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In This Issue
From the State Librarian
VT FiberConnect Project Goes Live in 3 Public Libraries
First Catamount Network Library Goes Live
VOL Adds Tutorials, Tipsheets to Aid Users
15 Public Librarian Certifications Awarded
VT Teacher Librarian Elected to International Post
Brownell Library Teens Win CSLP/VT Teen Video Challenge
DCF Ceremony Features 4 VT Authors
Dystopian YA Book Wins GMBA Award
New Reference Desk Graces State Library
New Books in the Library Science Collection @ the State Library
Helpful Links
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topFrom the State Librarian 

MartaReidVTStateLibrarian More than usual, this past month has been a whirlwind of meetings and conferences where I have had the opportunity to network with leaders representing a wide variety of organizations and interests across the state. I have met with members of the Vermont library community, governmental and non-profit partners with whom the Department of Libraries regularly works, and a number of people new to me who have introduced me to their initiatives and programs. All of this activity - which involves business, education, the arts, children and families, and Vermont cities and towns, serves to remind me that the mission of our libraries intersects at multiple points the vision and goals of these various entities. Vermont libraries play a critical role in the state's collective problem-solving efforts directed at some of our most difficult challenges, including poverty, economic well-being, literacy, health care, and the vitality of our communities. Not everyone immediately sees the potential value in strengthening their connection to libraries, but I am often greeted at these meetings with something like "Glad you are here! Libraries are so important in our communities! Let's see how we can work together." Read more
VT FiberConnect Project
Goes Live in 3 Public Libraries

Congratulations to Putney Public Library, Dorset Village Library, and Baxter Memorial Library in Sharon; these are the first three libraries in the Vermont FiberConnect project to be connected to the high-speed, high-capacity fiber optic network, with internet service provided via a new shared Wide Area Network (WAN) funded by the Department of Libraries and managed by the VT Department of Information and Innovation. The fiber optic network which brings the fiber connections to the libraries is being built by Sovernet, via a federal BTOP (Broadband Technology Opportunities Program) grant. The WAN provides 100mbps of shared bandwidth for Internet access for the local library networks, as well as wireless access in these libraries. Read more 

First Catamount Network Library Goes Live

On June 3, Brattleboro's Brooks Memorial Library went live on the Catamount Library Network system. The Network is a consortium of five member libraries-with plans to grow in the next year. Brooks' milestone is the first step to creating an integrated catalog among all of the Catamount Library Network members. As libraries go live on the system, their holdings appear as part of the shared Catamount catalog. Read more 

VOL Adds Tutorials, Tipsheets to Aid Users
The Vermont Online Library (VOL) now offers new tools to help Vermonters access resources more effectively and find training in these resources, as well as ways for library staff to get the word out about some of the terrific options available to the public. These include a new search page where anyone can locate the libraries that offer Gale databases through VOL, as well as links to the public libraries that provide Heritage Quest and Universal Class. The search page is: http://www.vtonlinelib.org/  and users can search by town or library name to discover the research, information, and lifelong learning options available from nearby libraries.
Read more

15 Public Librarian Certifications Awarded 

public librarian certifications


The following people completed the Vermont Department of Libraries' certification program for public librarians and were presented with their certificates at the 119th annual Vermont Library Association Conference on May 21. They also received a letter of appreciation from Governor Peter Shumlin. We congratulate them for all of their hard work and dedication. Read more

VT Teacher Librarian
Elected to International Post 

Donna Sullivan-MacDonald, teacher librarian and technology integrationist at Orchard School in South Burlington, was elected to the board of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) to represent the Special Interest Group of School Media Specialists (SIGMS) and become SIGMS President-Elect. Her role began this month at the ISTE conference in San Antonio. More than 15,000 attend ISTE conferences. Read more 

Brownell Library Teens
Win CSLP/VT Teen Video Challenge 

For the past three years the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP), the organization that creates all the summer materials that Vermont libraries use, has run a contest in conjunction with the states for teens to create a public service announcement video to promote summer programs at the public library. The winning entry in Vermont was created by the Library Club at Brownell Library in Essex Junction under the direction of Kat Redniss, the YA librarian. Using the summer teen theme, "Beneath the Surface," four teens, Meredith Clark, Zoe Frolli, Brandalynn Spaulding, and Emma Sopchak, briefly explore their outside appearance vs. who they really are underneath. For creating the winning Vermont entry, the teens shared a prize of $275. In addition, they won for their library a check for $125 plus a $50 gift certificate to Upstart.

 

View all of the state winning videos through the CSLP website: http://cslpreads.org/programs/young-adult-program/teen-video-challenge/2013-teen-video-winners.html

DCF Ceremony Features 4 VT Authors

vt dcf authors On June 4 at Vermont Technical College, the Department of Libraries held the 56th annual Dorothy Canfield Fisher (DCF) Award Ceremony. The Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award, for grades 4-8, is the second oldest child-selected award in the country and is highly regarded by both the citizens of Vermont and the children's literature world. Read more 

Dystopian YA Book Wins GMBA Award

Veronica Roth has won Vermont's Green Mountain Book Award (GMBA) for her novel, Divergent (Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins, 2011). The GMBA is the teen book award for Vermont readers; students in grades 9-12 vote for their favorite book from a list of fifteen. Read more 

 

 

New Reference Desk Graces State Library

Reference desks, like old soldiers, never die. They don't fade away, either; they just keep on, year after year, like an old refrigerator - still functional, but not as pretty as it once was, and reflecting technology whose utility has faded. But that functionality, however limited, makes it easy to postpone the decision to invest in a new fridge, or a new reference desk.

 

That inertia has been overcome in the Vermont State Library, however, and a new Ref Desk is in place. And the reaction, similar to that after buying a new fridge, is "How did we ever get along for so long with the old one?"  

 

Here's a video of the installation of the new Reference Desk. The new desk has improved functionality, and is quite lovely to look at (and sit behind!).  


ONLY COMPLETE ARTICLES BEYOND THIS POINT
MARTYFrom the Vermont State Librarian

More than usual, this past month has been a whirlwind of meetings and conferences where I have had the opportunity to network with leaders representing a wide variety of organizations and interests across the state. I have met with members of the Vermont library community, governmental and non-profit partners with whom the Department of Libraries regularly works, and a number of people new to me who have introduced me to their initiatives and programs. All of this activity - which involves business, education, the arts, children and families, and Vermont cities and towns, serves to remind me that the mission of our libraries intersects at multiple points the vision and goals of these various entities. Vermont libraries play a critical role in the state's collective problem-solving efforts directed at some of our most difficult challenges, including poverty, economic well-being, literacy, health care, and the vitality of our communities. Not everyone immediately sees the potential value in strengthening their connection to libraries, but I am often greeted at these meetings with something like "Glad you are here! Libraries are so important in our communities! Let's see how we can work together."

 

These meetings have covered a lot of territory with focus on the welfare of Vermont's children, student achievement levels in reading, math, and science, the troubling college completion rate in Vermont, the health of our local downtowns, leadership development in Vermont, civility and citizen participation, the promise of new jobs and economic development in the Northeast Kingdom, historic preservation, and the changing demographics of our state. Vermont has a broad agenda and it is important for our libraries to be involved in these conversations and action plans. Indeed, sometimes it can be the library that takes leadership and "sets the table."

 

The danger for someone like me, who takes interest and finds synergies in all of these various endeavors, is a loss of focus and compromising our limited resources. And that is also a challenge for librarians. What is the most important work for Vermont libraries? Fostering student achievement? Providing support and information for teachers, parents and policymakers? Helping Vermonters find jobs? Getting teens involved and engaged? Providing e-books and other digital resources? Securing broadband? Teaching digital literacy? Insuring school readiness for our youngest kids? Supporting researchers? Offering cultural enrichment? I can imagine all the librarians out there nodding their heads ...yes, yes. We do all of this and more.

 

The work that libraries do is guided by local priorities and community needs, and we know how important it is for us to get out of the library building and meet with others who are working on behalf of our communities and fellow citizens. It is in these meetings and conversations - often with folks who don't use the library - where "sparks" can happen, connections are made, and shared resources explored.

 

Some days I am overwhelmed by the sheer amount of opportunity for libraries here in Vermont, and I am glad for the times we can celebrate the success that comes from taking "leaps of faith" in new areas and with new partners. In this issue of the VTLIB newsletter, you will read about the happy result of one such "leap of faith" - our partnership in the Vermont FiberConnect project - which is bringing high speed broadband to 43 public libraries. Now that is something we can all celebrate!

 

Marty Reid  

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fiberconnectVT FiberConnect Project Goes Live in 3 Public Libraries

Congratulations to Putney Public Library, Dorset Village Library, and Baxter Memorial Library in Sharon; these are the first three libraries in the Vermont FiberConnect project to be connected to the high-speed, high-capacity fiber optic network, with internet service provided via a new shared Wide Area Network (WAN) funded by the Department of Libraries and managed by the VT Department of Information and Innovation. The fiber optic network which brings the fiber connections to the libraries is being built by Sovernet, via a federal BTOP (Broadband Technology Opportunities Program) grant. The WAN provides 100mbps of shared bandwidth for Internet access for the local library networks, as well as wireless access in these libraries. 

 

Stephen Coronella, Director of the Putney Public Library, has said that the speeds are "unbelievable."  Kevin Nadzam, the State network engineer who has set up network equipment and WAN connections at each library, reports that the average usage for Putney during its first week was only .0035 out of the possible 100 mbps, so there will be plenty of bandwidth available as the 39 other FiberConnect libraries are connected to the WAN between now and the end of the year.

 

VT FiberConnect is a public-private partnership between the Vermont Telecommunications Authority and Sovernet Communications, funded by a $33.4 million federal Broadband grant. The Department of Libraries is a partner in this project which will reach over 200 "community anchor institutions," including 43 public libraries and the Midstate Library Service Center in Berlin (which also had its fiber connection turned on this month). The Department of Libraries secured an Opportunity Online Broadband Technology grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help support this project in Vermont libraries.

 

The WAN connection and Internet service for these libraries is made possible with funds from the State of Vermont. Earlier this month the State completed installation of the central controlling equipment for the new WAN  and began supplying Sovernet internet service that will eventually be  shared by all 43 FiberConnect libraries.

 

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catamountFirst Catamount Network Library Goes Live

On June 3, Brattleboro's Brooks Memorial Library went live on the Catamount Library Network system. The Network is a consortium of five member libraries-with plans to grow in the next year. Brooks' milestone is the first step to creating an integrated catalog among all of the Catamount Library Network members. As libraries go live on the system, their holdings appear as part of the shared Catamount catalog.

 

When libraries go live, their patrons can access all of the other items at other libraries that have added their holdings. Two things stand out that make this development remarkable: first is that patrons see all of the items in the catalog from one single online interface on their computer. This means that the public does not need to go to a separate website to see the catalog for another Catamount member library. A second remarkable development is that library users can place holds on items in the catalog, whether they are from their home library or not. Once a hold is placed, staff at the lending library pull the book off the shelf and send it to the patron's home library to be checked out. The patron needs only to go pick up the item at their library.

 

If you think this sounds somewhat like the existing interlibrary loan program administered by VTLIB, you are correct. Catamount improves upon the current scheme because it provides a seamless means to complete ILL within the Catamount Library Network. ILL will continue as normal for all non-Catamount libraries.

 

Catamount uses the open source Koha integrated library system software. Because Koha is open source, there is a community of developers working to improve it. These programmers write new code that they can add to the existing software to make it work better. Most do it out of interest; Koha is a labor of love for many programmers. This constant attention means that Koha is always being improved.

 

The Brooks Memorial Library going live on the Catamount system is just the first step. As Waterbury Public Library, Springfield Town Library, Rutland Free Library, and Fletcher Memorial Library in Ludlow add their holdings over the summer and autumn, the Catamount Catalog will grow. When these first five libraries have added their content, the catalog will contain over 260,000 items, all just a mouse click away.


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VOL Adds Tutorials, Tipsheets to Aid Usersvol

The Vermont Online Library (VOL) now offers new tools to help Vermonters access resources more effectively and find training in these resources, as well as ways for library staff to get the word out about some of the terrific options available to the public. These include a new search page where anyone can locate the libraries that offer Gale databases through VOL, as well as links to the public libraries that provide Heritage Quest and Universal Class. The search page is: http://www.vtonlinelib.org/ and users can search by town or library name to discover the research, information, and lifelong learning options available from nearby libraries.

 

Libraries also now have a Vermont-specific page of training materials to help users learn about databases such as Health and Wellness Resource Center, Career Transitions, ChiltonLibrary.com, and many more resources for students of all ages, job hunters, entrepreneurs, and lifelong learners. If you have not yet tried some of the free online classes at Universal Class, or the news articles, language learning tools, and other resources available on VOL, visit the search page and explore from your library or from anywhere. Ask your librarian how.

 

In upcoming months we will highlight a different VOL resource here in the newsletter. Coming up: Career exploration and job hunting through Career Transitions and Business Insight: Essentials.

 

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certs15 Public Librarian Certifications Awarded

The following people completed the Vermont Department of Libraries' certification program for public librarians and were presented with their certificates at the 119th annual Vermont Library Association Conference on May 21. They also received a letter of appreciation from Governor Peter Shumlin. We congratulate them for all of their hard work and dedication.

 

Loona Brogan, Cutler Memorial Library, Plainfield
Linda Childs, Haston Library, Franklin
Virgil Fuller, Chelsea Public Library
Susan Green, Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield

Deb Grennon, Franklin Grand Isle Bookmobile
Kimberly Krohn, West Rutland Public Library
Jeanne McCool, Aldrich Library, Barre
Judy Poquette, North Hero Public Library
Marieke Sperry, Quechee Library
Donna Swartz, Shrewsbury Library
Mary Van Hartesveldt, Rockingham Library, Bellows Falls
Annie Volmer, Craftsbury Public Library
Anne Walker, Cabot Public Library
Elise Werth, Waterbury Public Library
Margaret Woodruff, Charlotte Library

 

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 sigmsVT Teacher Librarian Elected to International Post    

Donna Sullivan-MacDonald, teacher librarian and technology integrationist at Orchard School in South Burlington, was elected to the board of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) to represent the Special Interest Group of School Media Specialists (SIGMS) and become SIGMS President-Elect. Her role began this month at the ISTE conference in San Antonio. More than 15,000 attend ISTE conferences.

 

Donna cites other teacher librarians in ISTE as her inspiration for weaving technology skills into curriculum-focused, collaborative library/classroom projects. Some of these projects connected Donna's students with students in other parts of the country and the world. She has also served on the organizing committee for the "Digital Media Playground" at the ISTE conference, where teacher librarians demonstrated various technological tools and allowed other conference attendees to test-drive them.


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 dcfDCF Ceremony Features 4 VT Authors

On June 4 at Vermont Technical College, the Department of Libraries held the 56th annual Dorothy Canfield Fisher (DCF) Award Ceremony. The Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award, for grades 4-8, is the second oldest child-selected award in the country and is highly regarded by both the citizens of Vermont and the children's literature world.

 

This year, DCF readers chose The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen as their favorite book of the year. Wendelin was not able to come to Vermont, so instead, the ceremony celebrated the Vermont authors who have books on the new (2013-2014) DCF list. For the first time, there are FOUR books on the DCF list written by Vermont authors, and all four authors spoke at the ceremony. They are: Jo Knowles (See You at Harry's) and Sarah Stewart Taylor (The Expeditioners) from Hartland, Rebecca Rupp (After Eli) from Swanton, and Phoebe Stone (The Boy on Cinnamon Street) from Middlebury. There were more than 500 children and accompanying teachers, librarians, and parents in attendance, representing all areas of the state. These were kids who couldn't wait to buy books, to have them signed, and then to sit in corners of the room to read them. These are kids who love reading, who read as many of the DCF books as they can, who eagerly pass on their favorites to friends, whose worlds are forever opened by this program.

 

dcf card One local librarian, Vicky Palmer from U32 in East Montpelier, took seven children from her school and the kids made her thank you cards to express their joy.

 

And, the authors were just as excited, energized, and happy as the kids. Here is part of a blog post that Jo Knowles posted:

 

"I could NOT stop smiling. The kids just couldn't get close enough. They surrounded the signing tables from all sides and we signed and signed and signed. This day was a gift I'll never forget. I know how lucky I am to have found a publisher who supports me and continues to publish my books. To a committee who believed in See You at Harry's, and wanted the children in their state to read it, too. To Grace, for inviting us to this wonderful event. To the teachers, who took a day out of school during what is probably the busiest time of year, in order to bring their students to an event that celebrates reading for the pure joy of it.


"I sit and look at these photos and think of my own child self, who never in her wildest dreams or farthest reaches of her imagination would have thought that some day, she would be standing in front of a group of readers, sharing her book, her voice, her passion, her love.


"Nope, I never would have. But there I am. Here I am. And I'm forever grateful."


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gmbaDystopian YA Book Wins GMBA Award

Veronica Roth has won Vermont's Green Mountain Book Award (GMBA) for her novel, Divergent (Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins, 2011). The GMBA is the teen book award for Vermont readers; students in grades 9-12 vote for their favorite book from a list of fifteen.

 

Divergent is not only the first book in a trilogy (Insurgent is already out and Allegiant will be out in October), but also Roth's first book. Roth sold the book before she even graduated from Northwestern, and is only 24 years old. The story takes place in a future where everyone is divided into five factions, each guided by a particular virtue: Abnegation, Amity, Erudite, Candor, and Dauntless. The heroine of Divergent, Beatrice, or Tris, discovers, after taking the aptitude test that all 16-year-olds take, that she doesn't fit neatly into any one of the categories; instead she is Divergent, something she must never mention. The book is fast paced, but also has a lot to say about identity and fitting in. The film version of the book is now in production, and is scheduled to be released in March of 2014.

 

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libsciNew in the Library Science Collection at the Vermont State Library 

These titles may be borrowed from the State Library.

 

Brown, Adrian. Practical Digital Preservation: A How-to Guide for Organizations of Any Size. Chicago : Neal-Schuman, an imprint of the American Library Association, 2013.

 

Franks, Patricia C. Records & Information Management. Chicago : Neal-Schuman, an imprint of the American Library Association, 2013.

 

Hakala-Ausperk, Catherine. Build a Great Team: One Year to Success. Chicago : ALA Editions, an imprint of the American Library Association, 2013.

 

Materials Review, Spring 2013 [videorecording] / prepared and presented by the Vermont Department of Libraries. South Burlington, VT : RETN Media Center, 2013.

 

Munde, Gail. Everyday HR: A Human Resources Handbook for Academic Library Staff. Chicago : Neal-Schuman, an imprint of the American Library Association, 2013.

 

Stavros, Jacqueline M. The Thin Book of SOAR: Building Strengths-Based Strategy. Bend, OR : Thin Book Pub. Co., 2009.  

The Whole Library Handbook 5: Current Data, Professional Advice, and Curiosa about Libraries and Library Services. Chicago, Illinois : ALA Editions, an imprint of the American Library Association, 2013.

 

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imls