Roger Vicarius Skalbeck

October 2019

ROGER TALKS ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP, HIS FAVORITE AALL MEMORY, AND SHARES HIS FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION

Roger V. Skalbeck is Professor of Law and Associate Dean at the University of Richmond School of Law in Richmond, Virginia.

WHY DID YOU JOIN AALL?

Back in library school, I joined AALL to connect with people in what was then a new area of work for me. In my first job after college, I worked in a law firm library, tracking print legal publications. This led me to enroll in library school. I quickly decided that one of the best ways to create opportunities was to join a national organization focused on my emerging profession.

WHY DO YOU STAY A MEMBER?

I stay a member for interactions and connections that AALL enables. This is a wonderful community, a great way place to find colleagues, and an environment where countless people feel at home with others who share a common vocabulary and vocation.

WHAT ONE MEMBERSHIP BENEFIT IS MOST VALUABLE TO YOU?

I love the publications, people and programming. One of the features I most value is our Government Relations Office. I feel lucky and honored to know that we are able to support efforts to promote access to legal information, driving change in legislation and advocacy in all areas of our work.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY ASSOCIATED WITH AALL?

Instead of naming a single memory, I would say that there are a collection of memories associated with AALL. At every annual conference, I have had great conversations with people, often at the conclusion of a good program or during a reception or social event. I recall fondly the meaningful and often funny conversations I’ve had with people in at least ten cities where I’ve attended an annual meeting.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING OUTSIDE OF WORK?

Board games and podcasts are my biggest passions outside of work. I love the immersive experience of new board games. While I sill enjoy Catan, I’ve expanded to more complex games like Scythe and Endeavor, while enjoying party games such as Code Names, Dixit, and Spyfall. With podcasts, I love to walk my dogs while lisening to Reply All, Every Little Thing and The Geek in Review.

WHAT BOOK(S) ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

The most recent book I read for fun was Cambridge Blue by Alison Bruce, which is a detective novel I read while spending time in Cambridge, England. As a mixture of work and pleasure, I have really enjoyed A History of Intellectual Property in 50 Objects. A close second for presenting an accessible overview of this area is Aram Sinnreich’s Essential Guide to Intellectual Property, which both came out in 2019.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE TRAVEL/VACATION DESTINATION?

Austria is by far my favorite travel destination. I love the language, culture and character of the country. Vienna is a spectacular city. It is diverse, eclectic and easy to navigate. There are numerous museums and they brought coffee to the Western world. I just feel bad that we gave them Starbucks in return. One of my favorite places to visit is the “Zentralfriedhof” which is a large cemetery on the outskirts of town. Though visiting a cemetery may seem morbid, this place is a spectacular celebration of the area’s history and heritage. It is big enough to have multiple bus stops in it, and is is a peaceful escape from the bustling commercial corridor of the Mariahilferstraße.