A Small But Powerful Webinar for Winning Big Support for Your Rural Library

Join us for an introduction to the revised edition of the popular Small But Powerful Guide to Winning Big Support for Your Rural Library, a new toolkit from the American Library Association’s Committee on Rural, Native, and Tribal Libraries of All Kinds, Office for Literacy and Outreach Services, and the Association for Rural and Small Libraries. This webinar will introduce you to the tips and strategies presented in the toolkit, share the experiences of a rural librarian who has built support for her library, and introduce you to some of the additional advocacy tools and resources from the American Library Association.

2012 Frances Henne/YALSA/VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) Research Grant

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the fastest growing division of the American Library Association (ALA), is offering the Frances Henne/YALSA/VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) Research Grant for 2012. This grant of $1000 provides seed money for small-scale projects that will encourage research that responds to the YALSA Research Agenda.

Details regarding the applications for the 2012 Frances Henne YALSA/VOYA Research Grant are available from the YALSA Web site at http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/awardsandgrants/franceshenne.cfm Applications for the grant are due in the YALSA Office by December 1, 2011.

For more information please contact us via e-mail, yalsa@ala.org; or by phone: 800-545-2433 x 4387.

Building Common Ground: Discussions of Community, Civility and Compassion

The ALA Public Programs Office is accepting applications forBuilding Common Ground: Discussions of Community, Civility and Compassion, a multi-format discussion program for public audiences to spark action, engagement and reflection within the community. More information, including programming resources and the online application, is available at www.ala.org/commonground. Applications are due November 18, 2011. This library programming initiative is supported by the Fetzer Institute.

Free RDA Cataloging Webinars

The American Library Association is hosting several free webinars about the new cataloging code, RDA (Resource Description and Access), which will be implemented within the next year. The webinar “Introducing the RDA Toolkit Virtual User Group” will be held on Wednesday October 5, 2011 and is designed for beginners who need an introduction to the new code and toolkit. “RDA Toolkit Essentials” will be held on Wednesday, November 16, 2011 and is designed for those who already have some familiarity with RDA and would like to learn more. For information about the new code and webinars, refer to the RDA Toolkit website at:http://www.rdatoolkit.org/

ALA Emerging Leader Survey

From Kate Walker of the Anderson County Library in Anderson, SC:

We are members of the 2011 ALA Emerging Leaders class. Our group is working on a presentation for PLA 2012 and we would like to ask for your help. Could you please take a few minutes to fill out this short survey? Would it be possible to distribute the survey within the Vermont Library Association? We would appreciate it greatly.

Our research focuses on multi-generational library staff. Among other things, we are examining the cultural and philosophical differences as well as ways to strengthen collaboration, communication, and productivity when working with cross-generation colleagues.

This research will be presented at a session at PLA 2012 and possibly will be published.

Here is a link to the anonymous survey: http://tinyurl.com/PLA-ELsurvey

I Love My Librarian Award – Nominations Open!

Nominations are open for the 2011 Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award.

The award invites library users nationwide to recognize the accomplishments of librarians in public, school, college, community college and university libraries for their efforts to improve the lives of people in their community. Nominations are being accepted online at atyourlibrary.org/ilovemylibrarian through Sept. 12.

Up to 10 librarians will be selected. Each will receive a $5,000 cash award, a plaque and will be honored at an awards ceremony and reception in New York, hosted by The New York Times, in December.

VLA Members Craft ALA Resolution to Enhance Reader Privacy Protections

VLA members Trina Magi, UVM Bailey Howe Library, Gail Weymouth, Director of Killington’s Sherburne Memorial Library and Nancy Wilson, Director of Bristol’s Lawrence Memorial Library played major roles in the creation and adoption of an ALA Resolution to better protect reader privacy.

The Intellectual Freedom Committee and the IFC Privacy Subcommittee developed the “Resolution to Protect Library User Confidentiality in Self-Service Hold Practices” after receiving requests from librarians and library users to examine the issue of reader privacy and self-service holds. Prior to last month’s ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, the Office for Intellectual Freedom distributed the resolution for comment, and an open hearing was held during Conference for comments. That process led to a revision of the resolution and what the IFC believes to be an improved version.

The final resolution as presented by the Intellectual Freedom Committee was adopted by the ALA Council on June 28.

Federal Funding for Libraries: A Message from ALA

Colleagues,
I am fowarding this letter from ALA President Roberta Stevens. You don’t need to be an ALA member to know the danger that library funding faces in the U.S. Congress, or to take action. The legislation passed in the House for FFY2011 especially targets school library funding. Now it’s on to the Senate.

Our Senators are supportive of libraries, but it is important that they hear from Vermonters about the need for maintaining current levels of funding for LSTA and for the Improving Literacy through School Libraries program.

Read below for more information — and spread the word to contact Senators today.

Thanks,
Marty

Martha Reid
State Librarian
Vermont Department of Libraries
802-828-3265

Urgent Action Needed on 2 Amendments in the House

Library Colleagues,

I am forwarding a message from ALA for action regarding (1) continued funding for Institute of Museum and Library Services and LSTA funding for libraries, and (2) an amendment that would stop funding for FISA orders.

Both of these issues are important and the Department of Libraries supports (1) FULL FUNDING for IMLS and LSTA, and (2) a YES vote on the Conyers’ amendment. Details about these amendments are below.

FYI:

IMLS/LSTA funding in Vermont pays for:

Partial salaries of 20 DOL employees who provide these services: library consulting, continuing education, support for youth services, library statistics
Vermont Automated Library System and the Web2 union catalog
OCLC interlibrary loan service
Cataloging for public libraries
A portion of the cost of the Vermont Online Library
Services of the Library for the Blind and the Physically Handicapped
Resource Sharing grants for public and academic libraries

We have a very supportive congressional delegation in Vermont, but they need to hear from you now.

Thanks,
Martha Reid
State Librarian
Vermont Department of Libraries
802-828-3265

URGENT! Call your Representative and tell them to Support the Museum and Library Services Act!

I am forwarding this message from the ALA Washington Office and hope that you will follow-up with calls to Congressman Welch’s office NOW asking that he support the Museum and Library Services Act. This bill will re-authorize the work the LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act) federal funding that fuels so many library program across the country. LSTA funding is absolutely critical to quality public library support in Vermont.

LSTA in Vermont is used to support:

DOL library consultant program for public libraries
Summer reading program for children and teens
Cooperative Interlibrary loan program with UVM so that citizens can borrow from UVM collections
Vermont Automated Library System (VALS)
Continuing education program for public library employees
Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
Resource sharing grants for public and academic libraries
First Wednesday programs in nine public libraries
Vermont Online Library databases

Ask Congressman Welch to support this bill for full reauthorization of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the LSTA funding. See below for more information.