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Lisa R. Varga has been the Executive Director of the Virginia Library Association since 2011. In 2024, she was named the 2024 Librarian of the Year by Library Journal. She is active with the Virginia Society of Association Executives, the International Council of Library Association Executives, and the American Library Association Policy Corps, focusing on the Unite Against Book Bans Campaign. She was the Chair of the Virginia Beach Public Library Board from 2023-2024 and was recently honored with a Commending Resolution from the Board of Trustees of the Library of Virginia in Richmond.
 
Lisa has presented locally and nationally on a variety of topics including Intellectual Freedom and Association Governance. Click the button above to see a list of her local, state, and national presentations or to contact her to arrange for a speaking engagement.
- Vetted Conversations, August 22, 2024
- Drinks in the Library, July 9, 2024
- Take the Doughnut (YouTube series) with Melizza Forziat, July 2024
- Librarian Linkover, June 3, 2024
- Defense of Democracy, Book Bans and Brave Librarians: Fighting for Freedom of Expression in Virginia, April 2024
- Open Source RVA, Cinema and Censorship, April 7, 2023
- Bold Dominion, Episode 79: What’s behind right-wing attacks on education? February 2023
- Open Source RVA, December 16, 2022
- The Daily News-Record, RCPS Passed New Library Policies, Now What?, April 30, 2024
- PBS News Hour, Library book ban attempts are at an all-time high. These librarians are fighting back, April 11, 2024
- The Falls Church Independent, Falls Church’s Public Library Strengthens Policies Against Censorship, March 29, 2024
- Wavy News 10, VB School Board OKs controversial policy change on ‘sexually explicit’ library books, February 2024
- WJLA News, Book bans backfiring? Study reveals increased readership for prohibited books, November 1, 2023
- Northern VA Daily, Library critics call for closing obscenity 'loophole,' advocates say it protects against unfounded claims, September 26, 2023
- AP, Virginia library faces potential shutdown over funding after children’s books are challenged,September 12, 2023
- NPR, The plot thickens: The battle over books comes at a cost, August 11, 2023
- The Washington Post, Public libraries are the latest front in culture war battle over books, July 25, 2023
- PRWeek, How the American Library Association is turning the page on book bans, (paywalled) April 24, 2023
- DAME Magazine, Newsletter, April 17, 2023
- WYNC The Takeaway, Meet the Librarians of TikTok, by Melissa Harris-Perry, April 12, 2023
- Virginia Mercury, Closing school libraries would harm the students who need them most, April 6, 2023, Commentary by Roger Chesl
- The Virginian-Pilot, Virginia Beach School Board member drafting policy to restrict access to ‘graphic sexual content’ in school libraries by Kelsey Kendall, March 13, 2023
- Public Libraries Magazine, Looking for Library Advocates In All the Right Places, Volume 62 Number 2, by Cara Taback and Robyn L. Stein, March/April 2023
- The Virginian-Pilot, Bill seeks to red flag certain school books by Katie King, February 2023
- The Patch, Parental Advisory Labels for Library Books Rejected by VA Senate Panel, by Mark Hand, February 2, 2023
- AP News, Book ban efforts surging in 2022, library association says, by Hillel Italie, September 16, 2022
- NPR/WHRO, While Hampton Roads schools discuss book restrictions, libraries highlight banned titles, by Paul Bibeau, September 2022
- Richmond Times-Dispatch, 23 Va. school districts have taken books off shelves in past two years by Jessica Nocera, Sean McGoey, May 7, 2022
- TIME Magazine, ‘We’re Preparing For a Long Battle.’ Librarians Grapple With Conservatives’ Latest Efforts to Ban Books, by Olivia B. Waxman, November 15, 2021
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