Happy Thanksgiving

The College is closed for the Thanksgiving Holiday from noon on 23 Nov until Monday 28 Nov.

Library Featured in Psychological Thriller

The Elyria Public Library featured in a "cameo" role in the recent film Take Shelter.


Libraries. You never know where they will turn up!

What's that smell?

It's that time of year again -- the corn plant is blooming!

(above: dracaena fragrans, or corn plant)

NOVA Faculty and Staff take VLA Conference by Storm

The attendee evaluations from the VLA 2011 Annual Conference are in -- and NOVA faculty knocked it out of the park:

"Rebecca Kamen's presentation was outstanding."

"These have to be the best two keynote speakers I've heard in a long time. Both were amazing and inspiring. Thank you so much! Also, every single session I attended was interesting, informative, and engagingly presented. Well done!"

"Great conference, the best I have been to in years!"

"Thoroughly enjoyed the opening session with Rebecca Kamen"

"Rebecca Kamen was out of the box, and simply fascinating."

"Excellent conference. There was a good mix of sessions for many different interests and audiences. Kamen was an outstanding keynote presentation."

"Rebecca Kamen's program was probably the most interesting VLA or even ALA program I've attended."

"I believe this year, more than any other, provided me with more intellectual take-aways than I could list. The sessions were excellent, and I enjoyed every one that I attended."

"This was the best conference I've attended."

"One of the best VLA conferences I've attended."

"This was for me THE BEST CONFERENCE EVER!"

Nature is a Language

Can you Read?

The Alexandria Campus Library staff took the VLA Annual Conference by storm. On Oct 27-28 Portsmouth, Va was invaded by legions of NOVA Librarians.

We conferenced. We networked. We Presented. We keynoted. We dined. We danced. We even karaoked (and Matt even took his tie off).

Nature is a Language, Can you Read?

Alexandria Faculty and Staff took Portsmouth, Virginia by storm on Oct 27 - 28 to attend the Virginia Library Association Annual Conference.

(l-r: Matt Todd, Sylvia Rortvedt, Rebecca Kamen, Anne Anderson, Brandee Worsham. One of the student sculptures in visible in the background).

The 2011 conference was notable for the participation of a number of members of the NOVA community. The conference program was designed and laid out by Alexandria Campus graphic design students working in the NOVAStudio program, mentored by Professors Lisa Hill and Angela Terry.

As President of the Association Matt Todd conducted both general conference sessions and served on the conference planning committee.

The keynote address at the opening general session was delivered by Alexandria Campus Fine Arts Professor Rebecca Kamen, who described how her work has been influenced by books and supported by libraries, linking her interests in the history of science, the visual arts, the book as artifact, and the intersection of classroom instruction, the creation of art, and libraries as cultural repositories. Her address was later described by attendees as "outstanding," "out of the box," and "one of the most interesting of all conferences I have attended."

Sylvia Rortvedt (Associate Director of Learning and Technology Resources at the Alexandria Campus) joined Rebecca in a very well-received concurrent session that was the subject of a "Twitter" stream.

Thirteen NOVA faculty and staff were granted permission to attend the conference, and two NOVA students donated artwork to be raffled off in support of the VLA scholarship fund.