VLA Board adopts Resolution on 2009 Patriot Act Resolution

On September 15th, the  VLA Board Meeting unanimously and enthusiastically adopted a Resolution on the 2009 Reauthorization of the USA Patriot Act.the following resolution. Unlike a resolution passed by ALA Council in July 2009, VLA’s resolution goes beyond Section 215 and address grave concerns raised by the use and abuse of Section 505, National Security Letters.

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Good Ideas!

The Vermont Department of Libraries is launching Good Ideas, http://vtgoodideas.wordpress.com. The website will include examples of programs, manuals, forms and fundraisers used by Vermont public libraries. Check it out—and please contact me if you have material to share.

Amy Howlett
VT Department of Libraries

Updated Intro to Vermont Online Libraries (VOL)

I’ve updated the PowerPoint introduction to the Vermont Online Library at http://www.webjunction.org/vt-ce/-/resources/discussion/80730711 You don’t need to log into WebJunction to retrieve the workshop.

The PowerPoint link is http://tinyurl.com/qbdmof. The WebJunction link provides user handouts and a script to read for the workshop. The searches, email functions, and Help commands described in this workshop are unchanged from the 2008 edition.

Amy Howlett
VT Department of Libraries

Looking for a Mentor? Want to Be a Mentor?

ALA has launched MentorConnect in ALA Connect so you can find or become a mentor.

MentorConnect (”MC”) allows ALA members to create mentoring profiles that highlight their expertise and experience. After they’ve joined MC, ALA members can search for a mentor using a variety of criteria (gender, type of library, ethnicity, etc.) and request mentorship. Once created, the mentorship is tracked within MC, with a space for providing and archiving feedback. The system will prompt mentors and mentorees every few months to ensure they are staying in touch.

To learn all about this new service, see Mentoring Starter Questions and Mentoring and MentorConnect FAQ at (http://www.students.ala.org/studentmemberblog/?p=344)

Don Wood
Program Officer
Chapter Relations Office
American Libraries Association
dwood@ala.org
1-800-545-2433, ext. 2429

New England Library Association Annual Conference

NEW ENGLAND LIBRARY ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE

OCTOBER 18-20 2009 – CONNECTICUT CONVENTION CENTER

Annual Conference Offerings & Registration

NELA Membership Registration

Dear Colleagues,

I don’t want you to miss the next New England Library Association (NELA) Annual Conference this coming October 18 – 20. The fall is a busy time for us all but it is also a good chance to refresh and renew by planning time to attend the conference.

We offer many presentations, events and exhibitors that represent a variety of interests. Here are just a few:

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Grants for Book Clubs Serving Underserved Teens

The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office and the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) are now accepting applications for the next round of Great Stories CLUB grants. Electronic applications for the reading and discussion series will be accepted through Nov. 2 at www.ala.org/greatstories. Funding was provided for this program by Oprah’s Angel Network.

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Department of Libraries Submits ARRA Broadband Grant Application

The Vermont Department of Libraries has submitted an application for $601,753 in Federal grant funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program for Public Computing Centers. According to Martha Reid, State Librarian, the BTOP grant awards will be announced in November. “If we receive this grant award, thousands of Vermonters will have access to free computer training at a variety of locations around the state and four of our busiest public libraries will be able to purchase additional computers for public use.”

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American Heritage Preservation Grants – Funding Available from IMLS and Bank of America

The Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) can help you apply for a preservation grant available from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Bank of America Charitable Foundation for your institution’s paper-based collections.

American Heritage Preservation Grants will be awarded in amounts up to $3,000 to assist in the preservation of endangered and fragile American art works, rare books, scientific specimens, and historical documents (photographs, maps, deeds, etc.). Objects should be of significance within the heritage of the community. Targeted to meet the needs of small to medium size organizations, these grants are available to fully fund projects in three areas: treatment of library, museum or archival collections; improvement of collections storage; and environmental improvement of collections.

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