Greetings, fellow VALLers. Time has hurtled by at a startling pace as it is wont to do. I hope this message finds you all in good health and high spirits. Our joint annual meeting with VLA last week was a great success. All of the programs presented by VALL members were very well-attended and well-received....Read More

The joint conference was held at the Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel & Waterfront Conference Center Photographs by Ben Almoite Conference attendees were able to enjoy this view from their hotel The Port Towne Magic Jazz Band at the conference's Grand Opening ceremony Right after the ribbon cutting, with VLA President Matt Todd, Rebecca K. Miller and...Read More

The Literary Legal Complexities of a Bestselling Novel By Donna Bausch “There was a land of Cavaliers and Cotton Fields called the Old South... Here in this pretty world Gallantry took its last bow... Here was the last ever to be seen of Knights and their Ladies Fair... Look for it only in books, for...Read More

by Lara Dresser Cynthia Hart, Virtual Librarian at Virginia Beach Public Library, gave an engaging presentation on combining social media strategies and web and marketing plans to increase a library’s Return on Investment (ROI) by building awareness, increasing customer satisfaction, and lowering costs. It was not surprising to hear that socially engaged companies are more...Read More

Deciphering Copyright and Fair Use Notices By Fred Dingledy Librarians find themselves dealing with numerous issues in their everyday work; one of their least favorite issues is probably dealing with copyright. How much of a journal can you copy to fulfill an interlibrary loan request? Can a professor play a movie clip in a class...Read More

By Lara Dresser Tim Coggins and Suzanne Corriell, from the University of Richmond School of Law, delved into the thorny topic of First Amendment restraints on collection management choices of libraries. Selection, removal, and even relocation of books in libraries have all been challenged on First Amendment grounds. Despite the lack of clarity and cohesion...Read More

By Greg Stoner At the recent VLA/VALL Annual Conference, I helped contribute to the program "The Legally Literate Librarian," with my colleague, Jeanne Ullian, and Terry Long, from the Virginia State Law Library. Our program focused on providing an introduction to commonly used legal terms and explaining how to read and interpret a case. While...Read More

Using Short Individualized Screencasts as a Library Instruction Modality for Off-Campus Students by Suzanne Corriell Can you use the power of pictures in your job as a reference librarian? Yes, you can – easily, effectively, and economically, according to Brad MacDonald, Distance Learning Librarian for Jefferson College of Health Sciences in Lynchburg. MacDonald’s program focused...Read More

Catherine G. OBrion has joined the Virginia Supreme Court Law Library as Librarian-Archivist. Catherine grew up in Richmond, Virginia, in the Bon Air area. She attended the University of Virginia, where she earned both undergraduate and master's degrees in history and, in 1997, a Ph.D. in history. In 2002, she earned a graduate certificate in...Read More

by Nancy Loewenberg I’d like express my appreciation to VALL for its generous grant that enabled me to attend the AALL Annual conference in my hometown of Philadelphia. In addition to the meeting’s excellent and relevant programming, being able to visit some of my old stomping grounds, such as the Rittenhouse Square branch of the...Read More