"One" Interview with K.T. Vaughan
2022 President

Your itinerary for one perfect day in Virginia:
Only ONE day? We have such a lovely state, with so many interesting things to do and
places to go. I’m pretty much a homebody, though, so I think my perfect day would start with a family drive up to my favorite apple orchard (Showalter’s, in Timberville), for a morning of apple picking. They have the most beautiful views of the Appalachian ridge and the Shenandoah Valley, and their apple cider donuts are the best. After gorging ourselves on donuts, cider, and fresh picked apples, we’d make our way back home to Harrisonburg to drop off our harvest and pick up our elderly hound. Then we’d head east on Rte 33,
stopping at Hank’s to grab BBQ dinner takeout. Our destination would be Big Meadows in
the Shenandoah National Park, in time for a picnic dinner and, later, stargazing. Nothing
beats fresh mountain air, good company, and great food! If I had a SECOND day? I’d get a
room at the Big Meadows Lodge and spend the day on the porch eating snacks, hanging
out with my family, and reading a book that I checked out from either the Massanutten Regional Library (my local) or Washington & Lee University Library (my employer).

One thing you can’t live without:
Yarn! I am a devoted knitter, and also enjoy spinning, weaving, decorative mending, and sewing. I tend to use trips to VLA conferences and other meetings as excuses to visit yarn stores around Virginia.

One project or initiative you’re most proud of from your presidential term:
My presidential term was marked by two national trends: coming to grips with our post-pandemic realities, and the sudden increase in book challenges. I am hugely grateful to former Executive Director Lisa Varga for taking a leadership role in the state on book bannings (for which she deservedly was named Librarian of the Year!), and to the Executive Committee and VLA Council for approaching the issue of how to do the work of the Association in remote, hybrid, and in-person ways that were both effective and supportive. One of the things that I’m proud of accomplishing was a review of the names of awards and other recognitions, which resulted in retaining several names honoring Virginia librarians, and updating others.

One favorite memory from your presidency’s annual conference
“My” conference was the 2022 one in Norfolk, with the theme Recovery + Revival. It’s really hard to pinpoint one favorite memory, both because the whole thing is still something of a blur and because my favorite part of being so deeply involved with the conference was all of the friendships that happened because of it – most importantly with Vivian Washington, conference chair (and 2025 VLA President!). There are two pieces of the conference that have stuck with me over the years. The first (and more serious one), were some of the words that MT Turner shared with us in the keynote. He spoke to the ways that we as librarians can bring caring leadership to our organizations. Many of our VLA keynotes have impacted me, but his was absolutely the right message at a key time in my journey. On a lighter note, I still use the lunch bag that was sponsored by Friends of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library. I love it, and I love the motto: “Libraries make the world a better place.”

One piece of advice for library workers:
I’d like to paraphrase some advice that MT Turner gave us at the 2022 Conference. Remember that in the early fall of 2022 we were still very close to the worst days of the pandemic and were seeing a marked increase in attacks to library funding and collections. As a profession, we were tired (many of us still are). MT encouraged us to take care of ourselves in order to be able to take care of others. The part that really struck me was when he talked about how to work with patrons, colleagues, and friends who are stuck in what he called “a well of sadness.” He said that your obligation as a caring individual is to lower a ladder to the person at the bottom of the well, so that they have the tools and encouragement to climb out. It is NOT your obligation to get down there in the well with them. You can’t be present for other people if you’re stuck in someone else’s well. I share this advice with people on the regular, and am eternally grateful to MT for the original gift. My other piece of advice? Read fairy smut if it’s your jam, and don’t if it’s not!

One post-presidency accomplishment you’d like to share:
One of the things that I’ve learned from being VLA’s President and from being W&L’s 12th University Librarian is that my accomplishments are not mine alone. Last year the W&L University Library completed a program review, itself a major (and collaborative) undertaking that involved nearly every member of the library’s staff and faculty as well as W&L administrators, faculty, staff, and students and an external review committee. In the process I realized that we’ll be turning 250 years old in 2026, dated from the creation of the first library supporting Liberty Hall Academy in May 1776. We’re planning a year of celebrations in 2026 to celebrate the library revolution along with the national revolution! Researching the library’s history really brings home the fact that the library thrives because of the collective accomplishments of all of its people. I could list “my accomplishments” in fundraising, hiring, program development, license renegotiations, renovations, professional leadership, and more. I could also talk about how I’m trying to manage through this crisis time for libraries and higher education. What I’m truly proud of is how much the W&L University Library faculty and staff are thriving, and how much we are recognized by the W&L community for staying true to our mission and values.