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In This Issue
Buy a Calendar Today! Support VPLF
Amazing VT Library Facts
Find Grant Funding @ The Library Grants Center
"Universal Class" Taking Off!
Documenting Storm Irene
Send Your Flood Pictures and Stories
"In the Wake of Hurricane Irene"
Apply Now to Create an Educational Garden
Irish Children's Laureate Visits VT
VT Early Literacy Initiative
New Discussion Sets of Books
SAVE THE DATE
FEB 4, 2012
TAKE YOUR CHILD TO THE LIBRARY 
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VT Library Association
VT School Library Assoc
 
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VT Folklife Center 
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topFrom the State Librarian

MartaReidVTStateLibrarian

It's the time year again when we look back at the past twelve months and tally the successes and losses of a year, remember milestones and significant events and look ahead to the clean calendar of a new year. Vermonters will look at 2011 and divide it into two parts: pre- and post-Irene. Storm Irene didn't last long, but our recovery will continue for years.

 

That point was driven home at a recent conference that I attended, hosted by Governor Shumlin, and presented by the Governor's Institute on Community Design. http://www.govinstitute.org/about/ The audience included leaders from across Vermont state government and other organizations and the presenters talked about their experiences and lessons learned from working in states with their own natural disasters: floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes in California, Iowa, Mississippi and North Carolina. It was sobering to know that Vermont is now part of the "disaster" family of states, but that was not the end of the story. Again and again, we heard about the resilience of our state, about the incredible effort and contribution of Vermont communities and individuals. We have much to be proud of - look at all those roads and bridges rebuilt! But we also have a lot of work ahead. Communities hard hit by the storm are still in need of volunteers and, as you all know, many Vermonters lost homes and businesses.     

 

The assembled group discussed a wide range of topics, but the one that resonated with me - and which will resonate with libraries - is the critical need for good communication and information during and after an event like Storm Irene.  Read more  

Buy a Calendar Today! 

Support the Vermont Public Library Foundation  

You say you have not yet purchased a 2012 Vermont Library Calendar!? No

girlandwomanwithumbrella holding picture
problem, DOL still has 2012 calendars for sale for $15.00/each. Sale proceeds go to the Vermont Public Library Foundation. The calendar, a project of the Vermont Library Association, features 14 months of beautiful bold photos of Vermont public libraries.  

Purchase your calendar now to avoid any price reduction that may come in January. You heard us right - avoid a potential discount! We know that you want to pay full price to support the Foundation. 100% of funds in the Vermont Public Library Foundation are used to provide grants to Vermont public libraries.

 

To purchase your calendar (or several), contact Renee Ancel at: [email protected]

Amazing Vermont Library Facts

We know our readers like to have library information on the tips of their tongues. Here's an interesting fact you can have ready for all those holiday parties. If the Department of Libraries' Special Services Unit (which includes the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped) was a "regular" public library, it would have the second largest collection in the state of Vermont, and would rank number one in the number of items lent to other libraries via interlibrary loan. This stellar DOL division currently does the job of a large public library with a staff of three people -- and they are open more than 43 hours a week! Let's hear it for the Special Services Unit!

Find Grant Funding @ the Library Grants Center

checkbook&penSalem Press has launched THE LIBRARY GRANTS CENTER, a FREE online directory of grants for libraries. The website offers resources to help librarians, library trustees, and library friends locate library grant funding sources on the national, state, regional and local levels. Grant information comes from a range of public and private sources, including professional organizations, large corporations, and family foundations. The Library Grants: How to page provides useful information about the grant application process and a list of resources for books, web sites, blogs, and more.

 Universal Class is Taking OffUniversal Class logo

In September DOL launched Universal Class, a collection of over 500 online classes available free to all Vermonters via their local library card. This has created quite a "buzz" across the state - have YOU registered for a course yet? DOL has a two-year contract with Recorded Books for this product and we want learners of all kinds to discover the wide variety of classes. For more information, call your local library. State of Vermont employees can register at: http://libraries.vermont.gov/universalclass 

Funding for this program comes from federal Library Services & Technology Act (LSTA) funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

 

Learners are able to enroll for up to five classes at a time and have six months to complete each class. Class offerings cover a wide range of subjects: Read more. 

Documenting Storm Irene in Vermont

Leahy Library at the Vermont History Center (VHS) in Barre is collecting paper and electronic documentation of the devastation caused by Tropical Storm Irene in Vermont at the end of August.  Like the flood of 1927, this natural disaster and its impact on Vermont and Vermonters and the resulting stories must be preserved.  

 

The VHS library seeks photographs of flood waters rising and of the resulting damage. Ideally, photographs should be printed out on photographic paper with identification.  However, the library will also accept electronic images stored on CDs. Please note that they cannot accept photos sent via e-mail.  Photographers should include a simple, signed release stating that the VHS is welcome to grant permission to reproduce these photographs after five years.  The library is also looking for posters advertising Irene recovery efforts and any publications that may result from the storm.  Please send photos, CDs, posters, and books to Paul Carnahan, librarian at the Vermont History Center, 60 Washington Street, Barre, VT 05641-4209, or contact him at: [email protected]

Send Your Flood Pictures And Stories

DOL seeks photographs and stories from libraries in towns affected by Storm Irene or by earlier floods in 2011 for an archive that documents damage to libraries and preserves accounts of how libraries responded in an emergency and post-emergency situation. Some of our libraries provided out-of-the ordinary services and we want to document this information for disaster planning and training, to highlight the role of local libraries in community emergency situations, and to include in our archival files on Vermont libraries. Read more

In the Wake of Hurricane Irene 

The Vermont Folklife Center in Middlebury is collecting oral histories from Storm Irene in Vermont and they have issued a new publication, Advice for Interviewing in the Wake of Hurricane Irene, available for free as a web page or downladable PDF at: http://www.vermontfolklifecenter.org/

 

From their website: "In an effort to provide support to those looking to explore the human impact of Hurricane Irene and the resulting flooding on the state, Vermont Folklife Center Fellow Aylie Baker has prepared a set of suggestions for conducting oral history interviews about the experience and significance of the storm." For additional information, contact Aylie or Greg Sharrow at: [email protected]

Apply Now to Create an "Educational Garden"

There's nothing like a garden to spruce up a place! School, library and community gardens offer children and teens (and adults, of course) the opportunity to learn more about food sources, healthy eating and environmental stewardship. Thanks to the National Gardening Association's (NGA) Mantis Awards for community and youth gardens, twenty-five public schools and libraries will have a chance to create their own gardens. The awardees will receive a Mantis Tiller/Cultivator with border/edger and kickstand, and their choice of gas-powered 2-cycle engine or electric motor.

 

If interested, consider applying for the Mantis Award. The deadline is March 1, 2012. Past Vermont recipients of the awards include the Hinesburg Community School and the UVM Extension 4-H Youth Agriculture Project in Brattleboro.

Irish Children's Laureate Visits Vermont

3women
Katherine Paterson, Grace Greene, and Siobhan Parkinson

For a brief time this month, Montpelier became a major center of the English-speaking children's literature world when both the Irish Children's Laureate, Siobhan Parkinson, and the U.S. Ambassador for Young People's Literature, Katherine Paterson (from Barre), met for lunch. Joining them were authors Sharon Darrow, Nancy Graff, David Macaulay, Leda Schubert and several other children's literature aficionados, including DOL Youth Services Consultant Grace Greene. Ms. Parkinson, Ireland's first Children's Laureate, was in the U.S. to make a speech at the New York Public Library and her visit included a brief foray to the Green Mountain State. In telling about her time as Laureate, she discussed her two major initiatives: support for school libraries (there is no tradition of school libraries in Ireland) and establishment of circulating collections of books from around the world. There are many differences between the U.S. and Ireland in terms of libraries, but their authors' passion for children and their literature is the same.

Vermont Early Literacy Initiative: An Update

babyreadingAs reported in previous DOL newsletters, there are now 53 public libraries in Vermont participating in the Vermont Early Literacy Initiative (VELI), co-sponsored by the Department of Libraries and the Vermont Center for the Book with funding from the Winnie Belle Learned Fund of the Vermont Public Library Foundation and the Henderson Foundation. Each of the participating libraries is using a three-pronged approach to introduce and promote literacy techniques and programs for babies and toddlers in their communities: (1) library storytimes now include more early literacy activities and offer tips for the parents; (2) libraries provide a separate series of programs for parents with information about early brain development and ways to share language and books with their children; Read more.
five

New Discussion Sets of DCF Books

The Department of Libraries has acquired discussion sets of five more titles on this year's Dorothy Canfield Fisher (DCF) Children's Award list. The books are:  Dark Life by Kat Falls, Sugar and Ice by Kate Messner, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger, The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester by Barbara O'Connor, and After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick. There are 15 copies of each of these titles.

 

In addition to the three new titles, DOL has discussion sets of these current DCF titles:   

Author

Title

Couloumbis

Jake

Erskine  

Mockingbird

Gibbs 

Belly up

Kimmel 

Reinvention of Moxie Roosevelt

Lupica

Hero

Shulman

The Grimm Legacy

Silberberg

Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze

Telgemeier

Smile

Zafon

The Prince of Mist


School and libraries may reserve these sets by contacting Linda Willis-Pendo at [email protected] / (802) 828-3267.


ONLY COMPLETE ARTICLES BEYOND THIS POINT

MARTYFrom the Vermont State Librarian

It's the time year again when we look back at the past twelve months and tally the successes and losses of a year, remember milestones and significant events and look ahead to the clean calendar of a new year. Vermonters will look at 2011 and divide it into two parts: pre- and post-Irene. Storm Irene didn't last long, but our recovery will continue for years.

 

That point was driven home at a recent conference that I attended, hosted by Governor Shumlin, and presented by the Governor's Institute on Community Design. http://www.govinstitute.org/about/ The audience included leaders from across Vermont state government and other organizations and the presenters talked about their experiences and lessons learned from working in states with their own natural disasters: floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes in California, Iowa, Mississippi and North Carolina. It was sobering to know that Vermont is now part of the "disaster" family of states, but that was not the end of the story. Again and again, we heard about the resilience of our state, about the incredible effort and contribution of Vermont communities and individuals. We have much to be proud of - look at all those roads and bridges rebuilt! But we also have a lot of work ahead. Communities hard hit by the storm are still in need of volunteers and, as you all know, many Vermonters lost homes and businesses.

 

The assembled group discussed a wide range of topics, but the one that resonated with me - and which will resonate with libraries - is the critical need for good communication and information during and after an event like Storm Irene. In the days following the storm, I heard from librarians about the essential services they were providing in communities hit by the storm. These libraries quickly adopted an "emergency response mode" and local residents found what they needed there, including the basic services of running water, bathrooms, telephones, and Internet access. In some towns the library became a central place to get information and make connections with neighbors. The library provided a place where they could find some respite and a sense of "normalcy." And for many, the library became both "information central" and the communication link with the rest of the world.

 

At the Governor's conference there was another message: we can expect more weather-related events in the future. Climate change is showing its true colors and so we must, as we continue with Irene recovery, prepare for what surely will come in the future. So last week, when DOL staff gathered to begin planning the schedule of Continuing Education workshops for public library staff in 2012, we made sure that "Disaster Planning" was on the list. We want to help libraries be ready should the worst happen in their communities. Being a community center providing communication and information in a time of chaos is one of the most important roles our libraries can play.

 

Amidst all of this work of recovery and planning, we are entering a festive holiday season marked by glitter and trees, candles and music, families and gift-giving, and the celebration of the return of light and a new year. Happy Holidays to you all.


Martha Reid

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UniversalUniversal Class is Taking Off

In September DOL launched Universal Class, a collection of over 500 online classes available free to all Vermonters via their local library card. This has created quite a "buzz" across the state - have YOU registered for a course yet? DOL has a two-year contract with Recorded Books for this product and we want learners of all kinds to discover the wide variety of classes. For more information, call your local library. State of Vermont employees can register at: http://libraries.vermont.gov/universalclass 

Funding for this program comes from federal Library Services & Technology Act (LSTA) funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

 

Learners are able to enroll for up to five classes at a time and have six months to complete each class.

Class offerings cover a wide range of subjects: standard curricula (math, science, etc.), crafts and hobbies, computers and software applications, job training, etc. Find a complete list of classes when you register online.

 

At the Readsboro Community Library, Director Cyndi Candiloro is a big fan of Universal Class. Since the public library is located in the school, she has a ready audience of students, faculty and staff. Here is what they are saying:

  • The school administrative personnel: "We love it!"
  • The teachers: "We have signed up for a variety of different classes."
  • "The cost (free) is perfect. The timing (online, whenever) really works."
  • "Some people come to the library to use the computers for the classes; others access the classes from home."

Here's a current snapshot of Vermont use of Universal Class:

Total Registered Users:   1,113

Total Login Sessions:      4,195

Total Courses Enrolled:  971

Total Lessons Completed: 2,260

 

Top Ten Courses in which Vermonters have enrolled:

1          Computer Basics 101

2          Accounting & Bookkeeping 101 for Everyone

3          How to Draw 101

4          Digital Photography 101

5          Excel 2007

6          How to Take an Online Course at UniversalClass

7          Adobe Photoshop 101

8          Nutrition 101

9          Medical Terminology 101

10         Knitting Basics

 

Give us a shout - how is Universal Class working in your community? We'd love to hear stories from folks who are using this resource. E-mail your stories to: [email protected]

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PhotosSend Your Flood Pictures And Stories

DOL seeks photographs and stories from libraries in towns affected by Storm Irene or by earlier floods in 2011 for an archive that documents damage to libraries and preserves accounts of how libraries responded in an emergency and post-emergency situation. Some of our libraries provided out-of-the ordinary services and we want to document this information for disaster planning and training, to highlight the role of local libraries in community emergency situations, and to include in our archival files on Vermont libraries.   

We prefer electronic copies of photos, either sent by email or on CD (latter preferred), but we will also accept photos on photographic paper, with identification. Please include the name of photographer, name of library/town, and a brief description of photo content. Photographers should include a signed release form. Please note that the DOL will not reproduce photos that include identifiable individuals without a signed release form from each person in the photo. Click here for the model release form.


Send photos, stories and other documentation (including information sheets, flyers, etc. created for use in your library or town) to: Renee Ancel at: [email protected]/ Department of Libraries, 109 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05609.

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ELIVermont Early Literacy Initiative: An Update

As reported in previous DOL newsletters, there are now 53 public libraries in Vermont participating in the Vermont Early Literacy Initiative (VELI), co-sponsored by the Department of Libraries and the Vermont Center for the Book with funding from the Winnie Belle Learned Fund of the Vermont Public Library Foundation and the Henderson Foundation. Each of the participating libraries is using a three-pronged approach to introduce and promote literacy techniques and programs for babies and toddlers in their communities: (1) library storytimes now include more early literacy activities and offer tips for the parents; (2) libraries provide a separate series of programs for parents with information about early brain development and ways to share language and books with their children; and (3) librarians are conducting training sessions for the local childcare community. The intent of this program is to give the primary caregivers in a young child's life the tools and information necessary to help prepare their children to succeed in school.

One new resource available to VELI librarians (and to anyone interested) is a quarterly newsletter written and edited by Deborah Gadwah-Lambert, Director of the Alice M. Ward Memorial Library in Canaan, and Beth Reynolds, Children's Librarian at the Norwich Public Library. Both Debbi and Beth served on the original VELI steering committee, and have continued to be mentors for other librarians in the program. The first newsletter, full of great ideas for fall storytimes, is available at: http://libraries.vermont.gov/sites/libraries/files/eli/Fall2011Newsletter.pdf 

For more information about this program, see: http://libraries.vermont.gov/libraries/cbec/eli 

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CHILD"Take Your Child to the Library Day" February 4, 2012

Children's Librarian Nadine Lipman from Waterford, Connecticut has declared the first Saturday of February (February 4, 2012) as "Take Your Child to the Library Day." All libraries are welcome and encouraged to participate in this promotional program. To register a local library as a participant, see: http://takeyourchildtothelibrary.blogspot.com/ 

 

This is a program idea for libraries that can be used to spice up the winter doldrums and promote local services and programs. The blog shows that libraries are already planning programs. Keep an eye on the blog to find ideas for events, displays, and more.

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