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Category Archives: News
News of interest to the Vermont library community
Congrats to Kimball Public Library in Randolph!
Paul Howard Award for Courage
Judith Flint, Amy Grasmick, and Christine Lesinski of the Kimball Public Library, in Randolph, Vermont, are the recipients of the ALA Paul Howard Award for Courage.
Check it out! http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2009/march2009/governance2009howard.cfm
Times Argus Query: Do you circulate unusual items at your library?
Hello – I’m doing an informal poll of several libraries in Vermont to find out if many have unusual materials other than books and video/DVDs to check out. For example, I recently learned that Kellogg-Hubbard in Montpelier has a “kill-a-watt” electricity usage monitor that patrons can check out. I know many libraries have digital media players for circulation. What else is out there that’s unusual? It might be a story for the Rutland Herald and Times Argus’ Sunday book page, depending on what I learn.
If your library circulates nontraditional items, I’d love to hear about them and how long you’ve been doing it or any special challenges they pose. Thanks for your time.
Ruth Hare
Editor, Vermont Sunday Magazine section
The Rutland Herald and The Times Argus
(802) 479-0191, ext. 1152
ruth.hare@timesargus.com
ALA Releases Gaming Toolkit
From the Announcement – http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2009/march2009/olosgamingtoolkit.cfm
Libraries are changing and dynamic places, and no better evidence of that exists than the spread of gaming in the nation’s public, school and academic libraries.
In recognition of this trend and the increasing value of gaming to literacy improvement, the American Library Association, with assistance from a $1 million grant from the Verizon Foundation, has developed an online toolkit to aid librarians in serving this growing constituency.
The Librarian’s Guide to Gaming: An Online Toolkit for Building Gaming @ your library offers content contributed by expert gaming librarians across the country. The toolkit includes a wide range of resources to help librarians create, fund and evaluate gaming experiences in the library.
Toolkit – http://librarygamingtoolkit.org/
Source: American Library Association
Rock & Roll Library Tour! THE HIGH STRUNG are coming!
Are you looking for a high-energy, summer reading program?
For the past five years the quirky, carefree, energetic music of Detroit’s The High Strung has been electrifying patrons across the nation with their sunny three-part harmonies and witty, lyrical bravado. This year the guitars that accompany the band’s catchy sing-along choruses are roaming the country again, headed in your direction, and the show is only getting better.
Rock & Roll Library Tour! THE HIGH STRUNG are coming!
Are you looking for a high-energy, summer reading program?
For the past five years the quirky, carefree, energetic music of Detroit’s The High Strung has been electrifying patrons across the nation with their sunny three-part harmonies and witty, lyrical bravado. This year the guitars that accompany the band’s catchy sing-along choruses are roaming the country again, headed in your direction, and the show is only getting better.
Read more
Vermont Arts Council Grant Opportunities
Vermont Arts Council Announces Grant Application Deadlines and Grant Workshops
Find out how to apply for a grant from the Vermont Arts Council:
The Vermont Arts Council accepts applications through its online granting system only. For Information, including complete grant guidelines for all programs: www.vermontartscouncil.org
Library Journal Index of Public Library Service
Congratulations to the five (!!) Vermont public libraries rated among the 256 best in the country in Library Journal’s new index of library service :
Stowe Free Library
Sherburne Memorial Library (Killington)
Fairfax Community Library
Craftsbury Public Library
The Lincoln Library
The “all star” ratings are based on per capita usage as reflected in circulation, visits, program attendance, and public internet usage, and are reported in peer groups based on operating budget. For the full article and to see how your library rated, see Library Journal, 2/15/09, pp. 26-33 and visit www.LibraryJournal.com/
Y’all are an inspiration!
Amy C. Grasmick, Director
Kimball Public Library
Randolph, VT
New Primary-Source Database for Schools and Libraries
A new primary-source database, with on-site search, is now available for schools, libraries, educators and students. Its features include 15,000 images plus documents, narrations, video/audio clips and organized slide shows. Incorporated into the text are also secondary sources, such as links to Google Books.
Group access to the site is free for all schools, libraries, educators and students. Click here for access. http://www.awesomestories.com/newsletters/february-2009-highlights
Bill proposes ISPs, Wi-Fi keep logs for police
February 19, 2009 10:45 PM PST
by Declan McCullagh
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10168114-38.html?tag=nl.e703
Republican politicians on Thursday called for a sweeping new federal law that would require all Internet providers and operators of millions of Wi-Fi access points, even hotels, local coffee shops, and home users, to keep records about users for two years to aid police investigations.
The legislation, which echoes a measure proposed by one of their Democratic colleagues three years ago, would impose unprecedented data retention requirements on a broad swath of Internet access providers and is certain to draw fire from businesses and privacy advocates.