrative Nonfiction” with author/journalists Artur Domosławski from Poland and Sebastian Junger, bestselling U.S. author of The Perfect Storm, at the beautiful University Club of Chicago with Chad W. Post, publisher of Open Letter Books at the University of Rochester, moderating the discussion.

The Chopin Theatre hosted an opening event May 10 dubbed “Discovering Poland,” with readings by five authors from Poland: Krystyna Dąbrowska, Artur Domosławski, Dorota Maslowska, Zygmunt Miłoszewski, and Magdalena Tulli, with opening remarks by Chad W. Post. The focus was again on illustrating books for children May 11 during “Every Picture Tell a Story: Illustrated Art from Poland,” with Aleksandra and Daniel Mizielińscy, author/illustrators who created the hugely successful “Maps” book series, and Malgorzata Gurowska and Joanna Rusczyk, the creative team behind The Locomotive, a controversial new book based on Julian Tuwim’s Polish children’s poem. That discussion was led by Richard Reeder, president of the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame and author of the illustrated memoir Chicago Sketches.

Aquila Polonica Publishing held book signings at the Poland booth and at Chicago’s Copernicus Center featuring Julian Kulski whose World War II diary The Color of Courage the company published in 2014 in an expanded and annotated edition that includes “Digital Extras” (pictures with QR codes that connect to associated film footage that can be viewed on cell phones) as well as an “Educator’s Guide.” for classroom use. Kulski was 12 years old when he was recruited into the Polish resistance and 15 when he fought in the Warsaw Uprising. John Guzlowski, author of Aquila Polonica’s latest title, Echoes of Tattered Tongues, also signed books on the show floor and at the Copernicus Center where he read a selection of poems. Marek Żebrowski signed copies of his generously illustrated book Paderewski in California. An accomplished pianist, Żebrowski’s books are published by the University of Southern California’s Polish Music Center, but he has cooperated with Aquila Polonica on a number of projects and attended BEA under the publisher’s umbrella.

Aquila Polonica publisher Terry Tegnazian orchestrated six additional events at McCormick and the Eisenhower Public Library in Harwood Heights, Wood Dale Public Library, and Frugal Muse Books in Darien. Program titles were: “Fighting for Freedom: A Boy at War” with Julian Kulski, “Paderewski: Musician, Politician and Philanthropist” with Marek Żebrowski, and “War Refugee Immigrants in America,” a book talk and signing with John Guzlowski.

To keep the spotlight on Poland as the country of honor during BookExpo, Polish authors Agata Tuszyńska, Artur Domosławski, and Zygmunt Miłoszewski signed books at Chicago’s D&Z Polish bookstore, whose owners, Dorota and Zbyszek Kruczalak helped staff the Poland booth and offered information to attendees about how to buy books from Poland. Polish author Magdelena Tulli also appeared at Unabridged Books in Chicago, while Ron Balson, author of Once We Were Brothers and Saving Sophie, joined Agata Tuszyńska May 11 in conversation with Greg Archer, author of Grace Revealed, at 57th Street Books.

Poet Krystyna Dąbrowska gave a reading at the University of Chicago, which was followed by a conversation with Karen Kovacik, editor of a new all-female Polish poetry anthology titled Scattering the Dark, and award-winning translator Antonia Lloyd-Jones for a May 11 program at the University of Chicago, moderated by Bożena Shallcross, UC professor of modern Polish literature.

Also signing in the Poland booth was Piotr Witt, author of On the Threshold of Fame: Chopin’s First Steps in Paris (available only in Polish), who also appeared at a Polish-language presentation at the Polish Museum of America May 13. That event featured Krystyna Dąbrowska, Agata Tuszyńska, Magdalena Tulli, Artur Domosławski, Zygmunt Miłoszewski, Aleksandra and Daniel Mizielińscy, Małgorzata Gurowska, and Joanna Ruszczyk on a panel moderated by Zbyszek Kruczalak.

“It’s hard to imagine when an opportunity like this will come along again,” said Kniffel. “It was an amazing four days with Poland at the center of attention, and what I liked best were the conversations with attendees who spotted the Poland exhibit and told stories about their family connections to Poland. It was also an honor to meet and talk with Julian Kulski. His book belongs in every library in America, and it is up to organizations like PALA to see that it gets there.”

BookExpo America and BookCon are spectacular book giveaways that also feature brand new titles at remainder prices, and librarians from all over the Midwest were on hand to add new titles to their collections. Publishers Weekly provided a conversation area exclusively for librarians complete with sandwiches and refreshments, which heightened the excitement that is BookExpo. Other Polish American Librarians Association members in attendance included Elizabeth Marszalik, Joanna Klos, Anna Demitraszek, Grazyna Krzycka, and Krystyna Grell and Iwona Bozek of the Polish Museum of America Library, and Donna Solecka Urbikas who gave away promotional copies of her new book from the University of Wisconsin Press, My Sister’s Mother, which was even more popular than the ribbon “Poland” bookmarks and the colorful postcards with illustrations from the children’s book art on display.

The PALA membership also approved three bylaws revisions, which extend the President and Vice President terms to two years, simplify the Secretary’s duties, and remove the mention of February as the month when the Annual Meeting will take place.

“As PALA shifts direction to concentrate on offering networking opportunities to members and forging partnership with kindred organizations, we want to focus our energy on communication via our PALA Mine e-newsletter, on helping our members become more professionally active, and on making libraries more valuable to the Polish American community,” said Kniffel. “Being PALA president is a way for me to help advance library services, collections, and programs that include Polish history and culture in ways that were not possible during the supression and misinformation of the communist era.”

The PALA Board voted earlier this year to eliminate—or at least place on hold–the ad hoc “Executive Director” board position formerly held by Kniffel. “It was an experiment in structure, modeled after other associations, to create the position in the first place,” he noted, “and at age 6, PALA is simply not large enough or complicated enough to warrant both a president and an executive director.” The board is committed to an annual review of bylaws and strategic priorities, following the recent adoption of a new set of organizational goals  that focus the association’s energy and resources on networking and career development through four primary activity areas:

• Planning and conducting the Annual Meeting and participating in other national, state, and international conferences, and in other networking forums.
• Improving communication and resource sharing with members through the PALA Mine quarterly newsletter, the PALA website, and survey and evaluation forms.
• Recruiting and retaining members through the efficient and effective use and maintenance of the email mailing list.
• Partnering with and supporting the efforts of libraries, library associations, and other related organizations.

A number of Director-at-Large spots on the board remain open, and members are invited to inquire if they are interested in becoming involved in the PALA activities described above. Email to palalib@gmail.com.

During PALA’s Annual Meeting, April 17 in Milwaukee, attendees talked about their successes with programs, materials, and services to the Polish American community, but they also talked about their challenges, the largest of which is universally recognized as funding. Cutting library staff and in some cases libraries entirely, is a trend, and a disturbing one, especially when what the community wants is new and innovative services and programs, in addition to the traditional books and story hours. Service to the Polish American community becomes more problematic as waves of new immigrants stop coming to the USA, return to Poland, or move to communities where assimilation is the byword.

A resolution PALA made last year in the face of declining membership and the lack of resources, is to concentrate our volunteer efforts on continuing education and on partnering with and supporting the efforts of related organizations by attending their programs, meetings, and conferences. Our goal is to further our mission through interaction with organizations such as the American Library Association and its round tables and state chapters, the Polish Museum of America, BookExpo America, the Jan Karski Educational Foundation, university libraries and Polish studies programs, publishers of Polish materials, and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, which is scheduled to hold its 2017 World Library and Information Congress in Poland. Involvment in PALA can be your doorway, as it is mine, to a new understanding of the world of library and information science and technology.

Attendees participated in a panel discussion with PALA Treasurer and founding member Elizabeth Marszalik; Iwona Bozek, Head Librarian at the Polish Museum of America Library, and Susan Mikos of the Polanki Library at the Polish Center of Wisconsin. Ewa Barczyk moderated, as panelists talked about their successes and challenges in serving Poles and Americans of Polish descent in every type of library. Barczyk also pointed out the role of her library in supporting the university faculty and students with special emphasis on collecting documentation related to Wisconsin’s long history of Polish immigration.

More than two hundred thousand Milwaukeeans trace their family roots to Poland, Gurda told the group, dropping perhaps the biggest surprise of the day by noting that in its heyday Milwaukee’s Polonia was larger than Chicago’s.

In his entertaining and illuminating presentation, Pacyga emphasized the importance of archiving photographs and documents not only from major institutions but from small Polish businesses and ordinary attics. He surprised the group as well by talking about the historical importance of polka music to Polonia in the last century, as a unifying community force. Life was hard, he said, and people needed to have fun!

“UWM Libraries was very proud to host the Polish American Librarians Association. It was a wonderful opportunity to highlight the extensive collections of rare Polish maps, photographs of remote regions of eastern Poland  from the 1930’s by American geologist Louise Boyd, the 30,000 glass plate negatives by Roman Kwasniewski depicting the vibrant Milwaukee Polonia from 1910 through World War II,” said Barczyk. “The participants were so enthusiastic about the American Geographical Society Library’s rare holdings, including maps going back to 1452,” she added. “It was a full day of dynamic speakers, sharing of ideas, and learning from each other.”

“We had a varied group this year and we tried to place more emphasis on what we all can learn from one another,” said PALA President Leonard Kniffel. “We had attendees from three states–Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan–and a number of people who were not librarians or Polish.” Among the guests were Dorota and Zbigniew Kruczalak proprietors of the legendary D&Z Polish House of Books bookstore in Chicago; Donna Urbikas, promoting her new memoir, My Sister’s Mother, about World War II and the deporation of Poles to Siberian slave labor camps; and Neal Pease, author and Polish scholar who keynoted last year’s Annual Meeting.

This was PALA’s sixth Annual Meeting and its first since adopting a new set of organizational goals in 2015 that focus the association’s energy and resources on networking and career development through four primary activity areas:

• Planning and conducting the Annual Meeting and participating in other national, state, and international conferences, and in other networking forums.
• Improving communication and resource sharing with members through the PALA Mine quarterly newsletter, the PALA website, and survey and evaluation forms.
• Recruiting and retaining members through the efficient and effective use and maintenance of the email mailing list.
• Partnering with and supporting the efforts of libraries, library associations, and other related organizations.

“At this year’s meeting, we decided to focus on networking and discussion, so we relegated PALA business to the back burner, opting instead for a written Annual Report, prepared by PALA Secretary Joanna Klos,” said Kniffel. “The Annual Report is available online and it reflects our emphasis on networking, not only among Polish American librarians but with many other organizations related to our educational, cultural, and historical mission. During the next year,” he said, “Librarians from the Polish Museum, along with Ewa Barczyk and I, will be working with the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) to urge Polish American librarians to participate in and promote the historic 2017 World Library and Information Congress to be held in Wroclaw, Poland.”

Barczyk noted that the Polish luncheon buffet, courtesy of the Consulate of the Republic of Poland in Chicago, was university catering’s first attempt at Polish cooking. Attendees gave high marks to the chefs for their gołąki (stuffed cabbages), saurkraut, cucumbers in sour cream, and salad.

Newly appointed Polish Consul Robert Rusiecki was unable to attend the meeting but sent the following letter, which was read during the opening:

Consulate General of the Republic of Poland
Chicago, April 15, 2016

Mr. Leonard Kniffel, President
Polish American Librarians Association

Dear Mr. Kniffel,

I want to thank you for your invitation to attend the 6th Annual Meeting of the Polish American Librarians Association. I regret that I will be unable to attend due to an increased number of commitments my staff and I have confirmed for that day.

However, I want to emphasize how much I appreciate the work your organization has been doing to promote Polish American librarianship and readership on the whole. I wish to thank you for the years of PALA’s dedicated service to Polish American library services and individuals dedicated to retaining their Polish identity through the work with libraries across the region.

I feel assured that Chicago and the other major academic centers of the Midwest continually have a strong representation among the Polish community and remain active in developing networks of communication to help each other promote Polish language and culture in America.

The valuable and very much needed work of the Polish American Librarians Association stands as an example of how Polish Americans from different walks of life can be united in their common goal of cultivating their Polish ancestry and promoting education, readership advancement and understanding of the different cultures that make up American society.

I congratulate you on your organization’s success and I wish you much satisfaction from your work in the years to come.

Sincerely,
Robert Rusiecki
Consul

Dominic Pacyga and John Gurda, two of the best and widely celebrated authors of books about the Polish American experience, will keynote a unique opportunity for librarians and library lovers to learn more about the cultural heritage of Poles in America: the Annual Meeting of the Polish American Librarians Association April 17 at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. Don’t miss this chance to hear these dynamic speakers, see the historic treasures of the university library, network with library professionals, and enjoy a Polish buffet lunch!

The program is free for members of the Polish American Librarians Association or $10 for friends. And you don’t have to be Polish!

RSVP to palalib@gmail.com to help us plan admission, seating, and the luncheon.

Thank you for your support.

During the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Boston, January 8-12, the International Relations Committee discussed a resolution presented by PALA and consulted with the ALA Committee on Legislation, but both committees agreed that the potential for ALA to be approached by many other countries with a similar request was the primary factor in the decision.

Included in Council Document #18, the response from the IRC, reads in total: “The IRC received a request to bring forward to Council a proposal from the Polish American Librarians Association to affirm and support the rights of Polish librarians and library workers to travel to the United States without a visa by encouraging Congress to support the Visa Waiver Program Enhanced Security and Reform Act, which has been introduced to Congress a number of times by Mike Quigley (D-Ill) and Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD). Poland currently is the only European Union country where their citizens still need to apply for a visa to visit the United States. After consultation with the Office for Government Relations and the Chair of the Committee on Legislation, the IRC agreed that the generality of the Act and potential for ALA to be approached by many other countries with a similar request precludes support from ALA.”

“It’s disappointing that we could not win the support of the American Library Association for this important legislation,” said PALA Director Leonard Kniffel, “but it should strengthen our resolve to become more deeply involved in ALA, which has a very active and influential Washington Office that is frequently approached for support by library organizations. If more Polish-American librarians were active on these committees, the outcome might have been different.” He also noted that it would be helpful if individual PALA members were more proactive with their legislators.

For the record, here is the resolution in full, which still stands as PALA’s official position as established by the Board of Directors:

Resolution of Support for Poland’s Entry into the Visa Waiver Program

Whereas,

Poland is the only remaining European Union country whose citizens are required to obtain a visa for travel to the United States, and it is important that Poland’s strong and growing educational community have the flexibility to travel easily for tourist reasons and for a limited period of time without having to endure the cumbersome and limiting process of visa approval, and

Whereas,

American Library Association Policy 58.1 International Relations Policy Objectives “encourage involvement of librarians, information specialists, and other library personnel in international library activities and in the development of solutions to library service problems that span national boundaries,” and

Whereas,

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is scheduled to hold its 2016 World Library and Information Congress, August 13-19 in Columbus, Ohio, and its 2017 WLIC in Wroclaw, Poland, and

Whereas,

“Refusing visa-free travel for Poles, despite Poland’s strong and reliable support of the United States is unfair to the millions of Americans of Polish descent, since Poland is the only major democratic United States ally and European Union member to be excluded from the Visa Waiver Program, and

Whereas,

As part of the Visa Waiver Program, Polish citizens would join the citizens of 36 countries and be able to travel to the United States for up to 90 days without having to apply for a visa, and

Whereas,

Poland has been excluded from the Visa Waiver Program in spite of being one of the most faithful allies, and a productive member of NATO and the European Union, and concerns about its citizens overstaying their visas and finding work in the United States are now largely irrelevant because as part of “Schengen Area” Poles are allowed passport-free travel across the borders of 25 European countries and citizens of Poland can also legally work in other EU member countries, and

Whereas,

Lifting the visa requirement for citizens of Poland to travel to the United States enjoys nearly universal support in the Polish-American community, including Illinois governor Bruce Rauner and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, and the Polish American Librarians Association, therefore be it

 Resolved,

That ALA affirm and support the rights of Polish librarians and library workers to travel to the United States in order to attend and participate in conferences, to purchase books and other library materials, to meet and develop working relationships with librarians, to develop gift and exchange programs, to pursue and establish ties with library and other professional associations and libraries, and to conduct educational and professional library-related activities and therefore be it further

 Resolved,

That the American Library Association urges Congress to support the Visa Waiver Program Enhanced Security and Reform Act (s.223) sponsored by Representative Mike Quigley (D-Ill), Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill) and Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), which would open the path for Poland’s entry in the Visa Waiver Program, and therefore be it further

Resolved,

That copies of this resolution be submitted to members of Congress, the President of the United States, the United States Department of State, the President of the European Council, the Polish Embassy in Washington D.C., the President of Poland, and the Polish Library Association in Warsaw.