Author Archive: Susan Larson

Nominations Due May 1 for 2025 Vermont Library Association Awards

Nominations are now open for four Vermont Library Association awards. They are:

The Birdie Award, created in March 2014 as a memorial to University of Vermont librarian Birdie MacLennan, and to honor outstanding librarians like her. This award is given to a Vermont librarian or recently retired librarian who has provided outstanding service in the field of technical services.

The 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.

The Sarah C. Hagar Award, named for the first president of the Vermont Library Association and a librarian at the Fletcher Free Library for 23 years until her death in 1908, is awarded each year for outstanding service in or significant contribution to the field of librarianship in Vermont. Nominees for the Sarah C. Hagar award must be working in a Vermont library and be a member of VLA. Examples of “outstanding service” include but are not limited to:

  • providing outstanding service in one’s field of expertise such as children’s services, reference, technical services, or administration.
  • providing professional library leadership in areas such as legislation, intellectual freedom, literacy, or writing.
  • encouraging community support for and involvement with the library at the local or state level.

The Trustee of the Year Award recognizes outstanding achievement by a trustee on behalf of their library, either during the previous year or during their years of service. Nominations may be submitted by any library trustee, library board, librarian, friends group member, or VLA member. Examples include but are not limited to:

  • seeking legislative action for programs that would benefit libraries throughout the state or region.
  • leadership to increase the quality of library service.
  • creating model programs to overcome a major local library problem.
  • promoting public awareness and building support for the library.
  • developing adequate physical facilities for a library.

Who inspires you? Acknowledge this individual by nominating them for a Vermont Library Association Award, using the following forms. Nominations are due by Thursday, May 1, 2025.

Honoring Retirees
Are you retiring or know a librarian who is? If that librarian is also a VLA member we want to honor them at the annual Vermont Library Conference. Email pcartier@vermontlaw.edu with their name, library, and position.

For more information, visit the Vermont Library Association Scholarship and Awards Committee webpage, or email Committee Chairperson Pamela Cartier at pcartier@vermontlaw.edu.

April 6, 2025 (sl)

 

Take Action: Help Protect Institute of Museum and Library Services Funding

Funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in the form of grants provides about one-third of the Vermont Department of Libraries budget. The department strategically uses these funds to directly benefit Vermonters through their local libraries. This includes the extremely popular statewide interlibrary loan infrastructure. Following a March 14, 2025, Executive Order, President Donald Trump dismantled IMLS and halted all grant funding.

If you’d like to help bring attention to President Trump’s Executive Order that includes defunding the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), here are some simple but meaningful ways to get involved.

1 – Understand the Executive Order

Read the Executive Order (EO) itself so you’re informed about its content and implications: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/continuing-the-reduction-of-the-federal-bureaucracy/

The American Library Association has a great FAQ page to help understand the implications of the EO:
https://www.ala.org/faq-executive-order-targeting-imls

This American Libraries Magazine article gives a breakdown on the EO:
https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/white-house-attacks-libraries/

2 – Read the Vermont Library Association’s (VLA) Statement in Response

VLA has issued a response outlining how this order would impact the Vermont Department of Libraries, the services they provide, and ultimately everyone in our communities. Read it and share it:
https://vermontlibraries.org/vermont-library-association-statement-of-support-of-the-institute-of-museum-and-library-services

3 – Explore Action Items from EveryLibrary and ALA

Both EveryLibrary and the American Library Association (ALA) have created action platforms in response to this threat:

Note: These platforms send auto-generated emails to elected officials, but you can make an even stronger impact by calling directly.

4 – Contact Vermont’s Congressional Delegation and Governor Phil Scott

Senator Bernie Sanders
332 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
202-224-5141
Fax: 202-228-0776.

Senator Peter Welch
124 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-4242
Fax: 802-651-1674

Representative Becca Balint
1510 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-4115
Fax: 771-200-5791

Governor Phil Scott
Pavilion Building
109 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05609
802-828-3333
TTY: 800-649-6825
Fax: 802-828-3339

If you call you’ll likely reach voicemail, which is perfectly fine — leave a message! Here’s a sample script:

“Hi, my name is [Your Name], and I’m a resident of [Your Town]. I’m calling to urge [Senator/Representative/Governor] to oppose all efforts by the Trump administration to defund and abolish IMLS. IMLS is essential to Vermont libraries. It provides funding we rely on to support [briefly mention a local program or service]. This funding is critical to meeting the educational, economic, and community needs of Vermonters.”

5 – Share these calls to action with your friends, family, and colleagues.

6 – Create a bookmark to put into all books that you lend through ILL that includes the following:

InterLibrary Loan is a service funded through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Please call Senator Welch (202-224-4242), Senator Sanders (202-224-5141), and Representative Balint (202-225-4115) and urge them to protect IMLS from President Trump’s cuts.

Thanks to New Hampshire librarians for this idea!  If anyone creates one they can share, please do! Here are some sample bookmarks.

7 – Read Library Journal’s Roundup of Statements in Response to Executive Order Impacting the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS):
https://www.infodocket.com/2025/03/17/roundup-statements-in-response-to-executive-order-impacting-the-institute-of-museum-and-library-services-imls/

This page was updated on April 15, 2025 (sl)

Vermont Library Association Statement of Support of the Institute of Museum and Library Services

President Trump’s Executive Order to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) poses a serious threat to Vermont’s libraries and the communities they serve. The elimination or drastic reduction in functions and funding of IMLS would effectively strip away essential Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grants and other federal support that Vermont relies on to sustain its library network.

The impact of this Executive Order would have profound consequences across Vermont, where libraries are lifelines—especially in rural and underserved areas. Vermont’s libraries depend on IMLS funding to support critical initiatives outlined in the state’s 2023–2027 Library Services and Technology Act Five-Year Plan.

Without these federal investments, Vermont would lose vital programs that:

·       Enable resource sharing between small libraries that cannot independently maintain comprehensive collections;

·       Provide training and continuing education to library staff, many of whom serve in communities struggling to attract and retain qualified professionals;

·       Sustain the ABLE Library, which ensures equitable access to reading materials for those who are blind, dyslexic, or print disabled;

·       Support youth and early literacy programming, helping children build lifelong learning habits from an early age;

·       Deliver library services to traditionally underserved populations, including low-income families and those in institutional settings;

·       Offer workforce development resources, helping Vermonters gain the skills and tools needed to succeed in today’s economy;

·       Ensure free access to broadband internet, a crucial service for rural residents who often lack reliable home connectivity;

·       Provide consultancy and advisory services to library boards and trustees, helping ensure equitable access across municipalities;

·       Supply digital resources like databases, eBooks, and eAudiobooks, supporting flexible learning beyond traditional library hours;

·       Support technology training and consulting, enabling libraries to stay current with rapid technological changes.

These resources are not luxuries—they are essential to maintaining education equity, economic opportunity, and community well-being across Vermont.

Eliminating IMLS would jeopardize the future of public libraries as inclusive, accessible community anchors. It would widen the digital divide, hinder educational advancement, and leave behind the very populations that federal programs are intended to support.

We strongly oppose this Executive Order and urge policymakers to continue funding the IMLS, as investing in libraries promotes efficiency and lays the foundation for informed, educated, and connected communities.

March 25, 2025

See also:

Take Action: Help Protect Institute of Museum and Library Services Funding

For more information, contact Mary Danko, president, Vermont Library Association
president@vermontlibraries.org

Vermont Library Association 2025 Annual Conference Registration Open

Registration is open for the Vermont Library Association’s 130th annual conference, “Rooted in Community,” scheduled for Monday, May 19, in Killington, Vermont.

For the best price, first join VLA or renew your membership. Go to the Membership Information page for details.

Conference registration costs are as follows:

Early Bird (Deadline Friday, April 4)
VLA Members: $120
Nonmembers: $155

Regular Registration (After April 4)
VLA Members: $145
Nonmembers: $200

Discounted Registration
For staff working at libraries with budgets under $100,000: $65

Primary presenters may register for $120.

To register, visit the VLA “Rooted in Community” Conference Registration page.

A limited number of conference scholarships are available, thanks to the generous support of the Vermont Library Association and the Vermont Fairytale Festival. Compete the application by Friday, April 4. Recipients will be notified by Friday, April 11.

If you have any questions about the conference, please email conference@vermontlibraries.org

 

Keynote Speakers Announced for Vermont Library Association 2025 Annual Conference

AnnaLee Dragon, Executive Director of the New York Library Association, and Dr. Hannah K. Miller (they/them), Associate Professor of Education at Vermont State University Johnson, are the keynote speakers for the Vermont Library Association’s 2025 annual conference.

Prior to her tenure at the New York Library Association, AnnaLee was director of Kinderhook Memorial Library in Columbia County, New York, where she led the organization through a successful capital campaign and building renovation and expansion. AnnaLee has experience at both large urban and small rural public libraries, having also worked as a reference librarian and a branch librarian at Albany Public Library. She will be speaking at the start of the conference.

Dr. Hannah Miller teaches in the educator preparation program at Vermont State University Johnson. The program interrogates the process of social change in educational systems, with a focus on privilege, power, justice, and liberation. Hannah’s current research project, TeachOut Vermont, aims to build social and professional networks for queer, nonbinary, and transgender teachers in Vermont.

Hannah is currently on a quest to knit in every public library in Vermont. The project is her way of spending time in Vermont’s public libraries to learn more about the role that libraries and librarians play in preserving the freedom to read, safeguarding civic rights and institutions, and building resilience in local communities. She will be speaking during lunch.

VLA’s 130th annual conference, “Rooted in Community,” will be held on Monday, May 19, at the to Killington Grand Resort Hotel and Conference Center, 228 E Mountain Road in Killington, Vermont. For more information about the conference, including registration details, please visit the conference webpage.

 

 

Vermont Library Association Leaves X (Twitter)

The Vermont Library Association (VLA) deactivated its social media site X (formerly Twitter), and archived its posts on the website at https://vermontlibraries.org/tweets/. The Digital Communications Team and the Executive Board determined that the benefits of being on X were outweighed by the negatives. VLA was active on Twitter from 2012 until November 2024. The archive displays VLA posts, but not replies to other’s posts.

VLA continues to post to:

Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/VTLibraryAssociation/

Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/vlalib

LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/vermontlibraries/?viewAsMember=true

Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/vermontlibraryassociation/

And occasionally to:

YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/vermontlibraries

Updated April 23, 2025 (sl)

2025 Spring Professional Development Grant Applications Due March 14

Applications are due by Friday, March 14, 2025, for the next round of Vermont Library Association Professional Development Grants. Up to $250 is available for VLA members to attend a professional development program such as a workshop, conference, or continuing education course. Priority is given by monetary need, library involvement, leadership, and commitment to Vermont libraries.

To be eligible, applicants must:
– Be an active VLA member;
– Live in Vermont and/or work in a Vermont library; and
– Have not received a scholarship from VLA in the past two years.

Winners will be notified by Monday, April 7. Grant recipients are required to write a brief account of their professional development opportunity for VLA News, our quarterly email newsletter.

Click here for the Professional Development Grant Application

If you have any questions, please contact Scholarship and Awards Committee Chair Pamela Cartier at pcartier@vermontlaw.edu.

VLA Presents Intellectual Freedom Lecture on First Amendment Speech Challenges Under the New Administration

UVM President Emeritus Thomas Sullivan, J.D., presents First Amendment Speech Challenges for Libraries and Society Under the New Administration in Washington: Why Books and Expressive Thought Can’t Be Banned, as guest lecturer for the Vermont Library Association’s (VLA) 2025 John Swan Intellectual Freedom Lecture series.

“Libraries in the past few years have been increasingly faced with demands to censor their collections and ban books,” said Randal Smathers, chair of VLA’s Intellectual Freedom Committee. “With the new administration in Washington looking favorably on such efforts, join us to to discuss what this mean for libraries, librarians, readers, and intellectually curious members of the general public over the near future.”

The lecture will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 6, in the Main Reading Room of Fletcher Free Library, 235 College Street, in Burlington. It is free and open to all.

“Dr. Sullivan’s long and notable career includes federal criminal law, constitutional law, federal courts and civil procedure, and constitutional history, all of which make him uniquely qualified to discuss potential challenges facing libraries in today’s challenging climate,” Smathers said.  Sullivan served as the 26th President of the University of Vermont from July 2012 until June 2019. He continues to hold a tenured appointment as Professor of Political Science. He holds an honorary Doctor of Law Degree from the Vermont Law School, is a Life Member of American Law Institute and American Bar Foundation, and has served as:

  • President of the American Bar Foundation Board of Directors
  • Consultant, U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on judicial nominations to the U.S. Supreme Court of Justices Ginsburg, Sotomayor, and Kagan
  • Chair, Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics for the Minnesota Supreme Court
  • Member, American Bar Association’s President’s Commission on the Future of the Profession

For more information about the March 6 lecture, contact Randal Smathers at randal@rutlandfree.org or 802-683-9778.

2025 VLA Annual Conference Call for Proposals

The Vermont Library Association is accepting presentation proposals for its 130th annual conference “Rooted In Community,” scheduled for Monday, May 19, 2025, at the Killington Grand Resort Hotel and Conference Center. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, March 3.

“We seek sessions that can be scaled to suit libraries of all sizes and types, on varying topics,” said 2025 Conference Planning Committee co-chair Maria Avery. “We especially encourage presentations that exemplify ways libraries and librarians are essential to the communities they serve, are fundamental community-builders, can increase their community impact, and can engage more effectively with their professional community.”

Sessions will be 50 minutes in length, and can include:

  • Hands-on workshops with an activity / discussion
  • Traditional presentations with time for questions
  • Panels with best practices / case studies
  • Author talks with readings
  • Vendor presentations
  • Spark presentations: A five-minute/20-slide maximum presentation of a single example or project. This will be included in a session with other Spark presentations.

Submit your proposal by Monday, March 3 using this online submission form.

If your proposal is accepted, one person will receive the member early-bird rate for attending the conference. Conference attendance is not required to present a workshop.

If you have any questions, please email conference@vermontlibraries.org.

Four Vermont Libraries Share $90,000 WaterWheel Foundation Flood Relief Donation

The Vermont Library Association distributed a $90,000 donation from The WaterWheel Foundation Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation, to be used for Vermont libraries impacted by the July 2023 flooding. Ainsworth Public Library in Williamstown, Craftsbury Public Library in Craftsbury Common, Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier, and Johnson Public Library in Johnson have received funds.

“Libraries serve as information hubs, gathering spaces, and welcoming centers in towns, villages, and cities across our state,” said Margaret Woodruff, Vermont Library Association Government Relations and Advocacy chair. “The damage inflicted by the July 2023 storms and subsequent flooding affected entire communities beyond the building. It is a testament to the impacted libraries’ resiliency that the staff pivoted to continue to provide essential services to their communities with creativity and improvisation.”

The impacts of the catastrophic flooding in July 2023 were experienced in many Vermont communities and included the libraries. Public libraries suffered damage to their buildings and loss of resources. The rebuilding and repair process has been ongoing, but there is still more work to be done.

“This very generous donation from the WaterWheel Foundation Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation will allow the staff and boards of these libraries to plan and implement more permanent repairs and renovations and establish more resilient structures and practices for the future.” said Mary Danko, Vermont Library Association president.

The WaterWheel Foundation has been inspiring the Phish community to create positive change by funding nonprofit organizations and helping those in need since 1997. The Vermont Library Association (VLA) is an educational organization working to develop, promote, and improve library and information services and librarianship in the state of Vermont since 1893.