Four Calls for Contributions

  1. Pre- and Post- Retirement Tips for Librarians
  2. Library Collaborations with Writers, Artists, Musicians and Other Creative Community Members
  3. Library Services for Multicultural Patrons to Encourage Library Use
  4. Publicity Methods to Keep Libraries in the News

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Enter to win a $250 grant to buy library books.

Sisters in Crime-New England members know the difficulties that New England libraries face these days, and we want to help. Enter to win a $250 grant to buy library books. Just send us a photo of an exhibit of at least three books by authors who are members of Sisters in Crime-New England. Your library will be entered for our quarterly drawings for a $250 check—PLUS autographed books from our SinC-NE members! Get details at www.sincne.org.

Who are we? We’re Sisters in Crime-New England, the regional chapter of the nationwide organization, Sisters in Crime.

In 1986, women wrote 40% of the mysteries and got 15% of the reviews in the New York Times. That year Sisters in Crime was founded to “combat discrimination against women in the mystery field, to raise awareness of the contributions of female authors, and to promote the professional advancement of women who write mysteries.” We are authors, agents, booksellers, editors, librarians, critics, and readers. Brothers in Crime are welcome. The national organization now boasts over 3000 members, including authors, fans, librarians, booksellers, and pre-published writers.

The New England chapter, Scarlet Letters, holds educational meetings for its more than 170 members, writers, readers and mystery fans at various locations throughout the year, and offers networking advice and support to published and pre-published mystery authors. The chapter also offers a Speakers Bureau that can provide individual speakers or groups of writers for libraries and other interested organizations. To find out more about our Speakers Bureau, click here.

This year we’ve added something new: the New England Library Lottery. We’re so excited about the national Sisters in Crime “We Love Libraries” $1,000 monthly lottery that we’ve decided to add a New England version.

All a library has to do to enter is send us a photo of an exhibit of at least three books by authors who are members of Sisters in Crime-New England and the library will be entered for one of our quarterly drawings for a $250 check—PLUS autographed books from our SinC-NE members! You can find a link to SinC-NE’s published members as well as other details on our website, www.sincne.org.

The prize must be used to purchase books, but won’t be restricted to the mystery genre or to those by Sisters in Crime members. What’s more, any New England library scheduling a SinC-NE Speakers Bureau event will be entered in all the quarterly drawings an additional 10 times. The first drawing will be held on September 1st.

A library can use the same photo for the national SinC lottery, so there will be two chances to win! For more information about the national contest, see We Love Libraries.

SinC-NE will be sending this announcement to all New England libraries, and we hope that you will encourage them to enter. And if you have any ideas for other ways that Sisters in Crime-New England and New England libraries can work together, please let me know!

Sheila Connolly, Library Liaison
Sisters in Crime-New England
sheila328@aol.com

Public Library Funding and Technology Access Survey Follow-Up

Hello Everyone,

Ever wonder if the time you take to complete surveys is of any benefit?  Is it worth it? Does this effort just disappear?

Last fall you probably completed the “Public Library Funding and Technology Access Survey,” sometimes called the “Plinter Survey.” It took some time to do.  Remember all those questions about whether you offer public internet access or do you have a maintenance schedule for your computers or what factors influence your decisions about adding computers or how do you receive IT support?

The results are out.  Here’s the announcement from John Bertot, who’s the guy who created and administered the survey:

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Vermont Libraries Included in Broadband Grant Award

Good news!

The Department of Libraries is happy to confirm that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration yesterday awarded a $33.4 million grant to deploy a fiber optic network across the state of Vermont. The grant award will go to the Vermont Telecommunications Authority (VTA) as part of the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

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Katherine Paterson Day

In conjunction with the Vermont Humanities Council 2010 Vermont Reads program, Barre’s Aldrich Public Library will host “Katherine Paterson Day” on Saturday, May 15 from 1 – 4 pm. The day will feature:

  • Book discussions for adults and kids
  • Dramatic Readings from Paterson’s “The Day of the Pelican” — in which an Albanian family must flee Kosovo to find refuge in Macedonia, then a home in Vermont.
  • Dance performance by the Bosnian Lilies
  • Film presentation “A Parallel World” by Essex filmmaker Mira Niagolova about life in a refugee camp on the Kosovo-Macedonian border
    Family craft activities: bookmarks, buttons, mini-books, balloons!
  • Remarks by Katherine Paterson, Senator Patrick Leahy, Vt Humanities Council Director Peter Gilbert and Mayor Thom Lauzon.
  • Refreshments
  • Free admission

Information: www.aldrich.lib.vt.us or 476-7550

Katherine Paterson Day

In conjunction with the Vermont Humanities Council 2010 Vermont Reads program, Barre’s Aldrich Public Library will host “Katherine Paterson Day” on Saturday, May 15 from 1 – 4 pm. The day will feature:

  • Book discussions for adults and kids
  • Dramatic Readings from Paterson’s “The Day of the Pelican” — in which an Albanian family must flee Kosovo to find refuge in Macedonia, then a home in Vermont.
  • Dance performance by the Bosnian Lilies
  • Film presentation “A Parallel World” by Essex filmmaker Mira Niagolova about life in a refugee camp on the Kosovo-Macedonian border
    Family craft activities: bookmarks, buttons, mini-books, balloons!
  • Remarks by Katherine Paterson, Senator Patrick Leahy, Vt Humanities Council Director Peter Gilbert and Mayor Thom Lauzon.
  • Refreshments
  • Free admission

Information: www.aldrich.lib.vt.us or 476-7550

Katherine Paterson Day

In conjunction with the Vermont Humanities Council 2010 Vermont Reads program, Barre’s Aldrich Public Library will host “Katherine Paterson Day” on Saturday, May 15 from 1 – 4 pm. The day will feature:

  • Book discussions for adults and kids
  • Dramatic Readings from Paterson’s “The Day of the Pelican” — in which an Albanian family must flee Kosovo to find refuge in Macedonia, then a home in Vermont.
  • Dance performance by the Bosnian Lilies
  • Film presentation “A Parallel World” by Essex filmmaker Mira Niagolova about life in a refugee camp on the Kosovo-Macedonian border
    Family craft activities: bookmarks, buttons, mini-books, balloons!
  • Remarks by Katherine Paterson, Senator Patrick Leahy, Vt Humanities Council Director Peter Gilbert and Mayor Thom Lauzon.
  • Refreshments
  • Free admission

Information: www.aldrich.lib.vt.us or 476-7550

C&SL event: Instruction Update

Announcing an event sponsored by VLA’s College & Special Libraries Section:

Instruction Update

(printable announcement)

Friday, June 4th, 10:00-3:00
(Coffee, etc., 9:30-10:00)
Castleton State College, Castleton, Vermont

  • An opportunity to gather with fellow Vermont instruction librarians and share our experiences with new tools, developments and trends
  • Featuring brief presentations on developments in instruction at various academic libraries, and time for discussion and questions
  • An opportunity to reflect on the academic year behind us, and consider some new ideas for the future

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