What We Do – Vermont Library Association

Current Initiatives

Vermont Library Association Sustainability Resolution

Vermont Library Association Reacts to Department of Libraries FY 2017 Budget With Cautious Optimism and Gratitude – contact Virgil Fuller, VLA President, for more information

Vermont Library Association College & Special Libraries Section Letter to the England Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (NEASC-CIHE) Regarding the Revised Standards Draft 2015 – contact Laura Crain, College & Special Libraries Section President, to find out more

Vermont Library Association Letter to President Barack Obama Concerning the Next Librarian of Congress – contact Virgil Fuller, VLA President, for more information

Statement on Banned Books Week 2015 – contact Ray Brior, Intellectual Freedom Committee Chair, to find out more

2015 Public Library Compensation Study Completed and published.

Read the Vermont Library Association Strategic Plan 2014-2017

Awards

Sarah C. Hagar Award – awarded each year for outstanding service in or significant contribution to the field of librarianship in Vermont.

Green Mountain Award – given as the opportunity arises to individuals or organizations for distinguished service, support, or unusual contributions to a Vermont library or libraries.

Trustee of the Year Award – outstanding achievement by a trustee on behalf of his or her library, either during the previous year or during his/her years of service.

Birdie Award – given biennially to a librarian who has provided outstanding service in the field of technical services in a Vermont Library.

Library Advocate of the Year Award – given occasionally by the VLA Government Relations Committee to an outstanding public advocate for libraries in local, state, or national government.

Scholarships

Professional Development Grant – up to $250 for a continuing education program such as an educational conference or an applicable course.

VLA Graduate Student Scholarship – up to $1,500.00 to a qualified applicant pursuing an MLS, MLIS, or MSLIS degree.

Board Documentation

Constitution and Bylaws – the governing documents of the organization.

Strategic Plans – VLA maintains 3 year strategic plans for the direction of the organizations and work to be done.

Leadership Directory – who are your representatives on the board.

Board Position Descriptions – what are the responsibilities of each board members.

Board Resources – catch-all page for things that don’t go anywhere else.

Annual Business Meeting Minutes – The annual meeting takes place at the Vermont Library Conference.

Board Meeting Minutes – VLA Board meets 5 times a year for regular meetings.

Board Retreat Minutes – VLA Board members meet every summer for a planning retreat.

Handbooks, Manuals, and Policies – helpful documents for existing board members

Past Initiatives

Compensation Studies

2012 – Vermont Library Association Personnel Committee Public Library Salary Survey 2012 final report

2009 – Increasing Public Library Compensation: a How-to Guide for Vermont Libraries 2009 revision.

2009 – Slides from Vermont Public Librarians’ Compensation: A Survey and a Toolkit (PDF, 212 KB) presented at the Vermont Library Conference, May 13, 2009.

2008 – Recommended Minimum Salary for Public Library Directors adopted:October 2008

2008 – Salaries and Benefits: A Survey of Vermont Academic Librarians final report

2006 – Increasing Public Library Compensation: a How-to Guide for Vermont Libraries 2006 revision, originally published 2003.

John Swan Intellectual Freedom Lectures

2020 – Alison Macrina spoke about Privacy and the Internet of Things on June 4, 2020.

2018 – YouTube Video of Deborah Caldwell-Stone’s lecture, Privacy in an Age of Surveillance Capitalism given on April 12, 2018.

2016 – YouTube Video of Justin Peters‘s lecture, given at the O’Brien Community Center, Winooski VT on April 15, 2016.

2014 – YouTube Video of Dawn Sova‘s lecture, given at the Pavillion Auditorium, Montpelier VT on January 27, 2014.

2011 – Christopher Finan talks about his book, From the Palmer Raids to the Patriot Act: A History of Free Speech in America, in which he speaks about VLA being the first sign of hope in the fight against the USA PATRIOT act. Given at Sherburne Memorial Library, Killington, VT on August 25, 2011.

2005 – A New Vision of Citizenship For a Fast-Globalizing and Ecologically Challenged World by Laurie Lane-Zucker, given at Brooks Memorial Library, Brattleboro, VT on June 9, 2005

Legislative Breakfasts

2014 – Legislative Breakfasts Updated Materials

Patron Confidentiality

2006 – Survey of Vermont Library Directors Regarding Patron Confidentiality Policy & Practice by Trina Magi, Bailey/Howe Library, University of Vermont, conducted for the VLA by the Intellectual Freedom Committee

Policies & Codes

2013 – VLA Social Media Policy adopted: September, 2013

2002 – Vermont Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Code – a voluntary agreement to govern interlibrary loan (ILL) among libraries in the State of Vermont. Correlated with the Interlibrary Loan Code for the United States, this local code is intended to promote a liberal ILL policy among Vermont libraries.

Statements, Press Releases, Resolutions, Bills & Letters (Other)

2015 – Press Release on Cuts to the Department of Libraries Released: March 20, 2015

2014 – VLA Statement on Unpaid Hours adopted: December 11, 2014

2014 – VLA Statement on Rep. Paul Ryan’s Budget Proposal That Recommends Elimination of IMLS adopted: April 8, 2014

2014 – Vinous Beverages In Libraries: Vermont House Bill H.385 & Senate Bill S.226

2006 – Resolution Concerning the Health Care Crisis in Vermont adopted: January 12, 2006

1999 – VLA Statement on Internet Filtering adopted: September 23, 1999

USA PATRIOT Act

2009 – Resolution on the 2009 Reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act adopted: September 15, 2009

2007 – ALA Petition – USA PATRIOT Act vs. Reader Privacy

2002 – USA PATRIOT Act Letter adopted: October 21, 2002

We’re adding to this page all the time, especially archival materials. Please let us know if there’s something you’re not finding!

As we enter into the unchartered territories of the late stages of pandemic living and the transition to a new normal, I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues in the Vermont library world to support the critical work we in libraries are doing: sustaining community, connecting our communities to vital resources, strengthening our democratic institutions, and pursuing equity, inclusion and justice.
– Mike Roy (2021-2022 President)

The Vermont Library Association supports library workers, friends, volunteers board members, and all those who use our services. Vermonters visited their libraries in person more than 5 million times last year, while also accessing digital resources provided through libraries more than 5 million times. Libraries are busier than ever. both online and in person; this is an exciting time to help lead our Association forward.
– Kevin Unrath (2020-2021 VLA President)

The longer I am involved with the Vermont Library Association, the more I realize how much support and strength we have in Vermont Libraries. As your President, I look forward to standing with our members as we continue to raise awareness, partnerships and opportunities for our membership and all Vermont Libraries.
– Amy Olsen (2019-2020 VLA President)

I feel very honored to serve as your president this year and look forward to collaborating on projects that will enrich the Vermont Library Association and advance the professionalism of Vermont librarians.
– Cindy Weber (2018-2019 VLA President)

Libraries champion democratic access to accurate information and are welcoming spaces that bring people together around ideas. The VLA supports and enhances this work by providing opportunities for librarians, Trustees, and Friends from all types of Vermont libraries to collaborate and learn from each other and advocate for libraries.
— Joy Worland, (2017-2018 VLA President)

What makes the opportunity to be part of the VLA so exciting and energizing is the chance to bring our libraries together. We can advocate more effectively and launch programs more successfully when we marshal our resources. I don’t believe that means a cookie-cutter mold that all libraries must match but rather an umbrella under which our ideas, endeavors and inspiration can fit. I hope to have the chance to work with Vermont Library Association and bring forward our designs and dreams.
— Margaret Woodruff, (2016-2017 VLA President)

I see Vermont’s Libraries as the living rooms for the towns that they serve, a community gathering place where folks can be comfortable sharing ideas with their neighbors. VLA fosters the same comfort with its membership, librarians, and libraries in Vermont at large.
-Virgil Fuller (2015-2016 VLA President)

Libraries enrich our patrons and communities, just as the VLA does for its members. The more I am involved in this organization, the more I grow.
– Toni Fortini Josey (2014-2015 VLA President)

Libraries are part of the essential services in every community. Police and firefighters save lives; libraries make lives.
– Amber Billey (2013-2014 VLA President)