Category Archives: News

News of interest to the Vermont library community

Workforce Reduction at the Vermont Department of Libraries

To: The Vermont Library Community
From: Martha Reid, State Librarian
Date: March 17, 2009
Subject: Workforce Reduction at the Department of Libraries

The Department of Libraries has received calls and emails from many of you concerning state budget cuts. I hope this memo will help answer some of your questions and concerns:

Last Wednesday Secretary of Administration Neale F. Lunderville was joined by Agriculture Secretary Roger Allbee, Human Services Secretary Rob Hofmann, and Natural Resources Secretary Jonathan Wood at a press briefing to discuss state workforce reduction proposals and the Administration’s counter offer to the Vermont State Employees Association (VSEA.) As you know, the proposed position cuts are spread across state government and will have serious effects on services to Vermont citizens. The total workforce reduction plan for the Department of Libraries includes the loss of 4 positions: 3 positions proposed for FY10 and 1 position in FY09.

Please note: this is not an announcement of regional library closings.

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Grant Opportunity Reminder from NEDCC

2009 NEH PRESERVATION ASSISTANCE GRANT (PAG)
Application Deadline: May 14, 2009
NEDCC CAN OFFER SUPPORT FOR YOUR PAG APPLICATION

THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES (NEH) will award PRESERVATION ASSISTANCE GRANTS (PAG) of up to $6,000 to small and mid-sized institutions for preservation planning and implementing small projects that strengthen collections care overall.

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WCAX interviews Williston library

Try to catch the WCAX (Channel 3) news tonight at 6 pm.  Darren Perron  and a film crew spent two hours at the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library this morning interviewing a Williston patron, Marty Reid and myself about library use during tough economic times.  Our patron, Tom LeBarge, had lost his job and used the library to work on and send out his resume and save money on recreational reading.  The good news is that he is now working again.  It will most likely run in the first 15 minutes.  If a “hotter” news story comes up it will run Monday night.  It will be archived on the WCAX website after the showing, www.wcax.com .

Times Argus Query: Do you circulate unusual items at your library?

Hello – I’m doing an informal poll of several libraries in Vermont to find out if many have unusual materials other than books and video/DVDs to check out. For example, I recently learned that Kellogg-Hubbard in Montpelier has a “kill-a-watt” electricity usage monitor that patrons can check out. I know many libraries have digital media players for circulation. What else is out there that’s unusual? It might be a story for the Rutland Herald and Times Argus’ Sunday book page, depending on what I learn.

If your library circulates nontraditional items, I’d love to hear about them and how long you’ve been doing it or any special challenges they pose. Thanks for your time.

Ruth Hare
Editor, Vermont Sunday Magazine section
The Rutland Herald and The Times Argus
(802) 479-0191, ext. 1152
ruth.hare@timesargus.com

ALA Releases Gaming Toolkit

From the Announcement – http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2009/march2009/olosgamingtoolkit.cfm

Libraries are changing and dynamic places, and no better evidence of that exists than the spread of gaming in the nation’s public, school and academic libraries.

In recognition of this trend and the increasing value of gaming to literacy improvement, the American Library Association, with assistance from a $1 million grant from the Verizon Foundation, has developed an online toolkit to aid librarians in serving this growing constituency.

The Librarian’s Guide to Gaming: An Online Toolkit for Building Gaming @ your library offers content contributed by expert gaming librarians across the country. The toolkit includes a wide range of resources to help librarians create, fund and evaluate gaming experiences in the library.

Toolkit – http://librarygamingtoolkit.org/

Source: American Library Association

Rock & Roll Library Tour! THE HIGH STRUNG are coming!

Are you looking for a high-energy, summer reading program?

For the past five years the quirky, carefree, energetic music of Detroit’s The High Strung has been electrifying patrons across the nation with their sunny three-part harmonies and witty, lyrical bravado. This year the guitars that accompany the band’s catchy sing-along choruses are roaming the country again, headed in your direction, and the show is only getting better.

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Rock & Roll Library Tour! THE HIGH STRUNG are coming!

Are you looking for a high-energy, summer reading program?
For the past five years the quirky, carefree, energetic music of Detroit’s The High Strung has been electrifying patrons across the nation with their sunny three-part harmonies and witty, lyrical bravado. This year the guitars that accompany the band’s catchy sing-along choruses are roaming the country again, headed in your direction, and the show is only getting better.
Read more→