Virginia Library Association Blog » Administration and Management

Why wait? REGISTER TODAY!

sismith — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:29:06 +0000

Registration is open for the 2010 VLA Annual Conference to be held October 21-22 in Portsmouth, Va. A limited block of rooms at the Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel is available for VLA conference attendees at the VLA’s negotiated discount rate. Rooms are going fast, so please make your reservation soon.

Some good reasons to attend this year’s conference:

Terrific [...]

FREE Webinars for SLA members

cyndera — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:03:22 +0000

If you are a member of the Special Library Association, please see the link below for some great free webinars on a variety of topics such as Marketing, Business Research, Management and Team Leadship etc.

http://www.sla.org/content/learn/members/webinars/index.cfm

Video: The Surprising Realities Behind What Motivates Us (in Illustrated Form)

shelm — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:13:26 +0000

The Surprising Realities Behind What Motivates Us in Illustrated

New VLA Logo Adopted

shelm — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:17:17 +0000

The new VLA logo was unveiled and adopted at the April 9th Council Meeting.

The new logo is available for download and use on all VLA publications, signage, web sites, etc. in various sizes, formats and color variations.

Special thanks go to Visa Varga and the Central Rappahannock Regional Library graphics staff for the beautiful work.

Disaster Planning Program – Register Now!

shelm — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:32:29 +0000

Preparing for the Unexpected:
DISASTER PLANNING FOR CULTURAL COLLECTIONS
Presented by the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts
(CCAHA)

March 24, 2010
Charlottesville, VA

Held at Ash Lawn-Highland, Home of President James Monroe

Sessions Include:
 Before Disaster Strikes: Assessing Vulnerability
 Crisis Communication
 Staff Training and Exercising the Plan
 Disaster Scenario Exercise
 Practical Decision-Making

Speakers:
Julie Page, Co-Coordinator, California Preservation Program (CPP) and
Western States & Territories Preservation Assistance Service (WESTPAS)
Michael Smith, PhD, Associate Professor of Communication, La Salle
University

The Academy of Certified Archivists (ACA), the professional certifying
organization for the archives field, will award 5 Accreditation
Recertification Credits (ARCs) to eligible Certified Archivists (CAs)
attending this program.

For more information and to register online, click here, or cut and

paste the following link:
http://guest.cvent.com/i.aspx?5S%2cM3%2c10ac9c28-3893-44dc-bdd4-c3d00…

If you have additional questions, contact CCAHA at 215-545-0613 or
pso@ccaha.org

Would you like to present at the 2010 Annual Conference?

shelm — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:22:38 +0000

The 2010 VLA Annual Conference will be held Oct. 21-22, 2010 at the Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel, Portsmouth VA.

Would you like to present at the 2010 Conference? If so, please complete the Concurrent Session Proposal Form (PDF) .

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: MAY 1, 2010

85 Reasons to be Thankful for Librarians

shelm — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:25:17 +0000

1. Librarians take care of libraries, which are still invaluable today.
2. Not all information is on the internet.
3. Older books still hold great cultural significance.
4. Libraries are still repositories for some of the most valuable works of literature in the world.
5. Even with the internet, the library is still the best place to do research.
6. Girls with glasses can still rock the “sexy librarian” look.
7. “Sexy Librarian” is still a popular costume at Halloween.
8. You can’t exactly find periodicals like The New England Journal of Medicine in Barnes and Noble.
9. For that matter, looking at turn-of-the-century National Geographics is still pretty entertaining.
10. Colleges need something to remodel every so often.
11. The library is still the best meeting spot for college students working on group projects.
12. Libraries are where most colleges store some of their history (choir CDs, videos of athletic matches, etc.).
13. A library is one of the few places people can have free internet access.
14. This means some libraries even hold LAN parties during later hours.
15. Somebody has to help lazy people find what they want.
16. Even online collections of books usually connect directly to a library.
17. “Librarian” is still a better career choice for spinsters over “School Lunch Lady.”
18. Studies have shown libraries and librarians improve student test scores.
19. They also have been shown to improve students’ individual learning skills.
20. With their training in instructional design, librarians can help teachers find resources for their curriculum.
21. Librarians also help teachers to use a variety of media in the classroom.
22. Many libraries today offer enough DVDs to serve as a poor man’s Netflix or Blockbuster.
23. Librarians often put together special programs to get children to read early on.
24. While teaching children to use the library, librarians end up teaching them valuable problem solving skills.
25. They also teach children to use multiple resources to form their own original works.
26. If librarians were no longer around, kids wouldn’t understand the opening scene from Ghostbusters.
27. Librarians know a lot about proper citation skills, as well as ethical uses of information, in order to avoid plagiarism issues.
28. Libraries are still a cheaper place to make photocopies than FedEx Kinko’s.
29. Despite the advances in computer technology, a human will still find information better than a search engine.
30. Librarians can also find information better suited to the person who needs it.
31. A library is much MUCH more well cataloged and organized than the internet.
32. Libraries have much better quality control than the vast majority of websites.
33. Who else is going to learn the Dewey Decimal System? You?
34. Seriously though, no one wants to learn the Dewey Decimal System.
35. For that matter, who else is going to show you how to use that microfiche machine?
36. Experienced librarians often know exactly what resources students need for particular courses.
37. Many libraries collaborate and offer book exchange programs, offering users an almost limitless supply of books and media.
38. Librarians can help relieve some of the workload from teachers by helping students to understand information better.
39. Some engineering teams have already explored the idea of a fully digital library…and ended up designing a traditional library with some advanced technology.
40. The copyright costs for digitizing all literature would be astronomical without even factoring in distribution and storage.
41. Even without the costs, digitizing all books in existence would take hundreds of years at the current rate.
42. The internet still mostly only holds information from the past 15 or so years, compared with the hundreds of years of knowledge found in a library.
43. Even though libraries themselves may be losing attendance, their online archives and websites are still receiving plenty of visitors.
44. Despite the rising popularity of e-books, 80% of people surveyed say they still prefer paper books.
45. The experience of reading an actual book is being preserved by libraries.
46. Libraries provide one of the few places for anyone to find quiet area to just read or study.
47. Sometimes, but not always, libraries have free coffee.
48. Sometimes there are even free snacks.
49. Unlike the internet, libraries are careful that the information they contain is checked for usefulness before being included.
50. Also unlike the internet, libraries are much less influenced by corporate interests.
51. They are also less likely to be manipulated by individuals, like search engine optimizers.
52. Information on more specific topics can be much easier to find in libraries.
53. Digital or not, a library still needs a human staff to run it.
54. The resources of a library are well indexed and will always deliver reliable results (I.e. no “broken links”).
55. Many popular news publications still require subscriptions to view their content online, but are still available for free at the library.
56. Libraries provide free and abundant knowledge to everyone (a privilege people didn’t always have).
57. Not everyone can afford books, but everyone has access to the library.
58. Someone has to buy all those books that college professors write.
59. Public bathrooms in libraries are usually cleaner than most places.
60. A library can mold itself for the specific community it’s in, whereas websites usually try to bring in everyone.
61. At libraries, you can take practice qualifying tests for almost any profession.
62. You can always make suggestions to librarians for specific books you’d like to see.
63. Many libraries also display original works of art or even have separate galleries.
64. Some libraries also hold a limited number of free museum passes that anyone can use.
65. If you don’t have a computer, you can always use the ones in the library.
66. The same goes for certain premium software and special databases.
67. If your library offers wi-fi, it’s probably free.
68. Several libraries also offer programs that cater to senior citizens.
69. Believe it or not, studies show that libraries are good for their local economy, since they make their community for attractive to potential businesses and individuals.
70. Libraries are still a cornerstone for free speech and open access to information.
71. When dictators like Hitler and Mao Zedong set out to eliminate a country’s culture or history, they started by shutting down the public libraries.
72. A library still provides a neutral environment for the free exchange of ideas.
73. Public libraries are surprisingly cheap to maintain, but benefit everyone in the community.
74. If you’re a comic book lover, you can probably find plenty at your local library.
75. They might even have some of those expensive indie graphic novels available.
76. We’re still an incredibly long ways away from a paperless world.
77. You might as well use the library, since you’re already paying for it through taxes or tuition.
78. There’s less risk of getting carpal tunnel syndrome from reading books.
79. A library is a great excuse to get out of the house (seriously, why would anyone argue with you about it?).
80. Books are very portable and never need recharging.
81. With the economy these days, going to the library is a great source of free entertainment.
82. You can “try before you buy” any number of books without spending a dime.
83. Some libraries even have bookmobiles or mailing programs that deliver books right to you.
84. Studies have repeatedly shown that reading improves your basic vocabulary and just generally makes you smarter.
85. Regardless of what form a library takes, a librarian will always be ready to guide you to the information you need.

Reposted from: http://www.zencollegelife.com/2009/12/29/85-reasons-to-be-thankful-for-librarians/

Librarian Forced to Resign over Fees

shelm — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:07:12 +0000

Hundreds have signed a petition to support South Boston (Va.) Branch Manager Woodson Hughes (right), and on October 27, many people came out to the Halifax County–South Boston Regional Library System board meeting to show their support. A librarian for Halifax County for 22 years, Hughes says he was forced to resign in September after waiving some $1,400 in overdue fees over a three-month period. Library Director Rhonda Griffin said in a staff email that continuously waiving fines for one person was the same as embezzlement. Watch the video (2:30)….
Full Article: WSET-TV, Lynchburg/Roanoke, Va., Oct. 28

Rules for broadband stimulus funds hinder libraries

shelm — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:59:48 +0000

A rare moment when a San Francisco Public Library free Internet access terminal is not in use. Matthew Lasar

The ALA Washington Office sent a letter (PDF file) to Assistant Secretary of Commerce Larry Strickling July 23 stating that the first-round Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) to implement the Broadband Technologies Opportunities Program raises significant concerns and creates hurdles for libraries considering applying for broadband funding. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act gives libraries, as anchor institutions, priority, but the NOFA in effect discourages libraries from applying for funding in a number of ways. Ars Technica goes into more detail….
District Dispatch, July 27; Ars Technica, July 29

Best Library and Information Studies Schools

shelm — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:27:49 +0000

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill library schools are tied for first place in U.S. News & World Report’s 2009 rankings. The rankings are based solely on the results of a fall 2008 survey sent to the dean of each program, the program director, and a senior faculty member in each program. The questionnaires asked individuals to rate the academic quality of programs at each institution as outstanding (5), strong (4), good (3), adequate (2), or marginal (1). Rankings are also given for seven LIS specialty programs….

U.S. News & World Report, Apr. 22
Use the U.S. News’s rankings to find the best programs in library and information studies.