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

Joint VLA/VALL Conference, Oct. 2011

It's official! VALL will combine with VLA for a joint annual conference this year. The Conference will be held Thursday and Friday, Oct. 27-28, 2011 at the Portsmouth Renaissance Hotel in Portsmouth, VA. This conference provides an excellent opportunity for VALL members to present programs. VLA members are interested in learning about all aspects of law librarianship and legal issues affecting librarians. Present a program on legal reference, copyright law, basic legal research, courthouse documents, using the Virginia Code, other online resources, a "day in the life" program or paths to a career in law librarianship. The possibilities are nearly endless. P rograms geared toward a law librarian audience are also encouraged, as VALL will have its own track at the conference. Presenters will be granted a 50% reduction in the conference registration fee. Any number of people may present a session, but only two presenters will be provided reduced registration. All program proposals should be submitted through VLA's Concurrent Session Proposal Form. You can now complete the fillable .pdf and e-mail it to VLA! Help us promote sustainability by saving paper! Deadline: May 1, 2011. Here is a direct link to the form: Concurrent Session Proposal Form 2011 Here is a link to the conference page: http://www.vla.org/wordpress/?page_id=1342 May 1 will be here in the blink of an eye. Submit soon, and often!

The Barbara Cumming Professional Development Grant

The Barbara Cumming Professional Development Grant was formally initiated at the VALL Winter Meeting in Richmond on Feb. 18. The grant was created in the memory of long-time VALL member and dear colleague, Barbara Cumming, who was law librarian at Watt, Tieder, Hoffar & Fitzgerald, LLP for many years. Members of Barbara's family and firm were present at the dedication ceremony. Barbara’s daughter, Kristin Cumming Murdock, and Bob Cox, senior partner at Watt Tieder, both spoke of her love of law librarianship and her enthusiastic involvement in VALL. Watt Tieder donated $1,000 to initiate the Barbara Cumming Professional Development Grant. Many thanks to VALL members, Donna Bausch, Terry Long, Frosty Owen, Gail Warren, Gail Zwirner, Greg Stoner, Jean Holcomb and Theresa Schmid who have made donations towards the grant. A special thank you to the Grants Committee (chaired by Jean Holcomb) for its tireless efforts in setting up this grant.

Joe Murdock , Kristin Cumming Murdock , Bob Cox , Jennifer Blandford , Michele Gernhardt and Anthony Ikwueme

Barbara Cumming at the last VALL annual meeting she attended in Richmond in 2009.