Virginia's chapter of the Association of College and Research Libraries (VLACRL) hosts a "conference-within-a-conference" at the VLA annual conference. The sessions, reviewed and selected by academic library leaders, focus on issues that matter to academic library workers at all stages of their career. VIVA, Virginia's Academic Library Consortium, also hosts their annual meeting at the conference. No conflicting academic focused sessions are scheduled during the VIVA meeting's time block to ensure that all interested attendees can participate.

VLACRL Schedule at a Glance

Session Information and Presenters

You're Doing Great, Sweetie: Investing in Library Student Workers' Success
Kelsi Dunman, Virginia Peninsula Community College
Isaac Fick, Virginia Wesleyan University
This session explores ways in which supervisors can invest in library student workers and show care toward their holistic well-being and success. Using VWU's H. C. Hofheimer II Library as a case study, the presenters explore how an ethics of care framework facilitates long-term support for library student workers.

When Project Plans go Awry: Rethink, Adapt, and Move Forward
La Toria Tookes, Randolph-Macon College
Laurie Preston, Randolph-Macon College
Lynn Giesken, Randolph-Macon College
Rodi Woldeyesus, Randolph-Macon College
Layan Basir-Abdalla, Randolph-Macon College
Have you faced a long-term goal that was challenging at every turn? This session explores one professor’s struggle to create a pre-learning tool, highlighting the good, bad, and ugly juxtaposed with how resilience, reflection, and support lead to eventual success.

It Wasn't a Hiring Problem: Designing for Stability, Wellness, and Retention
Christine Forbes, Shenandoah University
Andy Kulp, Shenandoah University
The Shenandoah University library didn't have a hiring problem; it had a staying problem. This session shares the inside story of how the library combined two part-time positions into one full-time position that prioritizes well-being and professional growth. Attendees will identify roles that support operational needs and employee satisfaction.

No Is a Complete Sentence: Reclaiming Balance with a Year of No
Jenny Meslener, George Mason University
This session examines how individual boundary‑setting can spark collective change in libraries. By challenging norms of overextension and perpetual yes, participants will explore strategies to clarify roles, redesign workload expectations, and build cultures where balance, boundaries, and meaningful work replace burnout as the default.

Academic Library Mentorship as Professional Development and Collective Care
Jenny Horton, University of Lynchburg
Jessica Whipple, Southern Virginia University
Join us for an interactive discussion outlining ways in which library staff can sustainably fight burnout, knowledge silos, and imposter syndrome while building community. In this session we change the narrative of mentorship from individual advancement to thriving together.

You’re Not an Island: The Role of External Reviews in Building Support through Community
Luke Vilelle, Hollins University
Nancy Falciani, Randolph-Macon College
Shaunna Hunter, Hampden-Sydney College
Darla Schumm, Hollins University
An external review invites fresh insights and perspectives into the work of a library. This presentation will introduce the external review process from the perspectives of the home institution and the reviewers, provide strategies for translating the review into meaningful outcomes, and discuss the benefits of engaging in the process.

Is There a Doctor in the House?
Christine Woods, Saint Leo University
Although an MLIS is considered a terminal degree, there is a growing trend among academic librarians to earn doctoral degrees due to the increased availability of online programs, shorter time commitments, and higher expectations within the higher education community. This panel will focus on the meaning participants ascribe to their lived experiences after earning a doctoral degree. The goal is not to convince participants that a doctoral degree is needed, but to share what it means to them, positive and negative.

Science Sense: Helping students navigate information like scientists
Brittany Horn, Tidewater Community College
Michelle Brown, Tidewater Community College
Bethany Wright, Tidewater Community College
Cheryl Nabati, Tidewater Community College
When General Education Assessments revealed students were scoring low on the information literacy components of Scientific Literacy, the librarians developed a targeted tutorial on the subject. In this session we’ll walk you through our process of determining what students need to know and tailoring tutorial content to their information needs.

The Gamified Librarian: Lessons from NOVA’s Micro-credential Evolution
Jeff Prater, Northern Virginia Community College
Alexandra Smith, Northern Virginia Community College
Emily Wells, Northern Virginia Community College
Stacy Arth, Northern Virginia Community College
For the past academic year, NOVA’s micro-credential program has strengthened instructional partnerships through a gamified, andragogical framework. This session explores the program’s evolution amongst stakeholders and its integration into the broader campus curriculum. We will provide surprises and insights from our innovative success in reaching a diverse learner student population.

Sharing the load: Envisioning onboarding as a collective responsibility
Emily Cranwell Deinert, Roanoke College
DeAnn Brame, Network of the National Library of Medicine
Amanda McLeod, Clemson University
Onboarding practices that prioritize relationships help library workers at any stage in their careers feel cared for. To do this, onboarding should be a shared practice of care rather than being left to managers alone. This session will share our research into the components that foster caring onboarding practices.

Building Collective Care: A Sensory Screening Approach to Supporting Neurodivergent Learners
Lisa Vassady, Radford University
Keith Gentry, Radford University
Brianna Blevins, Radford University
Rising neurodivergence and sensory variability in higher education highlight the need for libraries to evaluate sensory accessibility. A librarian and two occupational therapists will share a preliminary validation study of a sensory screening tool that offers students a quick, low‑cost way to identify sensory preferences within learning environments.

What was that like for you? Graduating student experiences with instruction
Maryke Barber, Hollins University
James Miller, Hollins University
Rebecca Seipp-Behnisch, Hollins University
Sara Sprague, Hollins University
Luke Vilelle, Hollins University
What is the typical path of a student through information literacy instruction? We designed a mixed methods study to assess graduating student experiences and perceptions with the goal of improving our instruction program. Join us to discuss our in-progress study, preliminary findings, and the ethical use of AI in assessment.

Poster Sessions - Sunday, October 18 at 5 p.m.

This list represents the academic posters. For the full list of poster sessions, view the general session schedule.

The Invisible Labor of LIS Intern Supervisors
Candice Benjes-Small, William & Mary 
Elizabeth McDaniel, William & Mary 
LIS internships benefit students—but what about supervisors? Drawing on interviews with librarians across academic, public, and special libraries, this poster explores the hidden labor of supervising interns, shares hard-won advice for first-timers, and offers practical recommendations for making internship programs more sustainable and effective.

Happy Birthday to Us! Community Cards as an Act of Caring
K.T. Vaughan, Washington & Lee University 
The W&L University Library turned 250 years old in March 2026. To celebrate, we asked libraries around the country to send us a birthday card. The flood of print and emailed well wished was an unexpected boost to morale and both demonstrated and expanded our collective impact around the country. 

Part of the Time to Part of the Team: Creating a Sense of Belonging in Part-Time Library Work
Alexis Becker, William & Mary Libraries
Bella Strong, Williamsburg Regional Library 
Charlotte Bias, Indiana University Indianapolis 
Explore practical ways libraries and library staff can create a sense of belonging in part-time work, incorporating multiple perspectives including student employees and a student supervisor, supplemented by data from outside sources. Stop by the poster session to learn more and receive a reflection guide. 

Dissertation Hallucinations
Christine Woods, Saint Leo University 
Hallucination is a term commonly used for fake sources created by AI. The increased use of AI for writing support has led to fake sources being cited in dissertations. This poster will feature the results of an empirical study analyzing the number of hallucinations found in recent dissertations. 

Collecting Data to Benefit our Collective: An Assessment and Staff Training Model Based on Web Chat Interactions
Laura Crouch, Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries 
Oscar Enriquez, Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries 
VCU Libraries Access Services staff performed a thematic assessment of the most frequently asked questions received through their web chat service. They used their findings to develop creative new training methods and better prepare staff for the changing ways that patrons interact with information online. 

Care by Design: A Case Study Lesson to Inform Administrators’ Practices and Policies
Kim Krutka, Old Dominion University
Have you ever felt that administrators might lack understanding about the impact of their decisions on the library? Drawing from real-world book challenges and policies in one district, this poster shares resources from a case study lesson to guide leadership toward more informed, caring policy-making and practices. 

Not Just in the Yearbooks: Preserving Community!
Bryanna Repko, Jerry Falwell Library 
The Jerry Falwell Library Archives has an ongoing project of reaching out to the various clubs around campus and asking for donations to preserve their history beyond the official school records. Come explore how we have done this and how it can help you connect with your community through preservation. 

This Must Be the Place: Using Institutional History and Digital StoryMaps to Enhance Campuswide Belonging
Hannah Poucher, Randolph College
Campbell Wright, Randolph College
Michael Sechler, Randolph College
Lindsey Van Zile, Randolph College
This poster explores how place-based storytelling connects campus communities and transforms campus spaces into meaningful sites of engagement and shared identity. Learn how Randolph College uses institutional history, archival material, and ArcGIS StoryMaps to highlight campus spaces to boost feelings of belonging. 

An Off-Panel Approach to Education and Inclusion: STEM Graphics Novels
Pesu Cadmus, George Mason University
This poster documents the ongoing development of a STEM-oriented graphic novel collection at GMU’s Science and Technology Campus. In addition to the collection, the poster will educate viewers on the multimodal strengths of graphic novels, showcasing how this form of media lends itself well to visualizing data and statistics. 

The Good, the Bad, and the Unavailable: Movie Management at William & Mary Libraries 
Lauren Su, William & Mary
Libby McDaniel, William & Mary
Ever wanted to know to what goes into managing film resources for a college campus? This presentation will take viewers through the entire process of acquiring and managing movies to support research, education, and fun for faculty, staff, and students. 

State of the Unions
Kirsten Dean, Virginia Tech
Labor rights are changing in Virginia! This poster offers definitions, historical background, updates on current legislation, and questions to consider about unions and collective bargaining in Virginia libraries.