VALL/VASLA Dine-Around

Report by Terry Long

The VALL/VASLA dine-a-round was held at Baker's Crust in Carytown on May 19th. Greg Stoner from WilliamsMullen and I were the only VALL members. Though it was a small group of seven, it was diverse. We had a librarian from SunTrust Bank, VCU business librarian, VCU/MCV archivist, Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals librarian who is a VASLA member (I'll have to talk to her about joining VALL.) and a library school student. I enjoyed the diversity of the group and hope that we will join with them again.

VALL/VASLA 2011 Spring Meeting

The joint Spring meeting was hosted by Regent University Law Library in Virginia Beach and was attended by about 25 members of both associations.

VALL President Anthony Ikwueme, VASLA President Heather Enderle and Jeffrey A. Brauch, dean and professor at Regent University School of Law, all had an opportunity to welcome attendees.

The program started with VALL's own Sally Wambold from the University of Richmond Law Library who presented A Sampler of Preservation Tools.

This was followed by Carl Childs from the Library of Virginia who spoke on Digital Preservation Efforts at the Library of Virginia.

During a break, attendees were taken on a tour of the Regent University Law Library. Renovations to the library had been completed in August of 2009.

After lunch which was sponsored by West, the program continued with John Glover, from Virginia Commonwealth University who presented Smartphone, iPads, Netbooks and Social Networking.

Melissa Christakos and Ryan Claringbole from the Chesapeak Public Library System presented Craft & Cache: Carefree Cloud Computing.

The day concluded with the VALL Business Meeting where VALLers bid farewell to outgoing President Anthony Ikwueme and welcomed incoming president, Michele Gernhardt.

VALL President Anthony Ikwueme

Incoming president, Michele Gernhardt thanking outgoing president, Anthony Ikwueme

Part of the VALL Board: L-R: Gregory Stoner, Michele Gernhardt, Suzanne Corriell, Anthony Ikwueme, David Knight.

VALL members enjoying the Spring sunshine in the atrium

John Glover from VCU speaking about Smartphones,
new technologies and social networking

Ryan Claringbole from Chesapeake Public Library System

Attendees learning lots of new things from the presenters!

Anthony Ikwueme socializing with VALLers




Regent Law Library's Nikki Powell and Teresa Parker-Bellamy

Fred Dingledy from William & Mary's Law Library

Donna Bausch and David Knight from the Norfolk Law Library


Many thanks to Bill Magee who took the photos and to Donna Bausch for coordinating the effort.

Renew Your Membership!

It's that time of the year again! VALL membership runs from June 1 to May 31, so don't miss this opportunity to renew your commitment to your professional association. Membership application form is here: http://vall.pbworks.com/w/page/23225994/Membership

Summary of VLA Council Meeting April 8

by Terry Long, Virginia State Law Library

Here are the highlights that should be of interest:

· The annual paraprofessional forum will be held on May 22-24 at the Koger Center in Richmond. For additional information http://www.vla.org/wordpress/?p=3387 (The Virginia State Law Library sent one of our staff to a one day workshop sponsored by this forum in Fall 2010 and she was quite enthused; we are sending both paraprofessionals in May. Consider sending someone from your library.)

· ALA’s Library Legislative Day is May 9-10 in Washington, D.C.

· Conference Planning has begun for VLA’s annual meeting Oct 27-28 at the Portsmouth Renaissance Hotel. As you know, VALL is partnering with VLA. Put on your thinking caps and put in a proposal for a program; the deadline is May 1. http://www.vla.org/wordpress/?p=1851

· VLA’s College & Research Libraries Chapter is sponsoring program on May 9th, Collections Unbound: New Formats and Models at VCU. For more information http://www.vla.org/wordpress/?p=3302

Message from the President

VALLers,

How time flies! Almost a year ago, although it feels just like yesterday, I stepped up to the call to be your servant leader. Just as there is time for everything, I have come to the end of my tenure.

I thank all the members, especially the members of my board and various committees. I also thank some people in particular, including Evelyn Campbell, Sally Wambold, Fred Dingledy and Michele Genhardt for their advice and untiring efforts at keeping our association strong and virile. With their help and the goodwill of all the members, I am glad to pass on the baton to a new executive. I am also filled with deep appreciation for my library Director, Prof. Barbara Baxter for her encouragement and support throughout my tenure. Julie Stuckey and Eric Kistler (my colleagues at the Ehrhorn Law Library, Liberty University School of Law), you guys made the difference in picking the pieces for me while I travelled to attend all VALL meetings this past year.

Working with a crop of talented and committed members made all the difference in the modest achievements VALL recorded during my tenure. We made our association more visible to the members and our community by exploiting the huge potentials that technology offers. This in turn allowed us to provide timely information to the members and increased attendance at VALL events. We also amended our Bylaws in order to reflect the current economic reality by cutting down the mandatory meetings of the association. This year, too, our association set up a grant in honor of our late colleague – Barbara Cumming. Thanks to the efforts and vision of Jean Holcomb, Donna Bausch, and Michele Gernhardt.

Gail Zwirner, Lyn Warmath, and Sally Wambold also did us proud by winning the prestigious AALL Marketing Award in recognition of the immense contributions of our association and her members to the library community and legal profession in Virginia. In all of these, I pride myself on the caliber of talents in VALL and their unwavering willingness to serve.

Thank you all for the opportunity you gave me to serve. It is particularly both honor and privilege for me to work with and get to know many of you individually.

I will always remain,

Anthony Brown Ikwueme

VALL/VASLA Meeting April 29, 2011

The deadline to register for the joint meeting is April 22! Don't let this opportunity to meet, learn and network with fellow VALLers as well as colleagues from VASLA, slip by. Click below for registration form and agenda for the Spring Meeting at Regent University Law Library in Virginia Beach: http://vall.pbworks.com/w/page/37940261/2011-Spring-Meeting

Jane Baugh's Spectrum Article

Everyone has at one time or another had to negotiate contracts with vendors. Check out VALLer Jan Baugh's article on that very subject in the latest issue of Spectrum: http://www.aallnet.org/products/pub_sp1104/pub-sp1104-Yes.pdf