VALL Membership 2013-2014

It is membership renewal time again. Don't let time slip by you! Click on the link below for a copy of the membership renewal form:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_JC8PoDHZnTVG9RYkZfaFdjRmM/edit?usp=sharing

or if you are unable to open google docs, you can click on the link below to get the form from the wiki:
http://vall.pbworks.com/w/file/66463794/2013-2014%20VALL%20Membership%20Form.docx

AALL Awards for VALL Members!

Congratulations to Tim Coggins and Sally Wambold! Tim is the recipient of the 2013 Robert L. Oakley Advocacy Award. Click here for more information about the award: http://aallwash.wordpress.com/2013/04/24/congratulations-to-the-2013-oakley-and-pagi-advocacy-award-winners/

And Sally is the recipient of the Renee D. Chapman Memorial Award for Outstanding Contributions in Technical Service Law Librarianship.

VLA Council Meeting, April 19, 2013

by Terry Long, VALL Liaison to VLA



Highlights of the VLA Council Meeting:


• VLA’s finances are stable; ad income is up for Virginia Libraries and for programs.

• Membership has increased, even so, a survey will be sent to non-renewing members.

• May 8th is ALA Legislative Day in Washington; VLA members attending can be reimbursed by VLA for attending.

• There was much discussion on whether advertising from commercial sources should be allowed on VLA web site and listservs. As a result of the conversation, the executive committee will discuss further and report back to council.

• The VLA Paraprofessional Forum is May 19-21 at the Koger Center in Richmond. (I noticed Fred Dingledy from William & Mary’s Law Library is a speaker.)

• College and Research Libraries Forum’s spring program on research data will be at the Boar’s Head Inn in Charlottesville and will be underwritten entirely by Elsevier.

• The Leadership Academy will be held in Staunton this year.

• New Member socials have been successful in fostering connections. There is also a Facebook page for new members.

• The VLA Annual Conference will be held September 25-27 in Williamsburg. The programs will be selected in May. There will be no bags this year at registration; attendees will be encouraged to bring their own bags. This will be well publicized and contests will be held for oldest bag, nicest bag, etc.

• Clint Rudy from Portsmouth Public Library presented a report, Recommended Starting Salaries Policy Proposal.

VALL 2013 Spring Meeting

The Spring meeting was held at the College of William & Mary Law School. More than 40 VALL members braved torrential rain to attend the meeting.

Linda Tesar, head of technical services at William & Mary's Wolf Law Library, presented Forensic Bibliography: Reconstructing the Library of George Wythe. The program was based on the winning entry in the open division of the 2012 AALL/LexisNexis Call for Papers Competition. Linda walked VALL members through her challenging journey to recreate Wythe's library, as he left no inventory of what had been in his personal library.

Linda leading the library tour of the Wolf Law Library.

Inside the Special Collections room which houses the Wythe collection.

A book from the George Wythe Collection.

VALL members paying close attention to the presentations.

Dave Pepin, a digital library specialist from LexisNexis, presented Is Your Library e-Savvy? Integrating e-Books into Your Collection. He shared LexisNexis' vision of how its ebooks would fit into a library collection. After Dave's presentation, Amy O'Connor, the digital resources librarian from the University of Richmond School of Law Library, talked briefly about her experiences with integrating ebooks into her library's collection.

Joan Cochet, the library resource manager for knowledge and information services at the National Center for State Courts, gave a "remote tour" of NCSC to VALLers. Due to a conference, the facility was closed to tours on Friday, and that is why VALL conference attendees were unable to take a physical tour.

Outgoing president, Suzanne Corriell, head of reference & research services at the University of Richmond Law School Library, conducting her last business meeting.

VALL's thank you to Suzanne Corriell for her service to the association.

The VALL Executive Board

L-R: VP/PE Ben Almoite; Secretary Lara Dresser; Immediate Past President Suzanne Corriell; President Amy Wharton; Treasurer Linda Tesar; Ex-Officio Evelyn Campbell. Not present: Directors Patty Petroccione & Heather Casey.



New Members

VALL welcomes the following new members:

Jennifer Gonzalez (Seattle, WA)
Jessica Barile (Richmond)
Mary Mitchell (Norfolk)

Librarian (Virginia Beach/Norfolk 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 libraries in the Virginia Beach and Norfolk offices. 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 include:

• 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.

• Process payment of invoices, ordering of books and other materials.

• Maintenance of libraries in multiple locations.

• Records research projects and time using software.

• Use cost effective methods to conduct complex legal research in a timely manner.

• Assists in the preparation of research aids, user guides, and bibliographies.

• Assists library team in developing and implementing training sessions for electronic and print resources.

• Actively markets library services within the firm.

• Participates in collection development.


Requirements Include:

• 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.

Leaving Gracefully

At Evelyn's request, I'm going to share my thoughts about the retirement continuum in four installments for the VALL Blog.

To start, I will talk about aspects of preparing for retirement. The second installment will focus on time management for the retiree. In “up for adventure,” the third installment will point to opportunities for exploring new avenues of interest. In the concluding segment, I will share some of the personal lessons learned during the years since I left the King County Law Library.

Regardless of when the moment for retirement arrives, we all harbor dreams of a life free from the stresses of a formal work environment. For example, a palm tree, hammock, book, and an adult beverage topped with an umbrella featured prominently in my dreams during dreary Seattle winters. No matter the nature of your post-employment dreams, the time will come to turn your personal vision of retirement into reality.

How will you know what the right time is for you to retire? When should you take the first preparatory steps? Where can you turn for advice and direction? What steps can you take now? How will the process transpire?

No one wants to find themselves reliving a version of the old vaudeville routine where a character is pulled struggling off stage by a manager wielding a long crooked cane. To avoid such a scenario, we can begin the planning process with a self-evaluation. Such an evaluation might include considerations of a wide range of topics from financial planning, family needs, health, enthusiasm for the job, eligibility for post-employment benefits, and realization of career goals. Complete your assessment at set points throughout your career using such triggers as milestone birthdays or service anniversaries.

It's never too early to start planning for retirement. Particular attention should be given early to developing a sound, diversified financial forecast that takes in to account your family situation and future needs. To think and act now in a way to maximize your financial potential requires discipline. The experiences of many baby boomers who saw the value of their homes and investment assets decline dramatically during the recent recession serve as a cautionary tale.

Resources abound to help you prepare for retirement. The research skills we use in our working lives as law librarians provide a platform for evaluating the reliability of the thousands of sources at our fingertips. Human resource staff in firm and academic environments, state and government retirement plan officers, and commercial financial institution such as banks and brokerage firms provide literature. Seminars offered at meetings of professional associations such as AALL chapters provide stepping stones to explore. Even if you don't expect to retire in the near future, you can start right now to keep an eye open for information about retirement planning. Tag information for inclusion in your “palm tree and hammock” file when the AARP Magazine begins to appear in your mailbox.

How the actual retirement process transpires will depend to a large degree on the policies and procedures of your own institution. If your institution has a succession plan in place, the library will have an identified process to shape your transition. A succession plan outlines the methodology to fill staff vacancies at all levels of the organization. Such a plan provides the platform to identify, assess and train an organization's internal talent pool. The plan serves as an orientation and educational tool for the hiring team. A succession plan educates upper management about the skill sets needed to staff the law library and lays the groundwork for management support for library staffing initiatives.

A key consideration will be how much notice will be appropriate as the time for retirement arrives. While no employee wants to be viewed as a lame duck, the proverbial two weeks in advance of departure won't suit in most professional environments. If you know you will be expected to train your successor, communication with the hiring team about your job responsibilities will be a key factor in assuring a smooth transition.

Even if you have no direct role in the selection and training of your replacement, leaving behind clear documentation of your core responsibilities and procedures paves the way for your graceful exit and will endear you to both your remaining colleagues and your successor.

Jean Holcomb