Massanutten Regional Library’s collections and services were highlighted at the Virginia Library Association’s 2024 Conference in Norfolk, Virginia last week. MRL Director Zach Elder teamed up with Harriet Flynn, founder of the Community Gear Library (CGL), on Wednesday to share the CGL's mission with other libraries, giving actionable advice to those wanting to increase inclusivity and access to outdoor recreation in their service areas, along with advice on curating “Library of Things” collections.  

Additionally, on Thursday, MRL's Youth Services Librarian, Stephani Tusing, presented "Blazing New Trails in Children's Outreach to Rural Populations," during which she shared practical advice and lessons learned from her 7+ years of experience with outreach in Page County, Virginia.  

In all, seven MRL team members attended the conference. Library Director Zach Elder says, “we love sharing with our library colleagues from across Virginia, especially to highlight our outreach efforts and our unique collections,” adding, “at each conference we bring home new ideas and insight back to our library system from others, to help MRL continue to be an innovative and vibrant public library system.”