"One" Interview with Marta Steenstra Davis
2026 Cardinal Cup Committee Chair

Marta Steenstra Davis serves as the Youth Services Manager at Dolley Madison Library (Fairfax County Public Library). She was raised in Charleston, WV and attended Marshall University in Huntington, WV where she majored in Creative Writing and minored in History. She completed her MLIS at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. She has lived in Northern Virginia with her husband Michael since 1999. Marta is the mother of two teenage children whose names were inspired by children’s books: Max (from Where the Wild Things Are) and Josephine (from Little Women).

Marta is the 2026 chair of the Cardinal Cup Committee. The 10 person committee seeks to award the best book for young people in the fields of history, historical fiction, or biography. The Cardinal Cup Committee is now accepting applicants for the upcoming year to judge titles for the book award, sent directly to members by publishers. Apply by September 3 below for consideration!

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Your itinerary for one perfect day in Virginia:

To wake up to the sounds and smells of the ocean, have bagels and coffee on the beach for breakfast, a drive along the coast with the top down, music going, and her family, a seafood lunch in a café, napping/reading on the beach, an early dinner (more seafood!) and a long walk on the beach at sunset. It would be nice if some dolphins decided to play in the sea where I could see them!

One thing you can’t live without:
Books, coffee, and French fries. 

One area of interest in history:
World War II and the Suffrage Movement.

One piece of advice for Cardinal Cup Committee members:
Pace yourself and take good notes! There are a lot of books to get through. But if you read a little bit each day and take careful notes it is very manageable. The notes are key – you won’t remember everything you thought and felt about what you read without them.

One accomplishment you’d like to share:
Going back to school after 20+ years to get my MLIS.

2026 Executive Committee Election Results

Thank you to all who participated in the 2026 election. The following candidates will assume office on October 3, 2025.

 Zach Elder - President Elect

Zach Elder hopes to use his wide range of experience across academic and public libraries to advance library values and guide our organization through uncertain times. 
 
His love for libraries dates back to his childhood in Ohio. He shares, "It is thanks to my local librarians not strictly enforcing the unattended child policy that has helped make me the person I am today."

His first work in libraries came as a student assistant within The Ohio State University Libraries. After graduation and two years in the software profession, he started my career at Duke University’s Rare Book and Manuscripts while attending North Carolina Central University’s School of Library and Information Science. 

Following graduation, Elder served in multiple positions for George Washington University Libraries. There, he advocated for Open Educational Resources and textbooks, and volunteered for the DC Library Association helping to fundraise for scholarships.

After years in academic libraries, he felt called to public service in Virginia in 2017. After several years serving with colleagues at Newport News Public Library and Chesapeake Public Library, he is now in his third year serving as the Director of Massanutten Regional Library (MRL) in Harrisonburg. He loves working together with the MRL team as well as being ardent about their libraries being welcoming to everyone in our community, eliminating barriers wherever possible. 

Throughout his time in Virginia, Elder has enjoyed his involvement in VLA, where he has served on the Conference Committee in the past as a volunteer chair, and as 2nd Vice President from 2022-2024. He also serves as current treasurer of the Virginia Public Library Directors’ Association; coincidentally, he also love incorporating Financial Literacy concepts into library programming.

Margaret Howard - 2nd VP

Margaret Howard is the branch manager at Chesterfield Public Library, where she has worked for 14 years. Her favorite part of being a manager is working with and mentoring staff members. She tries to walk in the footsteps of the leaders who have supported and inspired her throughout the years. She hopes to make a small difference in the lives of the people she works with and the community she serves.

In 2013, she was named an ALA Emerging Leader and has served on several ALA committees over the past decade. She chaired the VLA New Members Round Table (NMRT) from 2014–2015 and enjoyed being part of the VLA Conference Committee in 2020 and 2021. After serving on the VLA Continuing Education Committee in 2021, she was named the 2022 VALLA coordinator. She then worked with a team led by Dr. Jennifer Brown and Clint Rudy to reimagine VALLA into the launchpad for library leadership it is today.

Howard says, "Being a VLA member is one of my favorite parts of working in libraries. The connections I’ve made have been invaluable, and I’m constantly inspired by the brilliance of its members and leaders. Although I’ve served on and led several committees over the years, I’ve long hoped to take a more active role in VLA leadership. Now feels like the perfect time to throw my hat in the ring. I’ve gained so much from my membership and would love the opportunity to give back and fully immerse myself in VLA leadership."

Tray Reynolds - Treasurer

David “Tray” Reynolds is currently a Young Adult Library Assistant for Roanoke City Public Libraries. He has been working in libraries for 3 years and came to librarianship looking for a path to community engagement and encouraging the love of public libraries. Reynolds shares, "A big reason I wanted to become a librarian is because as an African American male I noticed the lack of representation of professionals that looked like me in the Library field. I am looking to inspire my community to see themselves in librarian roles by actively pursuing my MLIS and becoming involved in library organizations such as VLA, ALA, PLA and the Black Caucus Library Foundation. Attending VLA last year was a life changing experience for me as I was able to connect with so many dedicated librarians, attend thought provoking seminars, and join fantastic forums such as Librarians of Color, and the New Members Roundtable forum. I came away really wanting to get involved with VLA by any means necessary and literally jumped at the opportunity to become treasurer for VLA. The most rewarding part of my job is that librarianship has managed to make me a local celebrity thanks to the great work we do and I truly know I am better person for pursuing librarianship." 

Gladys Bell - ALA Councilor

Gladys Bell shares, "VLA has had the benefit of exceptional leadership over several decades, and has consistently brought the central concerns of librarians to the membership.  It would be an honor to serve as the VLA ALA Councilor-at-large in a new and impactful way. Having served as an elected ALA Councilor-at-Large for over ten years and as an academic librarian for decades with extensive experience in the governance of librarianship at the state and ALA level. I am deeply committed to the growth, advocacy and support of our profession and this role provides an exciting and a continued opportunity for me to further contribute to the development of the library community in Virginia, while also representing our interests on a national scale. I believe my experience, my passion for libraries, and my dedication to serving the profession make me a strong candidate for this role as Virginia’s ALA Councilor-at-Large."

2025 Virginia Library Association Graphic Novel Diversity Award
Adult Award Winners

The Graphic Novel Diversity Award (GNDA) celebrates diversity captured within the pages of graphic novels. In 2025, our ninth year offering the award, the Graphic Novel Diversity Award Committee selected one winner and five honor titles in the adult division.

The winning title's creator will receive a $500 award and will be recognized during the Opening Session at the 2025 VLA/VLACRL Annual Conference on Thursday, October 2, 2025. This year's conference is at the Richmond Marriott in Richmond, VA. More information about the conference, including registration, can be found here.

Click the buttons below for a downloadable PDF of the committee's complete youth selections for the 2025 Graphic Novel Diversity Awards, including the winners, and honors, and overflow choices. Learn more about the Graphic Novel Diversity Award and committee information here.

2025 Adult Winner

The committee is pleased to announce Vera Bushwack by Sig Burwash, published by Drawn and Quarterly, as the 2025 Adult Graphic Novel Diversity Award Winner.

2025 Virginia Library Association Graphic Novel Diversity Award
Youth Award Winners

The Graphic Novel Diversity Award (GNDA) celebrates diversity captured within the pages of graphic novels. In 2025, our ninth year offering the award, the Graphic Novel Diversity Award Committee selected one winner and five honor titles in the youth division.

The winning title's creator will receive a $500 award and will be recognized during the Opening Session at the 2025 VLA/VLACRL Annual Conference on Thursday, October 2, 2025. This year's conference is at the Richmond Marriott in Richmond, VA. More information about the conference, including registration, can be found here.

Click the buttons below for a downloadable PDF of the committee's complete youth selections for the 2025 Graphic Novel Diversity Awards, including the winners, honors, and overflow choices. Learn more about the Graphic Novel Diversity Award and committee information here.

2025 Youth Winner

The committee is pleased to announce Navigating with You by Jeremy Whitley, art by Cassio Ribero, published by Maverick as the 2025 Youth Graphic Novel Diversity Award Winner.