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About the New Members Roundtable

The NMRT is a place for members who are new to the library profession, new to VLA, or new to both. It provides career development programs and networking opportunities with more experienced librarians.

Purpose

To help new and emerging information professionals become actively involved in the Virginia Library Association and the larger professional community. 

The New Members Roundtable was founded in May 2011.

1. Structure formal opportunities for involvement, training, committee experiences, and leadership on the local, state, and national levels.
2. Provide a wide variety of programs to assist, encourage, and educate those new to the Virginia Library Association and the profession.
3. Develop and implement ongoing programs for library school students which encourage professional involvement and networking.
4. Develop resources and programming specifically for encouraging new and emerging librarians to learn more about and become more involved in the Virginia Library Association.
5. Create a specific and unique space in the Virginia Library Association for new and emerging professionals to network with each other and explore relevant issues and topics through face-to-face meetings, social media tools, and other modes of communication.
6. Bring new vitality, energy, and ideas to the Virginia Library Association through the active inclusion and encouragement of new and emerging library and information professionals.
7. To honor outstanding new professionals in the state of Virginia, recognizing new (fewer than 10 years in VLA) professionals who demonstrate excellence, enthusiasm, and leadership.

Get Involved

Virtual or in-person: Most meetings are held virtually via Zoom, except for a Mentorship Meetup Session at Conference each year, where mentors and mentees can meet the NMRT Members and each other.

Time commitment: The most pressing time for the New Member Roundtable is in late October/ early November when we plan the upcoming mentor prompts and pair participants together.  This work is largely completed by December and prompts are scheduled each month in advance.  These meetings are usually completed in one or two meetings of 90-120 minutes. The other window of pressure is right before conference when we make plans for our Forum table and plan any meetups for the coming Conference. We encourage members of the roundtable to participate in mentorship as either mentors or mentees, which involves one hour each month to meet with their counterpart.  Additionally, we are holding quarterly one-hour sessions 3 times a year during the mentor season to have a check in and roundtable discussion with each other virtually. 

Recruiting period: People can join the NMRT anytime, but we will vote on new leadership in October/November at our planning meeting.  

Active time: NMRT Officers and Forum members are most active together in October/November/December as we plan for the new mentor session and then meet quarterly through the year with mentors and mentees. Participants will meet monthly if they are participating in the mentor program in any capacity. Attendance at the VLA Annual Meeting is encouraged, but not required, and we do our best to plan to include the most access possible for those only attending partial conference.  

Busiest time of the year: October/November/December. 

Committee communication platforms: Basecamp, email, Zoom. 

Conference attendance: Conference attendance is encouraged for at least one day for those in leadership roles, but general members can volunteer recruit mentorship participants at the Forum Table or while networking at Conference and attend meet-up sessions.  

Conference presentation: The New Members Roundtable will select a Conference Coordinator who is responsible for arranging a Meet Up session for New Member Round Table Mentorship participants at the VLA conference each year. 
By agreeing to this role, you agree to attend the VLA Annual Conference at you or your employer's expense.
Additional information: Persons selected should be prepared contribute to the monthly prompts and supporting materials, recruit new mentorship participants, both through their workplace connections and at conference forum tables and other interactions, and attend as many quarterly round table discussion as possible through the year.

About the 2026 New Members Roundtable Chair

Chair: Joy Doukas, Chesterfield Public Library

Joy Doukas has been working in Virginia libraries since 2021 when she transitioned from advertising and sales and began the work on her MLIS at the University of Southern Mississippi, but she has been a library kid for her entire life. She is deeply passionate about public libraries and often states that libraries are the “last, good, free thing.” She has a passion for community safety nets, working to solve food insufficiency and champions public libraries as a safe space for all to exist. She sees how libraries help fill in gaps for those who struggle to have basic needs met and enjoys connecting people to resources.
 
One piece of advice for library mentors and mentees:
Don’t allow the idea of perfection stand in the way of possibilities. There is no version of a perfect Mentor or an ideal Mentee, but if you come together with curiosity and a willingness to share, listen, and grow, you’ll be surprised how rewarding the experience can be. To know and be known is a huge benefit to ensuring mental health and sustained engagement in libraries, and having someone in your corner (virtually or in person) has a huge mental and emotional impact.

Learn more about Joy here.

New Members Roundtable Leadership

Coming soon!