2020 Scholarship Winners Announced: Congratulations to Sonya, Amanda and Sinead!

The VLA Scholarship Committee is pleased to announce the 2020 scholarship recipients. Congratulations to Sonya Coleman, Amanda Lawson, and Sinead Tanner on their academic excellence and dedication to the field of Library Science. Sonya, Amanda and Sinead have each received $2500 from VLA to help with costs associated with their academic programs. All three will be honored at the Annual Awards and Scholarship Banquet at the VLA Conference in Norfolk in October.

Sonya Coleman

Sonya Coleman has worked at the Library of Virginia since 2011, currently as the Digital Engagement and Social Media Coordinator. Sonya has created innovative ways to involve volunteers and young people in transcribing historical documents. Sonya has been active in community volunteer work as well as holding committee positions in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives organization, and the Visual Resources Association. She says, “I’m very passionate about exposing content in a highly accessible and searchable way.” Sonya has been a member of VLA since 2018 and is earning her MLIS in Digital Libraries from Kent State University. She will graduate in spring of 2021.

Amanda Lawson

The 2020 recipient of the Clara Stanley VLA Paraprofessional Forum Scholarship is Amanda Lawson from Pulaski, VA. Amanda works as a Monographics Specialist in the Collection & Technical Services Department at Radford University’s McConnell Library. She is active in her community and in her free time by volunteering with the Montgomery County Christmas Store and her daughter’s preschool. She participates in a number of professional committees including the Library Display Committee, Faculty Outreach Committee, World War II 75th Anniversary Commemorative Series Committee, and Radford University Staff Senate where she serves as an alternate senator.  Amanda has an outstanding background, including graduating with a 4.0 with her Bachelor’s degree and increasing her responsibilities in her position over the past nine years. She says, “I see library science as an immeasurable pasture of information and librarians as shepherds for those seeking such information.” Amanda joined VLA in 2019. She is obtaining her MSIS degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and will graduate in Spring of 2023. 

Sinead Tanner 

Sinead Tanner has worked as a Library Assistant at Gordonsville Branch Library since 2012. In her position, she has initiated an outreach program of “take and make” crafts, for patrons not able to stay at the library for programs. She says, “I try every day to share the magic of the library with other children as my librarians shared it with me.” Sinead joined VLA in 2020 and is enrolled in the MLIS program through Valdosta State University with an expected graduate date of May 2022.

VLA has been providing scholarships to students pursuing their Master's Degrees in Library and Information Sciences for nearly 30 years. Support this program with a tax-deductible donation today!

2020 VLA Annual Conference, DATE AND LOCATION CHANGED TO: October 21-23, Norfolk Waterside Marriott, Norfolk, VA

Call for Proposals NOW OPEN (DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JUNE 3, 2020)

VLA provides three options for submissions.

• VLA Session Proposal Form (45-minute sessions and/or poster sessions; sessions will be chosen by the 2020 VLA Conference Committee.); or
• VLACRL Conference-Within-A-Conference Proposal Form (45-minute sessions and/or poster sessions; the VLA Chapter of the Association of College & Research Libraries will peer-review.); or
• VLA Lightning Talk Proposal Form (7-minute sessions; sessions will be chosen by the 2020 VLA Conference Committee.)

What do I need to complete the Proposal Form?

• A VLA login. You do not need to be a member to have a login. You must log in to submit a proposal so that you are able to log back into the form and make changes in the future.
• Contact information for all speakers: name, email, and organization.
• Program title, description, learning objectives, and take-aways
• Level of the audience for the program
• Preferred program date and time

Proposals will be reviewed and presenters will be notified in June 2020. Requested session times and dates will be honored wherever possible. Up to two presenters per session will receive $75 off the conference registration fee. If you have any questions, please contact VLA Executive Director Lisa R. Varga at [email protected].

YOUR participation is what makes the VLA Annual Conference possible - we hope to hear from you!

Jennifer Resor-Whicker, 2020 VLA President, [email protected] 
Adrian Whicker, 2020 VLA Conference Chair, [email protected]
Lisa Nickel, 2020 VLACRL Conference Within A Conference Chair, [email protected] 
and the 2020 VLA Conference Committee

 The Accidental Library Worker: VLA Professional Associates Forum 2020 Regional Workshop Tour

The Virginia Library Association Professional Associates Forum (VLAPAF) is bringing together library support staff from around the Commonwealth at workshops this Spring and Summer. Here is your chance to network with other library staff as part of our educational training series. The series is proudly sponsored by The Library of Congress Federal Credit Union (LCFCU).

Each workshop will feature a discussion of Cataloging/Technical Services/Collections, presentations about setting SMART goals (professionally and personally), roundtable discussions of topics relevant to YOU and a break for lunch, where you’ll be welcome to chat with others about your experiences working in your library. Did you plan to work in libraries? Were you looking for a change and just happened to come across library work? Are you are new to the library world? Your voice and experience matter. As part of our workshop, we’ll be looking for you to tell us what you want from continuing education experiences – since we will be hosting a conference in 2021 geared specifically to library support staff – and you can help shape the future of those events, Are you new to VLA? This is a great way to learn more about what other libraries are doing in VA. We encourage staff at academic, public, government, special and law libraries to attend. Registration for the workshops is now open. Cost is $20 for VLA members, $30 for non-VLA members. You will be able to specify dietary restrictions on the registration form. The Accidental Library Worker events are from 10 am-4 pm:

• March 4th: Longwood University
• April 6th: Mary D. Pretlow Anchor Branch, Norfolk Public Library <<POSTPONED, please contact [email protected].net with questions.>>
• May 6th: Chinn Park Regional Library
• May 21st: Crozet Library
• July 15th: Washington County Library, Main Library Branch
• August 6th: Libbie Mill Library, Henrico County Libraries

Thank you in advance for your support of this program. 
Sincerely,
Kristi Jerome, Longwood University: Chair, VLA Professional Associates Forum
Isaak Hopson, Virginia Commonwealth University: Co-Chair, VLA Professional Associates Forum
and the members of the VLA Professional Associates Forum Board