VLA Newsletter September 2001

Become Involved in VLA!

How much do you invest in the Virginia Library Association? This is not a question about dollars and cents. You’ve already paid your dues, but like anything else, the more you put into VLA the more you receive. You already enjoy the publications, the annual conference and other continuing education events. These benefits are available to you because of the 10% of members who give their time and expertise by serving on one of VLA’s standing committees. VLA committee membership is open to everyone and is the best way to get involved in your professional organization. In this issue you will find the VLA Committee Service Interest Form for 2002. Look it over, fill it out, send it in, and maximize your investment!

--Ruth Arnold, Second Vice-President, VLA
 

VLA 2001 Conference Is Close At Hand

The Virginia Library Association 2001 Conference is just around the corner! On October 17^th, 18^th, and 19th, VLA members will be gathering at the Holiday Inn Koger Center South located in Chesterfield County on the outskirts of Richmond. Hopefully, all members have now received the Tentative Program for the 2001 VLA Conference, V@ Libraries: Where Readers Connect.

Your Conference Committee would like to tell you about some events taking place during the conference, beginning with the preconference activities on Wednesday, October 17^th.

Have you often dreamed of working in "Library Heaven"?  The Chesterfield County Public Library is sponsoring an architectural tour of new libraries on Wednesday the 17^th beginning at 11:00 a.m.  The participants in this ticketed event ($20.00 includes bus fare, lunch and snacks) will visit several new libraries, including public, school and academic. It should be great fun and very informative.

The Friends of the Chesterfield County Public Library are hosting a reception and casual barbecue at the La Prade Branch beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday evening. Tours of the new facility will be featured. School buses will leave the conference hotel at 6:00 p.m and return to the hotel after "a good time is had by all."

If you presently serve on the VLA Council or will be serving on the council next year, you are expected to attend the Council Luncheon/Orientation at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday at the conference hotel. A short business meeting will take place at this time. An invitation will be sent to you shortly with all the details. Be sure to reply to Linda Hahne.

The Academic Section has planned a preconference opportunity that begins at the conference hotel at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, featuring Bill Nelson from Augusta State University and Bob Fernekes from Georgia Southern University. Their workshop, "Responding to the ‘A’ Word: Using ACRL Standards to Create a Continuous Assessment Environment," comes highly recommended. This is a ticketed event and the $40.00 fee includes lunch and a workbook.

At 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, another session will take place. The Continuing Education Committee has planned a Program Planners Workshop, focusing on developing a program topic and evaluating the program. This workshop is by invitation only, but the presenters, Cal Shepard and Diane Brown from SOLINET, will also present during the concurrent sessions on Thursday.

A new feature for the 2001 conference will be the extended Registration Desk hours. The desk will open from 2-5 p.m. on Wednesday and will open again from 8-9:30 p.m. This will allow those of you who are arriving on Wednesday to get a jump on the crowds at registration.

Let’s talk about the concurrent sessions on October 18^th and 19^th. The committee has made every effort to include something for everyone this year. From censorship to a Website for seniors; from copyright to designing and building the physical plant; from volunteers to children and youth; from learning about your ancestors to meeting the diversity needs in your community; from budgets to law; from the changing role of the public library to the JLARC Study – all of these and many more will be subjects featured in our Thursday and Friday concurrent sessions. Study your Tentative Program, but be aware that it is inevitable that changes will occur. Please check your final program when you register to finalize your plans for session attendance. Room locations for the sessions will be included in the final program, also.

The exhibits will be held in the conference hotel this year. Exhibitors will include friends who support VLA every year, as well as new friends who will be first-timers. Also, featured this year will be a brand new bookmobile owned and operated by Henrico County Public Library. The bookmobile will be parked adjacent to the exhibit hall, and the staff will be there to show it off during open exhibit hours. Be sure to be in attendance at the grand opening of the exhibits. There will be a drawing for a grand prize, and you must be present to win! Also, free box lunches will be provided in the exhibit hall for all registrants on Thursday at 12:15 p.m.

The Jefferson Cup Award winner Jim Murphy will speak at the Jefferson Cup Breakfast at 8 am on Friday and will sign books afterwards. His books, as well as books written by our other featured authors, will be available for sale in the exhibit booth of the Library of Virginia’s Library Shop.

Our featured speakers are John Y. Cole, from the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress, who will address the group at the opening session; Dabney Stuart, award winning poet and novelist, who will be the keynote speaker at the Friday luncheon (ticketed event for $20.00); and Henry Wiencek, the author of "The Hairstons: An American Family in Black and White," who will end our conference on a high note on Friday afternoon.

Not enough fun for you yet? Join your colleagues at the Library of Virginia on Thursday night for a dessert social. The Library of Virginia Foundation will be our host for yummy desserts and beverages. Round trip bus transportation will be available at no charge. Free underground parking is available at LVA for individual cars. Book signings, scholarship raffle prizes, and much more will help to make this event the networking pinnacle of the conference. Meet, greet and eat – what more could we ask?

Now, go to your desk and immediately search for that cream and burgundy Tentative Program with the conference logo, V@ Libraries: Where Readers Connect. Open it; check out all of the opportunities for education, networking and contacts with vendors; fill out the Conference Registration and the Hotel Registration forms, and send both to the appropriate address (Fax, mail or email). We don’t want you to miss a single minute of the 2001 VLA Conference.

Questions? Contact Linda Hahne in the VLA office at (757) 583-0041 or lhahne@coastalnet.com.

--Harriett Edmunds, Chair, 2002 VLA Conference Committee
 

Mark Your Calendars

Remember these dates for the 2001 VLA Conference and make your reservations soon. For complete details, see the conference registration form and the conference hotel reservation form included in the Tentative Program.

September 26, 2001
Deadline for Conference Hotel Reservations

October 12, 2001
Preregistration Discount Ends

October 17, 2001
Preconference

October 18-19, 2001
Conference Concurrent Sessions
 

ALA Report

2001 American Library Association Conference, San Francisco

ALA’s annual conference was marred this year by some concern within factions of the organization over the boycott at the Marriott Hotel, the ALA headquarters hotel. The August issue of American Libraries provides descriptions. The controversy did not consume Council sessions, but it did cause disruption to planned events and meetings. Council referred a resolution to the Budget Analysis and Review Committee (BARC) that a boycott clause be included in future conference hotel contracts.

Council Highlights:

• The ALA Presidential Task Force of Memberships Meetings was extended for one year. The number for a quorum, under existing bylaws, has been debated for the last decade. Both Membership Meetings were very well attended although session one did not have an actual quorum present.
• Both the Legislative Committee and the Intellectual Committee reports contained CIPA litigation information whose progress may be followed on the ALA Website.
• The Committee on Organization held a public hearing for input on the issue of electronic meetings and virtual committee members.
• The anticipated vote on forming an outside accreditation body did not occur. Table talks with councilors were conducted by members of the task force working on this issue. After feedback, the issues will be presented at a later date.
• A motion was adopted directing ALA conference planners to avoid scheduling future Midwinter Meetings at a time other than the Martin Luther King Day holiday.
• A resolution supported efforts to increase librarians’ awareness of and ability to serve people with disabilities.

--Mary-Mayer Hennelly, ALA Councilor, Virginia Chapter
 

Be an Informed Voter

In order to provide the candidates for Governor of Virginia the opportunity to share their views on libraries, ideas were solicited from the library community and developed as questions by the Legislative Committee. Ten final questions on library issues were submitted to both of the candidates by the Legislative Liaison for VLA. The responses of the gubernatorial candidates will be published in the October issue of the VLA Newsletter.
 

Finalists for Library of Virginia Literary Awards

Virginia’s First Lady Roxane G. Gilmore will serve as host for the 4^th Annual Library of Virginia Literary Awards Celebration Honoring Virginia Authors & Friends. The winners for the best fiction, non-fiction, and poetry books will be honored at the event, scheduled from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. on Saturday, September 15, 2001.

The Library of Virginia, the Virginia Center for the Book, and the Library of Virginia Foundation announced the finalists in each category.

Best work of fiction by a Virginia author:

• The Hatbox Baby: A Novel by Carrie Brown
• Graveyard of the Atlantic by Alyson Hagy
• The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman

• Eye of the Storm: A Civil War Odyssey by Robert Knox Sneden
• Five Sisters: The Langhornes of Virginia by James Fox
• Princes of Ireland, Planters of Maryland: A Carroll Saga, 1500-1782 by Ronald Hoffman
• German Boy: A Refugee’s Story by Wolfgang W.E. Samuel

• The Drowned City by Jennifer Atkinson
• Texas School Book Depository: Prose Poems by Cathryn Hankla
• Cenotaph: Poems by Eric Pankey

This year 178 books were nominated for the awards. Carolyn Barkley, former VLA president, served on the panel of judges.

For more information, call (804) 371-4795 or visit http://www.lva.lib.va.us.

(Source: The Library of Virginia Press Release)
 

Banned Books Week

Celebrate Your Freedom to Read
September 22-29, 2001

ALA provides resources for libraries observing Banned Books Week, such as Challenged and Banned Books, Notable First Amendment Cases, Quotations and Links, and Banned Books Week Essays, at http://www.ala.org/bbooks/.

You are invited by the Intellectual Freedom Committee to share your creative ideas with other VLA members and enter the annual Banned Books Week Display Contest. The entry form, which is included with this issue, and all attachments must be received by October 19, 2001.
 

Teen Read Week

Read for the Fun of It
October 14-20, 2001

Teen Read Week, now in its fourth year, is a national literacy initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association. Aimed at teens, their parents, librarians, educators, booksellers, and other concerned adults, Teen Read Week encourages teens to read for pleasure and to get in the habit of reading regularly and often. This year’s program highlights the popularity of fantasy literature, and the theme, "Make Reading a Hobbit," salutes the classics of J.R.R. Tolkien. In partnership with ALA, New Line Cinema, which is producing a trilogy of films based on The Lord of the Rings, has furnished exclusive imagery for the Teen Read Week posters and graphics. More information is available at http://www.ala.org/teenread or from the YALSA office at 1-800-545-2433 X4391.
 

People & Happenings

First Lady Laura Bush and the Library of Congress will be hosting the National Book Festival on the East Lawn of the U.S. Capitol and the Library of Congress from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 8. The event, which is free and open to the public, includes readings, demonstrations, and book signings by more than 50 award-winning authors and illustrators; musical performances, storytelling, and panel discussions about children’s books, mysteries, and poetry; preservation and conservation ideas for saving family photos and documents; demonstrations of new technologies; and ways to promote reading, literacy, and libraries in your community. For more information about the National Book Festival, call toll-free (888) 714-4696 or visit http://www.loc.gov/bookfest. (Source: National Book Festival)

Fairfax County Public Library and Arlington County Library were among 20 public libraries nationwide selected by the American Library Association and National Video Resources (NVR) as pilot sites for President, Politics and Power: American Presidents Who Shaped the 20^th Century. This video discussion program uses documentary films and text to involve the public in a study of America’s strongest leaders. Participating libraries will host a six-week program to discuss the individuals featured in the documentaries. The program is an ALA Public Programs Office and NVR initiative and is funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. (Source: ALA News Release)

The University of Virginia Library Electronic Text Center has completed a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Challenge Grant nearly two years ahead of schedule with a recent $200,000 pledge from University of Virginia alumni Matthew and Nancy Walker of McLean, VA. The University Library Electronic Text Center, founded in 1992, provides Internet access to humanities-related texts and e-books. For more information, visit http://etext.lib.virginia.eduor contact Director David Seaman at (434) 924-3230. (Source: University of Virginia Press Release)

SOLINET announced the launch of E-cademy, its Web-Based Training program, which offers training without travel and, in some cases, a more flexible time frame for completing a workshop. The first E-cademy workshop, Introduction to the OCLC Authority File, debuted with more than 60 librarians registered. The E-cademy site at http://www.solinet.net/se/secademy.htm also includes links to Free Tutorials established by OCLC and other regional networks. (Source: SOLINET Press Release)
 

Join VLA

If you are not already a member, you may join VLA for 2002 and receive your 2001 Conference Registration at the VLA member’s discounted rate. Use the membership form included on the VLA homepage at http://www.vla.org. You may fax the completed form to Linda Hahn, VLA Executive Director, (757) 583-5041, or mail it to Virginia Library Association, P.O. Box 8277, ober 17-19, 2001
VLA Annual Conference
Place: Holiday Inn Select Koger South Conference Center, Richmond

Calendar

September 7, 2001
VLA Council Meeting in Charlottesville

September 13, 2001
Virginia & Other State Government Resources on the Internet

September 14, 2001
Business Resources on the Internet
Sponsor: Region II
Time: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Place: Pittsylvania County Public Library, Chatham
Contact: Diane Adkins (804) 432-3271, dsadkins@hotmail.com

September 17, 2001
Library of Virginia Board Meeting in Richmond

September 21, 2001
Bookless Storytelling Encore
Sponsor: Region II and Youth Services Forum
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Place: Lynchburg Public Library, Lynchburg
Online form: http://www.vla.org
Contact: Lorry Risinger (804) 847-1565, ext 225, lorry.risinger@lynchburgva.gov

September 21, 2001
Remote Concerns: Reaching Our Users through Remote Technologies
Sponsor: VLA Region V's Annual Meeting
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Place: Freedom Forum, Roslyn, Virginia
Contact: Polly Khater (703) 993-2445, khater@gmu.edu

September 28, 2001
Paraprofessional Fall Mini Conference
Sponsor: VLAPF
Time: 9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: SW VA Higher Education Center, Abingdon
Contacts: Joan Taylor (540) 676-6233, jtaylor@wcpl.net
               R. Todd Eastridge (540) 676-6233, teastridge@wcpl.net

October 13, 2001
2^nd Annual Richard Slatten Fall Seminar
Sponsor: Friends of the Virginia State Archives
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. (insert)
Location: Library of Virginia

October 17-19, 2001
VLA Annual Conference
Place: Holiday Inn Select Koger South Conference Center, Richmond

October 19, 2001
Deadline: Entry Form (insert)
Banned Books Week Display Contest

November 16, 2001
Bring Them In – Bring Them Back
Sponsor: Region III
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (insert)
Place: Williamsburg Regional Library
Contact: Colette Macin (757) 823-8796, cpmacin@nsu.edu
Jim Sanderson (757) 886-7896
 

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: 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) 767-8179, email hsherman@dtic.mil
(Prefers submissions via email with Word attachments)

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 lhahne@coastalnet.com

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9/1/2001