VLA Newsletter

April 2001

Virginia Libraries Editor Needed

Andrea Kross, Editor of Virginia Libraries, is departing for California this spring. Therefore, we’re looking for someone to join the Virginia Library Association’s editorial team as editor of Virginia Libraries. VL is the Association’s quarterly magazine and is available on the Web. Indexed in Library Literature, Virginia Libraries continues its tradition as one of the premier state association journals.

Applicants for this editorial position should submit letters outlining relevant qualifications, accompanied by sample issues of publications with which they have been affiliated. Any questions and all applications should be sent electronically to Cy Dillon, VLA President, at cdillon@ferrum.edu.

--Barbie Selby, Chair, VLA Publications Committee

Intellectual Freedom Update

Congress Passes New Internet Filtering Legislation

The U.S. Congress passed new legislation on December 15, 2000, that will require all libraries and schools receiving federal funding to install filtering software. The law, included in the Education appropriations bill (H.R. 4577), mandates a technology protection measure to block online access to visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography, or harmful to minors. A provision in the law allows administrators or supervisors to disable the filters for adults who are conducting “bona fide” research or for other lawful purposes. The legislation also requires libraries to have an Internet use policy and to hold at least one public hearing on the policy.

The ACLU, ALA, and other organizations are challenging the legislation. “This is a mandated censorship system by the federal government,” said a lawyer for the ACLU (“ACLU Fighting Internet Filtering,” N.Y. Times, 12/19/2000). He explained that after the law takes effect, “no adult anymore can read what they want at the library…. This is the first time since the development of the local, free public library in the 19^th century that the federal government has sought to require censorship in every single town and hamlet in America.” Supporters of the legislation believe that it will withstand a court challenge and provide a reasonable way to protect children from “Internet smut.” “We drafted it to make sure it was constitutional,” said the chief of staff for Rep. Ernest Istook (R. Okla.).

For more information about the new legislation, see “ACLU to Fight Internet-Filtering Law” (Richmond Times Dispatch, 12/20/2000, A3); “ALA To Challenge Children’s Internet Protection Act” (Library Journal, 2/15/01, p.106); and “Congress Passes Labor HHS Education Appropriations Bill With Filtering Rider Attached,” ALAWON, vol. 9, #100, 12/15/2000).

Library Not Liable for Minor’s Porn Downloads

The California First District Court of Appeal ruled on March 6, 2001, that a city is not liable for a minor’s access to Internet pornography because it offered unrestricted access to computers in a public library. The case involved a twelve-year old boy who used a library computer to download what was described as “hard-core” pornography to a disk and then used a printer in a relative’s home to print the images. The boy’s mother sued the city. The court concluded that the library cannot be penalized for obscene content posted to the Internet by a third party. “There is a crucial distinction between providing minors with harmful matter on the one hand, and maintaining computers where minors may obtain such matter, however easily, on the other,” wrote Justice Daniel Hanlon. Counsel for the mother argued that libraries and other public agencies must do more to protect children from graphic sites, including requiring parental consent for minors to use the Internet at the library. The court sided with libraries. Justice Hanlon wrote that a public library does not affirmatively place a minor in danger by allowing them unsupervised use of computers linked to the Internet.

Update: Supreme Court Rejects Urofsky Appeal

In February, this column reported that a petition for certiorari seeking a review of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals decision was filed by the ACLU in the Urofsky case. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up the challenge by Professor Urofsky and others to the Virginia law that bars state employees from viewing sexually explicit material over the Internet using state-owned computers. The court’s decision left standing the June ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, which had upheld the law. For additional information, see “Supreme Court Rebuffs Professors’ Challenge to a Virginia Law on Internet Use” in the Chronicle of Higher Education (1/19/01, p. A31).

Other Intellectual Freedom Items:

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted 177-15 in favor of a bill that would require public libraries to install filtering software. The bill’s sponsor said sexual predators are using public libraries to access pornography and prey on children. See “PA House Passes PL Filtering Bill,” Library Journal (12/2000, p.18).

A librarian at the Chicago Public Library has filed a sexual discrimination charge against the library. She alleges that ongoing exposure to Internet pornography viewed on computers by users of the library has subjected her to “a sexually offensive/hostile work environment.” See “Chicago Public Library Staffer Files Discrimination Charges Over Cybersmut,” at http://www.ala.org/alonline/news/2000/001218.html#.chicago.

A revised version of “Libraries & Internet Toolkit: Tips and Guidance for Managing and Communicating about the Internet” is now available at http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/internettoolkit.html.

--Timothy L. Coggins, VLA Intellectual Freedom Committee

VLAPF 2001 Conference

With the theme, “Challenge Yourself: Expand Your Horizons,” the VLA Paraprofessional Forum’s 2001 Conference will provide many opportunities for professional development. This ninth annual conference, which will be held on Sunday, May 20 – Tuesday, May 22 at the University of Richmond, will feature workshops, presentations, roundtables, panels, and networking opportunities. A complete brochure with registration information and the conference schedule is available via the VLA calendar at http://www.vla.org.

Library of Virginia Board News

Working under the large shadow cast by Governor Gilmore’s budget cuts, the Library of Virginia Board met in Richmond on March 19.

The Legislative and Finance Committee reported that the Governor’s car tax initiative will cost the Library of Virginia $1,009,640 or 7.4% of its operations budget for FY 2001 and $2,753,902 or 17.75% of its operations budget for FY 2002. Because the Library does not intend to cut staff, all other options that will lead to necessary budget reductions will be explored. In addition to the near-term negative consequences of these reductions, there will also be an exceedingly unfortunate long-term negative consequence. In the next round of budget creation, the Library’s base line budget will be calculated from the diminished base, not from the current base. It has taken the Library years to achieve this relatively healthy funding level and minutes to see much of these gains taken away.

In other reports the Nominating Committee recommended F. Claiborne Johnston, Jr. to be the next Chair and Gilbert E. Butler, Jr., the next Vice Chair.

The Collection Management Services Committee reported that funding for the Virginia Newspaper Project will probably be available for the next two years.

Regarding the mandates assessments review, the Public Library Development Committee recommended retaining the existing library operations standards to qualify for state and federal grants-in-aid. The Committee also recommended retaining the existing state-certified librarian requirements, while also developing within two years the following: 1) a certification renewal model that includes continuing education and meeting-attendance credits and 2) an alternative certification model. The Board approved the recommendations.

The Publications and Educational Services committee reported that Volume 2 of the Dictionary of Virginia Biography and the essay book dealing with Ellen Glasgow are proceeding on schedule.

The Library of Virginia Foundation is on track for obtaining $125,000 for the current fiscal year.

Nolan Yelich, the Librarian of Virginia, will represent a new strategic plan to the Library Board at its next meeting that is carefully crafted to zero in on vision, mission, and goals.

The next meeting of the Board, scheduled for Monday, June 18, will be the Annual Meeting.

--Alan Bernstein, VLA Observer to the Library of Virginia Board

Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee is currently preparing a slate consisting of two nominees for each of the following offices: Vice-President/President Elect, Second Vice-President, and Treasurer. Their selections will be published in the May issue of the VLA Newsletter, and nominations by petition may be submitted through May 15. The VLA membership will elect the three new officers at the fall election this year.

For information about the nomination process, please contact Carolyn Barkley, Chair, VLA Nominating Committee, at 757-431-3927, FAX 757-431-3018, or cbarkley@city.virginia-beach.va.us.

VLA ANNUAL CONFERENCE TO FEATURE EXHIBITS

The Virginia Library Association members look forward to welcoming our friends, the vendors, to the Annual Conference, October 18-19, 2001. We are hoping to have the exhibit spaces filled with over 80 vendors at the Holiday Inn Select Koger South Conference Center in the Chesterfield County suburban area of Richmond. The exhibitor registration packets have been mailed, and we encourage you to contact your favorite vendors with a reminder that you would like to see them in October in the Exhibit Hall. Also, plan to dedicate time during the conference to visit the Exhibit Hall and show your appreciation to the vendors for their support of VLA. The grand opening for the exhibits will be at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 18. Then, from noon until 2:00 p.m. box lunches will be served in the exhibit area. On Friday morning from 8:00 - 9:15 a.m., coffee will be available in the exhibit area. Food, beverages, and vendors - a sure way to make your visit doubly worthwhile.

Previous exhibit evaluations have suggested inviting more vendors with merchandise to sell, such as gifts, jewelry, shirts, puppets, etc. Send your suggestions to Linda Hahne, Executive Director, so that your favorite vendors might have the opportunity to sell to VLA Conference attendees. Of course, our favorite, The Library Shop at the Library of

Virginia, will be there. What a great opportunity to start (or finish) your holiday shopping.

Look for something new at the 2001 conference. The County of Henrico Public Library has agreed to lend its fairly new bookmobile for exhibit just outside the Exhibit Hall. Hopefully, the bookmobile staff as well as the builder's representative can be available to answer your functional questions. For example, "Does the generator really work? 100 % of the time?" Perhaps there are other motorized units like Magic School Buses or outreach vehicles to show. Contact your bookmobile vendor and invite him to help you share your experiences with conference attendees.

We'll see you in the Exhibit Hall in October.

-- Bill Whitesides, 2001 VLA Conference Committee

People & Happenings

Jim Bagby has joined the Norfolk Public Library as a Reference Librarian in the Adult Services Department. Bagby has had a varied library career, most recently at Johnson and Wales University and Tidewater Tech. His particular interest is in database and Internet searching.

Sarah Bell started as Reference Librarian I at the Virginia Beach Central Library on March 16. She received her BS in Marketing from Virginia Tech and earned her MLS at the University of Maryland. Previously Sarah has been a Reporting Analyst with MCI WorldCom in Denver, CO, and Newport News, VA.

Diane Buckley started working as a Reference Librarian I at the Virginia Beach Central Library, effective August 1. She received her BBA degree in Business Administration from Augusta State University and earned her MLIS from the University of South Carolina. Previously, she worked for Reese Library in the cataloging department.

Sue Harper began working as a Library Information Specialist II at the Virginia Beach Central Library on March 16. Prior to that she was employed as a teacher by Virginia Beach Public Schools. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Education with an endorsement in Library Science at Old Dominion University.

Grant Karcich has been selected as Headquarters Librarian for the Rockbridge Regional Library. Grant was formerly the Reference Supervisor for the Blue Ridge Regional Library.

Karen Mance has joined the staff of the Samuels Public Library in Front Royal as Children's/Young Adult Librarian. Karen earned her MSIS from Louisana State University in December.

Karen L. McFatridge joined the staff of the Virginia Beach Central Library on July 5 as a Library Information Specialist II. No stranger to VBPL, she served 6 years in the Kempsville Area Library and 11 years in Library Director, Marcy Sims’ office. Karen has a BA from Old Dominion University.

Andrew Morton has accepted the position of Head of Access and Delivery Services at the University of Richmond, effective February 26. He was formerly the Head of Access Services at the Tompkins-McCaw Library of Virginia Commonwealth University. He is also currently serving as the Region IV Chair. Andy received his MLIS from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1998.

Denise A. Walker began as the Assistant Information Services Librarian at the Virginia Beach Central Library on March 16. She worked as a Reference Librarian II at the Central Library since 1993. Prior to that she was the Young Adult Librarian for the Prince William Public Library System. She received her MSLS from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1988.

Barbara Weedman has assumed the position of Branch Manager of Norfolk Public Library’s Pretlow Branch. Before joining NPL, Weedman was a Library Outreach Coordinator/Medical Reference Librarian at Eastern Virginia Medical School and a Reference Librarian for the National Head Start Training and Technical Assistance Resource Center in Arlington, Virginia. She has her MLS from the University of Maryland at College Park and her BA in English from Brigham Young University.

Jeffrey C. Walker, a University of Virginia graduate who sits on the Board of Trustees of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, has given $1.5 million to support information technology at Monticello and the University of Virginia Library's Electronic Text Center. At Monticello, the Walker Fund for Technology will fund computer hardware and software and support scholarship and research. At the University Library, Walker's gift will support digital initiatives in the Electronic Text (Etext) Center. The Walker Fund for Technology in the Humanities will provide digitizing for faculty and Library projects (including work on Thomas Jefferson’s papers and other early American documents), train graduate students, and update computer hardware and software. Walker's gift will help the University meet a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Challenge Grant, which will allow the University Library to create a $1 million endowment for the Etext Center. According to University Librarian Karin Wittenborg, “Jeff Walker's generous gift gives the Library the major support it needs to ensure that we meet the NEH challenge, but more importantly, provides immediate funding for our most innovative efforts in bringing humanities texts online."

(Source: University of Virginia Library Press Release)

Calendar

VLA Council Meetings for 2001

Charlottesville on April 6, June 1, and September 7.

April 13, 2001

Fair Use in the Digital Age: UCITA, Recent Copyright Law,

& Their Impact on Library Services in Virginia

Sponsor: VLA Intellectual Freedom Committee and Region 6

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Place: Jefferson-Madison Regional Library, Charlottesville

Contact: Jeff Clark (540) 568-6770, clarkjc@jmu.edu

April 15, 2001

Deadline: VLA Awards & Recognitions Nominations

Contact: Connie Gilman, (703) 792-4800, cgilman@pwcgov.org

April 20, 2001

Evaluating Electronic Resources

Sponsor: Collection Management Workshop

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

(9:30 Registration)

Place: Library of Virginia, Richmond

Contact: Ellen Wertman, (703) 323-3868, nvwerte@nv.cc.va.us

April 20, 2001

Deadline: VLAPF Awards Nominations

Contact: Susan Paddock, sspaddock@aol.com

April 27, 2001

Friends of Virginia Libraries Annual Meeting

Place: Hampton Public Library

Contact: Bill Whitesides (804) 932-8261

April 30, 2001

Legislative Briefing Day

Place: Holiday Inn on the Hill, 415 New Jersey Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.

May 1, 2001

National Library Legislative Day

VLA Legislative Lunch

Place: Capitol Hill, Washington D.C.

Contact: Skip Auld (804) 748-1767, auldh@co.chesterfield.va.us

May 1, 2001

Deadline: Concurrent Session Proposal for 2001 VLA Conference

Contact: Linda Hahne (757) 583-0041, hahne@bellatlantic.net

May 15, 2001

Deadline: Nominations by Petition for 3 VLA Offices

Contact: Carolyn Barkley (757) 431-3927, mailto:mcbarkley@city.virginia-beach.va.us

May 20-22, 2001

VLA Paraprofessional Forum’s 2001 Conference

Place: University of Richmond, Richmond

Contact: Susan Paddock (757) 431-3014, sspaddock@aol.com

September 21, 2001

Workshop: Bookless Storytelling Encore

Sponsor: Region II and Youth Services Forum

Time: 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Place: Lynchburg Public Library, Lynchburg

Contact: Lorry Risinger (804) 847-1565, ext 225, risindl@ci.lynchburg.va.us

September 28, 2001

Paraprofessional Fall Mini Conference

Sponsor: VLAPF

Time: 9:30-3:00

Location: SW VA Higher Education Center, Abingdon

Contacts: Joan E. Taylor (540) 676-6233, jtaylor@wcpl.net

R. Todd Eastridge (540) 676-6233, teastridge@wcpl.net

October 17-19, 2001

VLA Annual Conference

Place: Holiday Inn Select Koger South Conference Center, Richmond

VLA Officers:

Cy Dillon	President
Iza Cieszynski	President Elect
Ruth Arnold	Second Vice President
Carolyn Barkley	Past President
Janis Augustine	Secretary
Jeanette Friedman	Treasurer

Editor (for submissions):

Helen Q. Sherman, Librarian, DTIC Technical Library, Defense Technical Information Center, 8725 John J. Kingman Road, Suite 0944, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-6218

(703) 767-8180, fax (703) 767-8228, email hsherman@dtic.mil

Executive Director (for change of address):

Linda Hahne, Virginia Library Association, P.O. Box 8277, Norfolk, VA 23503-0277; (757) 583-0041; fax (757) 583-5041; email mhahne@bellatlantic.net

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4/1/2001