2025 VLA Awards: Call For Nominations

The Virginia Library Association is now seeking nominations for our 2025 Awards. These awards will recognize contributions of library workers in Virginia during 2024. Please use the online submission form to submit your nominations by the deadline of March 12, 2025. 

Our awards recognize excellence in librarianship and library services in Virginia. Submit a nomination that allows us to celebrate your mentees, mentors, coworkers, or friends on a statewide level. We invite resubmissions if you have submitted a nomination in the past that did not win.

Virginia Library Association award winners are determined by the VLA Awards and Recognition Committee, with the 2025 committee chaired by Rachel Kopchick of the Virginia Beach Public Library. The Award Winners will be honored at the VLA Annual Conference in October 2025 in Richmond, Virginia.

Each nominee must meet the criteria for the award for which they are nominated. Nomination forms and accompanying documentation must be submitted prior to 11:59 p.m. on March 12, 2025. Visit the VLA Awards page to view a complete list of VLA awards and their criteria.

New Awards in 2025 Celebrate Intellectual Freedom

The Virginia Library Association announces two new awards for 2025 that focus on excellence in intellectual freedom. Learn more about the new awards below.

Intellectual Freedom Advocacy Award

This award recognizes a significant contribution to the defense or awareness of intellectual freedom in libraries. Nominees may include public, school, or academic libraries; individual libraries staff; community organizations; and individual community members.

The award consists of a certificate or plaque presented at the Annual Conference.

Intellectual Freedom Promotion Award

This award recognizes an exemplary program, event, display, or activity that promotes or increases awareness of intellectual freedom issues in libraries. Public, school, and academic libraries are eligible.

The award consists of a certificate or plaque presented at the Annual Conference.

2025 Virginia Library Association Scholarship Applications Open

Deadline to Apply EXTENDED: Friday, March 21, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST

The Virginia Library Association will award three scholarships for students pursuing a Master’s degree in Library Science at ALA-accredited schools. Each scholarship is worth $3,000. Funds may not be applied to student loans or as a reimbursement for past credits.

The eligibility requirements for VLA Scholarships are:

• Residence in the state of Virginia or currently employed in a Virginia Library.
• Undergraduate degree.
• Acceptance by, or currently enrolled in, an American Library Association accredited library school. Must be earning a Master of Library Science Degree. 
• Membership in the Virginia Library Association
• Click here to become a student member. Annual fee is $15.00; or join VLA and the American Library Association as part of the Joint Student Membership program.
• For the Clara Stanley VLA Professional Associates Forum Scholarship: current employment at a Virginia library is required.

Awards will be determined based on an applicant's evidence of commitment to a career in librarianship in Virginia, financial need, potential for outstanding achievement in the library profession, and academic excellence.

In order to be considered, your application must include two professional references. One of the two references is strongly recommended to be a librarian or other information professional.

The Scholarship committee will review the applications. You will be notified of the Committee’s decisions by summer 2025. Scholarship winners are celebrated at the annual VLA Conference, to be held in Richmond, VA on October 1-3, 2025. This year's winners will receive a total of two fully paid nights at the conference hotel to attend —an invaluable opportunity for professional growth and networking.

VLA's Sponsored ALA Emerging Leader is Virginia School Librarian Rebecca Caufman

Rebecca is a secondary school library for Radford City Public Schools. Her library serves approximately 750 students in 7th - 12th grade. She is in her 5th year in this role. Rebecca began her teaching career as an elementary classroom teacher. Questions on how to best teach reading led her to get a Master's degree in reading and a Ph.D. in literacy. She has worked as a reading specialist in the first through eighth grade. Rebecca was inspired to become a school librarian during a summer conference at Longwood University. She successfully obtained her school librarian certification from Longwood University in May 2019.

The American Library Association (ALA) Emerging Leaders (EL) program is a leadership development program that 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 and other professional library-related organizations. This year, ALA has selected forty-six people to participate in the Emerging Leaders program. The Virginia Library Association is sponsoring Rebecca's involvement in the program, which requires attendance at ALA LibLearnX in Phoenix and ALA Annual in Philadelphia.

As an Emerging Leader, Rebecca will be part of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Project, "Developing Responsible Learners Engaging in an Interconnected World." For six months, she will work with five other selected Emerging Leaders to develop materials that support professional development and instruction around the skills inherent in the National School Library Standards (2018) Shared Foundation of Engaged. Previous ALA Emerging Leader teams created activity guides around the Shared Foundations of Include (2019), Explore (2020), Curate (2022), Inquire (2023), and Collaborate (2024). Rebecca is excited to help conclude this AASL project. Rebecca's involvement with the Emerging Leader program will finish on June 27, 2025, at a poster session at the ALA Annual Conference.

Virginia Renews Participation in the Southeastern Library Association

Past President Nan Carmack has been appointed to represent Virginia to the Southeastern Library Association (SELA). Established in 1920, SELA is a regional library association, a step between state associations and national associations.

"The Southeastern Library Association is a unifying force strong enough to influence legislation and to attract foundation and federal funds for regional library projects. The accomplishments of the Association include two regional library surveys; the adoption of school library standards; the establishment of state library agencies and the position of state school library supervisor; the founding of library schools; the sponsoring of a variety of informative workshops; and the publication of significant regional research and a professional journal which has received national recognition."

In addition to their advocacy, SELA offers professional development, a regional conference, professional awards, résumé  reviews, and service opportunities. The Southeastern Librarian, a nationally recognized peer reviewed journal, offers publication opportunities and research information.

If you are seeking additional professional resources, consider adding SELA to your roster of dues, available at under $100 depending on salary.