UVM Researcher (Reference Librarian, Trina Magi) Studies Internet Privacy

From the Burlington Free Press article

When a student clicks on a commonly used research Web site such as JSTOR, FirstSearch or WilsonWeb — and they do it as routinely as earlier generations picked up the Reader’s Guide to find magazine articles — they are increasingly under surveillance.

Magi, who researched the issue over the past year, found that many library database “vendors” are evolving in the Web 2.0 social networking milieu of Facebook and My Space by offering personalized features that capture student research patterns or browsing results. That information, which over time can amount to a personal dossier, has commercial value.

Magi’s findings will appear in College and Research Libraries, a professional journal. She has won national awards for publicizing the dangers to library patrons of the 2001 Patriot Act, which allowed federal agents, acting on no more than a hunch, to scrutinize borrowing records looking for suspicious interests and forbade librarians from alerting the targets.

Nominations open for 2009 I Love My Librarian Award

From the American Library Association:

Nominations open for 2009 Carnegie Corporation Of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award

NEW YORK – Nominations open today for the 2009 Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award.

The award invites library users to recognize the accomplishments of librarians in public, school, college, community college and university libraries for their efforts to improve the lives of people in their community. Nominations will run through October 9 and are being accepted online at ilovelibraries.org/ilovemylibrarian.

Libraries and Ken Burns’ “The National Parks”

Join the excitement around the Vermont Public Television premiere of Ken Burns’ new series, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea on September 27, 2009.

Schedule a community preview and discussion of The National Parks. Get the 45-minute preview DVD of the series, electronic invitations, template press release and flyers to promote the event from outreach@vpt.org or
1-800-639-3351.
Link to the VPT website http://parks.vpt.org from your website so people can see information about the film series and the State Parks photo contest.
Schedule a Ranger from Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park or one of the Vermont State Parks to participate in the preview. For National Park Rangers, contact Tim Maguire, Chief of Visitor Services, at 802-457-3368 x18 or by e-mail: Tim_Maguire@nps.gov. For State Park Rangers, contact Nate McKeen, Chief of Park Operations, at 802-241-3664 or by e-mail:
nate.mckeen@state.vt.us.
List events related to the Ken Burns premiere on the Public Television website by contacting outreach@vpt.org or 1-800-639-3351.

Amy Howlett
VT Department of Libraries

Libraries and Ken Burns' "The National Parks"

Join the excitement around the Vermont Public Television premiere of Ken Burns’ new series, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea on September 27, 2009.

Schedule a community preview and discussion of The National Parks. Get the 45-minute preview DVD of the series, electronic invitations, template press release and flyers to promote the event from outreach@vpt.org or
1-800-639-3351.
Link to the VPT website http://parks.vpt.org from your website so people can see information about the film series and the State Parks photo contest.
Schedule a Ranger from Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park or one of the Vermont State Parks to participate in the preview. For National Park Rangers, contact Tim Maguire, Chief of Visitor Services, at 802-457-3368 x18 or by e-mail: Tim_Maguire@nps.gov. For State Park Rangers, contact Nate McKeen, Chief of Park Operations, at 802-241-3664 or by e-mail:
nate.mckeen@state.vt.us.
List events related to the Ken Burns premiere on the Public Television website by contacting outreach@vpt.org or 1-800-639-3351.

Amy Howlett
VT Department of Libraries

Alliance for Response Forum Deadline Approaching

The deadline for registration for the Vermont Alliance for Response Forum on August 31 in Woodstock is fast approaching. This is a free event, but we need registration in advance. This daylong session will emphasize the importance of working with your communities’ emergency responders in preparing your emergency plan for saving heritage collections in the event of an emergency or disaster. Nationally recognized speakers on disaster and emergency response will make it clear why planning is important and provide you with information on how to get started with your own plan. The Vermont Historical Society, in cooperation with Heritage Preservation, is hosting this statewide initiative to bring together cultural heritage institutions and first responders.

Go to www.vermonthistory.org for the link for online registration.

Here’s the original post on the VLA website about this event.

Cultural Facilities Grant Workshops

Old library building needs work? Here’s an opportunity.

The Vermont Arts Council will be hosting three Grant-seeker Workshops for
the Cultural Facilities program. Vermont organizations interested in funding
to revive or refurbish historical buildings are strongly encouraged to
attend one of these sessions. All workshops will take place from 3 to 5
pm. If you plan to attend, please notify Susan McDowell at
smcdowell@vermontartscouncil.org or by calling 802 828 0152.

Tuesday, September 1 at Jamaica Town Hall
Thursday, September 3 at Middlebury Town Hall Theater
Tuesday, September 8 at Danville Town Hall

Photo Preservation Program in September – Philadelphia

Historic photographs and negatives need special care. Learn how to best preserve these complex collections materials.

Focusing on Photographs: Identification and Preservation presented by the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts Philadelphia, PA – September 22 & 23, 2009

For more information and to register online, go to http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?e=8ce68ab3-6dac-4cb4-ad3b-ec8110133946 or go to our Education Program Calendar at www.ccaha.org.

This two-day program will focus on the fundamentals of identifying and caring for photographic collections. Using lecture and hands-on demonstrations, topics will be intertwined over the course of the program to give participants a holistic view of identifying photographic materials, caring for these collections, developing appropriate handling procedures, and establishing safe storage environments.

Check out the VLA Travel Wiki

Most libraries in this economy are experiencing level funding, budget cuts, even job loss. Professional development and travel reimbursement funds have been slashed if they existed in the first place. But don’t despair! What better way to meet new librarians or reconnect with old friends than carpooling, sharing a hotel room, and saving big money all at once. It can be hard when we’re spread out all over the state and may be the only person we know going to an event to find someone to split those travel expenses with. That’s why you should check out the VLA Travel Wiki. It’s a place for finding people. Editing the wiki is as easy as writing an email. There’s a lot fun to be had in it, too, and plenty of tips and tricks to get you started. If you are interested, click through and request to be added or contact me and I’ll get you started.

Enjoy!

Helen

helen.linda@goddard.edu

Center for Rural Studies Website Focus Groups

The Center for Rural Studies has re-developed its website (not yet launched), which is the gateway to many online community data resources, including Vermont Indicators. Whether we have achieved our goal of making it more user-friendly will be up to you to decide! We would really like to get the opinion of those working in libraries throughout the state before we finalize and launch the new site. Please email or call Anna to let her know if you would be available to participate in one of the scheduled focus groups:

Important information about ARRA funding for libraries

Please make sure that this information gets to your library director immediately:

The Department of Libraries is working with other organizations at a fast pace to submit two applications to ARRA (for federal stimulus broadband funds) by August 14.

Libraries who want to be included need to act immediately. Please read below.