Victoria on webinars, toolkits, the rich content of AALL’s professional network, and why she loves experimenting with recipes
Victoria Capatosto is a Research and Instruction Librarian / Instructor at Howard University Law Library in Washington, DC.
WHY DID YOU JOIN AALL?
I was encouraged to join by my first law librarian supervisors at Pepper Hamilton, Kristen Geiss in the DC office where I worked, and Robyn Beyer the library director based out of the Philly office. It was a great way to learn more practical knowledge to support the work I was doing on a daily basis at the firm and supplement the theories I was learning in library school.
WHY DO YOU STAY A MEMBER?
AALL is an amazing resource because librarians love to share. The rich content being distributed in this professional network is highly valuable. From the listservs, to the webinars, to the work being done by the local chapters, AALL provides access to such a diverse group of experts willing to share their knowledge.
WHAT ONE MEMBERSHIP BENEFIT IS MOST VALUABLE TO YOU?
The recordings of webinars are wonderful to have access to, since I’m not usually able to attend the live sessions, and the toolkits posted to the AALL website are invaluable!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY ASSOCIATED WITH AALL?
Last summer at the annual conference I moderated a panel called “The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program—Teaching Legal Bibliography to Change Lives.” It took place right after the keynote talk by Shon Hopwood. One of the final questions asked during the Q&A portion of his talk was along the lines of “As information professionals, what is the best way to effect change in the criminal justice system?” Hopwood’s response was essentially “Go teach a class in a prison.” I excitedly texted Rhea Ballard-Thrower and then ran off to help set up for our program. We were hoping for a good turnout, and we were elated when the room was packed. Our colleagues took Hopwood’s call to action seriously, and the engagement in our session was palpable. It was a great first experience presenting at an AALL Annual Meeting.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING OUTSIDE OF WORK?
I love to cook and bake—I’m a vegetarian with a gluten allergy, so it’s a good thing I enjoy experimenting with recipes. I used to blog pretty frequently about those adventures and am trying to get back into that practice as a sort of digital recipe box for myself. I also love road trips, hiking and camping, bodypump, yoga, and caring for our two cats.
WHAT BOOK(S) ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?
I tend to read a few books at a time. My current pairing is Orlando: A Biography by Virginia Woolf (an amusing and engrossing story about the adventures of an aristocratic poet) and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (an eye-opening account about scientific ethics, racism, cancer, and poverty).
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE TRAVEL/VACATION DESTINATION?
A couple of years ago my partner and I did a West Coast road trip. We flew into Seattle, rented a car, and drove all the way to San Diego. Some highlights of the trip were a few days of Twin Peaks tourism in Washington staying at the Road House, walking to the bottom of the Snoqualmie Falls at The Great Northern Hotel, and eating at the Double R Diner; driving to Crater Lake in Oregon and having a picnic overlooking the lake; visiting my younger brother in Los Angeles for the first time since he moved out there; and walking among the towering old-growth redwood trees in the Muir Woods National Monument. I’d go on a West Coast road trip again in a heartbeat.