VTLIB Consultants Tour Vermont Libraries | | |
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VTLIB staff members touring the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, the Barnet Public Library, and Goodrich Memorial Library in Newport, VT (clockwise L-R) | |
The Department of Libraries consultants have been enjoying the beginning of their Vermont Libraries tour! So far they have visited fifteen public libraries in the Northeast Kingdom, where they met with librarians face-to-face and heard about the wonderful work going on in these communities. Whether it’s fundraising through the sale of crocheted animals, giving out cups of iced tea, or distributing new sneakers, libraries are thriving. The tour has also been a great opportunity for consultants to answer questions about the ebook/audiobook Palace Project, the Working Group on the Status of Libraries in Vermont, talk about grants, learn about creative partnerships, and hear about the needs of public libraries in the state. Keep watching the listserv to see when they are coming to an area near you and have your questions ready! | |
Vermont State Employees Book Club – Fall Title Announcement!
Thanks to support from Vermont Humanities, this fall the State Employee Book Club returns! We will be reading The Most Costly Journey: Stories of Migrant Farmworkers in Vermont Drawn by New England Cartoonists, which is this year's Vermont Reads title. Details on discussion sessions for the fall and sign ups are still being pinned down. Please watch this space and the DHR newsletter for announcements about the sign up list and details about discussion sessions next month. We will have 100 copies of the title to send to participating state employees, and can coordinate interlibrary loan requests for additional copies. Contact April.Shaw@vermont.gov with any questions!
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ABLE Library & Inclusive Services | |
ABLE Book Club
Join the ABLE Library book club on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. We will be discussing 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith (Sound recording book number: DB64303). Participants can join on their computers or over the phone. ABLE Library patrons can contact the ABLE Library to find out how to get a copy of the book and register for the discussion. Email lib.ablelibrary@vermont.gov or call (802) 636-0020 or (800) 479-1711.
ABLE Library Statistics for May 2022
Total number of checkouts: 8,982
Digital cartridge titles: 6,983
Large print: 699
BARD app (audio or braille books downloaded by patrons): 1,300
Top 5 Most Popular Books:
1. The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley (DB107433, LP015959)
2. Citizen K-9 by David Rosenfelt (DB107226)
3. Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton (DB107053, LP107053)
4. The Night Shift by Alex Finlay (DB107251)
5. Homer: The Ninth Life of a Blind Wonder Cat by Gwen Cooper (DB106486)
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Memorable Times Café
We are excited to be celebrating community with an in-person summer gathering at the Vermont Historical Society on July 20, 2022, from 1:30 to 3:00 pm! Music, friendly company, refreshments, and pleasant times will be shared. Barb Asen from the Central Vermont Council on Aging will lead us in Ageless Grace activities – “playing” with seated movement and imagination paired with favorite songs. Memorable Times Café participants will get to see each other once again and welcome new friends. The ABLE Library staff will be on hand with resources for enjoying books in new ways. This is a dementia-friendly community activity open to all who are interested. Please register in advance by contacting Barb Asen at 802-476-2681 or basen@cvcoa.org.
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Inclusive Library Services
The Vermont Department of Libraries provides consulting to public and school libraries on a range of topics related to inclusive library services. Our goal is to ensure that Vermont libraries have the knowledge and resources to implement inclusive, equitable services to all members of their communities. Visit our Inclusive Services webpage to learn more.
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Public libraries benefit from clear guidelines that illustrate the board’s expectations for the organization. Policies are one way of providing this; they can set the tone for the organization, provide expectations for collection development, and give information for how the public may utilize the library.
Policy needs can be identified by the board or the library director, but it is a good idea to ensure that the director has a role in writing or revising all policies as they are well-versed in the daily needs of the library and with the professional library world. The board reviews and approves policies which are then used in daily operations. It is a good practice to have a ‘date to be renewed’ on policies so you can know at a glance how often to review and, potentially, revise each policy. An annual renewal calendar can also help you keep track of this.
What policies should a library have? There are many policies that could be relevant to your organization but, in general, you should have policies that cover
- Building use and patron behavior
- Collection development, including material reconsideration
- Meeting room use
- Personnel policies
- Board meeting policies (these are separate from bylaws)
- Circulation, including lending and card eligibility
- Computers and internet use
If you need assistance with policy planning, please contact Tonya Ryals (tonya.ryals@vermont.gov; 802-798-2480).
For more training materials for trustees: https://bit.ly/VTLIBtrustees
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ALA Annual Conference Review | |
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The recent American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference featured many sessions with topics relevant to small and rural libraries. Discussions were held about how to make professional advancement less dependent on expensive graduate degrees and the importance of advocating for professional respect and compensation for different types of library jobs. One presenter ended their session by saying it was time for librarians to move from the mindset of proudly getting a lot done with few resources to one of deserving the opportunity to “do more with more.”
Another conference session featured the ALA Public Programming Office (PPO). They shared information on an upcoming grant opportunity for small and rural libraries: Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities. This will offer grants ranging from $10,000 to $20,000 for small and rural libraries to better serve people with disabilities. Applications open in November, and PPO staff offered suggestions for what libraries can do to prepare to apply. One is to start now gathering information from local community members and organizations with first-hand experience with disabilities or working with people with disabilities about what they would like from the library. Not only could this inform an effective grant-funded project, but this work will serve the library in future planning and deepening of partnerships whether this specific grant is pursued or not. Also, the Public Programs Office has a newsletter and a dedicated ALA Connect group, both of which are good ways to keep current on upcoming grants and to connect and interact with other libraries doing programming and grant-funded projects.
Photo credit: American Library Association
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Support and Appreciation for Kinship and Foster Caregivers | |
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The Vermont Department of Libraries (VTLIB) partnered with the Department of Children and Families Barre Family Services Division (FSD) district office resource coordinators and Vermont Child Welfare Partnership (VTCWP) to create district office resource libraries. Twelve FSD district offices, serving communities across Vermont, received a collection of 15 books intended to support kinship and foster parents and promote healing for children and youth who have experienced trauma, grief, and loss. The partnership between Barre FSD, VTLIB and VTCWP began in 2019 for the purpose of using literature to promote healing for children and youth who have a history of loss, grief, and trauma. Other collaborative projects have included: presentations and resources for library staff, book discussions, micro-learning courses, and a podcast for kinship/foster families and staff FSD staff who support those families.
Visit the VTLIB website for more information on Materials for Dealing with Loss, Grief, and Trauma: https://libraries.vermont.gov/LossGriefTraumaResources
You can listen to or read the transcript of the “Welcome to the Field Podcast” on using literature to promote healing here: https://vermontcwtp.org/2021/10/04/reading-to-promote-healing/
This project is funded, in part, through the Institute of Museum and Library Services LSTA ARPA State Grants.
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Certificate of Public Librarianship Open House | |
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On August 29, 2022, at 1:00pm, there will be an online Open House for the Vermont Certificate of Public Librarianship. The Certificate program continues to evolve with increased enrollment, more online content, and core courses incorporating more interactive and collaborative work into the curriculum. In addition to an overview of the program, the August session will be a chance to hear about individualized, innovative ways to earn credit, and new possibilities for ways to make the most of the program and tailor it to specific goals. All are welcome to attend, especially those interested in joining the program, those recently enrolled, and supervisors interested in encouraging staff to pursue certification. The registration link for this is on the VTLIB website CE page.
Stay tuned for dates coming soon for fall 2022 core courses for the certificate program. Fall courses will be Cataloging and Basic Public Library Administration. These will each be multiple-week courses with required synchronous online meetings and some required work outside of class time. As soon as dates are confirmed they will be shared in the VTLIB digest and CE updates. These classes fill up with waiting lists, so all interested should be sure to register soon after registration opens.
Photo credit: Photo created by zinkevych - www.freepik.com
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Total number of requests: 4467
- Books: 4144
- Videos: 220
- Audiobooks: 88
- Music CDs: 3
- Articles: 9
- Music Scores: 2
- Library of Things: 1
Top 5 requested audiobooks:
- Wonder (Palacio)
- A Cold Day for Murder (Stabenow)
- Light of the Jedi (Soule)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Rowling)
- This Boy’s Life (Wolff)
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Top 10 most requested book titles in April 2022 (with most requested titles at the top): |
- The Ocean at the End of the Lane (Gaiman)
- The Ride of Her Life: The true story of a woman, her horse, and their last-chance journey across America (Letts)
- Beheld (Nesbit)
- The Thursday Murder Club (Osman)
- Judgement Hill (Freeman)
- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Verne)
- Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir (Reichl)
- How Beautiful We Were (Mbue)
- The Flight Attendant (Bohjalian)
- The Body in the Library (Christie)
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May Database Use
We’d like to share the May stats for the online resources offered by the Department of Libraries. Learning Express and Vermont Online Library are free to all libraries (public, school, or academic), while Universal Class is only available to public libraries.
Learning Express
Note – We inadvertently sent May Learning Express stats for the last issue of the newsletter, so these will look familiar. We apologize for the error.
Learning Express provides training for workplace, academic, and job-hunting skills. It offers training for occupation exams, skills for school, exploration of careers, resume and interview help, and more.
Sessions – 56 | Registrations – 23
Tests – 8 | Tutorials – 2 | Computer Courses – 1 | eBooks – 15
Job Searches – 2
Most Used Resources:
- Tests – GED Practice Test in Spanish, ACT English, Real Estate Salesperson
- Tutorials – Algebra, Basic Math
- eBooks – Chemistry Review, GRE Test Prep, Becoming a Paralegal, Career Changer’s Manual, EMT Exam, Federal Jobs Guide, GRE Vocabulary, Pharmacy Tech Exam
- Computer Courses – Intro to Computers
Universal Class
Universal Class offers a wide range of online courses (from business to cooking, computers to social work) that are led by a real instructor, and that can be completed at your own pace.
New Registrations – 70 | New Courses Started – 222 | Login Sessions – 1,115
Lessons Viewed – 7,478 | Videos Watched – 5,053 | Student Submissions – 3,149
Most Active Classes – Marine Biology, Medical Terminology, Computer Literacy, Basic Math, Genealogy, American Government, Astronomy, Typing, Acrylic Painting.
Vermont Online Library
Covering everything from magazine and newspaper articles to DIY car repair and business help, Vermont Online Library can help with any topic. Users can (with a bit of work) even read articles by issue from some popular magazines, such as The New York Times, Economist, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Highlights for Children, National Review, and Runner's World.
Sessions – 42,641 | Average Session Length – 15.3 minutes | Text Retrievals – 19,355
(Note about Sessions – This number is a bit misleading, as it counts multiple sessions when a user searches multiple databases at once)
Most Used Databases – Academic OneFile, Opposing Viewpoints, US History, Biography, News, General OneFile, Virtual Reference Library
Chilton Library Retrievals – 24
Read more about Learning Express, Universal Class, or Vermont Online Library, or email Josh Muse with any questions.
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PACER is the acronym of Public Access to Electronic Court Records, a service of the federal judiciary that provides electronic public access to federal court records and documents. It allows access to all public documents filed with federal courts including U.S. district courts, U.S. courts of appeal, and U.S. bankruptcy courts. PACER is used to retrieve a case docket, which in turn provides access to all manner of important case information. The docket provides information about the parties involved in the litigation, their attorneys, and the judge(s) hearing the case. It also provides information about the case itself such as the case number, causes of action, and the remedies being sought. It provides a chronological listing of actions taken with respect to the case. PACER also allows public access to federal appellate court opinions and judgments, and many courts provide download capabilities for case-related documents for a fee.
No doubt you have heard of the controversy involving PACER, a system that the New York Times has described as an unwieldy, relic. There is an ongoing debate about whether the federal judiciary should charge the public for access to public documents. Bills have been introduced and committees have made recommendations to make use of PACER free of charge; but, the general consensus is that it will be a long time before the system will be upgraded and fees removed.
PACER is a tremendous tool to have for self-representing litigants. It allows them access to court documents in their own case, but also provides access to documents in similar cases that they can use as a guide. As a librarian, I cannot tell people how to fill-out court forms, but I can give them samples. I am thrilled to announce that PACER will be a service provided by CLIC starting in July. Patrons will not have direct access, but we can pull dockets and documents for them.
Don’t forget, if you need help with patron legal reference questions, you can “Ask a Law Librarian” by calling (802) 831-1313 or emailing clic@vermontlaw.edu.
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From Our Neighbors at the
Vermont Historical Society
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A New American Globe Now Open at the Vermont History Museum in Montpelier
James Wilson of Bradford created the first commercially available globes in America. Beginning in 1810, he produced and sold terrestrial and celestial globes for home and classroom use, advertising them as superior American-made products. Wilson's path to globemaking was far from obvious, and he has been celebrated as a unique Vermont genius.
How much of what we know about him is anecdotal and hearsay, and how much is based in close examination of quality archival sources? Visit the exhibit at the the Vermont History Museum at 109 State Street in Montpelier.
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Vermont Historical Society to Participate in Barre Heritage Festival
The Vermont Historical Society will be taking part in this year's Barre Heritage Festival in Barre, Vermont on July 28th-29th:
Visit the Vermont History Center at 60 Washington St. to tour the building, library, and view their "Icons, Oddities, and Wonders" exhibit.
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