November 2022 Newsletter

Institute of Museum and Library Services Approves VTLIB Five Year Plan

One key role of the Department of Libraries is administering federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funding through the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ (IMLS) Grants to States. We do this work within the framework of a Five-year Plan. The team in the Department of Libraries ensures that Vermonters have access to these federal funds through careful planning, implementation, and reporting.



When I joined the Vermont Department of Libraries in February, we were coming to the end of the 5-year Plan. You can find that program evaluation on the on the IMLS webpage: https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/state-profiles/evals/vermont5yearevaluation.pdf

We think of our five-year LSTA plan as a bird’s-eye view on the work we do supporting library service to communities throughout Vermont. Our five-year Plan includes demographic data taken from the US Census and other state data sets and includes library-specific data taken from the Public Libraries Survey (PLS). Through a review of available data, a “Summary of Needs” emerged for Vermont that helped us to shape the work of the Department for the coming five years.

The current plan highlights the following needs for library service in our state:

• Support for resource sharing
• Training resources for new library staff
• Services provided by the ABLE (Audio, Braille, Large-Print, and Electronic) Library
• Continuing education and professional advisory services to support library staff statewide
• Support for librarians who serve youth and their families in public and school libraries
• Continuing education and resources to support library staff in reaching traditionally underserved populations
• Technology consultancy services
• Consultancy support to library boards and trustees
• Workforce development resources for all Vermonters
• Free access to high-speed internet and technology for all Vermonters
• Databases, eBooks, and eAudiobooks resources

To meet these needs, our team in the Department of Libraries will be focusing on three major focal areas for the Department’s efforts outlined in our 2023-2027 LSTA plan:

• Strengthening Libraries
• Enhancing Access to Information, and
• Fostering Learning & Building Community

I’m happy to share that the five-year LSTA plan for 2023-2027 that we submitted to IMLS in June has been approved! That approval enables us to receive the full amount we’re eligible for through the Grants to States Program in Federal Fiscal Year 2022: $1,074,697.00. For more details about the specific projects included in the plan you can find the full plan on the IMLS website: https://www.imls.gov/sites/default/files/state-profiles/plans/vermont5yearplan.pdf

Catherine Delneo,

State Librarian and Commissioner of Libraries

For State Employees

Vermont State Employee Book Club

White Cane Awareness Day

October 15, 2022 was White Cane Awareness Day, and the ABLE Library was invited to celebrate it along with our partners at the Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. On October 14, participants walked through downtown Barre to raise awareness about the use of white canes by people with visual disabilities. Afterward, folks enjoyed refreshments and learned more about the ABLE Library. Visit the National Federation of the Blind website to learn more about White Cane Awareness Day and ways to support people who use white canes. 

ABLE Book Club

Accessible Youth Collection



Did you know that the ABLE Library has a collection especially for children? The Accessible Youth Collection contains high contrast picture books and board books which allow readers to see shapes and objects more easily. This collection also includes WonderBooks. These books are picture and chapter books with a built-in audio component. This lets children listen to the book while following along with the text and pictures. These books are also helpful for adults who cannot read regular print. Adults can listen to the book with a child, which is a great way to promote literacy.

Cataloging Spectacles

Noteworthy Finds from the Cataloging Desk

Continuing Education & Small and Rural Libraries

The Basic Public Library Administration core course of the Certificate of Public Librarianship program fall class began last week. This class covers the mission of public libraries and the underlying tenets of the library profession such as intellectual freedom, equal access to information, and cultivating libraries as welcoming community hubs. It is always invigorating to spend several weeks intentionally immersed in these ideas and to see other people engage with them in new ways. Other Continuing Education offerings in November include a suicide prevention awareness workshop for library staff presented by the Center for Health and Learning, and a session on creating a transgender inclusive workplace offered by the Civil Rights Unit of the Vermont Attorney General’s office. As always, digital content from the Department of Libraries and other providers on topics ranging from youth services to trustee training is available at no charge to users through the department’s subscription to Niche Academy. Links to this content are on the Department of Libraries Continuing Education page: https://libraries.vermont.gov/services/continuing_ed. 

The Department of Libraries used grant funding from the American Library Association to send department staff and a group of public librarians to the recent New England Library Association 2022 annual conference. Highlights of the conference were sessions on how to prepare on individual and institutional levels for challenges to collection, programming, and display content in libraries. Presenters shared practical suggestions on policy best practices as well as communication tactics to encourage respectful dialogue. There were several sessions on enhancing inclusivity in libraries, from the use of preferred names on library accounts, incorporating underrepresented populations in book suggestions and displays as part of everyday practice rather than during select months, and supplementing traditional catalog subject headings with terms that reflect contemporary culture. On a playful note, Vermont brought home the trophy for the annual games competition between states by creating a Lego library with rainbow-colored walls, two gardens, indoor and outdoor bookshelves, an electric car charging station, a library dog and more! It wasn’t all fiction – there are Vermont libraries that have at least some of those features!

Governance & Management

Emergencies and disasters can occur with little notice. Even if you can anticipate an emergency, you may not be able to plan for the actual impact. Knowing there may be a flood cannot prepare you for knowing the actual amount of water that may enter your library building or the damage it will bring. After all is said and done, how will you know your next steps? How can you assess the damage and help your library move to recovery?

A disaster preparedness plan could make a difference in your library’s ability to quickly respond to a disaster or other emergency. Typically, these plans will outline the possible disasters the library can anticipate. These range from natural to manufactured disasters. Natural disasters may include fires, floods, and blizzards. Manufactured disasters could include theft, malware attacks, or an active shooter. Once potential disasters are identified, the plan should outline the steps taken immediately following each event.

Steps will include collecting immediate information, such as where staff should gather during and after the disaster, information about medical assistance, and who needs to be notified of the event. Medical assistance will include contact information for ambulances in addition to the location of first aid kits. Subsequent steps can be more challenging to piece together as these involve more of the unknown factors of a potential disaster. Even with these unknowns in mind, the plan can still provide an outline of how to proceed with the cleanup, temporary headquarter plans, and who is responsible for different aspects of a response.

A disaster preparedness plan can also help mitigate potential emergencies, by developing a plan review schedule and a schedule for drills. These ensure that those who may need to use the plan are familiar with its information and the steps they need to take.

For more information on writing your plan:

• Disaster Planning for Vermont Libraries Beginning Workshop Recording
• Disaster Planning for Vermont Libraries Intermediate Workshop Recording
• Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response
• VACDaRN Resources for Emergency Managers and Responders 
• Disaster Planning Handbook for Libraries by Mary Grace Flaherty (available from VTLIB)
• Lyrasis Disaster Preparedness Plan for Small Public Libraries
• American Library Association Resource Guide for Disaster Preparedness (older)

Image credit upklyak on Freepik

Information & Access

Online Resource Use September 2022 

Here are your September 2022 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

Learning Express provides training to develop 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 – 79 | Registrations – 39

Tests – 17 | Tutorials – 2 | Computer Courses – 7 | eBooks – 14

Resumes – 0 | Cover Letters – 0 | Job Searches – 28

Most Used Resources:

• Tests – Data Analysis & Probability, Basic Algebra, Geometry, Praxis Special Education, Culinary Arts Practice Exam, Writing Practice
• Tutorials – Great Resumes, TOEFL Preparation
• eBooks – Becoming a Paralegal, LSAT Logic Games, Becoming a Culinary Arts Professional, Becoming a Nurse, GRE Test Prep, Pharmacy Technician Review, SAT Math Success
• Computer Courses – Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Windows

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 – 296 | Login Sessions – 915

Lessons Viewed – 10,959 | Videos Watched – 7,880 | Student Submissions – 10,695

Most Active Classes – American Government, Medical Terminology, Biology, Salem Witch Trials, Dream Interpretation, Genealogy, Vietnam War, Writing Basics, Haunted Places

Vermont Online Library

The Vermont Online Library covers 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 – 35,543 | Average Session Length – 8.47 minutes | Text Retrievals – 16,135

(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, General OneFile, Biography, News

Chilton Library Retrievals – 44

Read more about Learning Express, Universal Class, or Vermont Online Library, or email Josh Muse (Joshua.Muse@vermont.gov) with any questions.

Image credit: Creative Commons By John Morgan

Vermont Librarians' Legal Toolkit

What do you do when a patron asks if there is anything she can do about her neighbor who is blowing his leaves on to her property? What do you do when a patron tells you that he and his wife are afraid of their son who is aggressive and has threatened them? What do you do when a patron tells you that her ex-spouse has not paid child support in three months? As librarians, we can provide them with resources that will help them find the answers to their questions.

The Community Legal Information Center has research guides that are designed to help you direct your patrons to the appropriate resources. 

Vermont Librarians’ Legal Information Toolkit: Where to Start? provides information on free legal research websites, provides lawyer referral information, and reminds you that CLIC is available to help you with those tricky questions.

https://libguides.vermontlaw.edu/librarianlegaltoolkit/start

Vermont Legal Resources for Civil Matters provides a listing of civil legal resources based on the subject matter of the patron’s issue. For example, the “Disability” tab provides information on the non-profit, Disability Rights Vermont, the Vermont Department of Disability, Aging, and Independent Living and its related subdivisions, the Developmental Disability Services Division, and the Vermont Department of Mental Health. It also refers you to Vermont Legal Aid’s Disability Project which helps people with civil legal problems related to their disabilities. Healthcare, employment, domestic violence, landlord/tenant, foreclosure, debt collection, small claims, and veterans are among the other topics for which resources are provided.

https://libguides.vermontlaw.edu/civilmatters/subjects

CLIC is always here to help. Email us at clic@vermontlaw.edu or call (802) 831-1313. 

Vermont Historical Society Celebrates Creepy Doll Week for Halloween

In October, the Vermont Historical Society launched a social media campaign that it called #CreepyDollWeek. The intent was to tap into the spookiness leading up to Halloween, and to that end, selected 28 dolls in its collection, sorted them into a bracket, and asked the general public to weigh in on which creeped them out the most. After a week of voting, social media followers selected 1974.33: Farmer Appleface, a doll made by Nancy Hawkins of Montpelier in 1974, as an imitation of antique folk dolls. As his name suggests, his head is made from a carved apple, which has turned black with age.

Farmer Appleface is now on display at the Vermont Historical Society museum in Montpelier, and you can hear a bit more about the motivations behind the project thanks to Vermont Public.