Library Libations

Join Vermont librarians on Monday, May 19 from 6:30pm – 8:30pm at the Fletcher Free Library in Burlington for a pre-conference mixer and party to to benefit the Vermont Library Association Scholarship Fund!
FREE for Vermont Library Conference attendees. Register for conference here: https://vermontlibraries.org/conference2014/
$15 for the general public.
Tasting table with Literary Dog Vodka! Music by DJ Papi Javi! Take #shelfie at our bookshelf photobooth!
RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1497517107143284/

Geek The Library!

Have you heard of “Geek the Library”?
It’s an awareness campaign for public libraries, from OCLC and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It is also coming to a close soon and we’d like all Vermont public libraries to learn about it and consider participating.
We are very happy to have Jennifer Powell of Geek the Library coming to Vermont to offer 2 sessions about Geek, April 30.
The first session will be held at the Dorothy Alling  Memorial Library in Williston  from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
The second session that day will be Brown Public Library in Northfield from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. 
What is a “Geek the Library” campaign?

  • Geek the Library provides materials and ideas for your local campaigns but you are not required to do any particular activities – you can customize for your town and library. Even very small libraries can use the campaign and integrate it in simple ways to build awareness.
  • You need not have completed Turning the Page or other advocacy training in order to effectively use the campaign – 11 Vermont libraries have or are currently participating in Geek with or without other training. However, if you have completed Turning the Page, this is a terrific place to start in working community awareness of your library with very little project creation on your own.
  • This is a fun campaign, asking for nothing, but building awareness of all the library can offer the community and bringing them in to the conversation.

If your library decides to join the Geek the Library campaign you will receive:

  • Free planning resources-event strategy, gathering and organizing local information
  • Help with local advertising and events
  • Resources to download artwork and print marketing materials, as well as resources to resize templates or other materials, if needed.
  • GTL Web page that can be adopted for your individual library
  • Free PR and promotional material
  • Access to GTL database that includes marketing, data and other resources

To register for the workshops:
Geek the Library – Williston April 30, Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston from 10:00 to 12:00
Geek the Library – Northfield April 30, Brown Public Library, Northfield from 2:00 to 4:00
If you cannot attend one of the two half-day workshops but would like to participate in or to learn more about the “Geek the Library” campaign, please go to:

  1. Visit http://get.geekthelibrary.org/what-is-geek-the-library/

Remember that you can always join Geek the Library campaign on your own and still attend the workshop and talk to Jenny from Geek campaign.
If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact Michael.roche@state.vt.us (802-748-3428)  or Christine.friese@state.vt.us  (802-828-2714) to discuss Geek the Library.

Vermont Library Conference Registration is Now OPEN!

Registration for the 120th Vermont Library Conference on May 20th at St. Michael’s College is now open!
http://www.vermontlibraries.org/conference/
Join the Vermont Library Association as we explore “Story Time: Advocate, Celebrate, and BE HEARD!” with ALA’s Director for the Office of Library Advocacy, Marci Merola. We have an amazing schedule full of sessions, panels, poster presentations, lots networking time, and BATTLE DECKS!

Don’t forget, VLA members get a significant discount on Vermont Library Conference registration, as well as a host of other benefits. If you haven’t already joined or renewed for 2014, you can include a VLA Membership Form with your conference registration and payment for both.
VLA Membership Info & Forms: http://www.vermontlibraries.org/membership/

To register for conference, please fill out this form:
http://www.vermontlibraries.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/VLCregistrationForm2014.pdf
and send it with your payment (and membership form/payment, if applicable) to:
Vermont Library Conference
PO Box 803
Burlington, VT 05402

Due to unforeseen circumstances, online payment for both the conference and membership will not be available this year. We’ll let you know when it does become available in the future.
Additionally, if you register for conference before May 1st you’ll receive early bird pricing. If you have any questions about your membership status, please don’t hesitate to contact members@vermontlibraries.org.

See you at the #VLC2014!

Last Call – Vermont Library Technology Unconference 4/9/14

What are you doing next Wednesday? Here’s an idea:
Register for the 2014 Vermont Library Tech Unconference!
Wednesday, April 9, from 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., at Midstate Library Service Center in Berlin.
This is the second time that we’ve held the event; some of you may have attended the first one, back in September of 2012. The intention is to bring together library staff members from across the state to talk about their work with technology, both strategies and challenges. All levels of skill are welcome. Come hear what other libraries are doing, and share your ideas!
Read more

Dorothy Canfield Fisher (DCF) Conference

Registration is now open for the Dorothy Canfield Fisher conference to be held in Stowe on Friday, May 2. The keynote speaker will be Gary Schmidt, author of Wednesday Wars, Okay for Now and Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, among others. The endnote will be given by Jo Knowles, Vermont author of several young adult novels and a middle grade novel, See You at Harry’s, which is on the current DCF list. More information and the registration form can be found here: http://libraries.vermont.gov/libraries/cbec/dcf/dcfconference

Remember, VLA members receive a discount on the conference, so renew your membership today: https://vermontlibraries.org//membership

Also, I am pleased to announce that the Friends of DCF are again giving scholarships to the conference, so if you would like to attend, but cannot afford it, fill out the application also at the link above, and you may get lucky!

 

Press Release: John Swan Lecture with Dawn Sova

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Press Contact: Raymond Brior
Phone: 802-635-1495
Email: Raymond.Brior@jsc.edu

January 14, 2014,

Vermont Library Association with the Department of Libraries presents The Bi-Annual John Swan Intellectual Freedom Lecture with Dawn Sova

Monday, January 27, 2014 at the Pavilion Auditorium

109 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05609
6:00-8:00 PM Free and Open to the Public

Read more

VLA Technical Services Section Meeting

Save The Date! The VLA Technical Services Section formerly the Cataloging Roundtable) will be meeting on January 15th, 2014 from 10:00-noon at Midstate Regional Library in Berlin.

Please email section president Christine Webb (cwebb@burlingtonvt.gov) with topics you’d like to discuss.

Library Advisory Council of the Special Services Unit Meeting

What do your visually-impaired patrons want from your library? What do you as a public librarian want from Special Services?

The Library Advisory Council of the Special Services Unit will discuss these issues at its next meeting, Thursday, Nov. 21, 10am to noon, at the Vermont Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired building, 60 Kimball Ave. (near Comcast), South Burlington.

Public librarians are invited to attend, or to send questions or comments to Amy Olsen, Lanpher Memorial Library, hyde_park@vals.state.vt.us.