In This Issue

From the State Librarian

Digital Newspaper Project Now Has A Blog

New Grant Opportunity

Snapshot Day for Vermont Libraries

Vermont Parks Pass Coming Soon

Grants from the VCF

Citizen Leadership in a Connected Age

E-Contente and Libraries

Reading with Vermont State Police

"Dear Reader" New Book Alerts

VPLF Announces Grant Awards

Center for Cartoon Studies Scholarship

Check it out !

Continuing Education Program 2011

Learn more

Borrow a Flip
Video Camera
Find out more

Helpful Links

Department of Libraries
VT Library Association
VT School Library Assoc
VT Humanities Council
VCAL
GMLC
VT Folklife Center

From the State Librarian

Last week I attended the Grants to States Conference sponsored by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). This is an annual event at which state library agency personnel from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories assemble to receive training and participate in discussions related to implementing federal LSTA (Library Service & Technology Act) funds.

As you can imagine, there was much uncertainty this year as we wait for Congresss to pass the FFY11 budget and as the House and Senate look ahead to FFY12. The fear is that LSTA funding will be cut, affecting library programs and services across the country. The Department of Libraries receives an annual LSTA award administered by IMLS and we hope that what we receive this year will match the FFY2010 allottment of $955,372. Read more

Digital Newspaper Project Now Has A Blog

The Vermont Digital Newspaper Project (VTDNP) has created a blog site. If you'd like to read or post messages, the blog is available at: http://vtdnp.wordpress.com/. The blog gives readers a window on the processes and logistics of digitizing 100,000 pages of historical Vermont newspapers. If you are a Facebook fan, feel free to visit the new Vermont Digital Newspaper Project page to get updates.

The Department of Libraries is a partner in this National Endowment for the Humanities grant project.

New Grant Opportunity

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Agency is accepting applications for grants through the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) Grant Program to provide access to education, training and healthcare resources in rural areas. The program is designed to provide access to education, training and health care resources for people in rural areas. For the first time, libraries are eligible to apply for the grant. The maximum grant limit is $500,000, and the minimum amount is $50,000. The deadline for applications is April 25. More information on the program is available at www.rurdev.usda.gov/UTP_DLT.html.

Snapshot Day for Vermont Libraries

Attention, librarians! There is still time to get involved in this year's Snapshot Day activities. The Vermont Library Association, the Vermont School Library Association and the Vermont Department of Libraries have joined forces to create a multi-media advertising campaign for Vermont libraries. The campaign includes television commercials and newspaper ads to be released during National Library Week (April 10-16) and state-wide Library Snapshot Day (March and April). Read more.

Vermont Parks Pass Coming Soon

This summer Vermonters will once again enjoy the benefits of free passes to Vermont state parks and Vermont's historic sites, the result of the combined efforts of the Vermont Department of Libraries, the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, & Recreation, and the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation. The pass, available for check-out at Vermont public libraries, allows Vermonters to use the selected parks and sites for free, admitting one car with up to eight people aboard. Most of the day-use parks and the historic sites open around Memorial Day weekend, May 30. Public libraries can expect the passes to arrive in the mail by early May.

E-Content and Libraries: Addressing Issues

More and more libraries are offering e-content to their users and increasing numbers of Vermonters will be looking for free access to e-books at their local library. This year Vermont libraries have new sources of e-books for users with the Vermont Online Library and the Green Mountain Library Consortium's Overdrive e-book program. As libraries consider these and other e-products there are plenty of questions and concerns that arise. Case in point: recent decisions made by HarperCollins have kept library bloggers busy. Read more.

Reading Program with Vermont State Police

Bonnie Stewart, Director of the Maclure Library in Pittsford, contacted DOL about a new program she has started in collaboration with the Vermont State Police. The project, called "It's a Crime Not to Read," is based on a program that originated in Calgary, Canada after a public librarian learned about a strong correlation between the expected number of future prison cells and present day second grade reading levels. Read more.

"Dear Reader" New Book Alerts

For over a year the Ilsley Public Library in Middlebury has emailed a monthly newsletter to folks who provided the library with their email addresses. This has proven to be an effective way to promote library programs and services. But Library Director David Clark wanted to get the word out about new items added to the library collection. He reports, "Since we mostly buy single copies of books, movies, and audiobooks, chances are that most of the new items will not be [on the shelf] when users come in. In a moment of weakness I responded to an email ad that came in January from a company called DearReader.com. I liked what I saw and we signed up." Read more.

Vermont Public Library Foundation Announces Grant Awards

The Vermont Public Library Foundation (VPLF) recently awarded grants from the Winnie Belle Learned Fund to twenty Vermont public libraries and to the Windham County Reads Bookmobile. The Winnie Belle Learned Fund was established by Dr. Burnett Rawson in honor of his benefactress, Ms. Winnie Belle Learned, a Vermont educator, with the goal of helping Vermont libraries develop services to foster literacy, love of learning, critical analysis, and intellectual exploration for children and teens. During this latest competitive grant round, VPLF awarded $30,296 in individual grants ranging from $500 to $2,500. Projects funded include several collection upgrades, services for babies, multicultural programming, and more. A complete list of grantees and their projects is available at: http://libraries.vermont.gov/libraries/vplf

Center for Cartoon Studies Scholarship

For the third year in a row, the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction has donated a full scholarship to the Department of Libraries so a Vermont teen can attend their one week workshop, "Make Comics," this summer. This full scholarship, worth $850, includes the workshop, supplies, light breakfast, full lunch and evening student activities. Lodging is not included, but there is a very inexpensive hostel option at the nearby Hotel Coolidge. Any Vermont student age 16 or older (must be 16 years old by June 1, 2011) is eligible. The workshop will take place in White River Junction, VT July 18-22, 2011.
Vermonters interested in the scholarship should apply through the local school or public library. The only entry requirements are: (1) that the student is at least 16 years old, and (2) the applicant has the ability to attend the entire workshop in July. The contest will be conducted through the library (school or public) and librarians will be responsible for sending in the entry forms by... Read more

What are Vermonters reading this spring? Judging from library members-only VALS listserv, author Jacqueline Winspear and her Maisie Dobbs series is popular, even addictive. In a conversation that spread over a few days, public librarians suggested other good authors for readers hungry for British mysteries set during World War I.

Maisie Dobbs: a Novel by Jacqueline Winspear. Maisie Dobbs served as a nurse at the battlefront in France and after the war opens an office as a private investigator in London, using her intelligence and insight to help her clients. The series offers literary writing, a close-up on British class, and perspective on the Great War.

ONLY COMPLETE ARTICLES BEYOND THIS POINT

From the Vermont State Librarian

Last week I attended the annual Grants to States Conference sponsored by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). This is an annual event at which state library agency personnel from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories assemble to receive training and participate in discussions related to implementing federal LSTA (Library Service & Technology Act) funds.

What does this mean for Vermont libraries? Our Department uses LSTA funds to support these activities: the Vermont Online Library databases, consulting services for public libraries, our continuing education programs, book collections at the State Library, Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, and the Midstate Library Service Center, the annual summer reading program for children and young adults, the Vermont Automated Library System (VALS) and the Web2 union catalog, the "talking book" collection at the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, the agreement between DOL and UVM that makes it possible for public libraries to borrow materials from UVM libraries via interlibrary loan, grants to support the 1st Wednesday programs in 9 public libraries, the annual movie license program for public libraries, and Resource Sharing Grants for public and academic libraries. Twenty of the twenty six employees in our Department are paid in part with federal LSTA funds. In short, LSTA funding is essential for the operation of our department and the services and programs we provide. I am keeping a sharp eye out for developments in Washington and try to be as optimistic as I can, while keeping some programs "on hold" until we know just how much funding will be coming our way.

It was not all bad news at the conference. Newly appointed IMLS Director Susan Hildreth was on hand for many of the meetings and addressed the group. As a former state librarian and Director of the Seattle Public Library, she is well known by state librarians and we collectively applauded her appointment. She "gets" libraries, is direct and down-to-earth, and will provide very able leadership during her 4-year term. I, for one, felt a very positive vibe and look forward to working with her. Another focus of this year's conference was on the preparation of the next LSTA 5-Year Plan that must be IMLS-approved for each state, as well as the evaluation process that takes place every 5 years on expiring plans. This year the Department of Libraries is joining several other states to hire an outside consultant who will conduct the evaluation process of our current 5-Year plan (which officially ends in 2012). This means that we will be writing a new 5-year plan (to begin in 2013) at the same time that the evaluation process on our current is taking place. Whew! Past evaluations have included surveys and focus group meetings with Vermont librarians and this process will do much the same. Stay tuned for more information - and, as always, feels free to contact me with your questions, thoughts, and ideas.

Martha Reid

Snapshot Day for Vermont Libraries

To make the Vermont Library Snapshot Day a success we encourage librarians across the state to participate -- from ALL types of libraries. Library Snapshot Day is a great way for libraries to show Vermont citizens, library patrons, policymakers and funders exactly what happens at your library during a single day.

How many reference questions were answered? How many people walked through the library doors? What sort of programs did folks attend? How many students toured the library? Library Snapshot Day allows libraries to show the impact of their services through photographs as well as statistics.

Below is a link to the wiki that has everything libraries need to participate, including how-to's, forms, etc. Libraries are asked to choose a date between now and early April and submit/upload photos and statistics to share with others. The Snapshot Day committee will see to it that things are
rganize/aggregate the photos and statistics in a meaningful way just in time for National Library Week (April 10-16).

Details at: http://vermontlibrarysnapshotday.pbworks.com

To read more about Library Snapshot Day, and to see what has taken place in other states, check out the American Library Association website at: http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/advocacy/statelocalefforts/snapshotday/index.cfm

Vermont Parks Pass Coming Soon

The pass program began with Vermont State Parks in 2009, and was expanded to include Historic Sites in 2010. The initial pass is mailed free to each public library and participating college libraries. Libraries may purchase additional passes for $40.00 each, half the retail value, and are encouraged to advertise the pass program through press releases, television PSAs, and face-to-face at the circulation desk. For more information - or to suggest other ideas for promoting library use, contact Amy Howlett, DOL Library Consultant, at: amy.howlett@state.vt.us

Citizen Leadership in a Connected Age: May 21

The e-Vermont Community Broadband Project will sponsor a day-long conference, "Citizen Leadership in a Connected Age" on May 21 at Vermont Technical College in Randolph. The e-Vermont Project, funded with a federal Broadband Technology Opportunity Program (BTOP) grant, is working with 24 e-Vermont communities to develop Internet-based applications and programs to meet the needs of local citizens and businesses. The Department of Libraries is a project partner and local librarians have been very active in e-Vermont project planning. The May Conference will bring together Vermonters from across the state to learn and to share their successes and challenges with implementing local Internet-based programs and services.

The conference will advance strategies and seek solutions that utilize broadband technology to address economic and community development challenges facing local communities. The Department of Libraries encourages librarians and library trustees to attend and to encourage community leaders to attend as well and take part in a wide variety of workshops and presentations scheduled that day. The conference will provide:

opportunities for e-Vermont citizen leaders to discuss their experiences, and to problem-solve in a peer learning environment;
the ability for e-Vermont partners to share project outcomes, models and best practices statewide;
a forum for participants to identify changes that will positively affect their lives, and eventually result in the adoption of broadband technologies to create better outcomes;
demonstrations of how broadband technologies can help Vermonters "do more with less";
a showcase for broadband technology innovations from the state's digital leaders and experts;
a means to collaborate and carry the vision beyond the conference with a growing network focused on information and resource sharing.

For More Information: Check e-Vermont website at: http://vtrural.org/programs/e-vermontor contact Joanna Cummings, e-Vermont Community Coordinator, at joanna@snellingcenter.org

E-Content and Libraries: Addressing Issues

More and more libraries are offering e-content to their users and increasing numbers of Vermonters will be looking for free access to e-books at their local library. This year Vermont libraries have new sources of e-books for users with the Vermont Online Library and the Green Mountain Library Consortium's Overdrive e-book program. As libraries consider these and other e-products there are plenty of questions and concerns that arise. Case in point: recent decisions made by HarperCollins have kept library bloggers busy.

See:

http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/home/889452264/harpercollins_caps_loans_on_ebook.html.csp

The American Library Association (ALA) has formed two groups to take stock of the current e-environment and to make sure that library interests are well represented: EQUACC, the ALA Presidential Task Force on Equitable Access to Electronic Content and the e-Book Task Force (ALA Office for Information Technology Policy). Other library groups that are working on these same issues include Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) and the Urban Libraries Council. EQUACC, and representatives from these other groups, met in Washington earlier this month. To read more about these groups and their work, and to join the online discussion, see: http://www.equacc.ala.org/

Back to top

Reading Program with Vermont State Police

Director Stewart did some research and discovered that 95% of Vermont inmates have no high school diploma and that over 30% of Vermont inmates are considered functionally illiterate. She reports that research identifies a strong link between low literacy and crime.

The goal of "It's a Crime Not to Read" is to connect local second grade students with books, reading, life-long learning, and positive community relationships with police officers. Each month, a Maclure Library staff member and a police officer will visit the local elementary school where the officer will read aloud to the students. The program provides the students with positive role models who read for pleasure, a favorable image of police officers, and will promote reading and increased library awareness. Each student will receive a special library card to reinforce the importance of using library resources.

For more information about this project, contact Bonnie Stewart at the Maclure Library in Pittsford. www.maclurelibrary.org

"Dear Reader" New Book Alerts

Ilsley now sends out to library patrons a monthly email that features new items with a picture of book jackets and item descriptions. Director Clark commented, "Each title is linked to the catalog record. Computer code selects 10 top choices per month based on national sales and all new titles are pegged within up to 47 categories. In addition, our library website www.ilsleypubliclibrary.org links to a site that matches the monthly email and continuously updates our new titles. Comments have been positive, both from users and staff. Now it's easy to see the titles we have to lend even if they're not on the shelf." For more information, contact David Clark at the Ilsley Public Library.

Center for Cartoon Studies Scholarship

Vermonters interested in the scholarship should apply through the local school or public library. The only entry requirements are: (1) that the student is at least 16 years old, and (2) the applicant has the ability to attend the entire workshop in July. The contest will be conducted through the library (school or public) and librarians will be responsible for sending in the entry forms to the Department of Libraries by May 27, 2011. DOL will hold a drawing and will let the winning student's librarian know the results.

Last year Michael Edney from Burlington High School won the scholarship and attended the workshop. An enthusiastic and talented cartoonist, he is quoted on CCS's website: "Create Comics is fantastic! I highly recommend it for anyone aspiring to become a cartoonist."

Entry forms are available for download at: http://libraries.vermont.gov/libraries/cbec/ccs

For more information about the workshop and the Center for Cartoon Studies, please visit: www.cartoonstudies.org

Continuing Education Program 2011

The Department of Libraries' 2011 Continuing Education Website and 2011 Calendar are up and running. Each year DOL offers two 5-day core workshops required for certification. This year the core courses are "Basic Public Library Administration" and "Basic Reference."

DOL is also offering technology workshops, including sessions on interlibrary loan, "First Aid for Computers," and a class on technology trends taught by enthusiastic guest-presenter Linda Braun. Other highlights for 2011 include workshops on genealogy, grant writing, forming community partnerships, and advocacy. Library services for youth will be supported with "One World, Many Stories" (Summer Reading Program), Materials Review, and more. Use the links above to find out more about workshop offerings, check dates and locations, and register to attend.

Maisie Dobbs: a Novel by Jacqueline Winspear. Maisie Dobbs served as a nurse at the battlefront in France and after the war opens an office as a private investigator in London, using her intelligence and insight to help her clients. The series offers literary writing, a close-up on British class, and perspective on the Great War.

Wings of Fire by Charles Todd. Inspector Ian Rutledge works for Scotland Yard. He carries a reminder of the war with him, the ghost of Hamish MacLeod, a Scottish soldier who speaks to him. This is one book of a series.

Tug of War by Barbara Cleverly. Joe Sandilands, like Inspector Rutledge, is an Inspector with Scotland Yard. In this book, one of a series, he visits France in 1926 to help a shell-shocked patient. The evidence of war damage is everywhere for Sandilands, in the landscape and in his clients.

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie King. Laurie R. King is keeping Sherlock Holmes fans supplied with her Mary Russell/ Holmes series. The Beekeeper begins the series, with the introduction of the American orphan who takes readily to detection. Sussex, London and Oxford provide the backdrop to these tales of 1915.

No Graves as Yet by Anne Perry. Perry has written five mystery thrillers set in England. The first, No Graves as Yet, is set just before World War I. Grim news from Europe sets the stage for many graves as England's youth prepare to fight.

How do librarians find fiction and nonfiction recommendations for readers?

One avenue to "readers' advisory" is through research in books like Murder in Retrospect: a Selective Guide to Historical Fiction by Michael Burgess and Jill H. Vassilakos.

Here are a few more authors, suggested by Vermont librarians, whose books may appeal to readers of Jacqueline Winspear, author of the popular Maisie Dobbs series about the World War I nurse turned private detective:

Rhys Bowen - Molly Murphy series and Royal Spryness series
Charles Crawford - Bess Crawford series and Inspector Rutledge series
Ariana Franklin - there are at least two series, one set in Henry II England
Kate Furnival
Kerry Greenwood - Phryne Fisher series set in Australia in the 1920's
Donna Leon - Brunetti series set in Venice
Katharine McMahon - Crimson Rooms
Kate Morton
Caro Peacock
Louise Penny - Armand Gamache series
Elizabeth Peters
Dorothy Sayers - characters Harriet Vane and Peter Wimsey were created in the 1920s; the aristocrat and his blue-stocking wife have been re-visioned by author Jill Patterson Walsh in our time.
Lauren Willig

Borrow a Flip Video Camera

The Vermont Public Library Foundation has purchased a Flip Video Ultra camcorder that is available for Vermont public libraries to borrow. The Department of Libraries will handle the loan of this equipment and we encourage public libraries to borrow this equipment to practice using Flip video technology, for staff development activities, training, marketing and PR, programming, etc. DOL has posted a loan policy on the DOL website: http://libraries.vermont.gov/libraries/cbec/flipcameraloan

For more information about borrowing the Flip, contact Renee Ancel at 802.828.3266 /

renee.ancel@state.vt.us