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In This Issue
From the State Librarian
Jan. 16 Webinar Highlights Local Views of Rural Libraries Meeting
Catamount Network Launches Website
Windows XP Users Take Note!
FY2014 E-Rate Filing Dates Announced
VT Ed Standards Include Strong School Libraries
Mr. Tiger Goes Wild Runs Away with Mock Caldecott
World Book Night: Celebrate and Share the Love of Reading
Documentary Producer Visits State Library
In the News...
New Books in the CBEC Professional Collection
Helpful Links
Join Our Mailing List

topFrom the State Librarian 

MartaReidVTStateLibrarianCan you believe that we are almost at the end of another year? The last 12 months have flown by here at the Department of Libraries (VTLIB), and we have much to celebrate. As I write this article, 26 libraries are now up and running with high-speed fiber optic connections and are using the State of Vermont Library Wide Area Network for their internet service. We expect most or all of the 43 public libraries in the federal grant-funded Vermont FiberConnect Project to have their Sovernet fiber connections by the end of this month. Read more
Jan. 16 Webinar Highlights
Local Views of Rural Libraries Meeting

As mentioned in the October newsletter, VTLIB scholarships allowed six Vermont public library directors to join VTLIB Regional Consultant Michael Roche at the annual conference of the Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) this fall in Omaha, Nebraska. These 2013 recipients of the scholarships will speak at a VTLIB webinar at 2:00 pm, January 16, about their experiences and the great ideas they brought back to their libraries. Read more

Catamount Network Launches Website

catamount The Catamount Library Network (CLN) now has a website: 

http://www.catamountlibraries.org/. CLN is a consortium of Vermont libraries contributing to a shared Koha catalog, and is governed by a democratically elected Board of Directors. CLN allows library patrons to place holds in the Catamount catalog directly on items from any library in the system that are then delivered to that patron's home library. Read more 

Windows XP Users Take Note!

April 8, 2014, is the final day Microsoft will provide support for Windows XP. Those with computers in their libraries - or homes or offices for that matter - should know that now is the time to start planning an upgrade to a newer operating system. Sticking with Windows XP past the end of support date is pretty risky. Many experts are predicting a malware "storm" after support ceases, as hackers take advantage of unpatched weaknesses in the XP code. Hackers know that these weaknesses will not be patched, and those users unlucky enough to still have XP machines may find their computers severely compromised. Read more

FY2014 E-Rate Filing Dates Announced  
The FCC Form 471 application filing window for Funding Year 2014 will open at noon EST on Thursday, January 9, 2014, and will close at 11:59 pm EDT on Wednesday, March 26, 2014. Read more
VT Ed Standards Include Strong School Libraries 

When Denise Wentz, Judy Kaplan, and others on the Executive Board of the Vermont School Library Association (VSLA) read a draft of the proposed overhaul of the Vermont Education Quality Standards (Agency of Education), they not did not see school libraries mentioned anywhere in the document. That raised questions and put VSLA into advocacy mode. With the help of State Librarian Martha Reid, a VSLA team of school librarians met with Agency of Education Secretary Armando Vilaseca to talk about the important role that school libraries play in the K-12 learning environment and the essential services and programs that school librarians provide for students and teachers, and offered specific language to include in the new Quality Standards. The VSLA advocacy campaign also included school librarians in attendance at public hearings around the state. Their efforts were successful; the Standards now include language that supports good school libraries in Vermont schools, and the campaign reached national attention with articles in School Library Journal and Library Hotline. To read the proposed Quality Standards, go to: http://education.vermont.gov/state-board/eqs.

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild

Runs Away with Mock Caldecott  

mr tiger book cover From its tiger-striped book cover to the contrasting endpapers to the brilliant two page spread of the tiger sinking bit by bit from being a biped to an animal on all fours, Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown (Little Brown, 2013) was the book that most impressed the participants in Vermont's Mock Caldecott program on December 6. Mr. Tiger is a story about conformity and the joys of being different. Also chosen as an honor book was Journey, a wordless fantasy created and illustrated by Aaron Becker (Candlewick, 2013). Read more
World Book Night:
Celebrate and Share the Love of Reading  

bernadette book cover World Book Night is an annual celebration dedicated to spreading the love of reading. Each year on April 23, tens of thousands of people go out into their communities and give a total of half a million free paperbacks away. Begun in the UK in 2011, World Book Night spread to the US in 2012, and has been tremendously successful both years. People gave away books at nursing homes, homeless shelters, prisons, medical offices, on the street, anywhere they might find people who are non- or light readers. Read more 

Documentary Producer Visits State Library

documentary team Former Vermonter and current Santa Monica resident Jeff Kaufman produced, directed, and wrote the feature documentary The Savoy King: Chick Webb and the Music That Changed America (a Critics Pick at The New York Film Festival), which features the voices of Bill Cosby as Chick Webb, Janet Jackson as Ella Fitzgerald, and John Legend as Duke Ellington, plus Andy Garcia, Jeff Goldblum, Danny Glover, Tyne Daly, Billy Crystal, Ron Perlman, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones, among others. He has also produced/directed a number of documentaries for Amnesty International, including a documentary that introduced Amnesty International/USA's Maternal Mortality campaign, and a film on the persecution of the Baha'i Faith in Iran, Education Under Fire. He has also produced, written, and/or directed programs for The Discovery Channel, MTV, The History Channel, and The Learning Channel. Earlier, Kaufman hosted-produced daily political/cultural talk radio programs in Los Angeles and Middlebury; contributed cartoons to The New Yorker and illustrations to The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times; wrote and illustrated several children's books; and exhibited paintings in a number of galleries. Read more 

In the News...

grace and tracey

Tracey Campbell Pearson, a resident of Jericho Center, is the author and illustrator of many children's books, and some (like Where Does Joe Go?) have local Vermont connections. Her latest picture book, Elephant's Story, is a delightful tale of friendship that begins when Gracie loses a favorite book and Elephant finds it. The book is dedicated to "Grace" and we thought you'd like to know that refers to VTLIB's own Youth Services Consultant, Grace Greene. On December 4, Grace Greene was on hand at the Flying Pig Bookstore in Shelburne when Pearson read her new book to a group of children and parents and drew giant "elephant alphabet" posters for attendees. For more information about Pearson and her new book, go to: http://www.traceycampbellpearson.com/books/elephant.html. Read more   


ONLY COMPLETE ARTICLES BEYOND THIS POINT
MARTYFrom the Vermont State Librarian

Can you believe that we are almost at the end of another year? The last 12 months have flown by here at the Department of Libraries (VTLIB), and we have much to celebrate. As I write this article, 26 libraries are now up and running with high-speed fiber optic connections and are using the State of Vermont Library Wide Area Network for their internet service. We expect most or all of the 43 public libraries in the federal grant-funded Vermont FiberConnect Project to have their Sovernet fiber connections by the end of this month.

 

In another project supported by VTLIB, the Catamount Library Network (a shared library catalog operating with a Koha open-source platform) is operating with five pilot public libraries and expects to welcome another six libraries in the coming year. Reports from these libraries tell us that patrons appreciate the ability to place holds on items shown in the catalog across the five libraries, and our staff has gained firsthand both expertise and information on best practices for creating a library consortial shared integrated library system.

 

Our partnership in the Vermont Digital Economy Project (Vermont Council on Rural Development federal grant) has placed Community College of Vermont student interns in selected libraries around the state to provide one-on-one computer skills assistance and training for Vermonters. The stories we get back from these citizens have been remarkable: because of this service in our public libraries, folks are applying for and getting jobs, learning new skills they need for on-the-job performance, learning new software programs, connecting with the internet for the first time, and learning to use tablets and other mobile devices.

 

Our services to children, youth and families have included many milestones and successes that highlight the Vermont Early Literacy Initiative (with the Vermont Center for the Book and funding from the Vermont Public Library Foundation), three children's book awards, and an exciting summer reading program with activities in libraries all across the state.

 

This is only a "drop in the bucket" of what VTLIB has been able to accomplish this year, and we are looking ahead to January and the coming year. Watch for announcements with information on: (1) the national "Impact Survey," an online survey tool designed for public libraries that want to "better understand their communities and how people use their public technology resources and services," and (2) the Edge Benchmark program, a new planning tool for public libraries and their local communities to use to improve library services and address local needs and issues.

 

We're excited about the year ahead and look forward to working and communicating with you. I welcome your comments, ideas and feedback on the work of our Department. Feel free to contact me at: [email protected].

 

Best wishes for a safe and joyous holiday season,

 

Marty Reid  

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jan16Jan. 16 Webinar Highlights Local Views of Rural Libraries Meeting

As mentioned in the October Nnewsletter, VTLIB scholarships allowed six Vermont public library directors to join VTLIB Regional Consultant Michael Roche at the annual conference of the Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) this fall in Omaha, Nebraska. These 2013 recipients of the scholarships will speak at a VTLIB webinar at 2:00 pm, January 16, about their experiences and the great ideas they brought back to their libraries.

 

The annual event was sold out with 482 attendees from all over the country, representing small, rural and tribal libraries. The Vermont attendees found it particularly helpful to attend a conference so focused on the issues faced by small and rural libraries. Among the comments were, "This conference, more than any other I have attended, has opened my mind to new possibilities," and "this conference shows me that the rural and small libraries are many and diverse and very important all over the country."

 

Many of these directors did not know one another and mentioned that meeting directors from across the state was in itself a useful part of the trip. Often directors in small libraries have very limited time to attend continuing education workshops, meetings or conferences and this is a vital way of learning.

 

All of the librarians came back with ideas to implement here in Vermont including communications with the local business community, capital campaign strategies and new lending collections such as garden and kitchen tools, oral histories and seed saving. For more information on ARSL: http://arsl.info/. For information on the January 16 webinar with these scholars, State Librarian Martha Reid and others, watch the VTLIB website for details: http://libraries.vermont.gov/.

 

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fiberconnectCatamount Network Launches Website

The Catamount Library Network (CLN) now has a website: http://www.catamountlibraries.org/. CLN is a consortium of Vermont libraries contributing to a shared Koha catalog, and is governed by a democratically elected Board of Directors. CLN allows library patrons to place holds in the Catamount catalog directly on items from any library in the system that are then delivered to that patron's home library.

 

All of this information, and more, is on the CLN website in the FAQ and Bylaws sections. CLN is dedicated to transparency, and publishes the CLN budget - including all line items, meeting minutes, bylaws, and advance notice of upcoming Board meetings on the website. CLN invites public interest and public comment.

 

The consortium has now reached nine member libraries with five live on the system. CLN continues to grow, with several more libraries slated to join in 2014. A list of CLN member libraries is on the website under "Member Libraries."

 

The CLN website is the latest step in the growth of this Vermont library consortium.  

 

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catamountWindows XP Users Take Note! 

April 8, 2014, is the final day Microsoft will provide support for Windows XP. Those with computers in their libraries - or homes or offices for that matter - should know that now is the time to start planning an upgrade to a newer operating system. Sticking with Windows XP past the end of support date is pretty risky. Many experts are predicting a malware "storm" after support ceases, as hackers take advantage of unpatched weaknesses in the XP code. Hackers know that these weaknesses will not be patched, and those users unlucky enough to still have XP machines may find their computers severely compromised.

 

There are several alternatives for upgrading from Windows XP. Windows 7 can still be purchased online, but it is becoming hard to find on new computers and at brick and mortar stores. An upgrade in the box for Windows Home Premium runs about $110 to $120 online. Windows 8.1 is readily available, and will most likely be the built-in software that comes on a new PC. If you are ready for the jump from Windows XP to Windows 8, that is an attractive choice.

 

Linux Ubuntu is another alternative for those looking to get off the Windows merry-go-round, but still want to use a PC. Ubuntu is an operating system that is free, open source, and provides a user environment similar to Windows. With Ubuntu, the cost of upgrading every few years disappears, because open source software can be downloaded and run at no cost. A community of developers works on Ubuntu to make it work well with all kinds of software. For Windows-based software, Ubuntu can run the Linux version, or in many cases, will run a free open source alternative. Linux is much less susceptible to viruses, is very stable, and, as mentioned above, is free to download and run on your computer.

 

No matter what option you choose, it is important to make a choice soon. You don't want to be one of the unlucky few still running XP after April 8, 2014. 

 

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FY2014 E-Rate Filing Dates Announcedvol

The FCC Form 471 application filing window for Funding Year 2014 will open at noon EST on Thursday, January 9, 2014, and will close at 11:59 pm EDT on Wednesday, March 26, 2014.

 

Remember, an FCC Form 470 can be filed now if the library is ready to do so; it doesn't need to wait for the window to open. After filing, there is a 28-day wait while the Form 470 is posted on the USAC website before the library can close its competitive bidding process, select a service provider, sign a contract (if applicable), and submit an FCC Form 471. Wednesday, February 26, 2014, is the last day to post an FCC Form 470 online to the USAC website and still complete all of these actions before the window closes. PLEASE do not wait till the last day to file.

 

Item 21 attachments to the FCC Form 471 must be submitted by the close of the filing window. If filing the Item 21 attachment online, remember to click on the "Submit" button at the bottom of the last page before the window closes, OTHERWISE THE ITEM 21 ATTACHMENT WILL NOT BE SUBMITTED.

 

For USAC updates and general information go to: http://www.usac.org/sl/default.aspx

 

To file an FCC Form 470 online, go to the Apply Online page and click on the "Create Form 470" button.

http://www.sl.universalservice.org/menu.asp

 

If you have a question or need assistance please contact Michael Roche: 802-748-3428, 802-661-8613 (cell), or [email protected].

 

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certsMr. Tiger Goes Wild Runs Away with Mock Caldecott

From its tiger-striped book cover to the contrasting endpapers to the brilliant two page spread of the tiger sinking bit by bit from being a biped to an animal on all fours, Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown (Little Brown, 2013) was the book that most impressed the participants in Vermont's Mock Caldecott program on December 6. Mr. Tiger is a story about conformity and the joys of being different. Also chosen as an honor book was Journey, a wordless fantasy created and illustrated by Aaron Becker (Candlewick, 2013).

The program was presented by author and former School Library Media Consultant at the Department of Education, Leda Schubert, with Grace Greene, the Youth Services Consultant from the Department of Libraries. In the morning, Schubert and Greene presented a history of the Caldecott Medal, founded in 1938 by Frederic Melcher and the American Library Association to honor the most distinguished picture book of the year. The presentation marked 75 years of this very influential award. Those at the program who had been on the Caldecott Committee shared their experiences, and it was discovered that one of the librarians present was the designer for Song and Dance Man (written by Karen Ackerman and illustrated by Stephen Gammell), which won the Caldecott in 1989.

The afternoon saw dozens of librarians and teachers gathered in small groups earnestly discussing the artistic merits of the 15 books on the pre-selected list (see http://libraries.vermont.gov/libraries/cbec/mockcaldecott). The real Caldecott committee winner will be announced in a month.

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erateWorld Book Night: Celebrate and Share the Love of Reading       

World Book Night is an annual celebration dedicated to spreading the love of reading. Each year on April 23, tens of thousands of people go out into their communities and give a total of half a million free paperbacks away. Begun in the UK in 2011, World Book Night spread to the US in 2012, and has been tremendously successful both years. People gave away books at nursing homes, homeless shelters, prisons, medical offices, on the street, anywhere they might find people who are non- or light readers.

Each year a panel of librarians and booksellers chooses 30 titles to give away. The authors of the books waive their royalties and the publishers agree to pay to produce the specially-printed World Book Night U.S. editions. The titles for 2014 were recently announced, and include such classics as Catch 22 (Joseph Heller) and one by Agatha Christie (After the Funeral), as well as much newer titles such as The Botany of Desire (Michael Pollan) and Where'd You Go, Bernadette? (Maria Semple). There are titles for children and teens, too, including Bridge to Terabithia (Katherine Paterson), The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephan Chbosky) and Hoot (Carl Hiassen).

Anyone interested can apply to hand out 20 copies of a particular title in their community. Givers are chosen based on their ability to reach light and non-readers. For more information, or to sign up, please see: http://www.us.worldbooknight.org/.

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Former Vermonter and current Santa Monica resident Jeff Kaufman produced, directed, and wrote the feature documentary The Savoy King: Chick Webb and the Music That Changed America (a Critics Pick at The New York Film Festival), which features the voices of Bill Cosby as Chick Webb, Janet Jackson as Ella Fitzgerald, and John Legend as Duke Ellington, plus Andy Garcia, Jeff Goldblum, Danny Glover, Tyne Daly, Billy Crystal, Ron Perlman, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones, among others. He has also produced/directed a number of documentaries for Amnesty International, including a documentary that introduced Amnesty International/USA's Maternal Mortality campaign, and a film on the persecution of the Baha'i Faith in Iran, Education Under Fire. He has also produced, written, and/or directed programs for The Discovery Channel, MTV, The History Channel, and The Learning Channel. Earlier, Kaufman hosted-produced daily political/cultural talk radio programs in Los Angeles and Middlebury; contributed cartoons to The New Yorker and illustrations to The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times; wrote and illustrated several children's books; and exhibited paintings in a number of galleries.

 

He was back in Vermont for a few weeks in late November to make a documentary on same-sex marriage, and videotaped an interview in the State Library with Assistant Attorney General Eve Jacobs-Carnahan about her role in defending the State of Vermont in the lawsuit brought by three same-sex couples in 1997. The film will explore the Baker lawsuit and the legislative process that led first to civil unions and ultimately to same-sex marriage in Vermont. Eve explained to the film maker that the Attorney General's Office has an obligation to defend state statutes whenever they are challenged. The focus of the State's arguments to the Vermont Supreme Court was that questions of marriage policy belong with the Legislature, not the judiciary, since the Legislature has the ability to hear directly from Vermont's citizens as it considers policy choices. The Court recognized this by crafting a decision that forced the Legislature to decide how to extend marriage benefits to same-sex couples. Consequently, in 2000, the Vermont Legislature passed the civil unions law giving a substantial number of rights to same-sex couples. The proponents of same-sex marriage continued to advocate for full marriage equality in Vermont. In 2009, the Vermont Legislature granted same-sex couples full marriage rights.

 

Eve spent many hours in the state law library researching legal issues and the history of the Vermont Constitution. She said, "It was fitting that the interview took place in the law library, since I spent so much time there researching the case."  

 

The documentary should be released later next summer.

 

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newsIn the News... 

Tracey Campbell Pearson, a resident of Jericho Center, is the author and illustrator of many children's books, and some (like Where Does Joe Go?) have local Vermont connections. Her latest picture book, Elephant's Story, is a delightful tale of friendship that begins when Gracie loses a favorite book and Elephant finds it. The book is dedicated to "Grace" and we thought you'd like to know that refers to VTLIB's own Youth Services Consultant, Grace Greene. On December 4, Grace Greene was on hand at the Flying Pig Bookstore in Shelburne when Pearson read her new book to a group of children and parents and drew giant "elephant alphabet" posters for attendees. For more information about Pearson and her new book, go to: http://www.traceycampbellpearson.com/books/elephant.html.  

 

The November/December 2013 issue of Vermont Magazine includes the article "By the Books" written by Maria Buteux Reade. The article celebrates Vermont's public libraries, includes information gathered from an interview with State Librarian Martha Reid and puts a spotlight on some lesser known programs and services in these libraries: Richmond Free Library, Cobleigh Public Library (Lyndonville), Warren Public Library, Haskell Free Library (Derby Line), Greensboro Free Library, Bradford Public Library and Goodrich Memorial Library (Newport). We also like the article's subtitle: "What do Ben Franklin, Andrew Carnegie, Bill Gates and Martha Reid have in common? A belief that public libraries should be active hubs of every community."

 

Tom McMurdo (VTLIB's Collections and Digital Initiatives Librarian) and Birdie MacLennan (Director, Resource Description and Analysis Services, at UVM's Bailey/Howe Library) are the authors of the article "The Vermont Digital Newspaper Project and the National Digital Newspaper Program; Cooperative Efforts in Long-Term Digital Newspaper Access and Preservation," in Library Resources & Technical Services (Journal of the Association of Library Collections & Technical Services), Volume 57, #3, 2013. The article is a detailed look at the National Digital Newspaper Program and Vermont's project which has digitized selected content from Vermont newspapers published in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The project has been made possible with two grants to the University of Vermont from the National Endowment for the Humanities. To read this digitized newspaper content online at the Library of Congress' "Chronicling America" website (listed by state), go to: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/newspapers/

 

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cbecNew Books in the CBEC Professional Collection 

These titles may be borrowed from the Children's Book Exhibit Center. 

 

Allington, Richard L. & Anne McGill-Franzen, eds. Summer Reading: Closing the Rich/Poor Reading Achievement Gap. Teachers College Press, 2013.

Diamant-Cohen, Betsy & Melanie A. Hetrick. Transforming Preschool Storytime: A Modern Vision and a Year of Programs. Neal-Schuman, 2013.

Galinsky, Ellen. Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs. HarperStudio, 2010.

Jones, Cherri & J.B. Petty. Multiethnic Books for the Middle School Curriculum. ALA, 2013.

Marcus, Leonard S. Randolph Caldecott:The Man Who Could Not Stop Drawing. Frances Foster, 2013.

The Newbery and Caldecott Awards: A Guide to the Medal and Honor Books, 2013 Edition. ALA, 2013.

Schiller, Pam & Thomas Moore. And the Cow Jumped Over the Moon! Over 650 Activities to Teach Toddlers Using Familiar Rhymes and Songs. Gryphon House, 2006.

Schiller, Pam & Thomas Moore. Do You Know the Muffin Man? Literacy Activities Using Favorite Rhymes and Songs. Gryphon House, 2004.

Schiller, Pam. Start Smart: Building Brain Power in the Early Years. Rev. ed. Gryphon House, 2012.

Sullivan, Michael. Fundamentals of Children's Services. 2nd ed. ALA, 2013.

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