STATEMENT: The Vermont Library Association supports and endorses the recent statement by American Library Association President, Julie Todaro, regarding the proposed budget cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services.:
WASHINGTON, DC — In response to President Trump’s proposal to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services in his FY2018 budget, American Library Association (ALA) President Julie Todaro today issued the following statement:
This Tuesday and Wednesday, hundreds of library supporters from all across the country will convene in Washington DC for National Library Legislative Day. They will be briefed on legislative issues affecting libraries and will meet with their members of Congress to discuss them.
It’s Banned Books Week!
Libraries around the state have Banned Books Displays. Take a picture and send it to us at vermontlibrarieswebmaster@gmail.com or share on facebook or twitter!
We created a video for the 50 State Salute – 50 State Salute-Vermont Librarians
Rockingham Free produced an hour long special for cable access – A Talk About Banned Books
We’ve asked as many VT politicians as we could find to tweet about their favorite banned book. Check out #VTLibraries and/or #bannedbook to see the replies!
WORLD BOOK NIGHT 2013 LIBRARY PARTICIPANT APPLICATION
http://connect.ala.org/node/
(Form is attachment in this link to World Book Night Group in ALA Connect (New to ALA Connect? Instructions for accessing ALA Connect are below; also attached is a list of participants! Join these participants by October 1!)
WORLD BOOK NIGHT 2013 is a celebration of literacy by publishers, bookstores, libraries and individuals who love books and reading. On WORLD BOOK NIGHT 2013, 25,000 “book givers” will each give away 20 copies of a specially-printed, not-for-resale WBN edition of book they have read and loved (from a list of 25-30 titles selected by librarians and booksellers) to complete strangers – people who may never have owned a book of their own. To promote this literacy event, libraries and bookstores – as organizational participants in the event – form a nationwide advocacy and distribution network.
If you, your staff, your trustees and friends have not yet done so, please consider joining us for the Fall session of Turning the Page 2.0, the 6-week free online course in advocacy from the Public Library Association and supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation who know the importance of these skills. Many Vermont librarians and trustees have taken this course and used what they learned to help their library.
Whether you have a capital campaign starting up, want to prepare each year for Town Meeting, hope to add staff or programming, or simply want to get a well-focused and well-honed message out to your community with a strong, coordinated voice, this training is tremendous.
Meanwhile, registration is OPEN at: http://www.ala.org/pla/
And please register with me to join us in-person or online on September 12 in Berlin, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm. You can write (christine.friese@state.vt.us) or phone me (802-828-2714) to register or to ask questions.
ALA has now made it easy for all of us to respond to email alerts that are sent out asking us to call our legislator on behalf of the most recent bill or action.. Text!
Here’s what to do:
Text “library” to 877877. You will receive a message back asking for your address. Send that info back. From now on, when there’s a legislative alert from ALA relating to library and information issues they will send you a text.
Hello from sunny Anaheim! I am happy to again be reporting from annual conference. At the first Council meeting we heard reports of task forces and committees. One report of particular interest was presented by the Digital Content & Libraries Working Group. This is the group that is working with ebook publishers. The group had an initial meeting with publishers in the spring and are now working to create business models and licensing agreements and to find ways to communicate the issues to the library community and the general public. ALA leaders have met with publishers twice more. They will continue to work to increase good access to e-resources.
I was lucky enough to score tickets for the first ever Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction Award presentation. Nominees for the award included Anne Enright, Karen Russell, Russell Banks, James Gleik, Robert Massie, and Manning Marable. Anne Enright won for her new book The Forgotten Waltz and Robert Massie won for Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman. ALA hopes this award will become the adult Newbery.
At our second Council meeting we passed a resolution encouraging support for school librarians.
It has been a great pleasure representing Vermont at ALA conferences for the past six years.
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Wilson
Turning the Page 2.0 is a unique opportunity for free, in-depth, interactive, online education in public library advocacy. Register for this six week course and get one-on-one attention from professional facilitators as you build a customized Advocacy Work Plan for your library.
Sarah Lawton of the Ilsley Public Library in Middlebury joined me to booktalk favorite titles for “A Salute to National Library Week.” The broadcast will air Monday, April 9 at 12:10 on channel 3, WCAX. The annotated list is available now at http://libraries.vermont.gov/libraries/misc. Feel free to use as a news release, bookmark, or display inspiration.
Amy Howlett
Vermont Department of Libraries
The ALA Public Programs Office, in partnership with the National Center for Interactive Learning at Space Science Institute, the Lunar Planetary Institute and the National Girls Collaborative Project, announces a new traveling exhibition opportunity for public libraries. Following a competitive application process, eight public libraries will be selected to host an interactive exhibition called Discover Tech: Engineers Make a World of Difference. Public libraries in rural areas and those serving rural populations and underserved groups are especially invited to apply. Online applications must be submitted to ALA by May 1. To apply, visit: www.ala.org/programming/discovertech