| VLA Newsletter
February 1998 issue (January 21, 1998)
Editors Hello I am excited to be taking on the role of VLA Newsletter editor this month and am looking forward to working with VLA members in the coming year. For the past two years I have been a member of the VLA Publications Committee and am glad that that experience has led to new responsibilities for me in VLA. I would like to thank Sue Trask for all of her help and support as she has passed her job on to me. Her assistance and past experience as editor have been invaluable to me as I have worked on my first issue. Please continue to send your news items for inclusion in the Newsletter. The new address for submissions is P.O. Box 90001, University Libraries, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24062. -- Mary Hansbrough
VLA Executive Committee Retreat The Executive Committee reviewed plans for 1998 at its retreat in Bedford in mid-January. Finances, operating budget, continuing education, organizational structure, 1997 and 98 annual conference, legislative advocacy and the 1998 designated agenda were the main topics of discussion. Treasurer Terry Sumey reviewed several financial, membership and conference reports compiled by Executive Director Linda Hahne, and presented a first draft of the 1998 operating budget. Discussion centered on balancing the 1998 budget and rebuilding VLA's financial reserves to the long standing goal of one year's operating expenses. The new Finance Committee will be charged with developing a short term strategy for balancing the budget and a long term strategy to rebuild the financial reserves. The Committee did not recommend a change in the 1999 conference location and date (The Homestead, October 28-30) previously approved by Council. The Committee did vote to extend legislative liaison Phil Abraham's contract through March 15, the end of the Assembly Session. The 1998 Designated Agenda will be developed at the February Council Meeting, and will focus on four areas: Education, Access, Advocacy and Association Management.
Conference '98 - - - "Libraries: From Gutenberg to Gigabytes" What would it be like to be among a thousand librarians at the beach? From October 15 -17, 1998 you will have the opportunity to meet with colleagues from the Virginia Educational Media Association and VLA at Virginia Beach for a Joint Conference. Your Conference Committee is composed of VLA, VEMA and vendor representatives who are working to provide authors, speakers, concurrent sessions, workshops and special events that will make this year's annual conference your best opportunity for professional growth in '98. Sessions are designed to give you practical strategies for managing and enjoying the information and enrichment resources that have evolved from the "Gutenberg Era" to the "Gigabyte Era" and beyond. Ann Martin (VEMA) and Tom Hehman (VLA) are co-chairs for the conference. Gerri Andrews, Linda Owen, Vickie Pearce, Judy Purgason, Jean Remler and Melinda Younger are VEMA members on the steering committee. Chuck Anderson, Linda Hahne, Sandra Heinemann, Sean O'Connell and Jody Treadway are VLA steering committee members. Mark O'Brien is the committee's vendor representative. The Concurrent Session Proposal is a new feature of this year's conference (for VLA members that is). Anyone who has a good idea for a conference session is invited and encouraged to submit a proposal. Tell your friends! A concurrent session proposal form is in this issue of the Newsletter
for your convenience. Fill the form out and mail it to the address listed
or give it to someone who can submit a proposal which will benefit your
colleagues.
The Concurrent Session Proposal form distributed at the February Council meeting and in the last Newsletter contains several typographical errors in the mailing and e-mail addresses and the telephone numbers. The correct information is: : Conference dates are Thursday to Saturday; however, hotel stays are available October 14-17 at the conference rate. Consider making it a family weekend and enjoy the golf courses, the museums and the beach. Look for news and updates about the conference, in the next issue of the Newsletter or check VLA's web page (www.vla.org) for the latest information.
Library of Virginia Board Meeting The Library of Virginia Board met in Richmond on January 5, 1998. Nolan Yelich, the State Librarian, reported that 1997 was an exceptional year for the Library of Virginia. About 180,000 people visited the Library, more than 3 times the attendance ever at the old building. The national meeting of the Center for the Book is scheduled on May 4 in Washington, DC, and the National Library Legislative Day is set for the following day. The Board honored outgoing secretary of Education Beverly Sgro for all her support for the Library during her term of office. The Board will approach the Legislature to ask for additional funding to try to make up for the low funding levels of the early and mid 1990s. The Library of Virginia Foundation reported that the gift shop had a banner year. The Art Deco furniture was sold for $226,000; the money will go to the endowment fund to be used to purchase special collections materials. The Foundation will host a reception for the State legislators on the afternoon of January 22. The Automation and Networking Committee reported that the Library has signed a contract with a provider to provide retrospective conversion services for 3 years to assist those 14-odd public libraries whose collections are not yet automated. The VLIN migration to its new platform is almost completed. The Library obtained a $270,000 grant for the Mellon Foundation to digitized its WPA collection of pre-1865 artifacts, photographs, maps, etc. The Public Library Development Committee reported that Governor Allens budget requested level funding for State Aid. The Library of Virginia will support VLAs request for an additional $1.25 million in an attempt to fully fund the formula within the next few years. The Friends Special Committee reported that 70 of 90 public libraries have Friends groups. The next two meetings of the Board are scheduled for Monday, February 23 and Monday, April 6. -- Alan M. Bernstein, VLA Observer to LVA Board.
People & Happenings John J. "J.J." Cromer has joined the faculty of Clinch Valley College as Reference Librarian and Lecturer in Library Science. Cromer received his M.L.I.S. from the University of Southern Mississippi, an M.A. in English from Western Kentucky University, and his B.A. from the University of Wyoming. Previously, Cromer was Librarian at Lima (Ohio) Public Library and adjunct faculty at Bowling Green State University. Several of his poems have been published. Besides assisting at the Reference Desk, Cromer will also be responsible for providing bibliographic instruction and developing the Library's electronic resources and maintaining the homepage. Barbie Selby has accepted the position of Documents Librarian at the UVA Law School Library. She received her M.L.S. from UNC Chapel Hill in 1980 and has been the Assistant Documents Librarian at UVA's Alderman Library for the past 13 years. Veronica A. Davis has been appointed school media specialist for the Beaumont campus of the Virginia Department of Correctional Education. Noreen Bernstein, Williamsburg Regional Library director of youth services, was appointed a citizen advisory member to the Virginia State Library boards Public Library Development Committee. The Richmond Public Library has gone Hollywood, thanks to a generous donation from Toshiba America Consumer Products. As part of its nationwide "DVD Community" program, Toshiba selected the Richmond system to be the first of at least 15 public libraries nationwide to receive a donation of a Toshiba DVD-Video player, a 30-inch SuperTUBE color TV, plus a wide variety of DVD movie titles, representing an exciting cross-section of blockbuster films, childrens features and great film classics. On Tuesday, December 9, the Broad Rock Branch of the Richmond Public Library was transformed into the first public access Community Computer Center in the city of Richmond. The Center consists of eight multi-media computer workstations, four of which are geared specifically for young children, and will be available for public use whenever the branch is open. The University of Virginias Alderman Library has received several important additions to its collection. The Victor V. Martin Collection consists of 13 original letters and documents, dated between 1694 and 1945, containing signatures of U.S. presidents, kings, statesmen and other famous persons. An anonymous donation of a letter by Thomas Jefferson which includes his signature and seal was also received. Another gift included a collection of letters written to American novelist John Dos Passos.
Calendar VLA Council Meetings VLA Council meetings will be held at the Northside Library, Charlottesville, on: February 13, April 3 (Central Library - McIntire Room), June 12 and September 11. Library of Virginia Board Meetings The next Board meetings are scheduled for: February 23 and April 6. March 10-14 Public Libraries: Vital, Valuable, Virtual Public Library Association National Conference, Kansas City, Mo. May 4 National Meeting of the Center for the Book, Washington, DC May 5 National Library Legislative Day, Washington, DC May 18-19
Sponsor: VLA Paraprofessional Forum Place: University of Richmond Contact: Mary Fran Nash (804) 395-2450 mnash@longwood.lwc.edu or Lydia Williams
VLA/VEMA Annual Conference, Virginia Beach
VLA Newsletter Tom Hehman ..President Sandra Heinemann ..Vice President Stella Pool ..Second Vice President Lisabeth Chabot ...Past President Pat Howe ..Secretary Terry Sumey .Treasurer Editor (for submissions): Mary Hansbrough, P.O. Box 90001, University Libraries, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24062, (540) 231-8832, FAX (540) 231-3694, e-mail maryhans@vt.edu. Virginia Library Association Jobline. To learn of job openings in Virginia, visit the VLA web site at www.vla.org. To have openings listed, send information to: Virginia Library Association, P.O. Box 8277, Norfolk, VA 23503-0277, FAX (757) 583-5041. There will be a $25.00 fee for each listing. |