Peer Reviewers Needed for Broadband Technology Opportunities Program

Greetings,
I am forwarding this message from IMLS calling for peer reviewers of applications for federal ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) BTOP (Broadband Technology Opportunities Program) grant funds.

NTIA “encourages interested library and museum professionals to review grant applications for the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP)” and some of you may be interested in being part of the review process.

The Department of Libraries is a participant in two applications that have been submitted to the BTOP program: (1) Public Computing Centers (as the major applicant), partnering with The Vermont State Colleges and 65 public libraries, and (2) Sustainable Adoption of Broadband: The VT Council on Rural Development is the lead contact and the Department of Libraries is one of several grant partners.

Librarians who are somehow connected with either of these grants may not be eligible as reviewers, due to a conflict of interest. For more information, please see the message below.

Marty

CORRECTION: Library Reports and Standard Training in Ludlow not Full

Please see original post for more information on this event.

Hello Everyone,

We have learned that the registration deadline for the Bibliostat Collect training on October 1 at 9:30 in Ludlow was accidentally set to 8/24. If you tried to register, you were told that the session was full, but that’s not true. The deadline will be changed to 9/24 in the next few days. As soon as we change that date, you’ll be able to enroll. If you want to register for this training, please wait until the end of this week, or early next week. Then, click on the link for the Fletcher Memorial Library, Ludlow: http://tinyurl.com/lh7lc5 . It should work by Friday, but if not, try again next Monday. The session is not full.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

Rob Geiszler
Regional Consultant
Vermont Department of Libraries
271 North Main Street
Rutland, VT 05701
(802) 786-3839

Annual Public Library Report and Standards Application — important training sessions, October 1 — Ludlow or Midstate

Every fall the anticipation among librarians is palpable: the trips to the office supply store to purchase new pens, pencils and erasers, perhaps a pencil sharpener, a manila envelope or two, maybe even a new calculator. Who can resist the lure, the absolute delight, of completing and filing the Annual Vermont Public Library Report and Application for Minimum Standards? Oh, the thrill of the hunt to find copies of last year’s report, and those reports given to the Trustees and SelectBoard. What about the hours hunched over the forms, punching the calculator buttons?

Traveling Doll and Book Exhibits FREE for the Borrowing

Many of you have hosted the traveling doll and book exhibits but there are many who have not.
They are sponsored by the United Federation of Doll Clubs, Region 15 and by the Green Mountain Doll Club of Vermont.

I am now booking 2010.

For those you wish to learn more about how your library can host these FREE and FUN exhibits, just drop me a line.

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