This manual covers the basics of communicating within PALNI. If new to PALNI, we recommend reviewing the Onboarding LibGuide first and following the checklist provided. All content found in this manual details how to connect with the PALNI staff and colleagues throughout the PALNI libraries. Many tools are used with the Community Space being the central location for most discussion.
How do I get to the Community Space?
https://community.palni.edu/ Instructions for login or registration will be presented.
I'm new to PALNI, where do I go and what do I do?
Start by reading through the Onboarding Manual and following the checklisted steps to get you setup. Then come back to this Communication Manual and skim through, taking note reference places. Pay special attention to the Community Space section as that will be your major form of communication and collaboration within PALNI.
Where do I find the zoom link for my meeting?
First, check your email to see if you received a personal invite (commonly done for small group work). If it is a large group meeting, check the PALNI calendar under the event description.
Why isn't there a list-serv for every group?
Once upon a time, PALNI heavily relied on list-servs as the main form of communication and they became unwieldy beasts that could not be tamed. Poor village librarians were plaqued by many emails not pertaining to them, off topic threads, and cross duplication. It encouraged a silo'd approach where librarians were divided by their roles instead of collaborating with one another. When PALNI transitioned to OCLC's WMS, the disruptive list-servs were replaced by the Community Space. While the Community is not perfect, it does allow for the deep collaboration on which PALNI functions.
| Contents |
PALNI internal site: Announcements, Documents, Projects, Forums, Contact List, Skills Inventory |
| When to Use | Discussions with PALNI members; latest updates |
| Admin | All PALNI Staff |
| Permissions | Open to all of PALNI but secured by username and password |
| Contents | Documents, policies, procedures, etc |
| When to Use | Reviewing or adding documents for PALNI projects, the organization, or policies. |
| Admin | All PALNI Staff |
| Permissions | Please email the PALNI staff for access. |
| Contents | Group related information AND PALNI Policies/Manuals |
| When to Use | To share reusable content between PALNI institutions. Most often used to share reference and instruction materials. |
| Admin | Informational Fluency Coordinators |
| Permissions | Open to Public |
| Contents | Discussion List-servs for PALNI Groups (special-case use only) |
| When to Use |
Used in a case-by-case basis; Not recommended as they are not maintained. |
| Admin | Executive Director, Associate Director, Strategic Communications Director |
| Permissions | Send an email to the PALNI staff |
How do I access the list-serv archives?
The PALNI List-serv archives are helpful if you are trying to find an old email thread or confirm a
decision made in email.
| Contents | Worldwide OCLC Support Site |
| When to Use | For all questions OCLC-related with the exception of PALShare |
| Admin | OCLC |
| Permissions | Email support at support@oclc.org |
| Contents | External Audience Site: PALNI calendar, Press Releases, Legal address, About PALNI |
| When to Use | Direct external stakeholders or colleagues to learn more about PALNI; No longer used for internal purposes |
| Admin |
Strategic Communications Director |
| Permissions | Open to Public |
PALNI's Communication Manual LibGuide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. PALNI’s logos and branding template are not covered by this license, and all rights to such material are reserved.
