Over the past few years the planning and preparation that makes the Vermont Library Conference a major continuing education opportunity for library staffs across the state have been carried out by relatively small teams of VLA and VSLA members whose hard work has compensated for there never quite being enough hands available for the amount of work involved in this project. In the past couple of years it has been extremely difficult for the VLA board to fill leadership and other positions key to mounting the Conference.Read more
Category Archives: News
News of interest to the Vermont library community
3M/NMRT Professional Development Grant for ALA Annual Conference
APPLICANTS SOUGHT FOR 3M/NMRT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANT
Deadline: December 15, 2008
Members of ALA’s New Members Round Table (NMRT) can apply to receive a grant, sponsored by 3M Library Systems, which will cover expenses to attend the ALA Annual Conference, July 9-15, 2009, in Chicago, IL.
Want to read about the ALA experiences of last year’s winners? Take a look at the August 2008 issue of Footnotes at http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/rts/nmrt/news/footnotes/august2008/index.cfm. You will see how professionally rewarding attending an ALA conference can be.
Adirondack Author Creates a Science Reference Website
I spoke at the Vermont Library Association Conference a couple years back and at that time was developing a science reference website for K-8.  The site has just received the American Library Association inclusion in their 2008 Great Web Sites for Kids.
I hoped librarians in Vermont might share it with their teachers and students if it is helpful. It’s called the Exploring Nature Educational Resource.  http://www.
I hope you find it useful for a science supplement.
Best wishes,
Sheri Amsel
Exploring Nature Educational Resource
Shirley Olofson Memorial Award for ALA Annual Conference
Are you looking for funds to help pay for your trip to  ALA Annual 2009 in Chicago? Apply by December 15, 2008 for the Shirley Olofson Memorial Award and you may receive a $1000 check to help defray the cost of attendance!
Applicants must:
1. Be a member of ALA and NMRT
2. Be active in the library profession
3. Show promise or activity in the area of professional development
4. Have valid financial need
5. Have attended no more than five ALA annual conferences
To apply, please visit:
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/
awolofson/Shirley_Olofson_
NELINET Launches New Web Site Using Open Source Platform
SOUTHBOROUGH, MA, November 13, 2008 – For the past few years NELINET, a non-profit library consortium serving New England, has been championing the benefits of open source software to the library community. The rise of interest in open source solutions in the library world reflects the needs of many organizations to easily develop customized and cost effective solutions for everything from integrated library systems to web sites.
NELINET is truly committed to the open-source movement. To underscore this commitment, NELINET just launched its new web site (www.nelinet.net) powered by the Drupal, the open source Web 2.0 content management/portal system. NELINET Executive Director Arnold Hirshon is excited for what the future of open source offers for libraries. “By developing our new website with Drupal, we are able to show our members the possibilities of what you can do with open source software – even those who have limited resources – and advance a key strategic objective of providing our members with technologies that enable them to work together as a community and exchange ideas.”
2008 National Survey of Public Library Funding and Technology Access
Hello Everyone,
There have now been 95 responses, giving us a response rate of 61%! That is GREAT – you all made it happen! I believe this is the first time Vermont will be able to be analyzed individually!
The survey will be open for another week, now ending this Friday, November 14. Additional responses are still welcome! So, you can still participate by going to www.plinternetsurvey.org .
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Librarians rule.
Rob Geiszler
Vermont Department of Libraries
Supporting innovation and investment in the nation’s libraries – Lifelong Access Libraries Leadership Institute
Supporting innovation and investment in the nation’s libraries – Lifelong Access Libraries Leadership Institute
December 1-2, 2008
Newton Free Library, Newton, Massachusetts
Library Services for 50+ Adults are Focus of New England Institute
New York – October 26, 2008
Specialists in the fields of aging, work, intergenerational programming and healthy aging will join Lifelong Access Fellows at a special Institute for New England’s library leaders to be held December 1-2 in Newton, Massachusetts.
Libraries for the Future (http://www.lff.org), a national non-profit dedicated to supporting innovation and investment in public libraries, has announced the following confirmed speakers:
- Mary Catherine Bateson, Anthropologist and Author
- Robert Tietze, Director, Philadelphia Experience Corps
- Diantha Dow Schull, Former Director, Libraries for the Future
Supporting innovation and investment in the nation's libraries – Lifelong Access Libraries Leadership Institute
Supporting innovation and investment in the nation’s libraries – Lifelong Access Libraries Leadership Institute
December 1-2, 2008
Newton Free Library, Newton, Massachusetts
Library Services for 50+ Adults are Focus of New England Institute
New York – October 26, 2008
Specialists in the fields of aging, work, intergenerational programming and healthy aging will join Lifelong Access Fellows at a special Institute for New England’s library leaders to be held December 1-2 in Newton, Massachusetts.
Libraries for the Future (http://www.lff.org), a national non-profit dedicated to supporting innovation and investment in public libraries, has announced the following confirmed speakers:
- Mary Catherine Bateson, Anthropologist and Author
- Robert Tietze, Director, Philadelphia Experience Corps
- Diantha Dow Schull, Former Director, Libraries for the Future
FRIDAY DEADLINE – 2008 National Survey of Public Library Funding and Technology Access
Hello Everyone,
As of this morning, a total of 84 libraries have responded, which is a 53.8% response rate. This is great!
We only need another 10 responses to attain the 60% response rate needed to analyze our state individually, and that can likely be accomplished.
I know this is not an easy task to accomplish, and the survey would not be anywhere near as successful without the help of people such as yourself.
We have until the end of the week to finish this up.
Thank you again and please let me know if you need anything further.
Rob Geiszler
Vermont Department of Libraries
YALSA’s MAE Award for Best Literature Program for Teens
This award honors a YALSA member for developing an outstanding reading or literature program for young adults. Winners receive $500 and an additional $500 for their libraries. Applications for the MAE Award, along with all of YALSA’s grants and awards, are due to the YALSA office by Dec. 1.The MAE Award for Best Literature Program for Teens is sponsored by the Margaret A. Edwards Trust.
Edwards was a well-known and innovative young adult services librarian at Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Md., for more than 30 years. Her trust has supported many initiatives from YALSA, including the Alex Awards for adult books with teen appeal and all five rounds of the Excellence in Library Service to Young Adults project.