The Vermont Library Association is launching the Librarian Relief Fund to assist librarians who suffered personal property damages as a result of Hurricane Irene.  Many of our colleagues need support beyond what is offered them by governmental agencies, so please donate generously to their cause.

Contributions can be mailed to:

Vermont Library Association | Attn: Librarian Relief Fund | P.O. Box 803 | Burlington, VT 05402

You can also donate online at:

Please note that 5% of your online gift goes towards Network for Good’s administrative costs, but you can choose an option of paying for it as well.

An application process for funding will be announced shortly. In the meantime, please give! Thank you for supporting your fellow members of the Vermont library community.

On our second day of council we considered a number of resolutions including a Resolution Opposing the Research Works Act; a Resolution Opposing the Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011 (PIPA) and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA); Resolution on the Loss of Crucial Government Information. All three resolutions passed. If you want more information about these resolutions you may look at .http://www.ala.org/aboutala/governance/council/council_actions.

We are also passed the Resolution on Publishers and Practices Which Discriminate Against Library Users. This resolution opposes the discriminatory policies of publishers and distributors which adversely impact access to digital content by library users and will be used to clarify the ALA stand when speaking to publishers of digital content.

As my final mid-winter draws to a close I would like to thank you for the opportunity to work as your ALA Councilor. if you think this is a position you would be interested in please speak to me or any VLA board member. The first conference our new councilor would have to attend takes place in Seattle during January 2013.

Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Wilson

Hello from Dallas. I am very happy to again be reporting on activities at the midwinter meeting of the American Library Association. In this, my final year of serving as your councilor, I will continue to monitor national issues that impact Vermont.

At this conference we are considering a resolution taking a stance against the seemingly secret and arbitrary distribution of ebooks, video, and audio formats by publishers and distributors. The resolution is in draft form now but I hope to report today or tomorrow that we have crafted a strong national response to this practice that withholds content from our customers.

As far as regular ALA business goes, while revenues are down ALA recently purchased Neal- Schumann Publishing in order to expand the ALA publishing arm of the organization, which is actually a good revenue maker for the organization.

Please let me know if you have questions at readmorenow@gmail.com or 802-999-8391

Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Wilson

Please take a moment to sign this important petition which specifically asks the Obama administration to “ensure that every child in America has access to an effective school library program.” 25,000 signatures are required in order for this petition to be viewed by White House staff, no later than February 4, 2012.

For complete info, see: http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=136473

Grant Application deadline: May 1, 2012

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The Public Library Association (PLA) is counting down to its biennial conference, PLA 2012, March 13-17, in Philadelphia. PLA 2012 Conference Bookended by Exciting Keynote Speakers Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Betty White! Early Bird Registration is now available!

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January 23, 1-3 p.m. (SNOW DATE: January 30, 1-3 p.m.)
Rockingham Free Library, Bellows Falls: http://rfpl.kohalibrary.com/

State Librarian Martha Reid will be at the Rockingham Free Public Library on January 23 to talk about current projects and activities at the Department of Libraries and to get feedback from the greater Vermont library community. Previous sessions have been great, with lots of good discussion. All are welcome –librarians/library staff, library trustees, and local officials — to attend this informal session. There will be plenty of time for Q&A, so bring your questions and comments.

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Please join the wonderful Stacey Knibloe from Gale for two webinars on the Vermont Online Library/Gale Databases. If you cannot attend on the day of the event, there will be an archive available.

To register, click on the webinar title. I will send the webinar access information and instructions to you the day before each session.

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Join us for the VLA Youth Section Mid-Winter Magic Conference, Friday, January 27^th!

Our focus: FRESH, EASY, & CHEAP!

We, Amy and Kat, present to you, our phenomenal partners in Youth and Young Adult Librarianship, the VLA Youth Section Mid-Winter Magic Conference! On Friday, Jan. 27th, from 9:30 am-4:00 pm at the Aldrich Public Library in Barre, join us for an exploration of programs, displays, and approaches that are “Fresh, Easy, and Cheap!” The morning will be filled with a variety of speakers, from art teachers to former teen volunteers, all presenting fresh ideas on how to enrich your youth offerings and environment. And in the afternoon real live teens will be on hand for a discussion-based forum helping us identify what teens are looking for in libraries and how to best provide them with the services, atmosphere, and experience they need and want. The inclement weather date is Friday, Feb. 3rd, 9:30 am-4:00 pm. If you have a laptop, bring it! Also, bring a lunch, a favorite children’s book to work with, and your own “fresh, easy, cheap” ideas to share. This conference is absolutely FREE!

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The Vermont Library Association is looking for a dedicated person to serve as the chair of its Government Relations Committee. The work entails the following:

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WHAT: Sign up to present at The Academic Library Show & Tell Sessions:  Pecha Kucha @ the Vermont Library Conference.

WHO: Invitation to people who work in academic libraries:  submit an idea to present a pecha kucha session.

(You know you want to).  Topics?  Think fun, useful, interesting.  This is a multiple-speaker event.

WHEN & WHERE: May 22, 2012, Vermont Library Conference, Saint Michael’s College, Colchester, Vermont

HOW: The format:  your presentation will consist of 20 powerpoint slides, with each slide allotted 20 seconds for a total of 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

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