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In This Issue
From the State Librarian
VT Libraries Connect Via Fiber Network
Public Libraries: Join Edge Initiative, Assess Public Access Technology
New VTLIB Website Launches in February
Connect with VTLIB on Social Media
Youth Services Consultant Starts Book Review Video Series
2015 Teen Video Challenge: Unmask!
VPT, VTLIB Sponsor Writing Contest for Grades K-3
Manchester Celebrates New Library Opening
VTLIB Staff News
New Books in the CBEC Professional Collection
Helpful Links
Join Our Mailing List
topFrom the State Librarian
MarthaReidVTStateLibrarian

As I write this column, we are well into January and the start of a new calendar year. For me, January always presents the promise of good things in the year ahead, but it seems that this year has begun with more bad news than good. World events, particularly the tragic events in France, underscore the need for continued vigilance for the protection of freedom of speech. Many of us wonder what the world would be like if we replaced warfare with learning and the free exchange of ideas, dialogue, and good will. It is not a stretch to make the connection between these kinds of world events and some of the foundational principles of libraries: intellectual freedom and free access to information; support for an informed citizenry with opportunities to increase citizen engagement; direct support of education and lifelong learning; and the enrichment of the personal lives of those who use our library collections, programs, and services. Full article

VT Libraries Connect Via Fiber Network 

fiberoptic cable Lt. Governor Phil Scott, the Vermont Department of Libraries, the Vermont Telecommunications Authority (VTA), Sovernet Communications and others gathered at the Aldrich Public Library in Barre on December 17 to announce the completion of the Vermont FiberConnect project. The FiberConnect network is now providing the highest possible capacity broadband for information sharing and communications at 43 libraries across the state, thanks to 900 miles of fiber-optic cable in southern, central, and northeastern Vermont. The network connects more than 300 community anchor locations, including the 43 libraries. Full article 

Public Libraries: Join Edge Initiative,

Assess Public Access Technology 

edge initiative logo The Edge Initiative is an online technology toolkit developed by a coalition of leading library organizations (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, OCLC, Urban Libraries Council, and others) to help public libraries "demonstrate how their work adds value and supports strong outcomes" in their communities. Starting with the assessment of local library technology, Edge allows each library to benchmark its service by identifying specific ways to strengthen or enhance public access technology by identifying both assets and areas that need improvement. By assessing how a local community is using library technology, libraries can use Edge "best practices" to align technology planning and services with community priorities. Full article 

New VTLIB Website Launches in February 

VT state logo The Department of Libraries (VTLIB) is very pleased to announce the upcoming launch of a completely revamped website. The website will feature clearer, more logical browsing capability and quick links to topics that are most often used by visitors. Full article

Connect with VTLIB on Social Media

Did you know the Department of Libraries has a Facebook page, a Twitter account, and a YouTube channel? These are great ways to stay up-to-date on Vermont library news, share ideas, and connect with librarians across the state. Like or follow VermontLib to keep in touch!

 

Department of Libraries on Facebook 

  

Department of Libraries on Twitter 

 

Department of Libraries on YouTube

Youth Services Consultant Starts

Book Review Video Series 

video still The Department of Libraries receives many boxes of children's and young adult books from publishers for review. Youth Services Consultant Sharon Colvin has started a monthly video series to highlight the best of recent arrivals. Check out exciting new titles from December and January on YouTube. Questions or ideas? Contact Sharon Colvin at [email protected] or 802-828-6954.

2015 Teen Video Challenge: Unmask!
Unmask slogan The Vermont Department of Libraries and the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) are sponsoring a video making contest for teens. To promote reading, libraries, and the 2015 teen summer reading theme "Unmask," 13- to 18-year-olds, individually or in teams, are invited to create a short Public Service Announcement. Full article

VPT, VTLIB Sponsor

Writing Contest for Grades K-3

contest logo

Vermont Public Television (VPT) and the Department of Libraries (VTLIB) are co-sponsoring the 2015 PBS Kids Writers Contest for children in grades K-3. The contest promotes creativity and reading skills through hands-on, active learning, as kids write and illustrate original stories. Stories can be fact or fiction, prose or poetry. Full article 

Manchester Celebrates New Library Opening 

The brand new Manchester Community Library officially opened Saturday, November 15 with a well-attended ribbon cutting and many eager visitors. Crowds lined up for shiny new registration cards while children thronged to a Tom Joyce performance, and young adults dove into gaming and computers. Executive director Betsy Bleakie gave tours and staff hustled to make sure residents and visitors found everything they needed. State Librarian Martha Reid offered brief remarks to honor the hard work that made construction possible. Full article

VTLIB Staff News

It is with regret that we announce that Scott Murphy, Director of State Library Services, left the Department of Libraries at the end of December. In his short time at the State Library, Scott provided a ready ear and excellent customer service. As a director, he worked with state employees and supervised the librarians offering interlibrary loan, legal services, and reference. Scott worked to organize and improve access to the State Library collection, bringing new eyes to standard procedures and improving them, and worked with Brittney Wilson to apply the legislature's Results Based Accountability plans to VTLIB operations.

 

Scott and his family have moved to South Carolina, and though he will be greatly missed in Vermont, the libraries of South Carolina are lucky to have him coming their way!


ONLY COMPLETE ARTICLES BEYOND THIS POINT
MartyFrom the Vermont State Librarian

As I write this column, we are well into January and the start of a new calendar year. For me, January always presents the promise of good things in the year ahead, but it seems that this year has begun with more bad news than good. World events, particularly the tragic events in France, underscore the need for continued vigilance for the protection of freedom of speech. Many of us wonder what the world would be like if we replaced warfare with learning and the free exchange of ideas, dialogue, and good will. It is not a stretch to make the connection between these kinds of world events and some of the foundational principles of libraries: intellectual freedom and free access to information; support for an informed citizenry with opportunities to increase citizen engagement; direct support of education and lifelong learning; and the enrichment of the personal lives of those who use our library collections, programs, and services.

 

Knowing the power that our state's libraries have to transform the lives of Vermonters makes it all the more difficult for me as I consider the changes that will necessarily come to the Department of Libraries as a result of significant budget cuts in the year ahead. Due to revenue shortfalls, the State of Vermont must reduce spending, and I am working now on a plan which will make it possible for our Department to absorb over $470,000 in cuts while strengthening focus on our highest priorities. To help us in this task, we will be working this winter with Library Consultant Bill Wilson (Himmel & Wilson Library Consultants) to restructure our Department so that we have a clear strategic direction and can use our (diminished) resources in the best ways possible to support our most important programs and services. Those of you who have been in a similar position know that these kinds of decisions can be very difficult, and I expect that our Department will look quite different twelve months from now. But I also believe that this process, though painful, will give us the means to zero in on what is most vital and has the greatest positive impact for libraries and citizens. Some of you will be called to help me in this process and I look forward to working with librarians and other stakeholders in the coming months.

 

Despite the bad news that I have reported above, we are moving ahead with some exciting projects and initiatives. This winter we will begin a process to improve our Minimum Standards program for public libraries. We have also begun talks with vendors to explore possibilities for a vastly improved system to replace the antiquated Vermont Automated Library System (VALS). This year we will welcome more public libraries to the Vermont Early Literacy Initiative and have additional trainings scheduled for April. We are working with the Community College of Vermont to explore funding opportunities to develop a sustainable digital literacy program in public libraries, and we will soon announce our 2015 continuing education offerings for public librarians. As you will read in this newsletter, we will launch our new website on February 2 and we have expanded our use of social media. Perhaps 2015 will be a good year after all!

 

Regards,

 

Marty Reid

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fiberVT Libraries Connect Via Fiber Network

Lt. Governor Phil Scott, the Vermont Department of Libraries, the Vermont Telecommunications Authority (VTA), Sovernet Communications and others gathered at the Aldrich Public Library in Barre on December 17 to announce the completion of the Vermont FiberConnect project. The FiberConnect network is now providing the highest possible capacity broadband for information sharing and communications at 43 libraries across the state, thanks to 900 miles of fiber-optic cable in southern, central, and northeastern Vermont. The network connects more than 300 community anchor locations, including the 43 libraries.

 

Sovernet's infrastructure provides these libraries with fiber broadband necessary for the support and expansion of digital services for the public, including high-speed public computing and wireless service. It enables use of high-bandwidth programs like video conferencing and video streaming. The project provides gigabit Internet connectivity to these libraries at a cost below what such a service would have cost individually and enables the libraries to form a secure wide area network with support from the Vermont Department of Libraries.

 

The Vermont FiberConnect project was funded as part of a $33.4 million federal grant awarded to VTA and Bellows Falls-based Sovernet Communications in 2010. Matching funds and implementation support totaling $550,000 was provided to the Vermont Department of Libraries by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. These investments in the project, along with Sovernet's own investment of $12.5 million and state appropriations of more than $2.3 million, enabled the creation of the fiber network.

 

"Local libraries with enough bandwidth to quickly transfer data, images and video are vital assets to Vermont communities," said Lt. Governor Phil Scott. "By gaining access to high-speed fiber, the tools are now there for our libraries to serve as central hubs for community meetings and disaster response centers -- while continuing to be state-of-the-art resources for Vermonters of all ages."

 

Libraries currently utilizing this network include small communities such as Rupert, Reading, Guilford, Vernon, and Cabot as well as population centers like Bennington, Brattleboro, Montpelier, St. Johnsbury, and Rutland. More information, including a full list of the libraries using the fiber network, is available on the VTA website.

 

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edgePublic Libraries: Join Edge Initiative, Assess Public Access Technology

The Edge Initiative is an online technology toolkit developed by a coalition of leading library organizations (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, OCLC, Urban Libraries Council, and others) to help public libraries "demonstrate how their work adds value and supports strong outcomes" in their communities. Starting with the assessment of local library technology, Edge allows each library to benchmark its service by identifying specific ways to strengthen or enhance public access technology by identifying both assets and areas that need improvement. By assessing how a local community is using library technology, libraries can use Edge "best practices" to align technology planning and services with community priorities.

 

The Department of Libraries (VTLIB) strongly encourages ALL public libraries to review the information about this program on the Edge website. In particular, VTLIB wants all public libraries to complete the Assessment and submit the data online. This will give local libraries an easy way to assess their current technology status, to consider a wide variety of possible program enhancements, and to plan for what they would like to offer in the future. The Assessment can be a valuable tool when building library budgets and requesting additional funding for library technology.

 

While the Assessment Tool is currently free to public libraries, the national Edge program recently reported that the no-cost option will end later this spring. Therefore it is important that libraries complete and submit their Assessment in the next few months.

 

Here is the recommended schedule for all libraries that have not already completed the Edge Assessment:

  • Register for the Edge Assessment no later than February 20, 2015.
  • Contact a regional VTLIB Library Consultant for guidance on completing the Assessment.
  • Complete the Assessment Workbook and submit online by May 1, 2015.
  • Share the results of the Assessment with staff, trustees and community leaders. Use the Edge online toolkit and resources to develop a local Action Plan. All of these resources are now free -- but only through May 2015.
  • The cost to the Department of Libraries to continue funding this program statewide beyond June 1 is $30,000. FY16 Department budget cuts will make it difficult (probably impossible) to provide ongoing support for this program. That is why it is so important for libraries to complete the Assessment program while it is still available for free. The data will be helpful for long-term planning at the local library level.
  • Edge will allow individual libraries to continue active participation in its program by paying an Edge fee after June 1. Pricing information will be shared with libraries as soon as it is available from Edge.

Edge Test Libraries

 

The Department of Libraries has been working with 18 "test libraries" which have completed the Edge Assessment and are now working on the development of their Action Plans. To listen to a report of their findings (from a December 9 virtual meeting), connect to: https://vimeo.com/114256310.

 

Test libraries are: Cabot Public Library, Castleton Public Library, Charlotte Library, Chelsea Public Library, Cobleigh Public Library (Lyndonville), Deborah Rawson Memorial Library (Underhill), Dorothy Alling Memorial Library (Williston), Dover Free Library, Goodrich Memorial Library (Newport), Greensboro Free Library, Kellogg-Hubbard Library (Montpelier), Kimball Free Library (Randolph), Pope Memorial Library (Danville), Springfield Town Library, St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, Stowe Free Library, Weathersfield-Proctor Library (Ascutney), and Wilder Memorial Library (Weston).

 

For more information about the Edge Initiative, contact VTLIB Library Consultant Michael Roche: [email protected]

 

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siteNew VTLIB Website Launches in February

The Department of Libraries (VTLIB) is very pleased to announce the upcoming launch of a completely revamped website. The website will feature clearer, more logical browsing capability and quick links to topics that are most often used by visitors.

 

The newly reorganized site will be at the same web address: http://libraries.vermont.gov/, so there will be no need to update bookmarks. The site will simply transition to the new one on Monday, February 2, 2015.

 

This new site will be the result of months of work by VTLIB personnel and website consultant Angele Mott Nickerson.

 

The new site promises to improve the user experience with fewer clicks necessary to find information. Its improved appearance and intuitive organization should appeal to site visitors and lead them to what they need faster.

 

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tvc2015 Teen Video Challenge: Unmask!

The Vermont Department of Libraries and the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) are sponsoring a video making contest for teens. To promote reading, libraries, and the 2015 teen summer reading theme "Unmask," 13- to 18-year-olds, individually or in teams, are invited to create a short Public Service Announcement.  

 

The winner of the Vermont challenge will receive $150 and his/her sponsoring library will be awarded prizes worth $50. Last year's winner was Grace Tate, representing the Chittenden Public Library, and other past winners have included groups of teens from Brownell Library (Essex Junction) and the Lincoln Library.

 

Forms and information on how to enter the contest are available on the Department of Libraries website: http://libraries.vermont.gov/libraries/srp/childrenteen/teenvideocontest. Winning videos from previous years can be viewed on the CSLP website. The deadline for submissions is March 2, 2015.

 

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pbskidsVPT, VTLIB Sponsor Writing Contest for Grades K-3 

Vermont Public Television (VPT) and the Department of Libraries (VTLIB) are co-sponsoring the 2015 PBS Kids Writers Contest for children in grades K-3. The contest promotes creativity and reading skills through hands-on, active learning, as kids write and illustrate original stories. Stories can be fact or fiction, prose or poetry.

 

Submissions are due on March 20, 2015. Local winners, three from each grade, will be announced in April and first-place winners will go on to the national level. All contestants will be invited to attend one of the Storytime Parties that will be held throughout the state, where they will have the opportunity to read their stories aloud.

 

Find contest rules, the entry form, and past winners at http://www.vpt.org/writers.


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newManchester Celebrates New Library Opening  

The brand new Manchester Community Library officially opened Saturday, November 15 with a well-attended ribbon cutting and many eager visitors. Crowds lined up for shiny new registration cards while children thronged to a Tom Joyce performance, and young adults dove into gaming and computers. Executive director Betsy Bleakie gave tours and staff hustled to make sure residents and visitors found everything they needed. State Librarian Martha Reid offered brief remarks to honor the hard work that made construction possible.

 

Features of interest to Vermont librarians include the on-site caf� and the new "Glades" arrangement, a departure from traditional Dewey. A visiting business can rent a "touch down" office by the hour or a larger conference room or meeting space. The library has excellent wi-fi throughout, and features a laptop counter of native hardwood with sunlight streaming in. Check out the website for more information or stop by to admire the new gem on Route 7A.

 

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cbecprofNew Books in the CBEC Professional Collection 

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

 

Bailey, Alan R. Building a Core Print Collection for Preschoolers. ALA Editions, 2014.

 

Balducci, Tiffany and Brianne Wilkins-Bester. The Tween Scene: A Year of Programs for 10- to 14-Year-Olds. VOYA, 2014.

 

Booth, Heather and Karen Jensen, eds. The Whole Library Handbook: Teen Services. ALA Editions, 2014.

 

de Las Casas, Dianne. Handmade Tales 2: More Stories to Make and Take. Illustrated by Stefan Jolet. Libraries Unlimited, 2013.

 

Dow, Mirah J., ed. School Libraries Matter: Views for the Research. Libraries Unlimited, 2013.

 

Fletcher-Spear, Kristin and Kelly Tyler, eds. Intellectual Freedom for Teens: A Practical Guide for Young Adult and School Librarians. ALA Editions, 2014.

 

Ghoting, Saroj Nadkarni and Kathy Fling Klatt. STEP into Storytime: Using StoryTime Effective Practice to Strengthen the Development of Newborns to Five-Year-Olds. ALA Editions, 2014.

 

Harada, Violet H. and Sharon Coatney, eds. Inquiry and the Common Core: Librarians and Teachers Designing Teaching for Learning. Libraries Unlimited, 2014.

 

Johnson, Doug. The Indispensable Librarian: Surviving and Thriving in School Libraries in the Information Age. 2nd ed. Linworth, 2013.

 

McCollough, Carole J. and Adelaide Poniatowski Phelps, eds. The Coretta Scott King Awards, 1970-2014. 5th edition, 45th anniversary. ALA Editions, 2015.

 

Scales, Pat R. Books Under Fire: A Hit List of Banned and Challenged Children's Books. ALA Editions, 2015.

 

Weisberg, Hilda K. and Ruth Toor. New on the Job: A School Librarian's Guide to Success. 2nd ed. ALA Editions, 2015.

 

Wilhelm, Jeffrey D. and Michael W. Smith, with Sharon Fransen. Reading Unbound: Why Kids Need to Read What They Want - and Why We Should Let Them. Scholastic, 2014.

 

Willems, Mo. Don't Pigeonhole Me!: Two Decades of the Mo Willems Sketchbook. Forward by Eric Carle. Disney Editions, 2013.

 

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