VLA Region V Spring Program

Talking (about) Books: Off the Record

VLA Region V Committee presents a morning of imagination, inspiration and talk, featuring:

CJ Critt, narrator for the Recorded Books editions of works by Janet Evanovich, Patricia Cornwell, Margaret Maron and many others, presents Tales from the Critt. Hear stories from the life of an audiobook narrator, insights into her craft, and excerpts from her many performances. Ms. Critt’s entertaining presentation also includes a question and answer session.

Book Discussions: Like Blogs, but with Real People Join Katie Strotman, Director of Programming and Events, Fairfax County Public Library, and a panel of talkative librarians & friends, for real-world ideas on planning, delivering, and sustaining book discussions in libraries.

Matt Walker, Recorded Books , will discuss how a book becomes a Recorded Book, as well as new services and technologies in the world of audiobooks.

Thursday, April 3, 2008
8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Bull Run Regional Library
Prince William Public Library
8051 Ashton Avenue Manassas, VA 20109-2892

Registration Fee: $15 (includes continental breakfast).
Receipts will be provided at the via email.
Questions – contact jschwab@pwcgov.org or karim.khan@loudoun.gov
Directions to Bull Run Regional Library
http://www.pwcgov.org/default.aspx?topic=040034001030001204

Make checks ($15) payable to VLA.
Please send check and completed registration form by March 21st to:

Irene Osterman
6016 Bitternut Drive
Alexandria, VA 22310

Fall Field Trip 2007: Smithsonian American Art Museum/National Portrait Gallery Library

VLA Region V Committee announces Fall Field Trip 2007: Smithsonian
American Art Museum/National Portrait Gallery Library. Thursday
November 8, 2007.

Join the VLA Region V Committee for a tour of the recently renovated
Smithsonian American Art Museum/National Portrait Gallery Library, as
well as the Smithsonian American Art Museum, itself. Learn about how
staff delivers library service in this unique environment. Also, enjoy a
docent-led tour of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, "America's first
federal art collection, dedicated to the enjoyment and understanding of
American art". The museum celebrates the extraordinary creativity of our
country's artists, whose works are windows on the American experience".
The tour will also include the museum's Luce Foundation Center for
American Art, the first visible art storage and study center in
Washington, DC. The Center includes interactive computer kiosks
providing the public with information on every object in the center,
including a discussion of each artwork, artist biographies, audio
interviews, video clips and still images.

The Fall Field Trip begins at 11:30 AM and continues until 2:PM, with a
half-hour break between tours for lunch. There's a limit of 30
attendees. As always, there will opportunities to network with your
library community colleagues from around the region.

The Fall Field Trip is a free event sponsored by the Region V Committee
of the Virginia Library Association to take advantage of the rich
library resources of the Washington/Northern Virginia region, and to
provide ongoing learning to the library community.

Please join us! To register for the Fall Field Trip 2007 on Thursday
November 8, please email Irene Osterman iosterman@nvcc.edu at Northern
Virginia Community College Library.

Karim Khan
Loudoun County Public Library
Co-Chair, VLA Region V Committee

Jessica Schwab
Prince William County Public Library
Co-Chair, VLA Region V Committee

VLA Region V Meeting, Wednesday October 3

VLA Region V Committee Meeting
Wednesday October 3
GMU Fenwick Library 3rd Floor Conference Room
10 AM - 11:30 AM

AGENDA

I. Review of Previous Meeting
II. Review of VLA Council Meeting
III. Membership
A) VLA
B) Region V Committee
IV. Meditation Rooms (survey of libraries)
V. Programs for 2007-2008
A) Fall Field Trip: Smithsonian American Art Museum/ National Portrait Gallery Library
B) Spring Program: Tales from the Crit plus
1) Book Group Best Practices?
VI. Your Issues


Upcoming Meetings

Location will be the second floor conference room at Fenwick Library at GMU Fairfax:

Wednesday October 3, 10 AM -12 noon
Wednesday November 14, 10 AM -12 noon

Call for Participation in VLA Region V Committee

The Region V Committee of the Virginia Library Association (VLA) works in Northern Virginia as a vital part of VLA “… only organization in the state that is for all types of libraries and the people who work in them.” We sponsor training and education programs, examine issues facing libraries, and offer a place for personal and professional growth. It’s a great place to meet people and to get involved in VLA- to have impact in your library, your region, your state and beyond.

Here are some highlights of recent activities:

Library 2.0: Delivering the Promise (Spring Program)
The Entrepreneurial Library (Spring Program)
Guided Tours of Folger Shakespeare Library, the Library of Congress, and the Foundation Center Library

Interested? Here’s what two Region V Committee members have to say about VLA:

“Most people think the library is all about books, but I say it is all about the people who know about the books! VLA is about the sharing of great ideas, common problems, issues, personnel, and patrons which leads to new insight in every part of my position. Listening to great speakers and authors at the Conference rejuvenates me professionally. I would encourage every employee of a library system to join VLA.”
- Lynda Baer Central Rappahannock Regional Library

“To me VLA represents a meaningful opportunity to get involved and make a difference at a level that actually impacts what I do, and that isn’t swamped in a massive nation-wide bureaucracy. It also provides the opportunity to contribute in leadership roles (including the Region V Committee!) in ways that enhance and promote my own role as a member of the faculty in an institution of higher learning.”
- Matt Todd, Northern Virginia Community College Library

VLA Region V Committee meets monthly, usually at GMU’s Fenwick Library. If you’d like to learn more, please email one of the co-chairs for 2007-2008 – our next meeting is Wednesday October 3 from 10 AM to noon. You may also visit our blog at http://regionvblog.blogspot.com/

Thanks for being a member of the Virginia Library Association.

Karim Khan, Loudoun County Public Library, VLA Region V Committee Co-Chair

Jessica Schwab, Prince William County Public Library, VLA Region V Committee Co-Chair

Meeting Notes, August 1 2007

Below are meeting notes for 8/1/07. They will also be distributed in email. The next meeting is Wednesday September 5 at GMU's Fenwick Library 2nd floor conference room. Jessie Schwab will the chairing that meeting as my library is opening it's temporary location after 3 months of being closed that very morning.

Minutes for VLA Region V Committee Meeting
August 1, 2007
GMU Fenwick Library 2nd Fl. Conference Room
10-11:30 AM

Members Attending: Karim Khan, Jessica Schwab, Linda Baer, Mary Pappano, Matt Todd, Jerilyn Polson, Irene Osterman, Jackie Peterson, Caroline Labbe

Co-chair nomination

Karim asked the committee to consider Jessica Schwab as co-chair of the Region V committee. It was agreed that Jessica Schwab would be the co-chair.

VLA Membership

Discussion ensued regarding ideas/brain storming on how to increase membership in VLA. The VLA Council meeting in June covered this topic and was looking for input from current members. Jessie Schwab mentioned that Stella Poole will be the chair for that initiative.

The ideas were as follows:

1) It would be a good idea to find out throughout the state when library systems will be having staff days and send a representative to give a small talk on what VLA means to them and why it is important for library employees to join. We will be sending our own committee member Linda Baer to the Central Rapp. Staff day on Friday September 28 to do just that.
2) When ever a VLA member is invited to a library school to discuss their career they should make an effort to plug VLA membership and mention why it is beneficial to library school students to join as students. Karim had been asked to speak at a presentation at Catholic this Friday August third and he will give VLA a plug. We will also work on getting on the agenda for the Catholic Library School new student orientation in late August. A note on this idea, we should be proactive about this and offer to send a panel of professionals to make a presentation to students and also plug VLA at the same time (on an annual basis?)
3) Could VLA consider a lifetime membership?
4) Could Linda Hahne (or whomever you think is appropriate) do some digging and send letters (or phone calls, emails) to people who had been members for awhile and then dropped their memberships and find out why they dropped their membership? Possibly offer them a one time discount if they rejoin.
5) We discussed that people throughout the state may want to know (at least in general terms) how their dues are being utilized and what are the benefits? Some of the items we tossed around were scholarship monies, money to pay the salary of our lobbyist, newsletter and Virginia libraries, continuing education courses and the conference. Other benefits include the VLA conference and the paraprofessional conference, networking, regional workshops and forums. But technically speaking, librarians can attend these functions without belonging to VLA.
6) As a cost savings measure we were wondering if we could offer the option to new members to receive the newsletter online or through snail mail. It was also mentioned that Virginia Libraries should possibly only be available for institutional memberships.
7) We thought a survey with library directors on how professional memberships and functions are usually paid for at their institutions would be helpful. Also if and how do they spread the word and/or encourage participation in professional activities.
8) Emphasize that being an active professional often does translate into being hired or promoted.

Karim mentioned that he would be sending out the annual e-mail that includes all the current VLA V members in Virginia inviting them to join the committee. He will be doing that in September.

Programs for 07-08

Fall Field Trip: The contact at the Smithsonian American Art Museum/ National Portrait Gallery Library is, Susan Frampton. Irene Osterman will ask her if it is possible to arrange the trip for a Thursday in October and we are aiming for Oct. 11 at about 10 AM. There was some discussion about how many people will be likely to attend and how we spread the word last year. Update from Irene:

I contacted Susan Frampton of the Smithsonian and she will get back to me with final word after she finishes her discussions with personnel at the museums. The American Art/National Portrait Gallery museums open later than the other museums-at 11:30 instead of 10. What she is looking into is our doing a tour of the library around 10:00 and then going over to the museums for a docent tour when they open. We will have to limit the group to 20. Can you let the rest of the committee know.

Spring Program: Materials were handed out to members of the committee who have missed the last two meetings, regarding CJ Critt and Recorded Books doing a joint presentation on April 3, 8:30-12:30 at Bull Run Regional Library. More discussion on who CJ is and what she is well known for. Some concern about Recorded Books now needing a half hour to speak but it was decided that we could work with that. Other discussion ensued with ideas about whether we wanted to invite a second speaker. Ideas tossed around were; textbooks on tape for LD students, NIMAS Act and how that impacts the publishing world and librarians, and access services from Fairfax County that deals with services for patrons with special needs. It was also mentioned as a possibility that we would want to stick with CJ and Recorded Books and not dilute it with another presenter. It was agreed that we would give this further thought and discuss it at the next meeting.

Action Items/ Status as of 8/20/07
Irene to check with Susan Frampton at Smithsonian – completed
Karim to check w/ VLA on budget and report (will ask at 9/7 council)
All to continue brainstorming on Spring Program ideas to complement CJ Crit
Karim to promote VLA at Catholic U session – completed
Karim to complete annual Region V recruitment letter – pending

Next Meetings
Wednesday September 5, 10 AM- noon
Wednesday October 3, 10 AM – noon
Wednesday November 14, 10 AM - noon

Fall Program

I have had preliminary discussions with Susan Frampton at the Smithsonian. We will have to limit the group to 20. What she is discussing with personnel at the American Art/National Portrait gallery is our doing a tour of the library around 10 and then going to the museums when they open at 11:30 for a docent tour. We would finish around 1.

Agenda: Meeting Wednesday April 11

Hello, all. There is a VLA Region V Committee meeting scheduled for April 11, 2007. We will be meeting at GMU Fenwick Library, in the Conference Room on the 2nd Floor above the circ desk/main entry. The agenda is below (you will also received in email):

VLA Region V Committee
April 11, 2007
GMU Fenwick Library Conference Room 2nd Floor

AGENDA
I. Approval of Minutes
II. VLA Council Recap from 3/30/07
III. ALA Legislative Day
IV. Spring Program 2007 “Library 2.0: Delivering the Promise”
a. Accounting
b. Registrations
c. Publicity
d. Venue
e. Speakers
f. Program
g. Food
h. Drinks
i. Amplification
j. Projection/web access
k. Evalution
l. Recording (Podcast? Blogging?)
m. VLA Membership Promotion
V. Other Issues

Hope to see as many of you as possible there!

:)