STAFF Coeditors Cy Dillon Ferrum College Virginia P.O. Box 1000 Ferrum, Virginia 24088 (540) 365-4428 [email protected] Libraries Lyn C. A. Gardner January/February/March, 2010, Vol. 56, No. 1 Hampton Public Library 4207 Victoria Blvd. Hampton, Virginia 23669 (757) 727-1218 COLUMNS (757) 727-1151 (fax) [email protected] Lyn C. A. Gardner 2 Openers John Moorman 3 President’s Column 39 Virginia Reviews Editorial Board Lydia C. Williams Longwood University Library Farmville, Virginia 23909 FEATURES (434) 395-2432 [email protected] Edward Lener 5 Building a Better Model: Eric and Cy Dillon Frank on Flat World Knowledge Ed Lener College Librarian for the Sciences 10 Libraries: Foundations and Virginia Tech University Libraries Fundamentals in Times of P.O. Box 90001 Challenge and Change Blacksburg, Virginia 24062-9001 2009 Annual Conference (540) 231-9249 [email protected] 33 2009 VLA Scholarship Winners Karen Dillon 34 2009 VLA Award Winners Manager, Library Services Carilion Health System 35 2009 Jefferson Cup Award P.O. Box 13367 Roanoke, Virginia 24033 (540) 981-7258 (540) 981-8666 (fax) [email protected] Virginia Libraries is a quarterly journal published by the Virginia Library Association whose purpose is to develop, promote, and improve library and information services and the profes- sion of librarianship in order to advance literacy and learning and to ensure access to informa- tion in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The journal, distributed to the membership, is used as a vehicle for members to exchange Publications Committee Chair information, ideas, and solutions to mutual problems in professional articles on current topics Suzy Szasz Palmer in the library and information field. Views expressed in Virginia Libraries are not necessarily The Library of Virginia endorsed by the editors or editorial board. 800 E. Broad St. The Virginia Library Association (VLA) holds the copyright on all articles published in Richmond, VA 23219 Virginia Libraries whether the articles appear in print or electronic format. Material may be (804) 692-3620 reproduced for informational, educational, or recreational purposes provided the source of the material is cited. The print version of Virginia Libraries is designed by Lamp-Post Publicity (804) 692-3556 (fax) in Meherrin, Virginia. The electronic version of Virginia Libraries is created by Virginia Tech’s [email protected] Digital Library and Archives and is available at http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/VALib or as a link from the Virginia Library Association website (http://www.vla.org) and the Directory of Open Access Journals (http://www.doaj.org/). Virginia Libraries is indexed in Library Litera- ture, a database produced by the H.W. Wilson Company. On the cover: The Williamsburg Items for publication and editorial inquiries should be addressed to the editors. Inquiries Marriott sponsored one of the regarding membership, subscriptions, advertising, or claims should be directed to VLA, P.O. conference breaks in honor of Box 8277, Norfolk, VA 23503-0277. All personnel happenings and announcements should be Breast Cancer Awareness Month. sent to the VLA Newsletter, Carol Wittig, [email protected]. Photo by Pierre Courtois. The guidelines for submissions to Virginia Libraries are found on page 4. PAGE 2 VIRGINIA LIBRARIES JANUARY–MARCH, 2010 OPENERS Celebrating Special Collections by Lyn C. A. Gardner n Wednesday, October 28, several glass exhibit cases of photo- material that we will one day have at 4 p.m., attendees of the graphs and memorabilia and a full- at our disposal. 2009 VLA Annual Confer- room replica of late Chief Justice The tour concluded with an Oence had the opportunity to tour Warren E. Burger’s office, which introduction to the SCRC Data- the Earl Gregg Swem Library’s Spe- includes many original items as base (http://scrc.swem.wm.edu/), cial Collections Research Center well as appropriate substitutes. created by Swem personnel using (http://swem.wm.edu/scrc/index. Archivist Ute Schechter outlined open-source software. This cata- cfm) under the guidance of Direc- Burger’s historical contributions, log, which is so well tailored to the tor Bea Hardy. This behind-the- Swem collection, offers browsing scenes look showed many fasci- by collection title, record group, nating treasures of the collection, subject, and creator. A valuable sup- such as documentation related to This behind-the-scenes plement to the Swem Library cata- Thomas Jefferson’s time as a stu- look showed many log, it offers unprecedented access dent at William and Mary; rare to the archives, and additional books that included that artistic fascinating treasures content is being added daily. early anti-theft device, fore-edge The preconference tour of one of paintings; maps dating to the earli- of the collection … . Virginia’s largest special collection est days of Williamsburg; and even facilities was not only fascinating, a collection of dog knickknacks. but particularly well suited to our VLA members got to not only including his seventeen years upcoming Virginia Libraries themed examine these unique items, but as Chief Justice of the Supreme issue on special collections, librar- also discover how the Special Col- Court, his tireless work to improve ies, and archives. We encourage lections team preserves, houses, the administration of justice, and all those who work with special and catalogs them. his devotion to the Commission collections to share their love of The tour party also learned on the Bicentennial of the United these marvelous repositories by about the Warren E. Burger Col- States Constitution (appropriately providing articles and interviews lection (http://swem.wm.edu/scrc/ reflected in the handout of free that celebrate our intriguing heri- Burger.cfm). Though the collec- copies of the Constitution). In the tage. With a deadline of August 1, tion is being cataloged now, these end, despite the mystery that must 2010, the issue will be published professional and personal papers surround the collection for the as Volume 56, Number 4, October/ and memorabilia can’t be shown moment, these glimpses of Burger’s November/December 2010. VL to researchers until 2026. However, accomplishments and ethics pro- VLA members were able to observe vide a foretaste of the important JANUARY–MARCH, 2010 VIRGINIA LIBRARIES PAGE 3 President’s Column by John Moorman his is my first column plans say about our vision and or for outside information and as president of the Vir- values? Are our programs and ser- reading needs. Public library users ginia Library Association. vices reflective of these visions and depend upon academic institutions TWhat I want to accomplish with values? As funding for our library for access to needed materials not my presidential columns in the is being reduced, are we making found in their local public librar- short time that I hold this office is service reduction decisions based ies. All of us depend upon data- to comment on what is currently upon these values and the institu- bases for information provision facing the association and libraries tional directions that result from to our user communities. Let us in general and raise some issues for them? If not, we had better begin begin the process of working closer further discussion and thought. so doing. In setting priorities for together so that all residents of the By the time this column comes the services that will remain, we Commonwealth of Virginia may out, the Virginia General Assem- continue to receive quality services bly will have returned to action from the libraries that they use on in Richmond. This session of the This process of priority- a daily basis to meet their informa- General Assembly will likely be tion and lifestyle needs. the most difficult since the Depres- setting will be difficult I also cannot emphasize enough sion years of the 1930s. Revenue the importance of regular personal available to fund state government and painful. contact with government officials functions and entities continues to in this time of economic challenge. decline, and there are discussions These individuals, whether on a of 15 percent across-the-board must reflect in those priorities local level or as our representatives cuts to state agencies. As each of us the values and directions that we in the Virginia General Assem- knows, this is on top of the already indicate in our planning docu- bly, are continually bombarded substantial cuts of recent years. ments are important to us and our by constituents with demands for As all public and school librar- user communities. As institutions, the limited funding available. Our ies and many academic and special libraries, no matter the type, can- voice must be heard in the din or libraries throughout the Common- not continue to do all that we have we will open our institutions to wealth depend upon state funding done or might desire to do. This deeper cuts than might otherwise to assist them in providing services process of priority-setting will be be the case. Our association’s Leg- to their user communities, this difficult and painful. However, if islative Committee has coordi- economic situation has the poten- libraries are to continue to provide nated a library user card campaign tial to cause dire consequences effective services to our users, it to let legislators know of the value across the board. With a General must be done. of public libraries in their daily Assembly unwilling to consider We also need to look at how lives. If you are in a public library, I new revenue sources and a gover- we might work better across type- trust that your library participated nor committed to veto any that of-library lines to more efficiently in this campaign. Steps such as might reach his desk, the reality of serve our user communities. Most this are needed to regularly remind the situation is that we as a library of us, no matter the type of library those who control the purse strings community need to plan to pro- we work in, are not isolated from that libraries, depending upon vide services with fewer resources one another.