2023 was a tumultuous year for libraries. Book bans dominated headlines as well as city council and school board meetings, threatening the access of information to readers of all ages and the livelihoods and safety of library workers across the country. Despite these upheavals, libraries took action, continuing to provide critical services to their communities and develop truly innovative programs along the way...
Amid a three-year nationwide surge in book bans, 2024 began on a hopeful note for freedom-to-read advocates, with legal victories in book-banning lawsuits in Iowa, Florida, and Texas. But after some early successes, several cases are poised to enter a critical next phase. As the wheels of justice grind on, PW rounded up the status of some of the more closely watched book-banning suits...
ADVOCACY CENTER
Sign Up with the Virginia Library Association as an Advocate!
Click HEREand sign up for the VLA Advocacy Center Mailing List to make sure you're receiving Virginia action alerts and updates on policy issues related to the library field. This will help you keep abreast of legislation that could affect your local library and community.
Voting is one of the greatest privileges and responsibilities of citizenship in the United States. Yet, turnout in national elections is consistently lower than two-thirds of eligible voters. Participation rates among multiple demographic groups and in state or local elections are often lower still. There is frequent talk about the critical role of libraries in our democracy. What does that look like in practice? Libraries are nonpartisan, but they are not indifferent. As institutions that provide access to information, resources, programs, and public spaces for all members of a community, libraries are a cornerstone for civic engagement and more important than ever. Click on the image above to learn more.
UNITED FOR LIBRARIES RESOURCES
Virginia library staff and stakeholders (folks like you!) have access to a whole host of resources from United for Libraries.
Banned Books Week (Sept. 22-28, 2024), is an opportunity for Friends of the Library and library Foundations to support the freedom to read. Find out how to develop an event in your community, and what resources and promotional tools are available. Learn programming ideas and what Friends groups across the country are planning for the week.
Tuesday, July 30 - Thursday, August 1, 2024 -- 11:00a- 4:00p
FREE FOR ALL VIRGINIA LIBRARY STAFF, TRUSTEES, FRIENDS, and FOUNDATION MEMBERS
This interactive three-day virtual event will feature expert speakers on current topics facing library Trustees, Friends, Foundations, and staff who work with them. Programming runs from 11:00 am Eastern to approximately 4:00 pm Eastern daily with scheduled breaks. Registrants may participate in some or all program sessions live, and/or watch recordings on-demand.
Themed Days:
Tuesday, July 30, 2024 -- Trustees / Library Board members
Wednesday, July 31, 2024 -- Library Foundations / Fundraising
Thursday, August 1, 2024 -- Friends of the Library Group
Participate in live Q&A sessions with presenters.
Network with colleagues across the country in roundtable discussions.
Enjoy exclusive access to keynote speakers and authors.
Receive a certificate of attendance (for live participation or on-demand viewing).
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Keeping Your Information Safe with Centralized Security Services
We’ve all heard about devastating cyberattacks, and nonprofits are not immune. In fact, small to medium-sized nonprofit organizations are specifically susceptible due to their lack of cybersecurity policies and staff training. The good news is that there are lots of things you can do to protect your organization, even if you’re not a security expert. In this session, you will gain a basic understanding of how cyberattacks happen and how to prevent them.
Trustees have a special role in upholding the right to read. Many elected and appointed trustees seek out their role because of their love of the library or their local school district, but they may not understand why it’s critical to uphold the First Amendment right to access information for their fellow community members or students...
(Occurs - 6.5.24 -- Free to VA library staff and stakeholders)
Storytelling is a vital strategy for communicating impact and justifying future investments. Powerful and effective stories allow us to create a roadmap that weaves together information and emotion. This webinar will provide an orientation to storytelling that centers cultural humility while leveraging storytelling dynamics, including how to practice and refine an impactful story with a live audience...
Please note, if you register with a non-library issued e-mail address, someone from the Library of Virginia will follow up with you to confirm that you are affiliated with a Virginia library before you can access the content.
BOOKS
titles
Click on the image to learn more about each title, and then use your local library to request them from the Library of Virginia.
Girl Scout Kate Lindley, who has been vocal about the Hanover County Board of Supervisors’ recent “censorship” of her Gold Award recognition, has been recognized by the Virginia Library Association for her advocacy efforts...
May 10, 2024 - The UncommonWealth Public Library Spotlight
he Sphere in Las Vegas is a virtual reality building seating 18,000 viewers, and as the lights dim to darkness, these viewers become fully enveloped by a massive wrap-around screen that launches their minds into a convincing and breathtaking VR experience.
Meta’s Quest 3 YouTubeVR feature does essentially the same thing as the Sphere. Flying through the Milky Way galaxy with the James Webb satellite; wandering the streets in Amalfi, Italy with Rick Steves; being part of a kite festival; landing a F-16 jet on an aircraft carrier; walking with dinosaurs; or taking part in a mini-concert with Olivia Rodrigo are just a few examples of how the Colonial Heights Public Library staff is using the Quest YouTubeVR programing for all ages. The Quest 3 viewer sees a very large, curved theater screen, and as the video is launched, the lights go down, and the VR adventure begins...
QUOTED
"To ask why we need libraries at all, when there is so much information available elsewhere, is about as sensible as asking if roadmaps are necessary now that there are so very many roads."
- Jon Bing (1944-2014. Norwegian writer and law professor at the Norwegian Research Center for Computers and Law)
This newsletter is brought to you by the Library Development & Networking Division of the Library of Virginia. Funding for this is provided through the Virginia General Assembly and the Institute for Museum and Library Studies (IMLS).
