West Virginia Library Association

SELA is excited to announce that the 2026 Spring Leadership Conference, Service Beyond the Surface, will be on Thursday, May 28, 2026 virtually via zoom.

 

The conference will include a keynote address from Sam Helmick, 2025-26 ALA President; breakout sessions for sections, committees and roundtables; a brown bag lunch for all state representatives and one on general interests; and a panel discussion on leadership and service. 

 

The conference fee is $25 and will include a complementary 1 year membership for any non-members or $10 off members next renewal.

 

More information and registration can be found at https://conf2026.selaonline.org/#home.

 

We hope to see you there!

✨ Got a great program, project, or idea to share? The WVLA Fall Conference is looking for presenters! Whether you’re new to presenting or a seasoned pro, your voice matters.

To propose a session click here

The Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia Chapter of ACRL Program Committee is excited to invite proposals for our Annual Spring Conference to be hosted by the University of Pittsburgh Library System at Hillman Library (and virtually) on Friday, June 12, 2026. 

Proposals on any topic related to librarianship will be considered. We encourage proposals from both long-standing library professionals as well as those who may be new to the region and/or the field of academic libraries. Chapter membership is not a requirement for consideration.

The committee invites proposals for:

· 30-minute presentations (online or in-person)

· 5-minute lightning talks (online or in-person)

· Poster presentations (in-person)

· Other - please share your idea/time requirements for this option (online or in-person)

To submit a proposal, please fill out the proposal form by 5:00pm EST on Monday, March 23, 2026.

Notifications regarding proposal status will be sent by mid-April, 2026.

Not interested in submitting a proposal? You can still help the Program Committee create awareness about the conference by forwarding this email to colleagues at your institution! 

If there are any questions about the conference, the submission process, or submissions themselves, please reach out to WPWVC-ACRL Program Committee Chair, Carrie Donovan (cdonovan@pitt.edu). 

The West Virginia Library Association is excited to announce the launch of our brand‑new WVLA Job Board, a centralized space where libraries, archives, and information organizations across the state can share open positions — and where job seekers can easily find their next opportunity.

For years, our members have asked for a simpler, more consistent way to post and discover library jobs. Today, we’re thrilled to deliver a tool that does exactly that.

What You’ll Find on the WVLA Job Board

Our new job board is designed to be:

✔ Easy to browse

Search by posting date, job type, or location.

✔ Open to all libraries and institutions

You do not need to be a WVLA member to post a job.

✔ Free to use

There is no cost to post or view job listings.

✔ Updated continuously

New opportunities can be added at any time, ensuring the board stays current and useful.

How to Post a Job

Posting a job is simple — and we’ve created a step‑by‑step guide to walk you through the process.

Posting a Job: User Guide
https://gethelp.wildapricot.com/en/articles/1840-posting-on-your-job-board-a-user-guide

This guide covers:

• How to create a free login
• How to submit a new job posting
• How to edit or remove a posting
• What information to include for applicants

If you’ve never posted with us before, this guide is the best place to start.

Why This Matters for West Virginia Libraries

Recruiting in the library world can be challenging — especially for smaller systems without dedicated HR staff. Our new job board helps:

• Increase visibility for open positions
• Connect qualified candidates with libraries statewide
• Strengthen the library workforce pipeline
• Support hiring equity and transparency

Whether you’re hiring a director, a children’s librarian, a cataloger, or a part‑time assistant, the WVLA Job Board gives your posting a statewide audience.

Ready to Explore?

Visit the WVLA Job Board today to browse current openings or submit your own:

WVLA Job Board

We’re excited to offer this new resource to our library community — and we can’t wait to see how it helps connect great people with great work across West Virginia.

If you’re already a WVLA member, you can log in to the job board using your existing WVLA credentials. There’s no need to create a separate account — your membership login works across all WVLA services.

Shape what’s next for your library at ALA Annual—the largest library event in the world!

Meet change-makers, idea-builders, and library leaders at the ALA 2026 Annual Conference & Exhibition as we mark ALA's 150th Anniversary and look boldly to the future. This milestone gathering will bring together thousands of library professionals, educators, authors, publishers, and advocates from around the globe.

Together, we’ll celebrate libraries—and ignite the next era of innovation and access—through future-focused learning, powerful keynotes, transformative resources, and an overall commitment to building libraries that reflect the adaptive, inclusive, and community-driven world we want to live in.

Be part of the celebration. Be part of the future.

Check out the official conference site. Registration begins February 19, 2026.

What to Expect:

• Educational programming, created and curated by library professionals

• The Library Marketplace with innovative and informed exhibitors, LIVE stages, ARCs, and more

• President and Chair Programs featuring timely updates and professional recognition events that highlight important work happening across our diverse organization

• Memorable and inspiring featured speakers

• Top-tier authors 

• Fun and entertaining networking opportunities

• and more!

✨ Got a great program, project, or idea to share? The WVLA Fall Conference is looking for presenters! Whether you’re new to presenting or a seasoned pro, your voice matters.

To propose a session click here

Do you know of a librarian who has faced adversity with integrity and dignity intact? If so, please nominate them for the Lemony Snicket Prize for Noble Librarians Faced with Adversity Award.

About the Prize:

It is of the opinion of Lemony Snicket, author, reader, and alleged malcontent, that librarians have suffered enough.

Therefore, he is establishing an annual prize honoring a librarian who has faced adversity with integrity and dignity intact.

The prize will be a generous amount of cash ($10,000) from Mr. Snicket's disreputable gains, along with an odd, symbolic object from his private stash, and a certificate, which may or may not be suitable for framing. 

It is Mr. Snicket's hope, and the ALA's, that the Snicket Prize will remind readers everywhere of the joyous importance of librarians and the trouble that is all too frequently unleashed upon them.

The award will be presented at the ALA Awards Ceremony at the 2026 ALA's Annual Conference, in Chicago, IL.

To nominate please complete the online application. The nominations must be accompanied by a specific statement of qualifications of the nominee. Supporting evidence or testimonials are welcome.

Deadline: March 1, 2026

Check out some past winners at the bottom of this webpage.

This information was shared to the SELA listserv. 

The Alabama Library Association Multicultural Information Round Table presents a webinar celebrating Black History Month:  “African American Covers of Country Music BEFORE Ray Charles” on Wednesday, February 25 at 2 – 3 p.m. Central Time.  The presenter is Dr. Tim Dodge, History, Political Science, Economics, and Theatre and Dance Librarian, Auburn University.

   In early 1962 famed Soul/R. & B./Jazz star Ray Charles recorded his “Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music” against the wishes of his record company.  The album and several spun-off single releases was a resounding success that, in effect, made it “legitimate” for African Americans to record country music ultimately leading to the success of such artists as Charley Pride and, more recently, Beyonce’ and Shaboozey.  However, African American interest in and participation in country music long predates Ray Charles’s musical and cultural breakthrough.

   While much music history scholarship has looked at the major influence of African American popular music and recordings on white country music, very little has, so far, explored the reverse influence.  The musical exchange was not all one-way.  This webinar will explore African American covers of records first made by white country artists and will help confirm that African Americans were an important, if usually unacknowledged, part of the country music scene from the early 1920’s when the American record industry first began marketing popular music according to the racial categories of  “race music” and “hillbilly music.”  The reality has always been more complicated.

  

   Zoom link:

Tim Dodge is inviting you to a scheduled Auburn University Zoom e-meeting. If you're a new participant, we have a quick start guide here: https://aub.ie/zoomquickstart

Topic: ALLA MCIRT Webinar:  African American Covers of Country Music before Ray Charles

Time: Feb 25, 2026 02:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://auburn.zoom.us/j/82848426228

Connect using Computer/Device audio if possible.

Or Telephone: Meeting ID: 828 4842 6228

    Dial: +1 301 715 8592 (US Toll)

        or +1 305 224 1968 (US Toll)

Or an H.323/SIP room system:

    H.323: 144.195.19.161 (US West) or 206.247.11.121 (US East)

    Meeting ID: 828 4842 6228

    SIP: 82848426228@zoomcrc.com

Tim Dodge

Moderator

Multicultural Information Round Table

Alabama Library Association

The Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia Chapter of the Association of College & Research Libraries’ Program Committee is pleased to invite you to an upcoming panel session featuring leadership from Library and Information Science (LIS) programs across our region, including Marshall University, the University of Pittsburgh, and PennWest.

The event will take place via Zoom on Tuesday, February 3rd at 11:00am EST. Please register in advance to receive the meeting details: https://pitt.zoom.us/meeting/register/RBa1rLPvQbyErPrLh_MGZQ 

This panel will offer an opportunity for program leaders to highlight their LIS educational offerings and discuss the current trends shaping the field. Panelists will share insights into program focus areas, delivery formats, and how their curricula prepare graduates for careers in libraries and information organizations.

Please join us for this engaging session to learn more about regional LIS programs while strengthening connections across our institutions and organizations.

We encourage you to attend and to share this invitation with colleagues, students, or anyone interested in library and information science education.

Thank you,

Carrie Donovan

Chair, 2025-2026 WPWVC-ACRL Program Committee

To allow additional time for submissions, we’ve extended the deadline for presentation proposals.

Call for Proposals: 7th Annual Southern Library Support Staff Conference

The Vanderbilt University Libraries is excited to announce its 7th Annual Southern Library Support Staff Conference, taking place from Wednesday, May 27, to Friday, May 29, 2026, at Vanderbilt University Libraries in Nashville, TN.

This year's theme, "From the Heart of the Library: Stories of Engagement, Innovation, and Leadership," invites library professionals to delve into personal narratives that highlight the transformative power of libraries in their communities. We encourage you to share your experiences that foster meaningful engagement with patrons, spark innovative practices, and exemplify leadership.  

The conference will follow a hybrid format, making it accessible for both in-person and virtual attendees. We welcome proposals for a variety of presentation formats, including:

60-minute contributed presentations with audience interaction

2-3 hour workshops

Panel discussions

15-minute lightning talks that inspire others with quick, impactful insights

Each proposal should include a title, a brief description, the names of presenters, and expected learning objectives grounded in the conference theme.

The proposal submission has been extended to February 15th, with acceptance notifications sent by February 27th. Proposal form: https://cfp.sched.com/speaker/rRFdFRfbae.  

While aligning with the conference theme is not a requirement, we particularly encourage proposals that explore the evolving role of libraries through stories of leadership, innovative practices, and pathways to engaging patrons. We welcome presenters from all types of library systems to contribute their ideas and expertise, as together we shape the future of our profession.

We are pleased to announce that scholarships for first-time attendees will be available through a grant from the Institute of Library and Museum Services Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program.

For complete details, please visit https://slss.library.vanderbilt.edu/.