Welcome to Ben Almoite!

Andrea & Ben Almoite at an old lava flow in Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park

VALL welcomes Ben who is the newest librarian at the Virginia State Law Library, a division of the Supreme Court of Virginia, in Richmond.

He was previously a reference librarian with Keller and Heckman LLP in Washington, DC. He is a ‘Navy brat’ who was born in Portsmouth, VA, but grew up in San Diego, CA. After working at the San Diego County Public Law Library, Ben moved to Washington, DC to work and attend The Catholic University of America. While working in Acquisitions at the DuFour Law Library, he earned his Master of Science in Library Science degree. He graduated from CUA in 2009.

He met his wife, Andrea, while in Washington, DC. She is a University of Richmond alumna and is happy to be returning to Richmond. Because of Andrea, Ben visited Richmond a few times prior to moving here. A History major in college, he is aware of Richmond’s rich history and looks forward to exploring and learning more of the area’s past.

Ben lives in the West End of Richmond. In his spare time, Ben likes to play bar trivia (he watches Jeopardy! almost religiously), read on his Kindle, and sing. He misses his band “The Groove” back in California and longs to perform live again. So singing karaoke will have to do for the meantime or perhaps it's time for a "VALL" band.

VALL Membership Renewal

From Chris Vassey

Thank you for your commitment to our Association’s goals of developing and increasing the usefulness and efficiency of law libraries, promoting librarianship and fostering a spirit of cooperation among members of the profession. VALL is the only state-wide association dedicated to the unique needs and interests of law librarians and law librarianship. Through your support, we look forward to a productive and successful 2011-2012.

In the coming year, the association continues its dedication to you, as a law librarian, and to law librarianship through:

BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP
· Annual meetings
· Membership Directory
· Continuing Education Grants

OUR CONTRIBUTION TO YOU
· Networking opportunities
· Continuing education sessions and seminars
· Access to VALL Blog and wiki
· Publishing opportunities
· Legal reference tools

OUR CONTRIBUTION TO OTHERS
· Lobbying legislators for public law library funding
· Lobbying state officials to improve access to government information
· Providing speakers and educational programs to professional associations outside the field of law
· Representing members at the Virginia Library Association meetings
· Interacting with publishers to address members’ concerns and problems

Your continued membership in VALL insures your participation in these activities and our ability to represent the Association’s interests. Please take a moment today to renew your membership for 2011-2012 via the Membership Form available at the VALL Wiki. Completed forms may be sent to my attention at Chris Vassey, 5711 Harbour Ridge Road, Midlothian, VA 23112.

Position: Reference Librarian, Liberty Univ. School of Law, VA

Reference Librarian (Position #: 9002642)
Liberty University School of Law, Lynchburg, Virginia

The Liberty University School of Law, Ehrhorn Law Library, invites applications for a non- tenure-track full-time administrative faculty library position. The mission of the Law Library is to support the Law School in equipping future leaders in law with superior legal education in fidelity to the Christian faith expressed through the Holy Scriptures. Located on the Campus North of the Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA, Ehrhorn Law Library employs 5 librarians and 5 library staff, and serves a student population of 304.

All candidates must demonstrate a commitment to the law school’s Christian mission, scholarship, and service. The law school welcomes applications from minorities and women, and is committed to an ethnically diverse faculty.

Requirements:
Master of Library Science (M.L.S. or equivalent) and Juris Doctor (J.D. or equivalent foreign degree) from American Bar Association accredited institution. Some experience in an academic library environment is preferred.

Responsibilities:

• Provides extensive reference and research services in a technologically advanced environment serving a sophisticated and research-oriented faculty and student body.
• Participates as instructor in Legal Research, a component of the law school’s innovative, six semester Lawyering Skills program.
• Participates in the faculty liaison program.

• Participates in collection development of print and electronic resources.

• Participates in overall planning and implementation of new programs and procedures in the law library.

• Performs other duties as assigned by the Director of the Law Library.

• Attend seminars, conferences, and participates in local regional and/or national professional associations and activities. Monitors current events and, as time permits, contributes to scholarly discussions through writing articles, making presentations and other means.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:
• Excellent writing skills.

• Excellent oral communications skills including the ability to communicate in multiple settings, including one-to-one exchanges and group presentations with varied clientele.
• Excellent computer skills, with proficiency in MS Office applications, Macromedia Contribute, and other computer applications.
• Excellent problem solving abilities.


Salary and Benefits:
Salary and benefits are competitive with other Virginia academic law libraries.

To apply, go to https://jobs.liberty.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/search/SearchResults_css.jsp. For further information or questions, please contact Joseph Wiegand, Dean of Internal Affairs and Online Programs, 1971 University Boulevard, Lynchburg, VA 24502 or law@liberty.edu.

Deadline:
Open until filled.

Position: Librarian/Archivist VA State Law Library

Job description:

The individual filling this position reports to the State Law Librarian and is responsible for identifying, appraising, documenting and directing the safekeeping of judicial branch archival records, both print and electronic, and other historically valuable items. The librarian/archivist conducts research activities using materials in the library collection and the Supreme Court of Virginia Archive, providing reference and research assistance to judicial branch staff, attorneys and the broader legal community, including public patrons.

This position offers a competitive benefits package, which includes vacation and sick leave, 12 paid holidays, health insurance, retirement, life insurance, deferred compensation and short- and long-term disability.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
-- Processing archival collections including personal papers of judges and justices, historical court records, manuscripts, photos and media.
-- Creating, updating and enhancing finding aids, catalog records and related sources of information through the use of established collections management practices.
-- Assisting judicial staff and researchers by identifying appropriate research materials, retrieving items, assisting in their use, and returning items to the archive.
-- Answering judicial staff and public inquiries by performing necessary research using the Supreme Court of Virginia Archive and other collections in the Richmond metropolitan area.
-- Collaborating with library staff to identify, select and preserve electronic judicial branch documents for the Chesapeake Digital Preservation Group.

For more information and to apply online: http://www.courts.state.va.us/courtadmin/aoc/hr/jbrr/home.html

Renew Your Membership!

Don't forget to renew your VALL membership! Membership application form is here: http://vall.pbworks.com/w/page/23225994/Membership

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.