Au Revoir, Isabel!

After almost 29 years as the government & law librarian at the Henrico Government & Law Library, Isabel Paul will be retiring tomorrow, and is looking forward to some much deserved down time.

Isabel was born in Philadelphia and attended Temple University where she received her B.A. in history; Drexel University where she received her MS in Library Science; and Marshall University where she received an M.A. in political science.

She began her library career at Marshall University where she worked for two years as a reference librarian before becoming the head of the government documents department. She worked there for another 10 years before moving to the University of Richmond where she worked for two years as the government documents/reference librarian. Isabel left that position for her current position and before she knew it, almost 29 years had passed.

VALLers will remember Isabel for her long service to the association. She served as president from 1992 – 1994 -- serving out Karen Schubart’s 1992 term and then her own term. Quick to give of her time, Isabel has served as VALL treasurer; chaired the Legislative Awareness Committee for three years; served on the nominations committee and various other committees.

Isabel’s favorite memories of VALL are of the meetings. “Always the meetings, which were packed with relevant information for me to apply when I returned to my library,” Isabel said. “Most of all, I would have to say, would be the networking and lasting professional relations that developed over the years (I joined VALL in 1986). Virginia has had so many talented and knowledgeable law librarians and I was certainly a recipient of their willingness to share their experiences.”

Stay active in the organization is Isabel’s advice to current law librarians. “Stay active in the organization as much as possible and make those connections!” She said. “I am forever grateful to Joyce Janto, Jean Holcomb, Steve Hinckley and Gail Warren for their guidance and for the opportunities they extended to me so I could become so active in the profession.”

When she leaves tomorrow, Isabel will look forward to future travels around the globe, some volunteer work, lots and lots of free time to be spent with her much adored grandson, Owen.

VALL thanks Isabel for her years of service and wishes her well in her future adventures!

VLA Council Meeting highlights, June 12, 2015

Submitted by Terry Long, VALL liaison to VLA

• Jobline has made $7500 this year
• Scholarship funding is on track
• VLA has 284 new members; 23 organizational members, with a push by two public librarians to get all public library systems to join as organizational members
• VLA’s 2016 meeting will be at the Homestead on October 26-28. In celebration of its centennial year, the Homestead is offering a room rate of $250 for two nights.
• ALA Legislative Day had 18 VLA members attending. Congress was not in session which allowed for more time with Congressional staff.
• VLA’s Professional Associates Forum held a one full-day conference (in the past it has been two days) in May. There were 170 attendees. The conference received mixed reviews about the length. Another one-day conference will be held next year at the Doubletree in Williamsburg. After that meeting, the conference length will be re-evaluated.
• Candidates for VLA officers were introduced:
• VP/PE:  Luke Vilelle (Hollins University) and Keith Weimer (University of Virginia Libraries)
• 2^nd VP:  M. Teresa Doherty (Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries) and Cori Strickler (Bridgewater College)
• Treasurer:  Shaunna Hunter (Hampden-Sydney College) and Jennifer Resor-Whicker (Radford University)
• VLA is considering a library license plate. 450 have to be pre-sold and a legislator engaged to patron a bill for the designation. After 1000 are sold, VLA gets $10 for each plate. This project will take 8 months to 2 years to come to fruition.
• Scholarship Committee is soliciting baskets for their annual raffle at VLA meeting in October.
• VLA Annual meeting has two pre-conferences, a tour will be offered of the public tv station, WCVE, and a tour of the Virginia Supreme Court courtroom and library on Thursday. A craft brewery tour will be held and a dine-around.
• Registration fee for the meeting will be $110 to honor VLA’s 110 years.
• Vendor booths are selling well, only 34 left.

VALL Lunch at AALL

Take a break from conference activities to meet up with fellow VALL members for lunch at McCormick & Schmick's on July 20, from 12 - 2 pm. The registration form is available here VALL 2015 Lunch Registration and also on the VALL wiki.

Farewell, Robert!

Robert Davis from Prince William County Public Law Library will be retiring at the end of the month after 19 years in public law librarianship.

Robert began his career in the county’s planning and zoning department but was laid off within six months of hire. “Last hired, first fired,” Robert said.

He was fortunate to be hired by the public library system because of his experience in libraries from having worked at Morehouse College’s Trevor Arnette Library during his undergraduate school days.  He was hired on condition that he take reference courses at the Catholic University of America’s School of Library and Information Science.

“I did and I liked it enough to pursue and obtain a Master’s in Library and Information Science,” Robert said. Immediately after that he was hired as the law librarian for the Circuit Court of Prince William County. Robert believes that his law degree from Howard University and his MLIS from the Catholic University of America helped him get the job. “They were getting a two-for-one deal.”

Robert remembers the late Bobbie Denny, law librarian of the Fairfax Public Law Library, encouraging him to join VALL. He served on several committees including the nominating committee and recently, the strategic planning committee.

He was able to attend several VALL meetings but was not as actively involved as he would have liked to have been.  His professional activities were not supported by the powers that be. And Robert also felt he did not have anything to contribute to VALL, but he has since learned otherwise.

“If I have any wisdom to pass on it is in two words:  presence and perseverance!  Make your presence known.  Whether a big or small fish, I learned my training and desire to serve endowed me with skills that are useful each and every day that I am here in the trenches.  I also learned that I must persevere and stand in the power those skills and education equipped me with.  Presence and perseverance enable me to serve to the best of my ability in spite of budget cuts, shrinking civil filing fees, and whatever may come up from time-to-time.  It took me a long time to learn but I now know I am not less than and neither is this position nor this profession, “ Robert said.

He also remembers the people in VALL who inspired him. “I want to thank those folks who unknowingly encouraged and supported me.  Gail Zwirner, Donna Bausch, and the late Bobbie Denny were the ones I looked up to, and tried to follow in serving as a law librarian.  They, I'm sure, did not know that.  But I did,” he said.

 “Other stalwarts who always supported and encouraged me were Evelyn Campbell, Frosty Owen, Terry Long, Isabel Paul, Tom Pulver, Patti Petroccione, and Christine Hall.” 

Robert is also grateful to the members of VALL. “For whenever the cavalry was needed all of you responded.  I will forever be thankful for having been a member and having served with you.”

VALL wishes Robert well and hopes he enjoys all the activities he is looking forward to doing – lying in a hammock under a gentle breeze,  taking leisurely rides on his bicycle, hiking trails and swimming in cool waters. Good luck, Robert!