Take Action Now for Intellectual Freedom

The following email was sent to VLA members on February 22, 2017, 10:30 a.m.

In the last two days, HB2191 was passed by the VA Senate and adopted by the House. The bill now goes to Governor Terry McAuliffe. In this Richmond Times-Dispatch article, the Governor stated that he intends to veto the bill: http://bit.ly/2mlC7SX

• If you would like to show your support of the veto by writing an email to the Governor, please click here: http://bit.ly/sendemail2191
• If you would like to show your support of the veto by calling the Governor’s office, please click here for suggested phrasing: http://bit.ly/makeacall2191

CQEngage is provided by a partnership with the American Library Association. We anticipate a decision by the Governor by Friday, so please act quickly.

For more background and information about HB2191 and its predecessor, 2016’s HB516, please click here: http://bit.ly/2kZJwXj

Free Webinar: What is this Poster Session you Speak of? Public Libraries and VLA Conference Posters

Have a great outreach story, awesome programming idea, or a unique collection in your library? We'd love you to share it at VLA's annual conference #2017VLA in October!

Presenting in front of a crowd can be scary though, so why not submit a poster? Not sure what a poster session is? Join us on February 27th at 11am and listen in as KT Vaughan, JMU Director of Research & Education Services, Acting Associate Dean, and VLA Poster Session Coordinator explains how easy posters can be to Nan Carmack, Campbell County Public Library Director and poster novice.

All types of librarians are welcome to join and prepare a proposal, and no question is too simple!

Missed the webinar? Watch it here: http://bit.ly/VLAPosterTips1

View of a poster from VLA's 2016 Conference by Patty Clark and Sue Erickson of Virginia Wesleyan College, Norfolk, VA

2017 VLA New Members Round Table Forum Mentoring Program

Are you interested in expanding your professional network? The VLA NMRT Mentoring Program is designed to help new VLA members grow professionally through partnerships with seasoned VLA members. The program is open to the following:

Mentees: Librarians or library staff members in the first five years of their professional career, library school students. See this guide for more details.

Mentors: A career mentor must have been employed in a professional position for at least five years and be willing to correspond with their mentee at least once a month in whatever manner is most convenient for both parties. See this guide for more details.

National Library Legislative Day 2017

National Library Legislative Day (NLLD) is just around the corner!   This annual, two-day event will take place in Washington, D.C., on May 1 and May 2, 2017, at the Liaison Hotel on Capitol Hill.  

NLLD is open to anyone who is passionate about libraries, including staff, trustees and Friends members.  It provides library champions an opportunity to meet with Virginia's representatives and make a case for continued support for LSTA, IMLS and various policies, such as patron privacy protection.  VLA provides up to $400 in financial support for any VLA member who attends NLLD (up to $200 per day for 2 days.)You can register via this link:  http://www.ala.org/advocacy/advleg/nlld.

Important dates to remember:
March 30, 2017, Hotel Block Closes
April 8, 2017, NLLD Registration Closes

For more information on NLLD, please visit www.ala.org/nlld

If you have any questions about attending NLLD, please feel free to contact me via phone or e-mail at the contacts below.
Best,
Renee DiPilato, Virginia NLLD Coordinator, [email protected]

Renee DiPilato
Deputy Director of Libraries | Alexandria Library
5005 Duke Street | Alexandria, VA 22304
703.746.1724 | alexlibraryva.org