West Virginia Library Association

One of the highlights of each conference is the occasion at which the West Virginia Library Association recognizes constructive accomplishments and meritorious achievement in West Virginia library service, publishing, and writing. Awards may be conferred on an 33 outstanding West Virginia library trustee, a librarian, an outstanding citizen who has made a significant contribution to library development, a publisher, or author.

Four types of awards are given:

A. Certificate of Merit for service to libraries and librarianship in West Virginia.

B. The Dora Ruth Parks Award for long and outstanding service to libraries and librarianship.

C. Literary Award for an outstanding publication. It has been the policy to present this award to a West Virginia author. However, exceptions may be made for contributions to Appalachian literature.

D. Library Innovation Award

If you feel so moved, please submit your nominations, along with a letter stating why you are making this nomination, to Heather Campbell (campbell@wvhumanities.org) as well as David Owens (David.owens@cabellcountylib.org) by September 14^th at 2:00 pm.

Hell All!  We are delighted to release the latest version of the upcoming Fall Conference.  There may well be a slight change at the last minute, as is often the case.  We hope these offerings will stimulate, educate, and encourage you!    

Education Sessions (1).docx

The QR code for Fall Conference Proposals has been updated. If you are unable to scan the QR code, click here for the link to the form.

Proposals will be accepted until around mid-August. 

Fall Conference Flyer.png

Hello WVLA Members,

It is that time of year again to nominate for the 2027 WVLA Executive Board. Being on the board is a great way to expand your reach in the library world, use your strengths to better our organization, and make some great connections and friends along the way. If you are interested, or want to nominate someone else who would be great for a position, please provide me with the nominee's name, specific position, and professional bio or list why they would be a good fit by Friday, June 5 to sbeam@clarksburglibary.org or call 304-627-2236 x 218.

Attached are the job descriptions for 1st and 2nd Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. I have also included the duties of the President as 1st VP becomes the President the following year. Both 1st and 2nd VP are 1 year terms; secretary and treasurer are 2 year terms. 

Best,

Shannon Beam, Nominating Committee Chair 2026

WVLA Executive Board Job Descriptions.pdf

(SELA NMRT Virtual Session with SELA Leaders)

 

Virtual Meeting - May 14 (3:00 PM Eastern Time) via Zoom

Ready to take your library career to the next level? The Southeastern Library Association (SELA) is a great place to grow professionally, make regional connections and contribute to the library profession.

Whether you are a long-time SELA member, a new face in the association, or someone considering joining, this is your opportunity to learn how to maximize your professional opportunities and potential through the association.

Join us on May 14 (3:00 PM Eastern Time) for a dynamic, one-hour virtual discussion with SELA leaders to learn how to engage and supercharge your professional growth via regional librarianship.

 

Panelists

Laura Slavin (SELA President) Electronic Resources Librarian, M. Louis Salmon Library, University of Alabama in Huntsville

Kristin Rogers (SELA President-Elect) Electronic Resources & Discovery Librarian, J.D. Williams Library, University of Mississippi

Crystal Gates (SELA Immediate Past President) Executive Director North Little Rock Public Library System, Arkansas

John Barnett (SELA Editor of The Southeastern Librarian) Dean of the Library, USC Upstate Library, University of South Carolina Upstate

 

Join Us via Zoom:

https://ualr-edu.zoom.us/j/84035443855?pwd=pCGxOsZ1jre4cKzgwOOdWM8nqLKnlq.1

 

Not a SELA member but thinking of joining? Now’s the perfect time with a free first year membership through attendance at the SELA Virtual Leadership Conference.

Dear Colleagues,

You’re invited to an IMLS-hosted celebration of America’s founding: IMLS Library Convening 250: Telling America’s Story June 22-24, 2026 | Cincinnati, OH

This three-day event includes one day of preconference activities (optional) followed by two full days of learning and collaboration. Our goal is to inspire and empower librarians to share both the national and local American story through innovative programming.

Who Should Attend: This regional convening is designed for staff from small and rural libraries who work directly with patrons and have responsibilities for programming or service design. If you are not in one of these roles but know someone who is, please fill out the following nomination form. If your nominee is selected, IMLS will issue an invitation directly to that person once we open the RSVP form.

What to Expect:

• Engaging speakers and panel discussions
• Interactive breakout sessions
• Practical strategies to strengthen civic literacy and foster love of country across all age groups

Travel Support: We understand budgets can be tight, especially for small and rural libraries — so IMLS will cover travel, hotel, and meals. Please note: only one representative per library may attend.

Next Steps: You will soon receive an RSVP link from Capital Meeting Planning, our event partner. Please watch for this email (and check your spam folder). If you do not receive the RSVP link by Friday, May 8, 2026, please contact us at imlsregistrar@cmpinc.net.

Thank you, and feel free to reach out with any questions to imlsregistrar@cmpinc.net. We look forward to seeing you in Cincinnati, OH!

Please visit this link: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USIMLS/bulletins/415206b to access the nomination form (if you cannot from this page). 

The American Conversation Project (ACP) — a national initiative of the National Conference on Citizenship and Cortico — is inviting public libraries to host small-group community conversations during Civic Season — June 19 through July 4, with flexibility into the summer. It's timed around the country's 250th anniversary, and the idea is simple: give communities a structured, welcoming space to share stories and hear from one another.

We've been intentional about making this accessible for libraries of all sizes and experience levels. You don't need to be an expert in civic programming or facilitation — if your library serves people, it belongs in this cohort.

The ask:

Nominate a facilitator and complete a 90-minute virtual orientation
Host one or more conversations during Civic Season

What participating libraries receive:

A stipend of $250–$1,000 (based on number of conversations hosted), plus an extra $250 bonus for the first library in each state to sign up
Hands-on facilitation skills their staff keeps, plus insights from their own community's conversations
The ACP Toolkit and a physical swag kit to help with promotion and hosting
Access to Cortico's platform for ongoing community listening work
(Optional) AI Sensemaking Certificate — a paid opportunity for libraries that want to learn how to surface patterns across conversations through a listening process led by people and supported by AI tools

We want to include voices from West Virginia in this national effort, and we know your voice with member libraries carries real weight. If you're open to it, even a brief mention in your next newsletter or listserv would go a long way — I'm happy to send a ready-to-use blurb you can drop right in.

Libraries can learn more and sign up here: https://www.americanconversations.org/libraries. The sign-up deadline is May 29, and we're also hosting optional virtual learning calls in April and May for anyone who wants to hear more first; sign up for those here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe3IEHa4TpXvJVXozr8AcIVyKuKDVOXckIvrQnI5XerB2joIw/viewform.

I’d also be happy to connect you directly to one of the organizers if you have any questions!

Thank you,
Phoebe

Phoebe can be reached via email at pbierly@irex.org

Morning Fellow Librarians, 

I received an email about looking for participants for a research study out of the University of South Carolina. This study is completely voluntary and we are not endorsing the study just sharing information for those that would like to participate. The information is provided below.  

We are a research team at the University of South Carolina. We are currently recruiting public library workers in managerial and non-managerial positions to 2 studies. These studies are part of the Public Library Routines Project, funded by IMLS. You can find out more here: https://bit.ly/public-library-routines. 

Note that this is phase 2 of the project. If workers have participated in previous phases, they are eligible to participate in this phase. I have included a description of each study below and attached fliers for each study.

 

Study #1: Management Study

Are you a manager in a public library? If so, we want to hear from you! 

What is the Study? The University of South Carolina is conducting a research study about what makes a library worker effective and how management supports worker development. 

What Will I Do? If you choose to participate, you will complete a brief screening interview, create a series of simple diagrams reflecting on your views of worker development, and participate in a 60-minute Zoom interview where you will discuss those diagrams. The total time commitment is approximately 3–4 hours, including preparation and the interview. 

Why Should I Participate? Your participation will help us better understand how professional expectations are formed and communicated within public libraries. You will also receive a $35 gift card. 

Who Can Participate? Participation is open to anyone working in a public library in a managerial role. Note that this is phase 2 of a larger project—the Public Library Routines Project. If you have participated in previous phases, you are eligible to participate in this phase. 

Will anyone know that I participated? Your participation in this research study is entirely confidential. This means that no one outside of the project team will know that you participated. In published project documents, we will remove your name and any information that could potentially link you to your participation in the study.  

 

How Do I Sign Up? Click here to indicate your interest and complete a short demographics survey. If you qualify, you be contacted to schedule a 30-minute screening interview where you will learn more about the study. If you decide to participate, a time will be scheduled for your interview.   

 

Survey Link: https://usccmcis.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_55vZ1TGFzVgFaGG

 

Study #2: Non-Management Study

Are you a public library worker whose identity is in some way marginalized or underrepresented in the profession? Do you have thoughts about what libraries need to do in order to better support you and others when those identities are threatened?  

We want to hear from you! 

What is the Study? The University of South Carolina is conducting a research study with public library workers whose identities are in some way marginalized or underrepresented in the profession. The goal of this study is to better understand what workers need in order to feel supported when they experience challenges or threats to their identity at work. 

What Will I Do? If you choose to participate, you will complete a brief screening interview, respond to some prompts on your own, and then bring your responses with you to an interview. The total time commitment is approximately 3–4 hours, including preparation and the interview. 

Why Should I Participate? Your participation will help us better understand what support library workers need when parts of their identity are threatened while at work. You will also receive a $35 gift card. 

Who Can Participate? Participation is open to public library workers with identities that are in some way marginalized and/or underrepresented. Note that this is phase 2 of a larger project—the Public Library Routines Project. If you have participated in previous phases, you are eligible to participate in this phase. 

Will anyone know that I participated? Your participation in this research study is entirely confidential. This means that no one outside of the project team will know that you participated. In published project documents, we will remove your name and any information that could potentially link you to your participation in the study.  

How Do I Sign Up? Click here to indicate your interest and complete a short demographics survey. If you qualify, you be contacted to schedule a 30-minute screening interview where you will learn more about the study. If you decide to participate, a time will be scheduled for your interview.   

Full Survey Link: https://usccmcis.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_esRIMvZ94jLfsDs

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