Greetings, all,
I am forwarding the announcement (below) from the Vermont Humanities Council with the hope that many libraries around the state will participate in the Vermont Reads program this year. VHC has selected a wonderful book that will appeal to a wide audience. Information about the book, the program, and financial assistance is below. Deadline for applications is May 30, 2009.
Martha Reid
martha.reid@mail.dol.state.vt.us
Greetings, all,
I am forwarding the announcement (below) from the Vermont Humanities Council with the hope that many libraries around the state will participate in the Vermont Reads program this year. VHC has selected a wonderful book that will appeal to a wide audience. Information about the book, the program, and financial assistance is below. Deadline for applications is May 30, 2009.
Martha Reid
martha.reid@mail.dol.state.vt.us
Read more
Through the Community Grants Program, each Best Buy territory across the United States annually selects non-profit organizations that apply for grants to support programs and services that provide opportunities for young teens related to education, life skills, leadership skills or relationship development. This year, Best Buy Children’s Foundation will give $1 million through the Community Grants Program.
To: Vermont Library Community
I regretfully announce that, as a result of mandated budget and position cuts, the Department of Libraries is eliminating four positions: (1) full time clerk at Midstate Regional Library (previously announced); (2) full time clerk at the Special Services Unit/Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped; (3) full time clerk at the Northeast Regional Library; and (4) full time secretary position in the Law and Documents Division.
As a result of these cuts, I have made the decision to end services at the Regional Libraries as follows:
Dear Public Library Director:
Please take a few minutes to read this letter about a survey that will give us information about how Vermonters use computers in our public libraries.Read more
Congratulations to Jeff Kinney, author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, winner of
the 2009 DCF Children’s Book Award! Over 5,400 Vermont kids voted for theirfavorites from the DCF List. That means that those kids read a minimum of 27,000 books! Great job, everyone! Check the DCF website
(http://www.dcfaward.org) for upcoming details on the DCF Award Ceremony, as well as a list of the top ten vote-getters from this year’s tally.
Thanks to Steve Madden, DCF chair for the tabulating and reporting.
Grace
Vermont Department of Libraries
Please contact your Senators and ask them to sign the “Dear Colleague” letter being circulated by Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) in support of funding for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries Program.
The deadline to sign the letter is Tuesday May 5! LSTA and Improving Literacy Through School Libraries are two of the most important federal programs for libraries today. The letter will not be taken seriously, and it will appear as if Members of Congress do not care about libraries if we don’t have 60 signers on the letter. Programs that don’t have a vocal support network are in danger of being cut.
I’ve struggled for words to describe Judith Krug’s influence on my life since her death April 11, 2009. I dare not aspire to do her legacy justice when so many others have paid tribute so eloquently. See: http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/rememberingjudith.cfm
I attended her service driven by a desperate need to be among those who recognized how extraordinary Judith was, and felt the magnitude of her loss, not only personally, but for the country and the world. The tightly woven fabric of her family and their generosity of sprit was awe inspiring. I am forever grateful that they shared so much of her with us.
I sat surrounded by my family, not by blood, but a bond of love, common purpose and respect that Judith knowingly propagated, then carefully cultivated and nurtured. Her boundless love and compassion will carry us through these rapids of sorrow and grief. We will carry on and carry the flame. Thank you dear Judith, my hero, my mentor, my friend and most cherished- my surrogate mom.
Gail Weymouth  Sherburne Memorial Library  Killington
VLA IFC /ALAIFC
The Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center has extended availability of the Special Rate of $115.00 per room until April 24th. Hurry now to book a room at this great rate.
Looking for a roommate? Someone to carpool with? Try the VLA Travel Wiki. Simply sign up for an account and add your travel information. I have used it myself to coordinate rides and rooms at conferences and found it to be a great way to not only save money and stress, but meet wonderful folks I may never have met otherwise! Please let me know if you’re interested and I’ll sign you right up!
Thanks!
Helen Linda
VLA Advocacy Committee
The Vermont Library Conference is fast-approaching. The conference committee needs your help getting out invitations for our guests to the advocacy cocktail reception at the end of the first day. In addition to all conference participants (and we hope you’ll register and be one of them) we are inviting a number of guests including legislators, principals, college presidents, superintendents, and library trustees/board members. We still need to get out invites to this last group and it is difficult for us to identify these individuals. So if you can, please print out an invite and pass it along to your library trustees and board members. We can’t attach documents to messages on this listserv, but you can follow this link to the invitation pdf and print it out. The link is: http://www.vermontlibraryconference.org/Docs/Invitation.pdf