Tag Archives: Vermont Libraries

Working Group on the Status of Libraries in Vermont Final Report

The Working Group on the Status of Libraries in Vermont submitted their final report to the Vermont General Assembly on November 1, 2023.

The group was formed in 2021 when the Vermont State Legislature passed Act 66 (S.115) “relating to making miscellaneous changes in education laws”, which was signed by Governor Phil Scott on June 7, 2021. The group was charged with studying the state’s libraries with the goal of strengthening and supporting libraries of all sizes and improving library services for the public.

The 939-page report is available on the Vermont General Assembly website at Working Group on the Status of Libraries in Vermont. It covers facilities, technology, collections, programming, inclusive and accessible services, intellectual freedom, library structures and organizations, staffing, continuing education, emergency preparedness, safety, and social services.

“Not only will the report start important conversations among municipal and library leaders, but it will also serve as a reference about the invaluable services libraries provide in this state for many years to come,” said State Librarian and Commissioner of Libraries Catherine Delneo, who chaired the working group. “It is an important mirror for the library community that provides context for decision makers, library workers, and the Vermonters we serve.”

The members of the working group were:

Maria Avery, MA, Community Outreach Manager, University of Vermont Libraries (Burlington), Academic Library Representative

Jeannette Bair, Retired, Former Director of Rochester Public Library (Rochester), Public Library Representative

Meg Boisseau Allison, M.Ed., High School Librarian, U-32 High School (Montpelier), Past President (2020-2023) and Legislative Concerns Chair (2023-2026) of the Vermont School Library Association

Catherine Delneo, MLS, Working Group Chair, State Librarian and Commissioner of the Department of Libraries (Barre)

Denise Hersey, MA, MLS, Director, Dana Health Sciences Library, University of Vermont (Burlington), Academic Library Representative

Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup, MScm, Executive Director, Vermont Humanities (Montpelier)

Andy Kolovos, MLS, PhD, Associate Director and Archivist, Vermont Folklife (Middlebury), Trustee, Brownell Library (Essex Junction), Friends and Trustees Section Representative, Vermont Library Association

Kelly McCagg, MLS, CPLA Director, Burnham Memorial Library (Colchester), Vice President (2021-2022), President (2022-2023), and Past President (2023-2024) of the Vermont Library Association

Karen McCalla, MLS, Teacher Librarian, Mill River Union Middle/High School (North Clarendon), Representative, Vermont School Library Association

Susan O’Connell, MLSm Director, Craftsbury Public Library (Craftsbury), Public Library Representative

Wendy Sharkey, MSc, MLS, (Expected December 2023) Head of Circulation Department, IT, and Cataloging, Bennington Free Library, Public Library Representative

See also: VLA Executive Committee Seeks Member Input for Strategic Actions

Last update January 16, 2024

Fall 2023 Professional Development Grant Deferred to Spring 2024

The Vermont Library Association (VLA) Scholarship and Awards Committee did not receive any applications for the fall 2023 Professional Development Grant. Considering the recent flooding in Vermont, and the added pressures it is putting on libraries and their communities, the committee has decided to defer these funds to the spring 2024 Professional Grant Funding opportunity. The committee may award up to $250 for a Vermont Library Association member to attend a workshop, conference, or continuing education course. Therefore, in the spring, the committee will award two $250 grants. We sincerely hope that by then library staff will have the capacity to apply for these funds.

Thank you, thank you,

Pamela Cartier (she/her)
VLA Scholarship and Awards Committee Chair

Librarian Kelly McCagg

VLA President’s Letter

Whether we like it or not, the world in which we are currently living—sore throat, mask, test, repeat—is not going to change in the foreseeable future. So, it is up to each one of us to make this “new normal” better than before. What does this mean in the library world?

Hopefully, COVID has taught us to be more accessible—or at the very least, loosen our requirements for access. Maybe your library initiated an online registration tool or simply mailed paper registration forms to patrons’ homes. Is it feasible to keep these accommodations? Doubting Debbie (I mean no disrespect to anyone named Deborah) will say, “The library is back to its full schedule of hours. There is no reason why we need to keep offering this service.” But what if your pre-COVID hours didn’t work for the person’s schedule? They may work multiple jobs or lack reliable transportation. However, once they have their library card they can access all your online resources when their schedule allows. Do a cost vs. reward analysis to see if it is worth keeping. My guess is if you have chosen librarianship as a profession, you will find a way to efficiently offer this service to your community.

On the flip side, look for processes, programs, or policies that can be updated or weeded—“because we’ve always done it that way” no longer holds water. Are you still keeping paper copies of patron information already stored electronically? Does your program lineup look similar to that from the 1950s? Do you offer a virtual option for meetings and programs? Does your cell phone policy limit use to certain areas due to fear of disturbing other users? Are your bathrooms still gender specific? Be brave enough to be uncomfortable and your patrons will thank you!

Our communities, whether they are large universities, bucolic towns, or tiny hamlets, are all composed of smaller sections that need to work together in order to create a dynamic, cohesive unit. That means we all need to put our egos aside, and maybe even that argument that happened three town managers ago, to find a way to work together. Take the initiative and sit next to the person who rubs you the wrong way at the next meeting. You may discover some small similarity on which you can build a relationship that will benefit not just the library, but the community at large. Now can be a considerable time of growth. It will require very little, if any money, but a great deal of dedication and enthusiasm.

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and starting on the first one.”
–Mark Twain

Kelly L. McCagg
Vermont Library Association President
Director, Burnham Memorial Library
president@vermontlibraries.org
November 2022
(This letter was first published in the November 2022 VLA News email newsletter, sent quarterly to Vermont Library Association members.)
Natacha Liuzzi, a smiling white woman with gray hair, and Erin Davison, a smiling white woman with curly hair, standing behind a stack of books.

Professional Development Grant Winners Fall 2022

The Vermont Library Association (VLA) Scholarship and Awards Committee is pleased to announce two winners for the Fall 2022 VLA Professional Development Grant.

Natacha Liuzzi (left in picture), Children’s Specialist at South Burlington Public Library, will attend “The Newbery Medal: Past, Present and Future,” a six-week Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC) online course. The class will give participants a solid grounding in the history of the Newbery Medal and how it has changed over time; an opportunity to read, discuss, and consider past and present Newbery winners; a chance to talk to former Newbery Committee members and a Newbery author; and suggestions for programming using Newbery-winning books. The VLA grant will help defray the cost of the class.

Erin Davison, Youth Services Librarian at Norwich Public Library, will attend the New England Library Association (NELA) 2022 Annual Conference from October 23 through 25. The conference will give her the opportunity to connect with and learn from librarians in the region as she navigates rural librarianship for the first time in her career. The VLA grant will help defray the costs of the conference.

VLA’s Professional Development Grant, managed by the Scholarship and Awards Committee, provides the recipient with up to $250 for a professional development program such as a workshop, conference, or continuing education course. Applications are accepted twice a year (deadlines are May 1 and August 7), and priority is given by monetary need, library involvement, leadership, and commitment to Vermont libraries. Grant recipients are required to write a brief account of their professional development opportunity for VLA News, our quarterly email newsletter. For more information, and to apply, visit the Vermont Library Association Professional Development Grant webpage.

Vermont Library Association hosts tour of four Addison County libraries on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022.

Addison County Library Tour

Last spring’s VLA library tour in the Northeast Kingdom was so much fun that we are doing it again, this time in Addison County (mostly). Here are the details:
Friday, Sept. 30, 2022
Lunch in Vergennes
We also plan to follow up with a librarian happy hour afterwards at a nearby brewery for those who want to enjoy the camaraderie of fellow librarians for a bit longer.
While you are welcome to show up no matter what, it would be helpful to get a gauge of how many people we might be planning to have along for the tour. If you plan to attend, please send an email to director@craftsburypubliclibrary.org. And if you don’t plan to attend, and haven’t RSVPed, but decide at the last minute that you can’t bear to miss the fun, we will still be happy to have you! There is no cost for this tour, and library staff, trustees, and volunteers are welcome to attend.
Susan O’Connell