Dim lineItem = New With {.Name = myFile(index).Last_Name & ", " & myFile(index).First_Name, _
                         .StartDate = myFile(index).Day,
                         .EndDate = myFile(index).Day}

Public Function CreateListFromSingle(Of T)(ByVal p1 As T) As List(Of T)
  Dim list As New List(Of T)
  list.Add(p1)
  return List
End Function

Dim list = CreateListFromSingle(dsResource)

Public Function CreateEmptyList(Of T)(ByVal unused As T) As List(Of T)
    Return New List(Of T)()
  End Function

  Dim x = CreateEmptyList(New With { .Name = String.Empty, .ID = 42 })

Module Module1

    Sub Main()
        Dim dsResource = New With {.Name = "Foo"}

        Dim List = dsResource.CreateTypedList
    End Sub

    <System.Runtime.CompilerServices.Extension()> _
    Function CreateTypedList(Of T)(ByVal Prototype As T) As List(Of T)
        Return New List(Of T)()
    End Function

End Module

Sub Main()
    Dim x = New With {.Name = "Bob", .Number = 8675309}
    Dim xList = {x}.ToList()
End Sub

Dim yourList = {(New With {.Name="", .Age=0})}.Take(0).ToList

Public Function EnumerateFromSingle(Of T)(ByVal p1 As T) As IEnumerable(Of T)
    Return New T() { p1 }
End Function

Dim l = dsResources.Select(Function(d) New With {
                              .Name = d.Last_Name & ", " & d.First_Name
                          }).ToList()

Dim aList = {(New With {.Name="John", .Age=30}),(.Name="Julie", .Age=32)}.ToList