VLA is in the process of a campaign to sell ads for all of its publications. To this end, it would be particularly useful to have contacts with vendors currently doing business with Virginia libraries. If you know of vendors that may be interested in advertising in VLA publications, please send their names, addresses and phone numbers to Linda Hahne and let her know if it is permissible to use your name in her contact. Contact Linda at P.O. Box 8277, Norfolk, VA 23503-0277 or lhahne@vsla.edu.

The VLA Council met in Charlottesville at the Central Library on April 3. Tom Hehman, President, introduced and welcomed Sam Clay, Chair of the Finance Committee. Terry Sumey, Treasurer, reported that early income has been generated by registrations for the Paraprofessional Conference and vendor commitments to the Annual Conference. Executive Director Linda Hahne announced that 965 VLA members have renewed their membership for 1998, leaving 457 who have not yet renewed. One last reminder will be sent at the end of April directly to those who haven’t renewed before dropping them from the Membership Directory and the mailing list. Linda also reported that 33 jobs have been advertised on the VLA web site since the start of the year and 33 library school scholarship applications have been distributed.

Sam Clay presented the report of the Finance Committee in response to its charge to devise a strategy for achieving a balanced budget and maintaining a reserve equal to one year’s operating expenses. The Committee’s report made several recommendations including designing VLA conferences to generate a profit, studying the cost effectiveness of VLA publications and monitoring all aspects of VLA cash management to maximize the return on its cash resources. The Committee also recommended, and Council approved, a dues increase for 1999. This will be the first dues increase in the last six years. (For more information about the dues increase, see the related article in this issue of the Newsletter.)

Stella Pool, Second Vice President reporting for the Administrative Services Committee, announced that most of the vacancies on committees have now been filled. She also reminded units to check their section in the VLA Manual and advise her of any corrections that need to be made.

Neal Wyatt, Chair of the Intellectual Freedom Committee, presented the Committee’s report in response to the Executive Committee’s charge to review and evaluate VLA’s official position on the Library Bill of Rights and Code of Ethics. The Committee drafted two statements, the Intellectual Freedom Vision Statement and the Filtering Software Statement, to address these issues. The report recommends that Council adopt these two statements, as well as the standard intellectual freedom documents, at its next meeting on June 12. Neal requested that comments about the two statements be sent to her by June 1. (For more information about the intellectual freedom statements, see the related article in this issue of the Newsletter.)

Tom Hehman presented the report of the Legislative Committee. Public libraries received an additional 1.4 million dollars in state aid in the first year of the budget biennium and the three year plan to phase in full funding was approved, although no additional funds were provided for the second year. VIVA received additional funding, Friends groups retained their tax exempt status and the Library of Virginia received 1.1 million dollars over a two year period with six additional positions. Delegate Marshall’s internet filtering bill was referred to committee and funding for technology was not approved. The Committee hopes to build on its recent successes and start planning for the 1999 legislative agenda.

Linda and Tom, reporting for the 1998 Conference Committee, announced that reservations for speakers have been made for all the general sessions. Speakers include Andrew Blough, Director of Communications at the Benton Foundation, author Kathy Reichs, and children’s author Peter Roop. The traditional Thursday night social will take place at the Virginia Marine Science Museum. Tom encouraged all units to submit proposals for concurrent sessions by May 1 so that there will be many VLA programs at the joint conference as well as VEMA programs. Linda announced that future conferences will take place at the Homestead in 1999, Williamsburg in 2000 and Richmond in 2001.

Before the meeting was adjourned, unit chairs announced upcoming programs (see Newsletter calendar and VLA home page for details.) Council will meet next on June 12 back at the Northside Branch.

At its April 3 meeting, Council approved a dues increase for next year, following recommendations by the Executive Committee and the Finance Committee. Dues increases are always unpopular, so you may ask why this was necessary.

In February, the Finance Committee was charged with devising a plan to achieve a balanced VLA annual budget, with a future goal of maintaining a reserve in an amount equal to one year's operating expenses. Committee Chair Sam Clay requested and promptly received financial information from Executive Director Linda Hahne on VLA's revenues and expenses for the past several years, as far back as accurate information was available.

The facts painted a bleak picture of significant financial losses over the past several years, both from annual conferences and from basic membership services. These losses have drawn down VLA's financial reserves, which will be depleted this year if this trend is not reversed.

Among other conclusions, the committee report stated that "VLA's dues structure is not sufficient to support current operations." The average cost to support a member is $71 and the average membership revenue is $44. The new dues structure is estimated to bring in an additional $13,000 - 14,000 next year, slightly less than the amount by which this year's operating budget is out of balance.

But the dues increase is not a band-aid solution to a larger problem. All present and potential revenue sources and all expenditure categories are under review. The report's final recommendation is: "the Executive Committee should establish a committee and a process to examine VLA as to its purpose, goals and structure to ensure that it is meeting the needs of its members." This process is underway.

A professional organization that does not meet its members' needs is not a bargain at any price. In a world of challenges to intellectual freedom, underfunded needs and unceasing change, a vital, successful professional organization is one you can't afford NOT to join and support.

If we all keep working together, VLA will be that kind of organization.

Students, Friends, Trustees, Retirees -- $25

Salary to $13,499 -- $25

Salary $13,500-$19,999 -- $35

Salary $20,000-$29,999 -- $55

Salary $30,000-$39,999 -- $70

Salary $40,000-$54,999 -- $80

Salary $55,000-higher -- $95

Institutional -- $75

Corporate Sponsors -- $125

The Library of Virginia Board met in Richmond on April 6. The issue of state and/or local Internet access policy weighed heavily on the meeting. Nolan Yelich, the State Librarian, and some Board members believe that access is a local issue and should be dealt with locally. Other members favor state legislation to forbid access to pornographic and other objectionable material. All sides agree that this is a complicated and emotional issue that will not soon disappear and warrants more study. As an interim step, and as a way to douse some possible political fires, the Board unanimously instructed the State Librarian to send a letter to all public libraries reminding those involved that pornography and child pornography are illegal and that public library Internet access policies should state this and be vigorously enforced.

The Trustee Committee announced that annual regional trustees workshops will be established and that an annual statewide trustee workshop will be held at the VLA Conference in October. Also, the revised trustee manual should be available by October.

The Nominating Committee recommended that Roy E. Cabell, Jr. become Library Board Chair for fiscal year 1998-99 and that Bobbie B. Hudson become Vice-Chair.

The Legislative and Finance Committee received Board approval to ask the Library of Virginia Foundation to fund a legislative liaison position for the next legislative session. Board members felt that the liaison might prove useful in enlisting legislative support to help address the Library’s pressing needs, the most urgent being severely inadequate funding.

The next Board meetings are scheduled for May 18 and June 15 and 16 (the annual meeting). -- Alan M. Bernstein, VLA Observer to LVA Board.

The Intellectual Freedom Committee was charged by the Executive Council of VLA to review the Association's position on intellectual freedom and make recommendations to Council. The IFC spent six weeks reviewing VLA's position, reading the standard intellectual freedom documents, and talking to individuals well versed in these issues.

The result of our investigation is that while the Association supports intellectual freedom and has in the past affirmed ALA's Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read Statement, there is no formal written document expressing this commitment which has been adopted by the Association. As a consequence, the Intellectual Freedom Committee developed a vision statement that clearly and succinctly states our position on intellectual freedom as an association. It is designed to serve as an ideal, and as a point of reference and support when Virginia libraries and their staff are confronted with issues of intellectual freedom. We think that it is vital for the association to have such a formal position as a professional organization, and for members to be able to cite it when either they or the association have need of such documentation.

We are recommending that VLA Council adopt this vision statement and include it in the VLA manual near the mission statement. We also recommend that Council adopt the standard intellectual freedom documents which support the vision statement and the profession as a whole and insert these documents in an appendix to the manual. These documents are: ALA's Code of Ethics, Library Bill of Rights, the Interpretations of the Library Bill of Rights, The Freedom to Read Statement, and The Freedom to View Statement.

In response to the efforts by the Commonwealth to force libraries to install filtering software, and to draft a position to support libraries struggling with this specific and complex issue, we have also developed a statement on filtering software. This statement intends to offer professional guidance when developing policies or responding to community concern, and should also be seen as a complementary vision statement. We recommend that it be added to the appendix of the VLA manual, along with the other intellectual freedom documents.

The two statements developed by the Intellectual Freedom Committee follow this introduction. The standard intellectual freedom documents can be found in the ALA Intellectual Freedom Manual or on ALA's web site (http://www.ala.org - under ALA Offices - Office of Intellectual Freedom), or on VLA's website (http://www.vla.org - under Units - Intellectual Freedom Committee).

The members of the Intellectual Freedom Committee are asking for your comments on these statements and their contents. All ideas are encouraged and welcome. Please send your comments to Neal Wyatt, IFC Chair by June 1, 1998 by email at nwyatt@vsla.edu or by phone at (804) 768-7738.

Let it be resolved that the Virginia Library Association supports the principles of open access to information and ideas regardless of the medium in which they exist. The Association believes that a democracy can only succeed if its citizens have access to the information necessary to form opinions and make decisions on issues affecting their lives. The Association regards access to this information as a right of free citizens. The Association endorses the American Library Association's Code of Ethics, Freedom to Read Statements, the Library Bill of Rights, and the interpretations of the Library Bill of Rights. The Association encourages local library systems to draft and adopt service policies that fit their practical resources while supporting these ideals.

The position of the Virginia Library Association on the application of "filtering software" to restrict access to Internet resources is a logical extension of its traditional commitment to any resource which has been provided to the public by libraries. This commitment affirms the beliefs of ALA's Library Bill of Rights and the standards of ALA's Code of Ethics. The Library Bill of Rights affirms that resource "materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation." The Code of Ethics stresses that we should provide the "highest level" of "equitable access" to resources. Together, these documents form a complete statement on our libraries' obligation to provide a full variety of information for our citizens' use and their right to as full accessibility to this information as is feasible. In regard to Internet resources, only a position of free access -- unfettered by filtering software or other unreasonable restrictions of use -- is acceptable. Because of their unlimited availability through computing technology, the library's primary "selection" role in offering Internet resources is not to restrict them, but to offer the public user assistance in locating, interpreting and appreciating them -- as our profession has always done with other resources -- toward the end of "interest, information and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves" (Library Bill of Rights). In consequence, the Virginia Library Association opposes any measures by the Commonwealth to enforce the use of filtering software or to limit access to this medium. The Association encourages local library systems to draft and adopt service policies that fit their practical resources while supporting these ideals.

Alumni, faculty, students, and friends of the School of Library and Information Science of The Catholic University of America are invited to gather together on CUA's campus for an alumni reception. In celebration of Dr. Elizabeth Stone's birthday, the reunion will be held in the Life Cycle Institute and the grounds of Marist Hall on the CUA campus from 5:30 to 7:00 on Sunday, June 28th. A memory book will be available for you to record your birthday wishes or memories and a presentation will be made at the reception. If you cannot attend the reunion, you can record your wishes and memories online at the CUA-SLIS web page at http://www.cua.edu/lsc/slisnew.htm. For directions or further information, contact the school at (202) 319-5085.

Glen Bunton is the new systems librarian for Internet technologies at the library of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

Cherie Navarre is the new Virginia Beach Campus librarian at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

Joely Stuart May has accepted the position of Reference Librarian at the ECPI College of Technology Library in Virginia Beach. Joely received her MLIS with highest honors from the University of Hawaii. She and her husband moved to Virginia Beach from Hawaii where they lived for the past six years.

Ed Summers has accepted the position of Electronic Resources Cataloger at Old Dominion University Library. Ed was previously Visiting Assistant Professor of Library Administration at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has also been a Reference Intern at the Butler Library, Humanities and History Reference Department, Columbia University and a Cataloger at Rutgers University. He has an MLS from Rutgers University.

The Virginia Beach main campus of the ECPI College of Technology opened its new 6,000 square feet library on February 18, 1998. The online catalog for the four campus system is known as ATHENA and can be found on the web at http://www.ecpi.edu.

VLA Council meetings will be held in Charlottesville at the Northside Library on June 12 and September 11.

The next Board meetings are scheduled for May 18 and June 15-16.

National Library Legislative Day, Washington, DC

Sponsor: CYART

Place: Jefferson-Madison Regional Library, Charlottesville

Contact: Scott Phillips

(540) 372-1160

sphillip@crrl.org

Sponsor: College of Library and Information Services, University of Maryland

Place: College Park, MD; Richmond, VA

Contact: Robin Albert

(301) 405-2057

ra67@umail.umd.edu

Sponsor: TSAR

Place: Library of Virginia

Contact: Elizabeth Sudduth

(804) 752-7258

esudduth@rmc.edu

Sponsor: VLA Paraprofessional Forum

Place: University of Richmond

Contact: Mary Fran Nash

(804) 395-2450

mnash@longwood.lwc.edu

or Lydia Williams

(804) 395-2432

lwilliam@longwood.lwc.edu

Sponsor: Local History, Genealogy & Oral History Forum and NMRT

Place: Library of Virginia

Contact: Gail Tatum

(804) 692-3558

Sponsor: College of Library and Information Services, University of Maryland

Place: College Park, MD

Contact: Robin Albert

(301) 405-2057

ra67@umail.umd.edu

Sponsor: Region IV

Place: Virginia Commonwealth University

Contact: Sally Jacobs

(804) 828-1101

saljacob@hsc.vcu.edu

Sponsor: College and University Section and Community College Forum

Place: Jefferson-Madison Regional Library, Charlottesville

Contact: Carl Phillips

(540) 568-3319

phillicd@jmu.edu

Sponsor: Library Instruction Forum and Region VI

Place: Mary Baldwin College, Staunton

Contact: Carol Creager

(540) 887-7310

ccreager@cit.mbc.edu

VLA/VEMA Annual Conference, Virginia Beach