Grants Available for Preservation Needs Assessment Program

The Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) is seeking applicants to participate in its Preservation Needs Assessment Program. Through funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), CCAHA is able to offer a limited number of subsidized preservation needs assessments for $350. The funding also covers the assessor’s travel expenses.

2009-2010 Public Library Funding & Technology Access Survey

The 2009-2010 Public Library Funding & Technology Access survey (available for completion at www.plinternetsurvey.org) conducted by the American Library Association (ALA – www.ala.org/plinternetfunding) and the Center for Library & Information Innovation at the University of Maryland (www.liicenter.org/plinternet) closes Friday, November 6, 2009.

2009-2010 Public Library Funding & Technology Access Survey

Public library staff pay

As public libraries enter the budget writing season, the Personnel Committee of the Vermont Library Association urges library directors to take a hard look at staff salaries. Here are some points to keep in mind:

* Qualified library directors should be paid at least $40,300 annually, or $19.38 per hour, as recommended by the Vermont Library Association Executive Board.
* If the library does not pay for medical insurance, offer compensatory leave or a lump sum payment instead.
* At a minimum, increase staff wages by the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) as set by the Social Security Administration annually in October. There will be no increase to social security payments in 2010. However, now is a good time to “catch up” if you have missed COLA in previous years.
* Consider whether your library has experienced increased usage this year. More visits, more items borrowed, more usage of resources, more programs — all mean more work for the staff. Even if job descriptions haven’t expanded, the workload may have.

Check the attached budget memo for more details. Share the information with library trustees as you build the annual budget. To study appropriate compensation, view the Personnel Committee’s 2009 revision of “Increasing Public Library Compensation: A How-To Guide for Vermont Libraries” at https://vermontlibraries.org//publibcompensation2009.pdf

For further information about or assistance with the above or any other personnel questions, please contact the committee chair:

Rubi Simon
Burnham Memorial Library
898 Main Street (Rte. 2A)
Colchester, VT 05446
802-879-7576
rsimon@burnham.lib.vt.us

2010 ALA Midwinter & RUSA Genealogy Event in Boston

The annual American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting will be held January 15-19, 2010 in Boston.

On Friday, January 15, ALA’s Reference and Users Services Association (RUSA) will host an all-day genealogy workshop at the New England Historic Genealogical Society. In addition to presenting basic genealogy research techniques, New England-specific resources will also be presented. The event includes lunch, sponsored by ProQuest, and a tour of the beautiful NEHGS facility.

All of the event details are located here: http://rusa.ala.org/blog/2009/10/09/mw10-genealogyinst1/

Important note: you do not have to register for the Midwinter Meeting in order to attend this genealogy event, and you do not have to be an ALA member. Even library patrons are welcome to attend. Registration instructions are at www.ala.org/midwinter.

2010 ALA Midwinter & RUSA Genealogy Event in Boston

The annual American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting will be held January 15-19, 2010 in Boston.
On Friday, January 15, ALA’s Reference and Users Services Association (RUSA) will host an all-day genealogy workshop at the New England Historic Genealogical Society. In addition to presenting basic genealogy research techniques, New England-specific resources will also be presented. The event includes lunch, sponsored by ProQuest, and a tour of the beautiful NEHGS facility.
All of the event details are located here: http://rusa.ala.org/blog/2009/10/09/mw10-genealogyinst1/
Important note: you do not have to register for the Midwinter Meeting in order to attend this genealogy event, and you do not have to be an ALA member. Even library patrons are welcome to attend. Registration instructions are at www.ala.org/midwinter.

Calling Volunteers for ALA and Selected Divisions’ Committees

Submitting an online form communicates your wish to serve and your interest to be in a particular committee of ALA, AASL, ACRL, ALCTS, ASCLA, LITA, LLAMA and PLA. The deadline for completing this form for ALA Committees is December 4, 2009.

Calling Volunteers for ALA and Selected Divisions' Committees

Annual Public Libraries Report mailing this week

Public Library Directors,

This week the Department of Libraries will mail you information about completing this year’s Public Library Report and your library’s annual Standards Application. Please remember that this year you will complete and file these reports online via a web-based product called Bibliostat Collect. You will not receive any paper forms in the mail.

When you receive your letter, please read through the instructions carefully and make note of your library’s unique login and password. You will need this information to access the Bibliostat Collect site.

The deadline this year for submitting the Public Library Report and Standards Applications is November 23, 2009 (postmark date). If you have any questions as you work on your reports, please contact our State Data Coordinator, Rob Geiszler, Information Technology Manager, Sheila Kearns, or your regional library consultant.

Brownell Library in Essex Junction in the News!

Here’s to finding clever ways to fill the gaps in the budget!

Essex Junction Library Seeks Help With Collection (Burlington Free Press)