Angel Tree at South University Library

South University collected over 67 gifts for 15 children under the Salvation Army's Angel Tree program in 2012.

This is the third year that South University has participated in the program, and the second year that it has been a sponsor of the program, which means that it commits to adopting fifteen angels.

South University's participation in the Angel Tree program was started in 2009 by the library director, Evelyn Campbell. She started out by adopting seven Angels and three children in need in the community, and that first year, South University collected more than a hundred gifts for ten children.

And every year the Angel Tree is housed in the library. Faculty, students and staff stop in to pick out their Angels. Administrative departments, students in different programs, adopt their Angels and pool their resources to purchase as many gifts as they can. It is all part of being good citizens in the communities in which we live and work.

Submitted by: Evelyn Campbell

AALL 2013 Election Results

Congratulations to VALLer Gail Warren and former VALLer Femi Cadmus for their election to the AALL Board!

Here are the results:

Vice President/President-Elect: Holly M. Riccio
(July 2013 - July 2014)


Treasurer: Gail Warren

(July 2013 - July 2016)


Executive Board: Femi Cadmus and Kenneth J. Hirsh
(July 2013 - July 2016)

VALL on Facebook

VALL now has a Facebook page! Just search for the Virginia Association of Law Libraries and if you Like the page, you will get updates to the VALL page.

December Announcements from AALL

AALL Management Institute to be Held March 7-9, 2013

Please save the date for the 2013 AALL Management Institute. Held in Chicago at the Palomar Hotel, the Management Institute will provide new and aspiring managers from all types of law libraries the opportunity to learn management strategies, develop new skills, and learn from colleagues. More information will be available in December, so stay tuned.


2013 Webinar Proposals

Are you (or do you know) an expert who can share best practices? Is your library rethinking value and delivering services in an innovative way? Is there a new process that your library has instituted? If you've got a great idea to share, AALL invites you to submit a webinar proposal for 2013.

We are looking for content that will provide a combination of just-in-time and practical learning, as well as provide solutions and new ways of thinking that stretch or change traditional approaches. Topics/areas to consider include but are not limited to:

• Technology (existing/emerging)

• Electronic resource management

• New competencies for law librarians

• Library/patron services

• New applications

• Library leadership

• Work flow/efficiency

• Teaching techniques/instructional technology

• Collection development

• Management, library value

• Personal/professional branding

Presenters for webinars can be members or nonmembers with expertise on the topics. Webinar proposals must relate directly to topics valuable to law librarians and legal information professionals in associated environments. Proposals (seeguidelines) will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, and you will be notified within 30 days of your submission.

Submit a webinar proposal today!



AALL2go Pick of the Month

AALL's Continuing Professional Education Committee presents the AALL2go pick of the month: Attorney-Client Confidentiality and the Law Librarian.

Although librarians do not meet with clients or function as attorneys in their libraries, librarians do have to be aware of the rules of attorney-client confidentiality. Disclosing confidential client information, even if done so accidentally, could result in waiver of privilege and work-product protection, damage to the client of the client’s business, or even lead to ethical claims of breach of duty or malpractice.

In this session, moderator Anne Klinefelter and attorney Marc Laredo review attorney-client confidentiality and explain the ethical and legal requirements for librarians who do legal research. The presenters also give concrete and practical tips on how to support the work of their attorneys and stay compliant with confidentiality requirements.

This program was originally presented at the AALL Annual Meeting in Boston. It is available as a streaming video with accompanying PowerPoint slides and can be accessed via AALL2go.

Find this and more than 100 other free continuing education programs and webinars for AALL members on AALL2go!

(AALL2go log0 attached; Program link: http://aall.sclivelearningcenter.com/index.aspx?PID=6278&SID=153743; AALL2go link: http://aall.sclivelearningcenter.com/)

New Library for South University!

Submitted by Evelyn Campbell

We have been living in the dust and noise of construction for the last few months and we have a few more months to go. But we do have more classrooms, labs, an auditorium and a new library to show for all that effort. We moved into our new library space on October 18 and worked in record time to have the books on the shelves and put the library in order -- the students were beating down the door to have their library back!

The new library has more shelving -- this is a good thing in times when libraries are contracting rather than expanding; study carrels; a computer lab that is enclosed; a group study room; an expanded reference/circulation desk where two people can work in comfort; and a new office for the library director.

If anyone is in the Short Pump area and would like to stop in, we would be happy to show you around!

Eileen Meagher at the expanded reference/circulation desk

The new study carrels are to the back of the library on the right

L-R: the group study room and the computer lab

Study tables from the old library



Nominations for the Executive Board, 2013/2014

It's that time of the year again! The Nominations Committee is soliciting people to serve as Vice President/President Elect, Treasurer and Director for 2013/2014. If you would like to serve or if you know of a member who is in good standing, please submit their names to the Committee members -- Anthony Brown Ikwueme, Victoria Kahn, and Evelyn Campbell.

The nominations form was sent out through the listserv and is also available through the Wiki: http://vall.pbworks.com/w/file/61225274/VALL%20Commitee%20Nominations%20form%202013.docx

All nominations must be received by 5 pm, Dec. 28.

We have a small but very active association and VALL's continued success is through the efforts of its members!

VLA Council Report: Sept. 14, 2012

by Terry Long

Barbie Selby, Regional Federal Depository Librarian, at the University of Virginia, received a special citation from VLA Council.

Sandy Treadway, Librarian of Virginia, was a guest of the Council and spoke of the history and mission of the Library of Virginia.

• She commended the hard work of the staff that are working in an understaffed library yet are very dedicated to their jobs.

• The Library is developing a master plan for digitizing many of its documents. They do not have funds for a lot of digital projects and have been approached by businesses offering to digitize specific record groups. The Library is considering partnering with some of these companies.

VLA’s membership has grown; they added 190 new members in 2012 with a total membership of 881.

The 2013 Legislative agenda was adopted as follows:

1) Oppose cuts to state funding for public libraries.

2) “New Age, New Library” – a plan to meet the needs of the 21st century library users.

This initiative will provide Virginia public library users with contemporary digital library materials including e-books, audiobooks, streaming media and electronic databases.

3) Support the Library of Virginia.

VLA will support the Library of Virginia’s legislative and budgetary priorities and oppose budget cuts for the Library of Virginia at the 2013 session of the General Assembly.

The Executive Committee reported:

• They have been in conversation with the Washington D.C> Public Library to share programming.

• Approved a social media policy.

• VLA members have access to Gototmeeting for a year thanks to the generosity of John Mooman.

• Lisa Varga has signed a contract with VLA to continue as Executive Director.

VLA’s Intellectual Freedom Committee is working with VALL members Tim Coggins, Sally Wyant and Jim Heller on a program for VLA.

Welcome to Kimberly Edwards!

Kimberly is the new librarian at Williams Mullen's Virginia Beach office.

The Tidewater area is home to Kimberly who was born and brought up in Williamsburg.

"I am happy to be back in the Tidewater area near my parents and sister," Kimberly said.

She received a B.A. in History from James Madison University in 2006. After graduating from JMU, she worked in the accounting department of a law firm in Washington, DC. After a year with the firm she applied for and was promoted to a paralegal position with the Aviation Finance group. She stayed with the firm for three years in the position and then decided to return to graduate school to get a degree in library science.

Kimberly attended the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill and graduated with a Master's in Library Science in 2012. While at UNC she worked at the Health Sciences Library.

She is excited to be back in the law field. When Kimberly is not at work, she loves to read and also likes to do any kind of outdoor activities. She loves to travel and is SCUBA certified so she takes the opportunity to dive whenever she can.

We look forward to seeing Kimberly at future VALL meetings!

Around Boston

 Boston is such a scenic city.

Griffin's Wharf where the Boston Tea Party took place.

 Bunker Hill Memorial as seen from the water.

USS Constitution also known as Old Ironsides

Old State House

Baseball fans will recognize this ...

VALL Luncheon ... everyone's suddenly camera shy.

More VALLers at lunch.

Suzanne Corriell and Lyn Warmath deep in discussion.



Reasonable Minds Will Differ

by Marie Hamm

Fanieul Hall, the Old North Church, Mike's Pastry! Boston is my very favorite AALL locale, so when I was awarded a VALL grant to attend I did a little happy dance.  Connecting with colleagues and countless cannoli? It's a win-win! Which brings me to the story of how Gail Zwirner and I teamed up to sell a used Mustang to an anonymous firm librarian in a three minute transaction in the Hynes Convention Center. . .

The principles of Fisher and Ury's Getting to Yes came to life in a session entitled Reasonable Minds Will Differ: So Why Not Work Together to Resolve Conflict? Moderated by VALL President Suzanne Corriell, and presented by former University of Richmond School of Law Dean John Douglass.

In a deja vu moment for anyone who took a negotiations class in law school, participants were handed a hypothetical. One party was a used car salesman who needed to close a deal; the other needed a new ride at a reasonable price. Each essentially had a bottom line and a top dollar—a BATNA (Best Alternative to Negotiated Agreement) as Fisher and Ury would term it. And the negotiating began. Snippets of conversations around the room reflected typical used car salesman tactics. (I'd get fired if I let it off the lot for that; this car has the best safety record of any car ever made!)

The three minute brouhaha was an example of tradition zero sum gain. Anything that one person gets has to be taken away from the other person. Dean Douglass referred to this as Miranda Rule approach to negotiating (anything you say can and will be used against you!) All too often effective communication falls by the wayside as this positional bargaining takes root in our everyday conflicts. A battle of wills ensues. The prevailing party is simply the one who holds out the longest.

The second scenario started out in much the same way. Two customers walk into a corner grocery. Each has been sent to buy an orange. Not surprisingly, there is only ONE orange available within a gazillion mile radius. (Also not surprisingly, the price on the only orange in town suddenly goes up quite considerably.)

One customer needs the orange for her neighbor, who in turn must have it to bake his famous orange cake for the orphans. The other must have it so that his ill-tempered boss will be able to enjoy his required morning orange smoothie. A couple of animated phone calls later we learn more about the underlying needs of each party. It becomes clear that the neighbor only needs the zest of the orange, while the employee merely requires the juice.

The lesson, of course, is that there is an alternative to positional bargaining. By focusing on needs rather than positions, the possibility of not only solving the conflict but also of reaching a common goal develops. The elusive win-win.

I returned from Boston exhausted, but invigorated. The time spent catching up with colleagues, communicating with vendors, and making new connections was invaluable and I’m truly grateful to VALL and the grants committee for the opportunity to attend.

A Great Conference in Beantown

by Evelyn M. Campbell

When you come away from a meeting exhausted but at the same time energized by the programs you attended, inspired by the speakers and ideas you heard, and bolstered by the colleagues you encountered, it is safe to say that you've had a very productive meeting!

Attending AALL's 105th Annual Meeting and Conference was a shot in the arm for me and I have come home brimming with ideas. I owe a big "thank you" to the VALL Grant Committee for the travel grant to attend the conference. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity and I want to write about every single program I attended but I shall refrain from making everyone cross-eyed, and shall highlight the programs I found particularly useful.

Since WestlawNext has been on my institution's radar for about a year or so, I wanted to make sure that I attended the session The New Generation of Legal Research Databases: 2012 Boston Sequel and I am glad I did. The room was packed with people lining the walls and sitting on the floor. I believe this program was supposed to be a follow-up or sequel to the WestlawNext program that took place in Philadelphia last year.

I thought Victoria J. Szymczak, Jean J. Davis, Emily Marcum, Susan Nevelow Mart and Jean P. O'Grady, did a valiant attempt to address this, but it is difficult to hold a meaningful discussion about databases that are still evolving and incomplete. What I took away from this was -- hang on to your Westlaw.com or classic Westlaw because WestlawNext is not it for now. The panelists had lots of questions about when particular content would be migrated.

What was of particular value to me were the responses from the Westlaw, Lexis and Bloomberg reps who were at this program. My institution is a Westlaw user and some of our librarians had been getting conflicting stories about whether our Westlaw.com would go away, so it was good to hear the West rep say that there was not a "sunset" period for Westlaw classic. His comment about clients migrating quickly drew a swift response from the panel who wanted to know "Who ARE these people we keep hearing about?" We were not enlightened that day.

There was no pinning any one of the reps down as to what content would be migrated when ... it was the equivalent of wrestling with a slippery eel. I'm keeping my Westlaw.com and will diligently work with WestlawNext, and dread the thought of having to tell the Legal Studies faculty that they will have to teach both ... perhaps next year.

Another program that I attended which was of particular interest was Embedding Librarians to Add Value to Your Institution. This is something that South University has already been doing for a number of years and I wanted to see how other people were doing their programs. I discovered that this is something that is still in its infancy in many libraries but it is really another way to build relationships and alliances between the library and its patrons/clients/organizations. Marguerita T. Young-Jones from Reed Smith shared her experiences about being embedded in her firm's intellectual property group. I learnt a few things I hadn't quite realized before but I came away knowing that my library had long been on the right track, and I also came away with an idea for a program for next year's annual meeting in Seattle. Now to wait till October to see what the "theme" is for the 106th Annual Meeting.

In Hot Topics in Copyright For Librarians I learned a little more about that pesky little thing -- orphan works. It is still not a perfect science as to what you need to do to find that elusive owner or copyright holder of an orphan work but you have to make and document your good faith attempts -- do diligent web searches and physical searches before you use any of the works in question.

I learned something from every program I attended and also from observing the vendors in the exhibition hall. The guys from Research Solutions are still the most engaged bunch -- they are friendly, they make eye contact and they talk to you whether you are interested in their product or not. The other vendors could learn a thing or two from these guys.

But my absolute "favorite" was the guy who was manning the AALL booth on Tuesday morning before lunch and I had to go to get a replacement registration card because my entire card had fallen out of the cheap plastic holder. He never once looked at me or greeted me when I came up to him, he slammed things around the table and then glanced at the empty plastic holder I held out and snarled at me "How did you lose that?" The retort I wanted to make was "That's the stupidest question I've heard in a long time. If I knew that I wouldn't be here dealing with your friendly self and if you took some of that very pricey registration fee that we pay and got us some decent name holders this wouldn't happen" but instead I just told him I didn't know and that I had retraced my steps and couldn't find my card. Note to self -- bring tape next year to tape shut all the edges of the plastic name holder or bring one's own.

He was just a little irritant on the last day of a great conference with lots of educational programs, catching up and networking with friends and colleagues in a great city.

Keynote Speaker, Richard Susskind

Tomorrow's Legal Marketplace?



Richard Susskind spent 75 minutes sharing with AALL attendees his vision of what the legal marketplace would look like in 15 - 20 years. The message was clear -- if the US legal marketplace does not innovate, it will be left behind Europe and the rest of the world.

He made a clear distinction between automation vs. innovation. It is not enough to automate (to use technology to improve current legal processes). He talked about innovation as the use of technology to do what was not possible before.

He certainly gave attendees lots of food for thought about where law librarianship should fit into this new legal marketplace. Law librarians are uniquely qualified to be legal knowledge engineers, legal technologists, legal process analysts and legal project managers.

Speakers background: Professor Richard Susskind, OBE, is an author, speaker, and independent adviser to major professional firms, in-house legal departments, and national governments. His main area of expertise is the future of legal service. He has a law degree from the University of Glasgow, and a doctorate in law and computers from Balliol College, Oxford. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the British Computer Society.







AALL Opening Ceremony, July 21, 2012

The 105th American Association of Law Libraries Annual Meeting opened in Boston on Saturday, July 21, at 5 pm at the Hynes Convention Center.

The sign at the entrance of the Hynes Convention Center welcoming AALL attendees to the annual meeting.

Outgoing AALL President Darcy Kirk "herding" her flock together.

AALL President Darcy Kirk telling attendees that there were over 1,800 registered for the annual meeting.

 It's official -- the ribbon is cut, the Exhibit Hall is open and the meeting has begun. Attendees were treated to light hors d'ouerves as they visited the exhibitors.



Job: Librarian

Librarian - Williams Mullen (Richmond Office)

Williams Mullen an award-winning AmLaw 200 firm, is well regarded for providing comprehensive legal services to regional, national and international clients in a wide variety of general and specialty practice areas. With about 275 attorneys and ten offices throughout the Mid-Atlantic, the firm delivers innovative, team-supported solutions to support its clients’ diverse business activities. Close working relationships with clients have been the foundation of Williams Mullen’s progressive approach to law practice since the firm was founded over 100 years ago in Richmond, Virginia, where the firm maintains its headquarters today.

Williams Mullen is seeking a Librarian responsible for all tasks associated with the operation and maintenance of the library in the Richmond office. The librarian will support local and firm wide library projects and initiatives. The candidate must have a professional presentation and have a team player attitude.

Responsibilities:
• Conduct research using a variety of on-line and print resources.
• Provide guidance to the attorneys and paralegals on sources and strategies for research.
• Record incoming books and periodicals using a library software system.
• Recommend resources and solutions regarding practice group needs.

Requirements:
• 3-5 years of law library or comparable experience including familiarity with legal research in print and online resources.
• Must have strong organizational skills and ability to multi-task.
• Experience working with patrons and handling research, inventory, and collections.
• Superior customer service skills.
• Strong knowledge of online databases and other research systems.
• Must have confidence, knowledge and positive personality and the ability to function independently.

Visit the Williams Mullen website to apply online.

Message From the President

Greetings, VALL Members,

It’s hard to believe that six weeks have passed since our spring meeting. Around here, those six weeks have flown by with exams, commencement, and now summer construction projects; meanwhile, many of you find yourselves with new summer associates and clerks. Regardless of your clientele, I hope that you are working on interesting summer projects (along with some fun vacation plans).

Our spring meeting in April was a great success with over fifty attendees. Members learned about exciting innovations at the Law Library of Congress from David Mao, Andrew Weber, and Tina Gheen; and the University of Virginia’s digital team of Loren Moulds and Elizabeth Ladner shared details of their digitization project of the Tavenner Tokyo War Crimes Trial Papers and unveiled their new website. Jean Wenger, AALL Vice President, spoke of AALL activities and developments, including changes for future AALL annual meetings and programs. Committee members also met to transition and discuss goals for the coming year.

We welcomed new members of the Executive Board: Amy Wharton as Vice President/President-Elect, Ben Keele as Secretary, and Heather Casey as Board Member. Many thanks to Anthony Brown Ikwueme and David Knight for their years of service on the board and to Michele Gernhardt for her tenure as President.

I recently heard a colleague speak of 212: The Extra Degree. At 211 degrees, water is hot; at 212 degrees, water boils and produces steam. That single extra degree makes a substantial difference. As we enter a new year for VALL, I will strive to light a fire so that each of you can give the extra degree. Work with your committees to strengthen our membership and outreach; talk with your colleagues about what VALL can contribute to the greater profession; and participate in VALL activities – and partner with VLA and SLA when possible. Michele made great strides on VALL’s leadership and growth during her tenure. Let’s build on her hard work to make VALL even stronger.

Membership Renewals:

Christina Vassey, our Membership Committee Chair, will be sending out membership renewals soon. We hope to have a new process for current members to renew without having to redo the entire membership form, which should streamline the renewal process. If you know of other librarians or students who might benefit from VALL membership, please let us know! It would be wonderful to have members from the next generation of law librarians.

VALL at AALL:

If you are attending AALL in Boston, please attend the VALL lunch on Monday, July 23 from noon to 1:15 at Vlora Boston Back Bay Restaurant at 545 Boylston St., a 9 minute walk from the Convention Center. The registration fee is $15 for VALL members, $20 for non-members.

Please RSVP by Wednesday, July 18. For a registration form, please visit the VALL Wiki at http://vall.pbworks.com/ or contact Amy Wharton at amywharton@virginia.edu.

If you haven’t yet registered for AALL, do so by June 15 to save $100 on the registration fee!

Grants:
Evelyn Campbell (South University) and Marie Hamm (Regent University) were awarded grants to attend AALL in Boston. Congratulations!

Leadership Handbook:

Edits are rapidly progressing on the leadership handbook and a new edition should be available shortly.

Suzanne

VLA Council Report

by Terry Long, VALL Representative to VLA

The VLA Council met June 8, 2012 at Henrico County’s Twin Hickory Library.

A Presidential Citation has been awarded to Sen.Thomas Norment for his assistance to have public library funding restored to its current amount in the state budget; it had been reduced in the governor’s budget.

We had a presentation entitled “cool tools” about various web tools that aid in collaboration, aid in organization, or are social media; i.e. Evernote, Jing, Pinterest, Webclipper, and more.

VLA has purchased a one year license for GoToWebinar. This is available for the use of VLA committees, in hope of increasing the availability of programming to more members.

There has been an increase in membership.

The 2013 Legislative agenda is:

1) Oppose cuts to state funding for public libraries.

2) “New Age, New Library” – a plan to meet the needs of the 21st century library users.

This initiative will provide Virginia public library users with contemporary digital library materials including e-books, audiobooks, streaming media and electronic databases.

3) Support the Library of Virginia

VLA will support the Library of Virginia’s legislative and budgetary priorities and oppose budget cuts for the Library of Virginia at the 2013 session of the General Assembly.

Candidates for VLA are:

President: Todd Elliott (Portsmouth Public Library)

Kevin Smith (York County Public Library)

Secretary: Shawna Hunter (Hampden-Sydney College)

Marilyn Scott (VCU)


Attendance from Virginia was down at ALA’s Legislative Day.

ALA has created a Digital Content and Libraries Work Group http://connect.ala.org/node/159669


The VLA Conference will be October 24-25 at the Williamsburg Hotel and Conference Center.

Over 100 program proposals were received.

27 booths have been sold.

Library Journal has expressed interest in sponsoring the conference.

The paraprofessional conference held in late May was successful.

Randolph-Macon College’s library will host a workshop on RDA in February 2013.

Farewell Message from Outgoing President

I still remember the call from Theresa Schmid that started it all. Theresa, a member of the 2009-2010 nominating committee, called and asked me to consider running for VALL Vice President/President-Elect in 2010. Shocked, flattered, and flabbergasted, I asked for a little time to consider. I stepped out of my office and sought counsel from Frosty Owen. As my supervisor and a former VALL President, I took his advice to heart. He told me, “if there’s any way that you think you can manage it, do it. It’s a wonderful experience.”

Frosty was right. This has been an incredible experience for me; an educational experience and a humbling experience. Participating in board meetings, planning events, communicating with members. Each exchange and experience was so very valuable to my professional growth. I feel I have gotten so much more out of these past two years than I have put in. Honestly, it all happened so fast that I feel I’ve now just figured out how things work.

I hope that our efforts this past year have contributed to the creation of an environment where VALL members and the association can thrive. We accomplished some very important tasks this past year. First and foremost, updating the Leadership Handbook. I found the Handbook to be an invaluable tool. I consulted it regularly to ensure that I was performing every necessary task, and to gain a greater understanding of the roles each board and committee member played in the successful administration of this great association.

We have also made great progress towards the digitization of all VALL and RALLA newsletters. Progress has only been held back by my schedule, which I pray has cleared enough to successfully complete this project during my year as immediate past president. I am also proud to be able to say that our list-serv has been updated and is now regularly maintained; many thanks to Chris Vassey for so willingly adding this to her duties as membership committee chair. And finally, I am very proud at the level of participation by each member of the Executive Board. Each scheduled conference call was well-attended and full of active participation and idea exchange. We communicated regularly, both informally, to ensure all VALL business was conducted in a timely manner.

To the members of the Executive Board and every committee chair and member, thank you. I could not have asked to serve with a better, more talented group of individuals. Suzanne, your coordination of the Spring meeting was positively divine. I so admire your professionalism, determination and creativity. VALL is in excellent hands. Amy, thank you for everything you have done and continue to do as Wikimaster, Secretary, and now Vice President. It has been a pleasure. Patricia, thank you so much for your diligence and responsiveness. Anthony, Greg and David, thank you for your support, advice, encouragement, dedication and enthusiasm. Evelyn, thank you for your ongoing commitment to the Board and VALLTalk. I am a grateful beneficiary of your well-reasoned counsel, and well-placed reminders. Thank you, each and every member who has donated their time, talents, or knowledge to VALL.

I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as VALL President. I look forward to continuing to serve the organization throughout my entire career in law librarianship.

Best wishes for a successful year to come.

Michele

VALL Lunch at AALL

The VALL lunch will be on Monday, July 23, from 12 - 1:15 at Vlora Back Bay Restaurant, 545 Boylston Street (about a nine minute walk from the convention center).

The cost is $15 for VALL members and $20 for non-members. Please make checks payable to "The Virginia Association of Law Libraries" and mail to:

Amy Wharton
University of Virginia Law School Librar
580 Massie Rd
Charlottesville, VA 22903

Please RSVP by Wednesday, July 18. For registration form click here: VALL Lunch Registration Form

Virginia State Law Library Celebrates NLW 2012

The Virginia State Law Library collected over 86 books for the Children's Book Bank of  Richmond as part of its National Library Week 2012 celebrations. State Law Librarian Gail Warren said that the library's NLW celebration also included a virtual scavenger hunt with the all-correct entry winning a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card. The library held an open house where cake and light refreshments were served.

 What's a celebration without cake?

Visitors to the State Law Library enjoying the cake and refreshments



Part of the collection for the Children's Book Bank of Richmond



L - R: Librarian Benjamin Almoite with Joan Mielke, winner of the B&N gift card, and library technician Janet Holland

Highlights of the VLA Council Meeting, April 20, 2012

Terry Long

 Sen. Warner contacted VLA leadership to participate in a conference call with him. He wanted to learn about library issues. Those who participated were pleased with how candid he was. Among the topics discussed were: e-rate, provisions of a security bill that will give more access to library records and broadband access in rural areas.


 Phil Abraham, VLA’s lobbyist, reported on the recent session of the General Assembly and its many challenges. The governor’s budget initially cut state aid to libraries by 2%. He and library supporters worked to get it restored. The Library of Virginia had funding cut for its public records project, it has been restored. Though the General Assembly has finally passed a budget, the Governor still can make changes; Phil thinks he won’t in these areas.

 Betty Dillehay, director of Matthews County Public Library, received a citation from VLA for her work as co-chair of the Legislative Committee.


 The VLA Conference this year will be held October 24-26 in Williamsburg; the 2013 conference will be held there, too, but at the end of September.


 VLA’s Paraprofessional Forum Conference is May 20-22 at the Koger Center in Richmond; there are 45 registrants.


 This year’s annual VLA Conference will have two noted speakers, Nancy Dowd and Hillary Jordan. Nancy Dowd is author of Bite-Sized Marketing and is the Director of Marketing for the NJ State Library. Hillary Jordan won the 2006 Bellwether Prize, established by Barbara Kingsolver to recognize literature of social responsibility, for her first novel, Mudbound.

Welcome, Catherine!

Catherine Lemann took up the position of Circuit Librarian at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on April 1, 2012.

Cathy comes to Virginia from the Alaska Court System where she was state law librarian from 2006 - 2011. Before that she was associate director of the Law Library of Louisiana from 1991 - 2006.

She received her BA from Carleton College, her JD from Tulane University Law School and her MLIS from Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College.

Cathy was secretary of the American Association of Law Libraries from 2002 - 2005, and was president of AALL from 2009 - 2010.

VALL welcomes Cathy to Virginia and looks forward to seeing her at VALL meetings. 

Congratulations!

Former VALL president, Kevin Butterfield, is now the University Librarian of the Boatwright Memorial Library of the University of Richmond.

Kevin became University Librarian on April 16 after serving as interim University Librarian for about seven months.

Congratulations to Kevin from VALL!

VALL Spring Meeting 2012

The meeting which was held on Friday, April 13, 2012, at the University of Richmond School of Law, was attended by at least 52 people, and filled Classroom L30 in the law library to capacity.

Attendees were given an update by the new Law Librarian of Congress, David Mao, and his team (please see entry below for a summary of what was presented).

The team of Elizabeth Ladner and Loren Moulds, from the University of Virginia Law Library, shared their work on the digitization of the Tokyo War Crimes Trial Papers (please see entry below for a summary).

VALL was also fortunate to have a chapter visitor from AALL -- vice president, Jean Wenger, who talked about recent AALL initiatives and upcoming changes to the AALL annual meeting (please see below for a summary of her update).

Dean Wendy Perdue from the University of Richmond School of Law welcoming VALL members. "Libraries are critical to what we do," she said in her opening remarks.

Updates from the Law Library of Congress

The Law Librarian of Congress, David Mao, took time from his first 100 days in office, to give VALL members an update on the goings on in the law library, and reminded us that with 2.78 million volumes in its collection, it is the largest law library in the world.

What has the Law Library of Congress been up to? Keeping up with the Joneses in the world of social media -- it created a FaceBook page in 2009, YouTube & iTunes in 2010, its In Custodia Legis blog in 2010 and launched a Twitter account in 2011.

Next on the list is a redesign of the law library website with a "new visual design" which will include the ability to search for everything through one interface instead of having to conduct multiple searches. Keep an eye out on the Law Library of Congress, many new changes are coming.

Law Librarian of Congress David Mao

 Andrew Weber, legislative information systems manager, talked about changes to THOMAS as well as the law library's work with new media

Tina, Gheen, emerging technologies librarian

Here is the web link to THOMAS: http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.php To the bottom left are links to the new media including the blog.

Tavener Papers Digitization Project Management

University of Virginia Law Library's digital librarian, Loren Moulds, and digital fellow, Elizabeth Ladner, took VALL members on a journey of how they produced a virtual library from the Frank S. Tavener, Jr. Tokyo War Crimes Trial Papers. They discussed the digitization of 20,000 pages, the creation of a robust website which includes videos of the trial, equipment selection and software tools.

 Digital fellow Elizabeth Ladner



 

Digital librarian Loren Moulds

Chapter Visitor: Jean Wenger (AALL Vice President)

"There are exciting new things coming about," AALL vice president, Jean Wenger, told VALL members.

She talked about the Futures Summit and some of the issues that have come out of it including the relevancy of AALL to the outside world, how to attact students to law librarianship, and transperancy in how AALL communicates with its members.

Jean also discussed changes to the annual meeting including the return of the Association Lunch on the Tuesday of the annual meeting. And she reminded VALLers that the deadline for the Hot Topic is May 15, and that there were two spots available.

The time in between conference sessions had been increased to half an hour from 15 minutes because conference attendees felt that they didn't have much time to transition from session to session.

The way AALL solicits programs for the annual meeting will also change. AALL will ask for ideas from the membership and from the "buckets of ideas" members will be asked to develop program proposals. Jean asked members to have faith in upcoming changes. "We as an association want to support you," she told VALL members.

Scenes from the Spring Meeting

Attendees to the VALL meeting enjoyed a beautiful Spring day and great informative programs.

The Law Library of Congress team arriving at the registration deskk. L-R: David Mao, Andrew Weber & Tina Gheen.

Terry Long from the Virginia State Law Library picking up her badge at the registration table.

Incoming president, Suzanne Corriell, from the University of Richmond Law School Library.

Part of the continental breakfast for attendees

Socializing before programs: L-R: Taylor Fitchett, Cathy Palombi (back to camera) & Isabel Paul, Amy Wharton.



On the library tour: L-R: AALL vice president, Jean Wenger, Joyce Janto, Catherine Lemann

Librarians ignoring the Quiet Area sign: L-R: Isabel Paul, Donna Bausch, Joyce Janto

Group tour of the library

The interior of the Robert R. Merhige, Jr. Special Collections & Rare Books Room

Bill Katz from Troutman Sanders & Anthony Ikwueme from  Liberty University School of Law Library

Changing of the Guard

Incoming president, Suzanne Corriell, and outgoing president, Michele Gernhardt. Thank you to Michele for her service to VALL. Michele will continue on the executive board as immediate past president. The current executive board: Suzanne Corriell (president), Amy Wharton (vice-president/president elect), Michele Gernhardt (immediate past president), Ben Keele (secretary 2012-2014), Patricia Petroccione (treasurer 2011-2013), Gregory Stoner (director 2011-2013), Heather Casey (director 2012-2014), Evelyn Campbell (ex-officio). Leaving the board is Anthony Ikwueme (immediate past president) and David Knight (director). Many thanks to Anthony and David for their service to VALL.

Norfolk Librarians' Luncheon for Jeanne Ullian

L-R: Laurie Claywell, Jeanne Ullian, Nancy Loewenberg, Tracie Krumbine

Photo by Donna Bausch

Farewell to Jeanne Ullian

by Greg Stoner

As you may already know, our friend and colleague Jeanne Ullian will soon be retiring from Williams Mullen after 13 years of dedicated service. Throughout the course of her time with the firm, our staff and attorneys have come to depend upon Jeanne and her ability to provide reliable information and assistance. Bob Nusbaum, a partner in our Norfolk office, has known Jeanne since her arrival at the firm:

“Jeanne Ullian is the consummate law librarian. She has managed our Law Library at Williams Mullen – Norfolk with a quiet efficiency that masks the magnitude of the routine work of receiving, shelving and maintaining a large volume of books and publications. Our lawyers, young and old, are daily beneficiaries of her uncommon skill in researching and delivering good legal authority for diverse and arcane propositions, both substantive and procedural. All this is done promptly and graciously. To say that Jeanne will be missed is a massive understatement! We wish her well.”

Many of you may have met Jeanne at a VALL meeting or event or had the opportunity to connect through your work. I first met Jeanne in 2008 when I came to Williams Mullen as a librarian in our Richmond office. New to the world of law libraries, I quickly found Jeanne’s approach to her work and the profession to be both inspiring and motivating. I soon realized her level of organization and attention to detail was second to none, and her diligence in dealing with any task or issue before her truly impressive. Regular conversations regarding matters both important and mundane soon became not only opportunities for us to make progress in our work, but also occasions for me to learn and help shape my developing understanding of the true essence of law librarianship.

While Jeanne has taught me so much, I do take great pleasure in knowing I was able to convince her to help share that knowledge with others in the form of a session at the 2011 VLA/VALL conference. While initially hesitant, she quickly jumped in with both feet (in characteristic fashion) and helped orchestrate a program on legal literacy we co-presented with Terry Long (and valuable assistance from Isabel Paul).

For me, Jeanne has been not only a colleague, but a valued friend and mentor. I know there are many others out there who have also reaped the benefits of Jeanne’s contributions to our profession or have come to count her as a friend. It almost goes without saying that we will miss her - but for someone who has worked so hard and done so much I can hardly think of anyone more deserving of the rewards of retirement. Our best wishes to Jeanne on this next chapter of her life!