VLA Executive Director Selected for ALA Policy Corps

Lisa R. Varga, VLA's Executive Director, has been selected to participate in the inaugural class of the American Library Association (ALA) Policy Corps. President Jim Neal announced the 12 library and information professionals selected to participate in the Corps, which aims to develop a cadre of experts with deep and sustained knowledge of national public policies in areas key to ALA’s strategic goals.

The ALA Policy Corps is being launched as part of Jim Neal’s presidential initiatives in collaboration with the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL), Public Library Association (PLA), United for Libraries and the ALA Washington Office (WO).

Varga has been VLA's Executive Director since 2011. She is a member of the International Council of Library Association Executives of ALA and the Virginia Society of Association Executives. She served on the ALA Chapter Relations Committee and attended the ALA Leadership Institute in 2015. Varga has presented at the ALA Chapter Leaders Forum, the American Library Association Annual Conference, and the Texas Library Association Annual Conference. Before taking on her current role at VLA, she was a volunteer for the organization. She worked at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library for nine years, first as a Youth Services Librarian and then as a Human Resources and Staff Training Coordinator. Varga received her MLS from Rutgers University.

National Library Legislative Day 2018: Registration Open

Registration is now open for the American Library Association's 2018 National Library Legislative Day (NLLD)! Join library advocates from all over the country for two days in Washington, D.C. and  show legislators the value of your library.

NLLD is open to anyone who is passionate about libraries, including staff, trustees and Friends members.  It provides library champions an opportunity to meet with Virginia's representatives and make a case for continued support for LSTA, IMLS and various policies, such as patron privacy protection.  VLA provides up to $400 in financial support for any VLA member who attends NLLD (up to $200 per day for 2 days.)

VLA members: Once you have registered through ALA, we ask that you complete this form which will enable additional communication from Virginia’s NLLD Coordinator, Renee DiPilato.

If you have any questions about attending NLLD, please feel free to contact Renee via phone or e-mail at the contacts below. You can also read the American Library Association NLLD FAQ.

Best,
Renee DiPilato, Virginia NLLD Coordinator, [email protected]

Renee DiPilato
Deputy Director of Libraries | Alexandria Library
5005 Duke Street | Alexandria, VA 22304
703.746.1724 | alexlibraryva.org

2018 VLA Emerging Leader: Garrison Libby

Garrison Libby is currently a Reference Librarian at Tidewater Community College’s Virginia Beach campus where he serves as liaison to the Health Professions departments. Prior to that he worked at Coastal Carolina Community College in Jacksonville, NC and received his MSLS from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Garrison’s library interests include outreach, open access and OER, and the use of technology in libraries. When not being a librarian, he is an active runner, champion Netflix-watcher, avid mantis shrimp enthusiast, and generally delightful individual.

From the ALA website:

The American Library Association (ALA) Emerging Leaders (EL) program is a leadership development program which enables newer library workers from across the country to participate in problem-solving work groups, network with peers, gain an inside look into ALA structure, and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity. It puts participants on the fast track to ALA committee volunteerism as well as other professional library-related organizations.
The  EL program kicks off with a day-long session during the ALA Midwinter Meeting. Afterward, it grows and develops in an online learning and networking environment for six months.  The program culminates with a poster session presentation to display the results of the project planning work of each group at the ALA Annual Conference.
Participants commit to participating in all aspects of the program.  Participants may be offered an opportunity to serve on  an ALA, division, chapter, or round table committee, task force or workgroup as well as other library-related groups upon completion of program.  However, appointments are not guaranteed.
The program is limited to no more than 50 participants each year.