Virginia Library Association Paraprofessional Forum (VLAPF)
Was found in 1979 and this year marked the 16th Annual Conference on Sunday MAY 18-May 20, 2008,

This was my second conference attendance. I was so excited and enthused about going to VLA. I was able to meet many librarians from other state libraries. The interaction and exposure to all the things VLA had to offer was invigorating. It is so refreshing and encouraging when you are able to get together with people who share your same joy and enthusiasm about your profession.

I learned a lot more about the VLA paraprofessional forum, which is continuously looking for enthusiastic, inventive team players to help plan for the next generation in our libraries through the new making connection opportunities! From daily challenges public service staff face to philosophical debates on the library’s role in the digital realm, this year’s program offers something for everyone. The conference theme focuses on the myriad ways libraries offer services. Today’s libraries not only offer access to traditional materials as in year’s past, but with more print shifting to electronic format, multimedia increasing importance, and library staff becoming ad-hoc referees of trusted web content, libraries have become true gateways to all information sources. How are you dealing with these changes? What workflow issues and procurement problems are you experiencing? How are you publicizing electronic resources on library web pages? What trends do you see with patron’s requests? Are there additional ways to collaborate with other organizations to serve patrons’ interests and needs? How can we more effectively serve our client base? These and many more questions asked and answered at the event. This year’s conference continues past traditions of offering a diverse landscape of workshops. There is something for everyone whether you have attended in the past or this is your first year! Over 400 colleagues joined to discuss new service strategies, new resources, and more effective ways to serve our libraries.

There were several breakout sessions over 2 days. I attended the following:

Managing Library Volunteers:- Very good session, very detailed. Provided an overview of the necessary elements needed to run a successful volunteer program. Got information on how to recruit the right volunteers for the right position; learned about retaining volunteers, focusing on their interests and skills; how to recognize volunteers on a budget; how to get support from the staff and management and how to determine if the program is effective and worthwhile.

Speak Up! The Power of Public Speaking: – This session taught how to warm up your voice and calm down nerves before stepping up to the podium or when giving information or instruction at staff meetings. It also showed how to transform fear into energy for making powerful presentations.
Boomers, GenXers and Millennials: -The many Generational Faces of your Library – presented by Sylvia Rortvedt, Matt Todd and Brandee Worsham This session taught that our Libraries have a long history of service to multi- generation users, but what about our multi –generational staff- - the boomers, Genxers and now Millennials? What do we know about ‘them” Are the differences real or assumed? How can we use the differences to run our libraries better and strengthen our profession?

Libraries, Literacy & Learning:- This presentation was detail operation research from the McCormick Tribune Foundation, which shows that starting from a child’s birth, adults can dramatically improve a child ability to learn by meeting 10 essential needs .During the presentation we learned how libraries can help meet these needs.

Movin On Up: - Revolution in a New Library :-This session has an interesting story in the summer of 2007, Hampden – Sydney College moved to a new library building a truly fun and challenging summer project for the staff. Two tech services paraprofessionals who will shared their experiences, trials, errors, and triumphs of such a library move. How staff dealt with managing summer student staff to writing new inventory procedures.

The conference closed with a luncheon speaker, Kim Whitlam, a gifted storyteller who developed her skills while working with victims of abuse. She found that by telling them stories she could often illustrate a coping strategy that might have sounded judgmental had she presented it outright. Kim is now a profession storyteller who visits schools, libraries, camps and retreats. Overall, this session was very informative to me in my work in the public library. I found the conference very stimulating, certainly worthwhile to attend, and came away many good ideas, which I shared with staff.

Posted byLAS Long Branch Library Zewdnesh T. Wondimeneh & Cataloging Demeke Seyoum