Theresa Reiss

Here is an article from the In Custodia Legis, about Theresa Reiss, a reference librarian at the Law Library of Congress, and who also works at the Alexandria Law Library, and is a member of VALL: Theresa Reiss

Nominees for the 2017-18 VALL Executive Board

The Nominating Committee is pleased to present the following slate of nominees for the 2017-18 VALL Executive Board:

Vice President/President-Elect: Andrew Winston, Law Library of Congress

 

Treasurer: David Knight, Virginia State Law Library

 

Director: Alexis Fetzer, University of Richmond Law School Library

If there are further nominations to be considered, please send them to balmoite@henrico.lib.va.us no later than February 15.

 

The Nominating Committee

Ben Almoite, Chair

Terry Long

Fred Dingledy

 

Nominations for AALL Government Law Libraries SIS Awards due March 1, 2017

The Government Law Libraries SIS Awards Committee seeks nominations for the five awards listed below. The deadline for nominations is March 1, 2017. Nomination forms and the names of past award recipients are available through the links above and below.

Please submit nominations to me, Elizabeth Caulfield, and please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for considering your colleagues!

Bethany J. Ochal Award for Distinguished Service to the Profession

The Bethany J. Ochal Award for Distinguished Service to the Profession award is presented to a Government Law Libraries Special Interest Section member who has made a significant contribution to law librarianship and who is nearing the end of his or her library career or who has recently retired.

Connie E. Bolden Publication Award

The Connie E. Bolden Publication Award is presented to a Government Law Libraries Special Interest Section member to recognize scholarly publication.

Law Library Advocate Award

The Law Library Advocate Award, created in 2009, is presented to a law library supporter in recognition of his or her substantial contribution towards the advancement and improvement of a government law library’s service or visibility.

Professional Publication Award

The Professional Publication Award, created in 2015, is presented to a Government Law Libraries Special Interest Section member to recognize a professional publication produced within the last year, published in print or electronically, and which promotes government law libraries, law librarianship, legal research, or public access to legal information.

O. James Werner Award for Distinguished Service to Persons with Disabilities

The O. James Werner Award honors a member who has made a significant contribution to serving or to arranging for services to be provided to persons with disabilities, or for distinctive service by a person with a disability.

Awards Committee 2016-2017 members:

Chair, Elizabeth Caulfield, Assistant Law Librarian II, California Court of Appeal, Second District

Member, Donna Bausch, Law Librarian, Norfolk Law Library

Member, Paula Doty, formerly of the Nevada Supreme Court Library

Member, Susan Falk, State Law Librarian, Alaska State Court Law Library

Member, Jen Fell, Technical Services Librarian, Sacramento County Public Law Library

Member, Holly Gale, Law Librarian, California Court of Appeal, Fourth District

Member, Catherine Lemann, Research Librarian, Law Library of Louisiana

Member, Chi Song, Discovery Services Librarian, Maryland State Law Library

GLL-SIS Board Liaison, James Durham, Maryland State Law Library

 

Elizabeth Caulfield, Assistant Law Librarian II

Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District

300 South Spring Street, South Tower, Third Floor

Los Angeles, CA 90013

elizabeth.caulfield@jud.ca.gov

213.830.7242

Spring Meeting date change!

Please note that the Spring meeting will be held on May 19 at Wolf Law Library, College of William & Mary. The previous date was April 21.

More information will be posted closer to the meeting date, so stayed tuned!

VLA Council Meeting, January 27, 2017

submitted by Suzanne Corriell

VLA Conference is October 11-13 at the Hilton Main in Norfolk.  The call for proposals is open, with a March 15 deadline.  (This is earlier than usual.)

Call for Proposals

The theme is Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges.  The keynote speaker will be Margot Lee Shetterly, author of Hidden Figures; Friday's keynote speaker will be ACRL President Trevor Dawes.

There will be no preconferences, but tours and other activities instead.

Membership - dues haven't been raised since 2009; Lisa and the Executive Board are investigating institutional membership ideas that might increase membership and participation

The Nominating Committee reminds members that they need to VOTE for candidates in August/September.  Last year's election only received a 30% response rate.

ALA Council - at Midwinter, they voted to add a fourth directive regarding equity, diversity, and inclusion.  The 2018 ALA Conference in New Orleans will have fewer sessions, in response to attendee feedback.

Legislative Program - members are urged to stay informed about the legislative update, at Legislative Updates

HB 2191 is an especially hot topic this year; contact your legislator is you have opinions about it.

There have been measures introduced in the GA that would allow the Library of Virginia to reinstate some positions and/or reinstate some reading room hours.  Nothing has yet passed.

Executive Committee - changes are being made to the criteria for awards, to reflect the inclusion of professional associates as nominees; the VLA Manual is also being revised for consistency issues.  The Scholarships Committee will likely award 3 scholarships this year and 3 scholarships next year, thanks to an extra significant donation.

Designated Agenda for 2017: Agenda

Section VIII has been added in order to implement a recommended strategy for addressing intellectual freedom in Virginia; section V adds diversity.

ALA has suggested that state chapters draft a statement of core values - the Executive Committee will be working on this, as well as beginning a new strategic planning process.

VLA Professional Associates Conference - will be May 22 at the Marriott City Center in Newport News

The committee is seeking new members for the board.

The website has been updated and upgraded with the banner (to generate advertising revenue) and new "meet a member" features.

The Technical Services and Technology Forum will be hosting collection management workshops this spring/summer, and has recently launched a Facebook page.

Donating to the Barbara Cumming Continuing Education Fund

VALL members privileged to work with Barbara Cumming were struck by her professionalism, generosity, and depth of knowledge in construction and government contract law research. Barbara exemplified the finest qualities to which a law librarian can aspire. Although she had a challenging position with a busy law firm considered a national leader in its field of specialization, Barbara always took the time to teach, to share, and to assist her colleagues. No one could have asked for a finer law firm library colleague.

To perpetuate her memory and commemorate her spirit of service, a VALL Grant, the Barbara Cumming Continuing Education Grant has been established in her honor. The Barbara Cumming Continuing Education Grant is intended specifically to support the professional development of VALL’s law firm librarians. Grant applications should be emailed to Joyce Manna Janto, jjanto@richmond.edu, or Jennifer Sekula, jeseku@wm.edu, co-chairs of the Grants Committee.  

If you are interested in donating to the Barbara Cumming Continuing Education Grant please click here for a donor card.

VALL Grants

It's that time again to remind folks that VALL Grants are available!

The deadline for applying for a VALL Grant is by 5 pm on April 7, 2017. Please click on link for application form and the process for submission: Grant Application Form