people in VT libraries
     
In This Issue
From the State Librarian
Celebrate Banned Books Week, September 27 - October 3
VT Public Library Annual Report Survey Released
IMLS Grant Expands Early Learning in VT Libraries
VTLIB Awards $10,000 Grant to GMLC
Maker Grants Awarded to 10 VT Public Libraries
VT Law School Provides Legal Reference for the Public
Drew Daywalt to Keynote Red Clover Conference, October 7
VT Afterschool Conference, October 23
Go Back to the Future at NELA, October 25-27
Try Something New at the Annual Trustees & Friends Conference, November 7
Teen Read Week: Get Away @ Your Library, October 18-24
VT Represented at National Book Festival
IMLS Program Officer Visits VT Libraries
National Library Service Consultant Visits VT
Sixth Locally-Recorded Book Now in Circulation for Blind and Visually Impaired Vermonters
VTLIB Staff News
Shadows of Sherwood cover
Watch Online
September Is National Library Card Sign-Up Month!
Snoopy poster
Helpful Links
Stay Connected
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Join Our Mailing List
topFrom the State Librarian
MartaReidVTStateLibrarian
This month the Pew Research Center issued its latest report on libraries, Libraries at the Crossroads, and the findings are important for public librarians, library trustees, and local officials as they make strategic decisions about the allocation of library resources and plan future library services and programs. The report, based on telephone surveys conducted this past spring, shows that U.S. residents believe that public libraries are important community anchors, though library use across the country continues to decline gradually. In Vermont we see a similar pattern. We know anecdotally (and from data that shows an increase in local tax support) that Vermonters value their local libraries, and yet between FY10 and FY14, Vermont public libraries reported an overall decline in the circulation of physical items (books) (-3.6%) and library visits (-4.3%). During this same period, we know that Vermont public libraries made significant additions to their digital content (e-books, downloadable audiobooks) and web-based resources (not included in the data cited above) and continue to develop services that support citizen technology training and assistance and access to high-speed Internet. Full article
Celebrate Banned Books Week,
September 27 - October 3

Banned Books Week poster 
Artwork courtesy of the American Library Association
Banned Books Week is September 27 - October 3, and libraries are finding interesting ways to celebrate. Ray Brior, chair of the Vermont Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Committee and Technical Services Librarian at Johnson State College, offers these possibilities:

VT Public Library Annual Report Survey Released 
It's that time of the year again. The online Vermont Public Library Annual Report statistical survey is now available for libraries to complete. The survey is open until November 23, 2015, but please don't delay in submitting it. This is Vermont libraries' opportunity to submit data for next year's Vermont Public Library Statistics: FY2015 Annual Report. The data collected in the Annual Report is published and posted online at http://libraries.vermont.gov/services/news/public_statistics. The data collected is also submitted to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for inclusion in the national Public Libraries of the United States report. Full article
IMLS Grant Expands
Early Learning in VT Libraries
earlyliteracy logo
Good news! The Department of Libraries received word this month of a National Leadership Grant for Libraries award of $339,861 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to expand the Vermont Early Literacy Initiative (VELI). The National Leadership grant program is highly competitive and is designed to fund innovative grant projects which can serve as a model for replication across the country. The three-year grant project, VELI-STEM, a partnership of the Department of Libraries and the Vermont Center for the Book, will expand the VELI program in 25 selected public libraries to introduce librarian training and programming for young children, parents, and childcare providers in science inquiry and physical science. Full article
VTLIB Awards $10,000 Grant to GMLC
listen up VT logo The Department of Libraries (VTLIB) has awarded a grant of $10,000 to the Green Mountain Library Consortium (GMLC) for the purchase of e-books and downloadable audiobooks in its Listen Up! Vermont program, which is available to Vermonters in over 100 libraries statewide. Previous to this grant the Department awarded $30,000 in grants to GMLC for the purchase of more than 1,300 individual e-books for readers of all ages. GMLC reports that between May 1, 2014 and April 28, 2015, Listen Up! Vermont patrons checked out 74,775 e-books and 69,360 e-audiobooks, an increase in useage of 35% over the previous year. The collection now includes over 12,000 titles. The $10,000 grant was made possible with federal LSTA funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
Maker Grants Awarded
to 10 VT Public Libraries 
Ten public libraries have been selected to participate in a second year of "Maker Programs in Vermont Libraries: Spark a Culture of Innovation." These awards are made possible through the Vermont Community Foundation's Innovations and Collaborations grant program.The grant, written by Susan O'Connell of the Craftsbury Public Library in collaboration with Mara Siegel of the Vermont Department of Libraries, will bring maker programs to libraries around the state. Full article
VT Law School Provides
Legal Reference for the Public 
VT Law School seal The Julien and Virginia Cornell Library at the Vermont Law School is the recipient of a grant of $67,000 from the Department of Libraries to provide legal materials and reference services to the general public. The Vermont legislature made a special FY16 appropriation to the Department for this grant in anticipation of the July closing of the law library program at the State Library in Montpelier. The Law School will use the grant to purchase new materials for the "legal self-help" book collection, for two computer terminals with on-site public access to the Westlaw legal databases (for walk-in use only; information can be printed, emailed, and downloaded), and to hire a part-time reference librarian who will join the existing staff of law reference librarians. The Library has established an "Ask a Law Librarian Line" for public use and is available to citizens, libraries, attorneys, and self-litigants. The "Line" is available by phone: 802-831-1313, or email: [email protected].
Drew Daywalt to Keynote
Red Clover Conference, October 7
Red Clover Award logo
This is the 20th year of the Red Clover Book Award, Vermont's children's choice award for students in kindergarten - grade 4. Drew Daywalt, author of the 2015 winning title The Day the Crayons Quit, will accept the award and deliver the keynote address at the annual Red Clover Conference on October 7. Full article
VT Afterschool Conference, October 23
VT Afterschool Conference logo Registration is open for the annual Vermont Afterschool Conference, which will be held on October 23 at the Stoweflake Mountain Resort in Stowe. Vermont Afterschool is a statewide partnership dedicated to supporting innovative learning opportunities beyond the school day. This conference is an excellent professional development opportunity for out-of-school time program providers, informal educators, and mentors working with K-12 youth, including librarians serving children and teens. Full article
Go Back to the Future at NELA,
October 25-27 
NELA Conference poster One month until the 2015 New England Library Association (NELA) Conference! NELA brings the big dogs close to Vermont this year, taking place in Manchester, NH on October 25 - 27. Register after checking out the speakers and programs. Full article
Try Something New at the Annual Trustees & Friends Conference, November 7 
The 2015 Vermont Library Trustees and Friends Conference will take place on Saturday, November 7 at Main Street Landing in Burlington. Join fellow Trustees and Friends to share tips on building capacity, problem solving, and forging effective partnerships. UVM professor and librarian Trina Magi will speak about intellectual freedom, and Paul Costello of the Vermont Council on Rural Development will speak to opportunities for libraries in the new digital economy. Visit http://libraries.vermont.gov/services/public_libraries/trustees for more details and registration information.
Teen Read Week:
Get Away @ Your Library, October 18-24 
The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has everything libraries need to plan great Teen Read Week activities for October 18 - 24 at www.ala.org/teenread. This year's theme is Get Away @ Your Library -- an opportunity to encourage teens to read for fun by highlighting fantasy, sci-fi, adventure, travel stories, and more. Teen Read Week is also a great time for Vermont libraries to promote the Green Mountain Book Award (GMBA), the students' choice award for grades 9 - 12. The nominated titles for 2015-16 can be found on the GMBA website. Full article
Teen Read Week banner 
VT Represented at National Book Festival   
Before We Eat cover
On September 5, Wendy Martin of the Vermont Center for the Book and Mara Siegel of the Vermont Department of Libraries (VTLIB) traveled to Washington, DC for the 15th annual Library of Congress National Book Festival. While festivalgoers went to readings and book signings with more than 175 authors, poets, and illustrators, Wendy and Mara staffed the Vermont booth in the Pavilion of the States, talking with thousands of people -- mostly children -- who were collecting stamps and stickers for a map that they then traded in for prizes. Full article  
IMLS Program Officer Visits VT Libraries  
Michele Farrell at Kellogg Hubbard Library
Exploring the roof of the Kellogg-Hubbard Library (Montpelier)
Michele Farrell, Senior Program Officer at the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) visited Vermont in August for a week of meetings and library visits. IMLS is the federal agency that administers the "Grants to States" Program for state library agencies in all 50 states and U.S. territories, distributing over $154 million in LSTA (Library Service and Technology Act) funds annually. Full article
National Library Service Consultant Visits VT    
MaryBeth Wise
In August the Department hosted a visit from MaryBeth Wise, a Consultant from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) of the Library of Congress. While she was here, Ms. Wise met with State Librarian Martha Reid, staff of the Vermont Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped (LBPH/Berlin), members of the Vermont LBPH Advisory Council, and volunteers with the local recording program. Full article
Sixth Locally-Recorded Book Now in Circulation for Blind and Visually Impaired Vermonters   
High-Altitude Woman cover The Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, part of the Department of Libraries' Special Services Unit (SSU), has just put into circulation its sixth locally-recorded book, High-Altitude Woman, by Stowe author Jan Reynolds. A world record-breaking skier and climber, Reynolds paved the way for many female extreme athletes; High-Altitude Woman details several of her high-altitude skiing expeditions in the 1980s and '90s, as well as her training for the U.S. Biathlon team and the growth of her interest in the indigenous cultures she encountered while traveling in some of the world's most remote regions. Full article
VTLIB Staff News
George Barnes to Retire September 30
George Barnes George Barnes, a member of the Department's Technical Services Unit, will retire this month after 32 years of service at the Department of Libraries. George's career with the State of Vermont began at the (now closed) Northwest Regional Library in Georgia and he later moved to the Technical Services Unit in Montpelier. He has been a key member of the team that catalogs books for Department collections and maintains bibliographic records in the statewide union catalog. George has seen plenty of changes at the Department over the years and he was part of the team that managed the switch from the Department's card catalog to the electronic database which is the backbone of today's online union catalog. George looks forward to having more time to spend with his family -- especially his grandchildren. We will miss George's dedication and dry wit. Congratulations and best wishes, George!
 
Brittney Wilson to Leave Department on October 2
Brittney Wilson and son Brittney Wilson, who has served as the Executive Assistant to the State Librarian since 2013, is leaving her position at the Department on October 2. Brittney has been an important member of the Department's Management Team and we will miss her knowledge of State government, her great communication skills, her command of complicated spreadsheets, and her wonderful sense of humor. Brittney has taken a new full-time, paid job with the "Phil Scott for Governor" campaign. Best of luck, Brittney, in your new endeavors!

ONLY COMPLETE ARTICLES BEYOND THIS POINT
MartyFrom the Vermont State Librarian
This month the Pew Research Center issued its latest report on libraries, Libraries at the Crossroads, and the findings are important for public librarians, library trustees, and local officials as they make strategic decisions about the allocation of library resources and plan future library services and programs. The report, based on telephone surveys conducted this past spring, shows that U.S. residents believe that public libraries are important community anchors, though library use across the country continues to decline gradually. In Vermont we see a similar pattern. We know anecdotally (and from data that shows an increase in local tax support) that Vermonters value their local libraries, and yet between FY10 and FY14, Vermont public libraries reported an overall decline in the circulation of physical items (books) (-3.6%) and library visits (-4.3%). During this same period, we know that Vermont public libraries made significant additions to their digital content (e-books, downloadable audiobooks) and web-based resources (not included in the data cited above) and continue to develop services that support citizen technology training and assistance and access to high-speed Internet.
 
Based on what I read in the Pew Report, Vermont public libraries are generally on track, providing many of the services that survey respondents say public libraries "should definitely do."
  • 85% said that libraries should "offer free early literacy programs to help young children" with school readiness.
  • 85% said that libraries should "coordinate more closely with local schools in providing resources to kids."
  • 78% want libraries to "offer programs to teach people, including kids and senior citizens, how to use digital tools."
Clearly, this reflects a public desire for libraries to be learning institutions for all ages, with digital learning as a key library role. Other items cited by 50%+ of respondents point to the need for programs that teach skills for online privacy and security; services for special constituencies (including veterans, active military personnel, and immigrants); services for local business and entrepreneurs; and "more comfortable spaces for reading, working and relaxing."
 
The Pew report challenges Vermont public libraries to look at their current services and measure them against the report findings. How are are we doing? It also (as always) underscores the need for library boards to be in touch with local residents: what do they want to see happening in the local public library? I don't need to tell you that our world is changing fast - so we can expect that local expectations for library service are also changing, and old assumptions may no longer apply. Books are still an important asset in libraries, but it is noteworthy that 30% of Pew respondents said they would like to see some book stacks moved out of public spaces to make room for such things as tech centers, reading rooms, and meeting space, and they want libraries to provide access to digital tools and opportunities to "make" things. This is no surprise to many of us, and it reflects what I heard at a recent South Burlington forum where local citizens talked about what they want to see in a new town library: books, yes, but also an environment that supports active learning and engagement.
 
Our Department works with public libraries around the state to help them understand and meet the changing needs of community members, and our Department programs support libraries to be 21st century learning centers:
  • The Vermont Early Literacy Initiative (a partnership with the VT Center for the Book) is now going strong in more than 50 public libraries. We are thrilled that we have a new federal grant to support this work (see related article in this newsletter). Librarians tell us that this program has transformed how they provide reading and school readiness programs for young children, parents, and childcare providers.
  • The Vermont Online Library provides Vermonters with free access to rich digital subscription-based content via their library card barcodes - accessible on the Internet from anywhere.
  • Many public libraries offer training and assistance in the use of computers and digital devices, building on the work we did as a partner in the Vermont Digital Economy Project.
  • We are working closely with Craftsbury Public Library in the second year of grant funding from the VT Community Foundation to build on what we achieved last year in library "maker space" programs.
  • Our Special Services Unit, which includes the Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped, provides free "talking books" and downloadable audiobooks for qualified Vermonters and provides library materials to three state institutions, including the Vermont Veterans Home.
  • 14 of our public libraries offer free community videoconferencing, with large screen monitors, microphones and cameras that citizens can use to conduct individual and group web-based videoconferences (made possible with a grant from Google, Inc.)
  • We provide continuing education for public library employees, including technology training; and our Department has hosted guest library innovators from other parts of the U.S. to speak at Vermont librarian and trustee conferences and workshops.
We will continue our work to support innovation and excellence in our public libraries to ensure that they continue to be treasured community assets. Libraries transform lives, and our Department works to transform libraries!

Regards, 
 
Marty Reid 

bbooksCelebrate Banned Books Week, September 27 - October 3 
Banned Books Week is September 27 - October 3, and libraries are finding interesting ways to celebrate. Ray Brior, chair of the Vermont Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Committee and Technical Services Librarian at Johnson State College, offers these possibilities:
 
Clipart and free downloads from the American Library Association
 
Want more ideas? Kirsten Hansen, Young Adult and New Technology Librarian at the Aldrich Public Library is highlighting contemporary books, some wrapped in brown paper with the reasons for the ban, others with quotes from authors on book banning. A banner says "Get Caught Reading with a Banned Book." Staff and patrons can take mug shots in front of the banner, with their favorite banned book. The photos are posted to the Aldrich Facebook page -- with permission, of course!
 

reportVT Public Library Annual Report Survey Released 
It's that time of the year again. The online Vermont Public Library Annual Report statistical survey is now available for libraries to complete. The survey is open until November 23, 2015, but please don't delay in submitting it. This is Vermont libraries' opportunity to submit data for next year's Vermont Public Library Statistics: FY2015 Annual Report. The data collected in the Annual Report is published and posted online at http://libraries.vermont.gov/services/news/public_statistics. The data collected is also submitted to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for inclusion in the national Public Libraries of the United States report.
 
Libraries should go to http://collect.btol.com to submit the information. For this statistical report, except for contact information concerning the Director and Board Chair or President, data should be entered for the last COMPLETED fiscal year. All submissions are made online. Nothing should be sent to the Department of Libraries through the mail.
 
Each library's account identifier and password has been sent to the email address provided in the FY2014 report. If contact information for the library's Director and Board Chair or President has changed during the past year, please contact Jeremiah Kellogg with the updated information: [email protected] or (802) 828-2734.
 
The Minimum Public Library Standards
 
The Vermont Board of Libraries is considering issuing new, minimum public library standards. While these are under consideration, the 1986 and 1998 Standards have been suspended. As a consequence, libraries will not fill out an application for standards this year and that portion of the survey has been temporarily eliminated. Look for those sections to be renewed in the future.

Please be sure to complete this report as accurately as possible. More and more, funders, legislators, and other decision makers want hard evidence of the value of libraries. Providing these Vermont library statistics is critical to our ability to make the case for the public library as an important community institution.
 
For any questions, please contact Jeremiah Kellogg at [email protected] or (802) 828-2734.


VELIIMLS Grant Expands Early Learning in VT Libraries
Good news! The Department of Libraries received word this month of a National Leadership Grant for Libraries award of $339,861 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to expand the Vermont Early Literacy Initiative (VELI). The National Leadership grant program is highly competitive and is designed to fund innovative grant projects which can serve as a model for replication across the country. The three-year grant project, VELI-STEM, a partnership of the Department of Libraries and the Vermont Center for the Book, will expand the VELI program in 25 selected public libraries to introduce librarian training and programming for young children, parents, and childcare providers in science inquiry and physical science.
 
The grant includes funding for librarian training, books and other materials for the 25 libraries, travel to state and national conferences for networking and presentations, project assessment, and training for state library personnel in 22 other states. The Montshire Museum of Science will provide consultation as the project is planned and developed. The grant program offically begins in November and the grant management team will select and contact the 25 libraries this fall. For more information about the VELI-STEM grant project, contact Sharon Colvin, Youth Services Consultant, at [email protected].
 

makerMaker Grants Awarded to 10 VT Public Libraries
Ten public libraries have been selected to participate in a second year of "Maker Programs in Vermont Libraries: Spark a Culture of Innovation." These awards are made possible through the Vermont Community Foundation's Innovations and Collaborations grant program. The grant, written by Susan O'Connell of the Craftsbury Public Library in collaboration with Mara Siegel of the Vermont Department of Libraries, will bring maker programs to libraries around the state.
 
The libraries are Brooks Memorial Library (Brattleboro), Fletcher Free Library (Burlington), Greensboro Free Library, Middletown Springs Public Library, Milton Public Library, John G. McCullough Free Library (North Bennington), Orwell Free Library, Kimball Public Library (Randolph), Baxter Memorial Library (Sharon), and Waterbury Public Library.
 
Each of the 10 libraries selected will host two programs, chosen from the following topics: E-textiles, E-Origami, Toy Hacking, Squishy Circuits, and Creative Creatures. Each program will come with an instructor, the necessary curriculum, and materials. To learn more about the programs, please go to: http://libraries.vermont.gov/services/projects/VTLibrariesandMakers.
 
All of the curricula will be available free online.
 

rcDrew Daywalt to Keynote Red Clover Conference, October 7
This is the 20th year of the Red Clover Book Award, Vermont's children's choice award for students in kindergarten - grade 4. Drew Daywalt, author of the 2015 winning title The Day the Crayons Quit, will accept the award and deliver the keynote address at the annual Red Clover Conference on October 7.
 
The conference will be held at the Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee. A wide variety of workshops are offered, and participants will return to their libraries and schools with a wealth of ideas and activities to engage young readers with Red Clover nominated books. Vermont poet Geof Hewitt will be the endnote speaker.
 
Workshop descriptions and the registration form are available on the Vermont Center for the Book website. The registration deadline is Friday, October 2.
 
The Vermont Department of Libraries is offering six scholarships to public librarians to attend this year's conference. Each scholarship is $60 so the total cost to attend is reduced to just $50. These scholarships are for paid public library personnel (no volunteers, except for libraries where there is no paid staff). Please contact Wendy Martin at [email protected] or call 802-875-2751, ext. 107 with any questions.
 
To learn more about the Red Clover Book Award, visit the Red Clover page on the Department of Libraries website.
 

afterschoolVT Afterschool Conference, October 23
Registration is open for the annual Vermont Afterschool Conference, which will be held on October 23 at the Stoweflake Mountain Resort in Stowe. Vermont Afterschool is a statewide partnership dedicated to supporting innovative learning opportunities beyond the school day. This conference is an excellent professional development opportunity for out-of-school time program providers, informal educators, and mentors working with K-12 youth, including librarians serving children and teens.
 
This year Vermont Afterschool is welcoming Leslie Beller as the keynote speaker. Leslie is the founder of MHA Labs, whose strategic goal is to provide every adult working with a young person a set of simple skill-building strategies. Leslie is one of the nation's most creative thinkers about engaging youth, and her keynote will explore practical ways to define and promote the most critical 21st century skills and mindsets young people need today. There will be two full-day workshops, How to Engage Kids in Afterschool Art and Environmental Literacy in Action, in addition to 25 workshops throughout the day and the Afterschool Cafe raffle.
 
Learn more and register online at http://www.vermontafterschool.org/training/conference/. Early bird discount until October 1.
 
Contact Cassie Willner at 802-448-3464 or [email protected] with any questions.
 

nelaGo Back to the Future at NELA, October 25-27
One month until the 2015 New England Library Association (NELA) Conference! NELA brings the big dogs close to Vermont this year, taking place in Manchester, NH on October 25 - 27. Register after checking out the speakers and programs. Some highlights include:
 
Rising to the Challenge - Maureen Sullivan discusses the Aspen Report
Rapid Reviews - one minute hot titles for adults and young adults 
Distance Learning - pros and cons of getting a library degree online
Maintaining & Securing Links on Your Website
Engaging the Bookend Generations - intergenerational programs for the young and old
Circulating Hotspots - a library lends 10 internet hotspots to borrowers
 
NELA also brings in many exhibitors -- perfect for libraries thinking about a new building, automation system, or book contract.
 

teenTeen Read Week: Get Away @ Your Library, October 18-24
The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has everything libraries need to plan great Teen Read Week activities for October 18 - 24 at www.ala.org/teenread. This year's theme is Get Away @ Your Library -- an opportunity to encourage teens to read for fun by highlighting fantasy, sci-fi, adventure, travel stories, and more. Teen Read Week is also a great time for Vermont libraries to promote the Green Mountain Book Award (GMBA), the students' choice award for grades 9 - 12. The nominated titles for 2015-16 can be found on the GMBA website.
 
YALSA is encouraging libraries to reach out and engage teens who don't normally come to the library, whether they're homeless, in foster care, recent immigrants or some other segment of the community. Reaching some of these groups can be a challenge, but there are resources to help on the YALSA blog and wiki.
 

nbfVT Represented at National Book Festival
On September 5, Wendy Martin of the Vermont Center for the Book and Mara Siegel of the Vermont Department of Libraries (VTLIB) traveled to Washington, DC for the 15th annual Library of Congress National Book Festival. While festivalgoers went to readings and book signings with more than 175 authors, poets, and illustrators, Wendy and Mara staffed the Vermont booth in the Pavilion of the States, talking with thousands of people -- mostly children -- who were collecting stamps and stickers for a map that they then traded in for prizes.
 
State library agencies from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories were represented in the Pavilion of the States, and VTLIB took the opportunity to highlight Vermont authors and illustrators as well as our three children's choice book awards (Red Clover Award for grades K -4, Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award for grades 4 - 8, and Green Mountain Book Award for grades 9 - 12). This year's featured Vermont book was Before We Eat: From Farm to Table, written by Pat Brisson and illustrated by Caldecott-winning Vermont artist Mary Azarian.
 
Videos of this year's festival presentations will be posted on the Library of Congress National Book Festival website in the coming weeks. Visit http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/ for updates and more information.
 

IMLSIMLS Program Officer Visits VT Libraries
Michele Farrell, Senior Program Officer at the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) visited Vermont in August for a week of meetings and library visits. IMLS is the federal agency that administers the "Grants to States" Program for state library agencies in all 50 states and U.S. territories, distributing over $154 million in LSTA (Library Service and Technology Act) funds annually.

In FFY15 Vermont received an LSTA allotment of
$912,082, which requires 34% in state matching funds. The Department of Libraries administers the Vermont grant funds, which are used to support the statewide summer reading program, the Vermont Online Library, the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, the Vermont Early Literacy Initiative, interlibrary loan and the Vermont Automated Library System (VALS), continuing education for Vermont public library employees, the Department's consulting program for library directors and trustees, and other programs.

In addition to attending meetings with Department staff and the Department's business office, Ms. Farrell travelled around the state and visited more than 20 public and academic libraries where she toured facilities and talked with library staff. (State Librarian Martha Reid also made sure she had some "Vermont experiences," including lunch at a general store and a maple creemee!). Overall, Ms. Farrell was pleased with what she saw -- and impressed with the wide range of services and programs available in our small, rural libraries. IMLS will issue a report with recommendations later this year, based on this visit. 
 

NLSNational Library Service Consultant Visits VT
In August the Department hosted a visit from MaryBeth Wise, a Consultant from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) of the Library of Congress. While she was here, Ms. Wise met with State Librarian Martha Reid, staff of the Vermont Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped (LBPH/Berlin), members of the Vermont LBPH Advisory Council, and volunteers with the local recording program.
 
Jennifer Hart, Acting Head of the Vermont LBPH, coordinated the visit and provided Ms. Wise with reports and data about our state program, including information about the Vermont local recording program which trains volunteers to produce audio recordings of books written by Vermont authors or with special Vermont interest. These digital recordings are available in the National Library Service union catalog and may be borrowed by qualified readers across the country.
 
The Vermont Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped, part of the Department's Special Services Unit, provides free playback machines and "talking books" in cassette and digital formats to qualified Vermont citizens of all ages who are visually impaired or who cannot otherwise read standard print books. In addition, the Library offers large print books, print braille books, and audio described DVDs. In FY15, the Library served 1,404 active individual readers and 203 institutions (nursing homes, hospitals and public libraries). Total circulation in FY15 was 67,749 items, which includes downloaded materials.
 
The NLS Consultant will issue a report with recommendations later this year.
 

recordingSixth Locally-Recorded Book Now in Circulation for Blind and Visually Impaired Vermonters
The Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, part of the Department of Libraries' Special Services Unit (SSU), has just put into circulation its sixth locally-recorded book, High-Altitude Woman, by Stowe author Jan Reynolds. A world record-breaking skier and climber, Reynolds paved the way for many female extreme athletes; High-Altitude Woman details several of her high-altitude skiing expeditions in the 1980s and '90s, as well as her training for the U.S. Biathlon team and the growth of her interest in the indigenous cultures she encountered while traveling in some of the world's most remote regions.
 
SSU's local recording program makes available to blind, visually impaired, and physically disabled library patrons books and magazines of Vermont interest that are not available nationally. This includes books by Vermont authors, books set in Vermont, books on topics of importance to Vermonters, and Vermont magazines.
 
SSU currently has five other locally-recorded books in circulation: Invasion on the Mountain, Trouble on the Mountain, and At the Top of the Mountain, a historical fiction trilogy by Vermont author Judith Edwards; My Name Is Jody Williams, by Vermont native and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jody Williams; and Dateline Vermont, by former Associated Press Vermont Bureau Chief Chris Graff.
 
There are also three more books currently in production: Something Abides, by Howard Coffin; An Independent Man, by James M. Jeffords; and Vermont Curiosities, by Robert F. Wilson.
 
For more information about SSU's local recording program, or any of SSU's programs or services, please contact Acting Director Jennifer Hart at [email protected].
 


imls