by Evelyn M. Campbell
There are few things that can rival a crisp Fall day in Hot Springs, VA, even when foliage is not quite in its glory. More than 500 people attended the Virginia Library Association's Annual Meeting from Oct. 26 - 28, at the Homestead.
I had submitted four programs designed to build a legal reference foundation for public librarians, and was glad when Legal Reference 1: Providing Legal Reference Without Breaking the Law, was accepted with a request that I combine it with Legal Reference 4: Legal Reference Questions from the Trenches - You Asked and We Are Answering.
It was an opportunity for us to test the waters and see how receptive public librarians would be to a series of programs or workshops on legal reference.
Virginia State Law Librarian, Gail Warren, agreed to talk to the attendees about Virginia's Unauthorized Practice of the Law, and VALL President, Patty Petroccione, joined her in answering legal questions that VLA members had submitted.
The program was well attended and attendees were lining up later to ask questions. They were very interested in our plans for a series of legal reference workshops designed for public librarians. We also provided the attendees with a handout of the legal websites that we referenced and one attendee in her evaluation called it "gold".
Patty Petroccione, Evelyn Campbell & Gail Warren before the start of the program
Gail Warren discussing Virginia's Unauthorized Practice of the Law
Gail and Patty giving attendees best practice tips on how to handle legal reference questions
VALLers, Amy O'Connor from the University of Richmond Law Library, and Suzanne Corriell from the Fourth Circuit Library, presented Promote, Praise, Repeat with People: Enhancing Your Staff Morale with Effective Performance Appraisals.
Barbie Selby talking about identity theft
Barbie Selby, from the University of Virginia, presented: Identity Theft - A First Hand Perspective.
Caroline Osborne, from Washington & Lee University School of Law, presented The Alchemy of Your Career: Spinning Straw into Gold.
VLA President, Martha Hutzel, cutting the ribbon to the exhibition hall
