VALL Strategic Plan (Proposed)

On behalf of the VALL Strategic Planning Committee, please find attached the draft Strategic Plan for VALL that has been proposed by the committee to the Executive Board.  This plan was prepared after a process that included a VALL member survey; the development of a mission statement for VALL; an environmental scan; a strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats (SWOT) assessment; and various meetings, discussions, and revisions by the committee.

The Executive Board wishes to provide VALL members with an opportunity to review and comment on the Strategic Plan before the Board considers the plan for adoption.  If you have any comments on the plan, please send them to me via email at andrew.m.winston@gmail.com, and please copy President Ben Almoite at BAlmoite@courts.state.va.us. Please send any comments by Friday, February 20, 2015.

Click here to view the plan:Strategic Plan

In and Around VALL

Congratulations to Suzanne Corriell who will start a new position as associate circuit librarian for the 4th Circuit in Richmond on Feb. 9! Suzanne who is associate director for reference, research and instructional services for the University of Richmond Law Library, will leave her position on Feb. 6th.

However, she will continue to teach 1L legal research for the rest of the semester. In her new role she will be assisting with the oversight of the daily operations of all library locations, including the supervision of library staff, budget development, collection management, managing library facilities and training library users.

We wish Suzanne well in her new position and look forward to seeing her at VALL activities!

Good luck to Carol Goodman who retired from Troutman Sanders in December 2014! We wish her the best and hope that she is enjoying her retirement.

VLA Council Meeting, Jan. 9, 2015

From Suzanne Corriell (standing in for Terry Long)

 

The dates listed in the agenda MAY change, but notice about that will be given in the next 2 weeks.
 
The 2014 End-of-Year finances are on the vla.org site, under the Calendar link.  The fall conference brought in 136k – “tremendous.”  Membership is a little bit lower.  The 2015 budget should reflect that the website and the new MemberClicks platform will save effort and money on bank fees.
 
Instead of covering forms on the website, Lisa will be sending out webinars to cover the information that she traditionally covers at the January meeting.
 
The Executive Committee has been carefully examining the committee structures and attempting to better coordinate cost-effective communications.  Virginia Libraries is rethinking how it publishes, and is moving toward 1 “robust” issue each year (starting with this month’s peer-reviewed issue).  There will be an ad hoc website committee that examines communications.  Several committees were dissolved: Multicultural Forum is now Diversity and Inclusion; Professional Endowment is now Fundraising/Development; Public Libraries Forum and Communication & Technology are dissolved.  They’re looking for chairs for Intellectual Freedom, Website, Membership, and Public Services.  They’re moving toward quarterly distribution of volunteers.
 
The Legislative Agenda (now called the Legislative Program) is available on the website.  The goal this year is to sustain funding, not increase it.  We were reminded to respond to calls for advocacy, since legislators pay attention to constituents.  
 
Professional Associates Forum – moving toward a 1-day conference to cut costs for attendees.
 
They’re looking to improve the quality of presentations and will be offering a Presentation Academy pilot this year for additional training for presenters, plus adding a presentation coordinator.  The 2015 theme is Libraries @ the Center, and the keynote speakers are Lydia Netzer and Kira Brown.  [not sure about that last name.]  
 
Call for awards will be coming soon.
 
For the Designated Agenda – it’s online, but the focus is on communications and conferences.  



Remembering Teresa Parker-Bellamy

by Evelyn Campbell

 

It is with deep regret that we note the passing of longtime VALL member, Teresa Parker-Bellamy, on January 7, 2015.  Teresa was head of bibliographic services at Regent University Law Library from 1996 - 2013. Before that she worked at Old Dominion University Library.

It was at ODU that I first crossed paths with Teresa - she was coming to the end of her library science program at the Catholic University of America and I was just starting mine in 1993.

Teresa was kind and helpful and encouraged me to apply for the CUA assistant position at ODU, something I would normally not have done. I had a fulltime job, a toddler at home and was just starting a second Master's, and did not want anymore on my plate. But I listened to Teresa, and it worked out beautifully.

That was the essence of Teresa - kind, helpful, and encouraging, never ever complaining about the burdens she had to carry.

Those of us who had the privilege of knowing Teresa will never forget her and will miss her.