Category Archives: News

News of interest to the Vermont library community

Vermont Board of Libraries Meeting Notice

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Vermont Board of Libraries is: Tuesday, January 13, 10 am – noon at the Midstate Regional Library in Berlin. In case of bad weather, a snow date will be announced.

The meeting agenda and the minutes of the October 21, 2008 meeting will be posted at the DOL website today or early next week. The Board of Libraries page can be found at: http://libraries.vermont.gov/libraries/bol

Please contact me if you need more information.
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Martha Reid
State Librarian
Vermont Department of Libraries
109 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05609-0601
Tel: (802) 828-3265
Fax: (802) 828-2199
martha.reid@mail.dol.state.vt.us

A New Film About Life In Vermont Released on DVD – SPECIAL OFFER for Libraries

A recent hit at the Vermont International Film Festival, “Slingbacks and Syrup” drew a larger audience than any other film in the festival! This endearing movie about the lives of the members of Vermont’s own House of LeMay is now available on DVD from RJD Productions.

Deep in Vermont lies the mythical town of Beaver Pond. “Slingbacks and Syrup” uses the documentary form to tell the true tale of a young man who meets The House of LeMay, a family of outrageous Vermont drag queens who forever change his life.. Through laughter and leadership the young man learns how the LeMays have stood tall in their heels and changed the world around them, and eventually the young man discovers that his world has been dramatically changed too. For more information or to view the films trailers visit www.slingbacksandsyrup.com

Read more→

2008 Library Automation Survey — closing soon

The 2008 Library Automation Survey will be closing soon.

If you have not yet responded, I hope that you will do so in the next few days. Please help me assess the current state of the library automation arena by responding to the survey and giving your library’s perceptions of its current automation software and the organizations involved in supporting it.

Original survey invitation message:

I am conducting another round of the library automation perceptions survey. Last year’s survey was the basis for “Perceptions 2007: an international survey of library automation:”

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Important Gates Foundation Survey for Public Libraries

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Broadband Assessment Project Survey: Please return by January 16, 2009

I am writing to inform you about a new project sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, part of their effort to improve high-quality technology services in public libraries. Please read this letter about how you will provide important information regarding Internet connectivity in your library.

This is a new survey, and is different from other surveys and questionnaires you have received concerning Internet service in your library.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently launched the Broadband Assessment Project, a nationwide effort to collect detailed information about Internet connections in all public libraries in the United States. Information gathered in this effort will help the Foundation and its partners raise awareness of the need for high-quality Internet in public libraries and how to meet this need.

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2010 VLC Conference May Be Canceled

A representative from each organization is needed immediately to fill the positions of the 2010 Vermont Library Conference co-chairs-in-training. We realize these positions require a commitment of time and attention, and this year we have implemented stipends for the co-chairs and co-chairs-in-training. Planning for the 2010 conference must begin now. Without a co-chair-in-training from each organization in place by Friday, December 19th, the 2010 conference will be canceled. The two boards will then begin discussions on how our organizations can continue to provide invaluable professional and networking opportunities for all Vermont librarians.

Please contact Judah Hamer or Sue Monmaney by December 19th if you are interested in serving as a 2010 VLC co-chair.

Sincerely,

Judah Hamer:  jshamer@gmail.com
Sue Monmaney:  susanm@mpsvt.org

Vermont Library Conference Web Site is Up!

Our Vermont Library Conference web site was just posted, thanks to Jessica Allard and Larraby Fellows…Hurrah! Check it out:

http://www.vermontlibraryconference.org

We will be adding to the site regularly so come often and invite your friends and co-workers to also check it out.

Send any additions or corrections to Jessica Allard, Larraby Fellows or me.

Barbara Doyle-Wilch

Green Mountain Book Award and the Young Writers Project

The Green Mountain Book Award (GMBA) is once again partnering with the Young Writer’s Project (YWP). For this partnership to be a success we need your help. Teachers, librarians and parents: encourage your students to get involved!

The Young Writers Project (www.youngwritersproject.org) is an interactive website (wiki) where “writers share ideas, comment on each other’s work, learn from mentors and professionals and connect with the world”. Click on their “about us” link to learn all about this amazing website for teens who love to write, want to discuss their work and to learn more about the writing process.

Geoff Gevalt of YWP has put our 2008-2009 GMBA list front and center on their website. Just head to: youngwritersproject.org/GMBA

From there you can access the GMBA forum and link to additional resources about Vermont’s teen book award. The forum offers reviews of the titles and encourages students to comment on the 2008-2009 list. Be sure to remind students who have read 3 nominated titles to vote for their favorite in the spring of 2009.

Once you’re there, check out all that the Young Writers Project has to offer. It’s a great website with many exciting writing opportunities.

DOL Newsletter Fall 2008 now available online

Greetings,

The new edition of the DOL News is now available on the Vermont Department of Libraries website at: http://libraries.vermont.gov/libraries/news

This issue is being distributed as an electronic document and will be mailed only to public libraries lacking email accounts.

Please be sure that copies get to Library Trustees and others in your library organization.

Marty
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Martha Reid
State Librarian
Vermont Department of Libraries
109 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05609-0601
Tel: (802) 828-3265
Fax: (802) 828-2199
martha.reid@mail.dol.state.vt.us

The Big Read–Fahrenheit 451

The Vermont Arts Council is again participating in the project of the National Endowment of the Arts called The Big Read. The book chosen for 2009 is Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, a searing indictment of censorship. The Council will provide schools and libraries with ten copies of Fahrenheit 451 plus teacher’s guides, audio guides, and a supply of reader’s guides. (If you want to order more copies of the book, the Arts Council has a very affordable source.)

Each school or library can determine how to best use this opportunity and resources. Since the project spans January-May 2009, the book can be integrated into your programming anytime this winter.

For more information, or to sign up see: http://vermontartscouncil.org/Community/TheBigRead/tabid/702/Default.aspx

A tip: the email on the site for the contact person, Lindy Harty, has a period at the end which you have to remove to make the email work.

Theresa Faust adds that the Vermont Department of Libraries has Fahrenheit 451 in both large print and talking book formats!

Jessamyn West adds: “New Hampshire read this book last year. So anyone needing extra copies of the book can go ask a NH library. They made a little blog for the project http://bigreadnh.blogspot.com/”

Also Debra Edmands tell me that for either $5 or $10 plus shipping, a library may rent 15 copies of this book for a 2 month period from Talking About Books. See www.talkingaboutbooks.com for more info.

Grace Worcester Greene
Children’s Services Consultant
Vermont Department of Libraries
109 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05609
802-828-6954
Fax: 802-828-1481
grace.greene@mail.dol.state.vt.us