May 2019 Newsletter

Voting Opens May 15 for the 16th Annual People's Choice Awards

Cast your vote for the Library of Virginia's 16th Annual People's Choice Awards, part of our annual Literary Awards Celebration. Selected by input from Virginia librarians and independent booksellers, the finalists represent the most-requested titles by Virginia authors in fiction and nonfiction published in the past year. For nonfiction, books on a Virginia subject are also eligible.

The winners will be chosen by votes from the public from among five finalists in each category. Voting begins on May 15 and runs through June 30, 2019. Watch for more details soon about where to vote online or by paper ballot.

This year's fiction finalists for the People's Choice Awards are:

This year's nonfiction finalists for the People's Choice Awards are:

The winners will be recognized on Saturday, October 19, 2019, at the 22nd Annual Library of Virginia Literary Awards Celebration presented by Dominion Energy. Each winner will receive an engraved crystal book and a monetary prize of $2,500. For awards ceremony ticket information and a list of past winners and finalists, please visit www.lva.virginia.gov/public/litawards/.

The Library's Mary Clark Named Chair of Depository Library Council

The Library of Virginia's director of acquisitions and access management, Mary Clark, will assume the role of chair for the Depository Library Council, the advisory group to the director of the Government Publishing Office, effective June 1, 2019. Clark was appointed to the DLC in 2017 by Davita Vance-Cooks, former director of the U.S. Government Publishing Office. The DLC's 15 members serve three-year terms and advise the director on policy matters relating to the Federal Depository Library Program.

In the two years of Clark's tenure, the Depository Library Council has advised the Government Publishing Office on the Federal Depository Library Modernization Act of 2018 and the Federal Register Modernization Act of 2019. In addition, the council has advised the GPO on policy matters related to copyright, programming, the comprehensive collection of government publications, and digital deposit of electronic government publications.

The GPO is the federal government's official digital resource for producing, procuring, cataloging, indexing, authenticating, disseminating, and preserving the official information products of the U.S. government. For more information, visit www.gpo.gov.

Training for Working with Homeless Patrons Offered to Academic and Public Library Staff

A feature film released this spring that explores the intersection of public spaces and homelessness has captured the attention of the library community. Written and directed by Emilio Estevez—who also stars and produces—The Public tells the story of a public library in Cincinnati on a bitterly cold winter day when homeless people need shelter.

Cincinnati is not the only city in which public libraries serve the homeless, of course. Libraries across Virginia struggle with balancing safety and service to all patrons. A book and training program by Ryan Dowd called The Librarian's Guide to Homelessness aims to help employees reduce conflict while remaining inclusive to marginalized library patrons. The executive director of a large homeless shelter outside Chicago, Dowd has been featured in American Libraries magazine and at American Library Association and Public Library Association conferences.

The Library of Virginia has purchased a statewide license to provide Dowd's training to all staff in Virginia's academic and public libraries. This online course will be available through January 31, 2020. Virginia library staff interested in the training may contact Cindy Church, the Library of Virginia's continuing education consultant, at cindy.church@lva.virginia.gov or 804.692.3773.

Farewell to the Library of Virginia Foundation's Executive Director

The Library of Virginia Foundation has said goodbye to executive director Amy E. Bridge. After five years of service with the Foundation, Bridge has accepted a position as major gifts officer at Hollins University. As her roots are in Roanoke, she is delighted to be returning home with this change. The Library and Foundation thank her for her service, most notably her work on the Library's annual Literary Awards Celebration, and wish her the best for her new position. The Library of Virginia Foundation Board has begun the search for a new executive director.

Show Your Support on Our Day of Giving, May 15

Love the Library of Virginia? Celebrate it on our third Day of Giving, May 15, by making a donation to show your support of Virginia's state library and archives. May 15 marks the anniversary of the dedication of the Library's current building at 800 East Broad Street. Our "new" building now has 22 years of history. And in four years the Library will celebrate its 200th anniversary!

Do you use the Library for research? Visit the Virginia Shop? Attend any of our genealogy or literary programs? Now is the perfect time to show support for the Library and all that it offers. If you have a favorite librarian, archivist, or other Library staff member, consider making a donation in his or her honor on May 15.

Participating in our Day of Giving is a great way to help us thrive and transform our community. The 1st and 15th donors of the day will receive a Library of Virginia Prize Package, and all other donors that day will be entered to win a Library of Virginia Book Package. You can make your Day of Giving donation any time through May 15 by visiting the donation page.

Any donation amount is greatly appreciated. Donations starting at $50 provide all the benefits that come with membership, including an annual print subscription to Broadside, our quarterly magazine; 10 percent off all purchases at the Virginia Shops; and invitations to special members-only events and programs. Thank you to all our patrons and supporters.