Sarah Rogers, Janet Clapp, Amy Olsen, and Timmy Bullock were honored during the Vermont Library Association’s annual conference in May 2025, with annual awards presented by the Scholarship and Awards Committee. The paragraphs under their names are taken from the nomination submissions.
Birdie Award – Sarah Rogers
This past year Sarah Rogers, technical services librarian at Kellogg-Hubbard Library, negotiated being a new mom to a premature baby with her full-time job. As Kellogg-Hubbard’s technical services librarian, Sarah had significant responsibility for moving the library onto a new cataloging system, all while dealing with the changes from ongoing flood recovery. Her meticulous attention to detail and unwavering commitment culminated in the cataloging of an extraordinary volume of materials, a testament to her profound expertise and dedication to accessibility for Kellogg-Hubbard’s patrons. Beyond her professional achievements, Sarah’s insightful nature and sharp intellect enrich our workplace, fostering a stimulating and engaging environment. Her value extends beyond the library, as she embraces her roles as a devoted mother and wife. We celebrate Sarah’s well-deserved honor and the significant contributions she makes to both the Kellogg-Hubbard Library and the wider world.
The Birdie Award was created in March 2014 as a memorial to University of Vermont librarian Birdie MacLennan to honor outstanding librarians who, like her, provide outstanding service in the field of technical services.
Green Mountain Award – Janet Clapp
Janet Clapp has spent a decade volunteering for some of the most time-intensive tasks in the Catamount Library Network, including serving on the board. She has led the efforts to clean up catalogs for all member libraries, and successfully onboards tiny libraries with idiosyncratic catalogs. She has done this all while contributing to the Vermont Library Associaiton by compiling, writing, and publishing its quarterly newsletter. Even with all this, she manages the entire adult collection at Rutland Free Library, while rotating through the Help Desk for 10+ hours a week and putting up with Director Randal Smathers. As Randal puts it, “Janet is the consummate professional who has put in thousands of hours of volunteer time to help the cause of libraries across the state, starting on day one and continuing to this day.” For her dedication to libraries throughout Vermont, we honor Janet Clapp.
The Green Mountain Award is given as the opportunity arises to individuals or organizations for distinguished service, support, or unusual contributions to a Vermont library or libraries.
Sarah C. Hagar Award – Amy Olsen
Amy Olsen is the director of the small, rural Lanpher Memorial Library in Hyde Park, but the reach of her work is anything but small. “Under her thoughtful leadership, the library has become a cornerstone of her town, a place where people of all ages feel welcome, supported, and inspired,” one of her nominators wrote. Amy has a gift for creating programming that uncannily reflects the needs and interests of the community. She has created early literacy programs and supported emotional and mental health through a Community Wish Tree and a Wind Phone. Amy is a fierce advocate for libraries and often speaks up about funding and support for libraries, in general, and for her colleagues who are addressing specific issues. She is a cheerleader for libraries and librarians, as well. Amy can be counted on to celebrate her peers’ achievements and to spread the word about them. But she is also a dynamic force within her community, as she partners with many organizations to provide literacy, entertainment, and wellness services throughout the town. The consensus of those who recommended her for this award is that as libraries face an unprecedented time of uncertainty, Amy Olsen is exactly the type of person to show us, by example, how to approach our challenges from a place of joy, love, and compassion.
The Sarah C. Hagar Award, named for the first president of the Vermont Library Association and a librarian at the Fletcher Free Library for 23 years until her death in 1908, is awarded each year for outstanding service in or significant contribution to the field of librarianship in Vermont.
Trustee of the Year – Timmy Bullock
“If there is anything I’ve learned about Timmy over the years we’ve worked together it is that she approaches projects with her big heart and brilliant mind,” said John G. McCullough Library director Jennie Rozicki in her nomination letter. Timmy understood that McCullough Library’s previous funding levels were inadequate, ignoring both the basic needs of library staff and of the community. Thanks to Timmy’s efforts, the library now guarantees a sustainable wage to library professionals who are essential to the success of any library. Not only did she connect the library with a donor who could make a difference, she took the lead on an associated fundraising challenge. Her candor, persistent curiosity, willingness to develop new skills, meticulous attention to detail, and steadfast commitment to the delicate work of fundraising have been a tremendous benefit to this library and the people it serves. Read more about Timmy Bullock’s award in the Bennington Banner article McCullough Library trustee honored by Vermont Library Association.
The Trustee of the Year Award recognizes outstanding achievement by a trustee on behalf of their library, either during the previous year or during their years of service.
This Vermont Library Association (VLA) Scholarship and Awards Committee is charged with defining, overseeing, and funding scholarship opportunities for library professional development and overseeing VLA’s five awards. For more information, visit their webpage.
