State of Vermont • Agency of Administration Department of Libraries   NEWS
109 State St., Montpelier, VT  05609 • (802) 828-3261 • http://dol.state.vt.us

James H. Douglas, Governor  •  Sybil Brigham McShane, State Librarian
No. 128 • May, 2003
 

GOVERNOR PROCLAIMS NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK

          Librarians from around central Vermont gathered in Montpelier on April 8 to witness Governor Douglas' signing of a proclamation in celebration of National Library Week.  Organized by State Librarian Sybil Brigham McShane, the State House ceremony was the first in many years to commemorate the week.  In the proclamation Governor Douglas encouraged all Vermonters to take advantage of the wonderful library resources available in the state and thank their librarians for making information available to all who walk through the library's doors.

              At the ceremony, McShane presented the Governor with a Vermont Library Association mug with the logo "Open doors @ your library."  Douglas discussed his plans to read at preschool storytime at Montpelier's Kellogg-Hubbard Library and to attend Barre's Aldrich Public Library gala later in the week. Photographs and the full text of the proclamation may be found at the Department of Libraries website: http://www.libraries.vermont.gov/LIBRARIES/nlw/nlw03.pdf
 

BOARD ELECTS OFFICERS

             The Vermont Board of Libraries met in Killington March 11 to elect officers, hear updates from State Librarian Sybil Brigham McShane, and discuss a variety of issues.  Joan Rahe of Bennington was elected chair, and John Rosenthal of Charlotte was elected vice chair, each for one year terms.  Because there were no appeals for standards decisions this year, the Board heard a brief report on a technical assistance team to be working with the Montgomery Town Library and an overview of statewide public library statistics from Marianne Kotch, Director of Public Library Support Services.   The Board also met on April 15 in Berlin to hear an update from Marjorie Zunder, Director of Library and Information Services.

             At both meetings, McShane updated the Board on the Department's budget and on activities of the Vermont Public Library Foundation.  Other recent topics for Board discussion included the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act and the role of individual Board members in supporting Department of Libraries projects.   The Vermont Board of Libraries generally meets at 10:30 am on the third Tuesday of even-numbered months at the Midstate Regional Library, Berlin.  Members include Rahe, Rosenthal, Brown, Nancy Price Graff, Laura Lewis, Susan Bruce, and Rosemary Rogers.
 

GOVERNOR RECOGNIZES TSU

            On Monday, May 5, Governor James Douglas hosted Vermont's Public Service Recognition Week Celebration in Montpelier. At that time, he honored the Department of Libraries Technical Services Unit as an Outstanding Team for its leadership, exceptional contribution in meeting or exceeding department goals, and service to Vermont citizens. The five-member team, including Lorraine Lanius (Head); George Barnes, Jr.; Cindy Titus; Linda Bullard; and Liana Parizo, provides cataloging service to the Department of Libraries and local libraries throughout the state. Law Librarian Paul Donovan and Director of Reference and Law Marjorie Zunder noted in their nomination that the Unit

provides excellent public service that the general public is rarely aware of or acknowledges. Training librarians to catalog their own collections is a key TSU function. In 2002, the unit head, Lorraine Lanius, led two week-long workshops, training 35 public librarians to catalog their collections. She also created the first Dept. of Libraries online training course so that librarians can learn online. She assisted local librarians over 200 times with their questions related to local library catalogs. Ms. Lanius also creates original cataloging records for Vermont materials for the nationwide cataloging database used by librarians throughout the world. The TSU staff, as a team, produces the library catalog that makes it possible for anyone in the world to view Dept. of Libraries' collections, including children's books, novels, law books and government documents, either from a library online computer or from their computer at home. It also gives accurate computer cataloging records to local Vermont public libraries...
Behind every carefully-shelved book in your local library, behind every fully-answered reference question, behind every helpful librarian at the reference desk, there is an army of catalogers describing every aspect of every item in every library. The catalogers in state service in the Technical Services Unit painstakingly and diligently make sense of mountains of information produced by state government, making it accessible and useful to Vermont's citizens, businesses and government.

            Public Service Recognition Week, celebrated nationwide during the first week in May and sponsored by the Public Employees Roundtable, recognizes the achievements of public employees and showcases the important services they provide.
 

 FOURTEEN LIBRARIANS RECEIVE CERTIFICATION

            At the annual meeting of the Vermont Certification Board in March, it was voted to award certificates of public librarianship to fourteen librarians who have completed a minimum of 150 credit hours of workshops.  Congratulations to the following:

Nancy Allen, Rand Memorial, Troy
Marilee Attley, formerly at Townshend Public
Kristine Berberian, Whitingham Public
Roberta Carrier, Calef Memorial, Washington
Stephen Coronella, Putney Public
Laura Davis, formerly at Island Pond Public
Lynn Esty, Proctor Library, Ascutney
Lucie Fortin, Highgate Public
Holly Hall, Deborah Rawson Memorial, Jericho/Underhill
Joan Westcot Lajoie, Richmond Free
Laura Phelps, Ainsworth Public, Williamstown
Marybelle Singer, Alburg Public
Brenda Stanley, Haston Library, Franklin
Mary West, Morristown Centennial

            Each librarian will receive his/her certificate at the annual Vermont Library Conference on May 20 at the Radisson Hotel in Burlington.   Members of the certification board are Sybil Brigham McShane, State Librarian; Deborah Krisko, trustee, Warren Public Library; Karen Lane, President, Vermont Library Association; Sue Barden, Director, Carpenter-Carse Library, Hinesburg, and Grace Greene, Continuing Education Coordinator, Chair.
 

ACCESSIBILITY: AN ONGOING CONCERN

             According to the Spring, 2003, issue of Access New England, one in five Americans (20%) has a disability:

We are living in a time of unprecedented demographic diversity, and more of the population appears to define themselves as having a disability. This presents a great challenge and a great opportunity to our nation's public entities. The great challenge is that state and municipal governments must address accessibility within a climate of increased demand for services, while also having fewer resources with which to provide those services. A great opportunity lies in an awakening to the realization that disability has touched and will touch most of us at some point in our lives and that now is the time to create a society that guarantees people with disabilities equal access and equal treatment under the law.

            The Americans with Disabilities Act took effect on January 26, 1992, and is important civil rights legislation touching nearly every segment of public life. It applies to private businesses as well as public services such as libraries, and it goes beyond simply making buildings physically accessible by making it illegal to discriminate on the basis of disability in employment as well as the delivery of services and programs.

            Making library services accessible to all is a continuous process that goes beyond installation of a ramp, lift, or elevator.   Consider not only people who use wheelchairs and have mobility problems, but also those who have trouble hearing, speaking, seeing, and other disabilities.   It is good practice to move through your library and grounds periodically and review barriers to easy access throughout:

• Are there chairs, spinners, magazine racks, or plants that impede mobility?
• Do aisles in program rooms allow free flow and do you leave spaces for wheelchairs when setting up?
• Do books shelved on their edges reduce the width of aisles?
• Are wheelchair-height sections of circulation desks kept clear?
• Is there designated parking for people with disabilities?
• Do your library policies address measures you will take to serve and employ people with disabilities?

            The Department of Libraries still has a wheelchair that libraries may borrow to see if paths of travel are accessible. Call Marianne Kotch at 828-2320 for more information. The Special Services Unit will also put together a display of talking books, machines, large print, and brochures about its services for libraries to borrow. Call Frank Woods at 828-3273 for details. If you would like to know more, check out the following websites:
   http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm - US Dept. of Justice ADA Homepage
   http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/checkweb.htm - Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal
   http://www.NewEnglandADA.org - New England ADA and Accessible IT Center
 

RECORD NUMBERS ATTEND TOECS

            About 150 trustees - an all-time high - took part in workshops as part of this spring's five Town Officers Educational Conferences (TOECs).  The workshops, held while selectboard members, town clerks, listers, and others were also receiving training, followed a keynote entitled "Making Connections in Times of Change."  In Colchester, Governor James H. Douglas noted that trustees are often "unsung heros" because they produce excellent community service while not always being recognized as town officials.

           Held in Lyndon, Fairlee, Colchester, Springfield, and Rutland, the conferences covered a variety of topics for trustees, including:

•  a review of roles, responsibilities, and concerns of trustees and librarians.
•  a demonstration of the Vermont Online Library .
•  working with town government and your Friends group on fund raising
•  developing a program of planned giving and/or writing an annual solicitation letter

            Planned by members of the Steering Committee of the Vermont Library Trustees Association and Department of Libraries staff, TOECs are sponsored by the Vermont Institute for Government and arranged by the UVM Extension Service. The next opportunities for trustee training will occur at the annual Vermont Library Conference (May 19 & 20) and the annual fall statewide trustees conference (date and location TBA).
 

FRIENDS GATHER IN HARTLAND

            On Saturday, April 12, 50 members of Friends of the Library groups, trustees, and their librarians gathered at the Hartland Public Library for a day of idea sharing. The enthusiasm of and for Friends was infectious, beginning with the energetic keynote by Doris Bass, a consultant for Libraries for the Future (LFF). A librarian with a long career in publishing and marketing, Bass served on the board of directors of Friends of Libraries USA for ten years before retiring to Vermont. She is often on the road for LFF, planning and conducting workshops in library advocacy. Bass called on Friends to continue their good work in making their libraries "integral parts of their communities." She said the public needs to be educated continuously about the value of libraries and to be relentless in talking about what's good and positive about individual libraries.

            A lengthy "show and tell" session followed with some outstanding suggestions and ideas from participants.  Afternoon talk tables covered a variety of issues such as book sales, programs, building membership, and re-vitalization. Organizer of the Department of Libraries-sponsored day, Marianne Kotch noted that the Friends of Libraries USA website - http://www.folusa.com/ - offers a host of ideas and tip sheets for budding and veteran Friends groups alike. In addition, the Vermont Secretary of State's website includes help and links for Friends working on incorporation and tax exempt status -- http://www.sec.state.vt.us/tutor/dobiz/noprof/Nonprofit/nphome.htm.    The Vermont Alliance of Nonprofits (VANPO)'s website also offers an excellent overview and start-up guide to nonprofit organizations at its website  http://www.vanpo.org/vanpo.asp?pagename=startingnonprofit.

 FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
by Marjorie D. Zunder, Director of Library and Information Services
828-3261; marj.zunder@dol.state.vt.us

VERMONT HOUSING STATISTICS...
    ...UVM Center for Rural Studies and the Vermont Housing Finance Agency are jointly sponsoring a new online resource, www.housingdata.org. This site combines local and state data along with statistics from the 2000 Census. Choose “housing data” on the left for profiles of individual towns, counties and the state as a whole. These profiles contain a wide variety of housing information including average housing prices and minimum income required to afford housing for a specific town.

MULTIPLE COPY BORROWING...
   ...Although multiple copy borrowing is not addressed specifically in the Vermont ILL Code, you may continue to support the needs of local book discussion groups. Please do not, however, accept requests for multiple copies from a single patron. Patrons may request ILL service for personal use, but individuals may not place multiple copy requests for a group. If several patrons request the same material through the same library, the library is welcome to try to fill these requests on an individual basis. You must send ILL requests to individual libraries rather than use an @publics or @schools message. The goal is to insure that interlibrary loan service continues at a level that is comfortable for all of us.
       There are several additional sources for multiple copies of books suitable for book discussion groups:
           * The book rental business Talking about books, in Williamstown, VT, loans books for affordable fees and has its list of titles at http://talkingaboutbooks.netfirms.com/index.html/
           *The Essex Free Library also has a collection of multiple copies of books. The list is available from the Library web site which is part of the Essex Town website, http://www.essex.org/
            *Multiple copies are now also listed in web2 PUBCAT. For example, see the PUBCAT record for House of Sand and Fog, Norton, 1999. To search for titles with multiple copies, use a subject search for “multiple.”
       Please send a list of any titles suitable for book discussion groups that your library owns in multiple copies to Lorraine Lanius, llanius@dol.state.vt.us, so that they can be recorded in PUBCAT.

REQUESTING LARGE PRINT BOOKS...
   ...When you need Dept. of Libraries' large print books, you can find them in web2 DOLCAT with the location "SSI SSH." The web2 instructions direct you to request these from "dol_ill@dol.state.vt.us." There is, however, an exception to the web2 instructions. If your library is registered to borrow from the Dept. of Libraries' Special Services Unit (SSU), you should send your web2 request for large print books directly to ssu@dol.state.vt.us. You may become a registered SSU borrower if your library will borrow large print books regularly from SSU. To register, call SSU at 802-828-3273 or 800-479-1711.

REQUESTING PERIODICAL ARTICLES...
   ...It is very helpful to receive requests for periodical articles in the correct format. When you want to request a periodical article in web2, go first to the “multiple library search” screen. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click on “Blank ILL Forms.” Choose “ILL form to request an article in a periodical.”   
       The ILL form for articles requires a copyright compliance symbol. Use “CCG” for articles published in the last five years. Keep records of the “CCG” articles you request. In a single calendar year, you may request only five articles per periodical title from issues published in the last five years. Use “CCL” for any article from a periodical that is more than five years old. There is no limit to the number of articles you can request from periodicals that are more than five years old.
       If you know of a Vermont library that owns the periodical you need, you may send your web2 periodical article request directly to that library. The exception is requests for articles from periodicals only owned by the University of Vermont Dana Medical Library. These requests must be sent to dol_ill@dol.state.vt.us.

GIFTS FOR LIBRARIES ONLY...
   ...Reference gift books are to be added to library collections only. Please do not request these gift books, expecting to give them to library staff or patrons for their personal collections.

 GOOD IDEAS
collected by Amy Howlett, Southeast Regional Consultant
Department of Libraries, 1 Hospital Court, Bellows Falls, VT 05101
amy.howlett@dol.state.vt.us

Need a good idea to spur your creativity?  Here are just a few sent to the Department of Libraries recently.  Earlier this year, we published, Good Ideas 2003, our biennial compilation of tried-and-true ideas from Vermont public libraries.  Copies are still available from regional libraries and at the central office in Montpelier.  This regular column will supplement that publication.  

PLANNED GIVING...
    ...Montpelier's Kellogg-Hubbard Library offers a subtle reminder to all readers to include the library in their estate plans.  The staff slips a bookmark into each book coming in and going out of the library; here's what one side says:

In 1889, Fanny Kellogg of Montpelier left $250,000 of her estate for the
establishment of a public library in the City of Montpelier.
In 1998, Frances Holmes of Montpelier left the Kellogg-Hubbard
a bequest that helped to realize a dream to expand and restore the building for the 21st century.
Consider remembering the
Library in your will
...and continue the tradition.

The back of the bookmark includes sample language for a donor's will.  

BOOKMARK BIBLIOGRAPHIES...
   ...Bennington Free Library has created many  3.5" by 8.5."bookmarks to spread the word. Scary Stories has the slogan, "Stay calm...find these books in the Children's Room." Another popular topic: Wizards and Magic, "Sit a spell...find these books in the Children's Room." Each list has about 15 books on eye-catching colored card stock with a clever graphic and borders.

PROGRAM PROMOS...
   ...Putney Public Library uses the same size to promote the programs in its series "Venture into the World! And Bring It Back Home to the Putney Public Library." Putney residents who have traveled to Cambodia, Laos, South America and Saudi Arabia present programs, usually with slides. The evening programs all have the same time slot, 7:00-8:30 PM on alternate Tuesdays. The bookmark also promotes the Sunday evening contemporary novel series.

DISPLAY IDEAS...
   ...Blake Memorial Library in East Corinth features "Author of the Month," with a brief biography, a description of the author's major writings, and the author's books on a single shelf. The biographies run 3-4 paragraphs and intrigue the reader. On Charlies Dickens: "Dickens created a multitude of colorful characters, knit together in intricate plots, full of surprises and unexpected twixts. He also attacked social evils of the time with gusto-- poverty, bureaucracy, the cruel effects of shortcomings in educaiton and the law. He was expecially vivid in depicting the plight of children trapped in a world of poverty, vice, cruelty and injustice."

YOUTH SERVICES NEWS
by Grace W. Greene, Children's Services Consultant
828-6954; grace.greene@dol.state.vt.us

DCF Conference...
   ...The first-ever Dorothy Canfield Fisher Memorial Children's Book Award conference was held at the Rutland Holiday Inn on May 2, 2003.  After worrying about not having enough registrants to hold the conference, 170 attended, and we had to turn away dozens!  There were public and school librarians, classroom teachers, reading teachers, professors of children's literature and reading consultants.  Lois Lowry enthralled everyone in her keynote speech by talking about the place of memory and photographs in her books, and she introduced us to her newest book, The Silent Boy.  There were 14 workshops to choose from, ranging from creative dramatics with DCF books, to booktalking, to using books across the curriculum.  The endnote was delivered by New Hampshire teacher and author Linda Rief who described how she turns her eighth grade students into avid readers and writers.  The evaluations were fabulous, and we hope to do another conference in either 2004 or 2005.

    The conference committee consisted of Anne Gallivan, Barbara Ellingson, Cathy Branon, Joanna Rudge Long, Leda Schubert, Linda Morrow, Liz Bourne, Nick Boke, Patty Thomas, Sandy Zelazo, Steve Madden, Suzy Shedd, and Grace Greene.  Thanks go to the Vermont Educational Media Association, VT-NEA, the Department of Education and Verizon for their financial contributions, and to VLA, the Vermont Center for the Book, Vermont Public Radio, Vermont Association of Middle Level Educators and the Vermont Council on Reading for co-sponsorship.  The Vermont Reads Institute contributed many hours of time of their wonderful administrative assistant, Gayle Cormier, and the Department of Libraries put everything together.

DCF Winner...
    ...Sharon Creech won the 2003 DCF Award for Love That Dog (HarperCollins, 2001), a funny, warm and yet painful story told in verse, of a boy who thinks he hates poetry, but knows that he loved his dog.  Creech will be coming to Vermont to receive her award on May 27 at Vermont Technical College.  Approximately 5,000 children in grades 4-8 voted for this year's award.  The top 10 books this year are:

Creech                   Love That Dog
Van Draanen         Flipped
Paulsen                  Guts
Kindl                     Goose Chase
Choldenko             Notes From a Liar and Her Dog
Wiles                     Love, Ruby Lavender
Zucker                   Benno's Bear
Klass                     You Don't Know Me
Deans                    Racing the Past
Horvath                 Everything on a Waffle

Red Clover Award...
   ...Vermont's picture book award, the Red Clover Award, was won by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith for Baloney, Henry P. About 24,5000 children in grades k-4 throughout the state voted this year, and ranked the books this way:

Scieszka               Baloney (Henry P)
Stevens                 And the Dish Ran Away With the Spoon
Simont                  Stray Dog
Hopkinson            Fannie in the Kitchen
Kalman                 What Pete Ate (From A-Z)
Rappaport             Martin's Big Words
Woodson              The Other Side
Agee                     Milo's Hat Trick
Hurst                     Rocks in His Head:
Cole                     Larky Mavis

The Red Clover conference will be held in the fall at a date to be announced later. For further information, check the Vermont Center For the Book's website: www.vermontbook.org.

Grants for Children's Books...
   ...If you don't know about CliF, and you work in a public library in a town of under 5,000 people, listen up!  CLiF, the Children's Literacy Foundation, is a five-year-old organization that has touched thousands of children's lives by giving excellent new books to public libraries in Vermont and New Hampshire.  So far, 63 towns in Vermont have received CLiF grants, each of which is about $1,000 worth of children's books in a 2 to 1 match.  This is a great way to give a boost to your collection.  Grant applications are due every February 1 and August 1, are only two pages long, and are quite simple.  You can download an application, and find out more about this wonderful organization by going to www.clifonline.org.  Or, call Duncan McDougall, the executive director, at his office in Waterbury: 244-0944.

 • COMING EVENTS •

Fri., May 16, 9:30 am - "Legal Reference" workshop, Midstate Regional Library, Berlin. Contact: Grace W. Greene, 828-3261.

Tues. & Wed., May 20 & 21 - Vermont Library Conference, Radisson Hotel, Burlington. Contact: Susan Englese, Conference Coordinator, 802-872-0267, VLCSUSAN@aol.com

Tues., May 27, 9:30 am - Lamoille County Librarians meeting, Varnum Memorial Library, Jeffersonville. Contact: Marianne Kotch, 828-2320.

Wed., May 28, 9:30 am - "Understanding MARC" workshop, Northeast Regional Library, St. Johnsbury. Contact: Grace W. Greene, 828-3261. Repeats June 5, Ilsley Public Library, Middlebury.

Fri., May 30 - State holiday. Department of Libraries central office and regional libraries closed.

Mon., June 2, 9:30 am - New Planning for Results follow up seminar, Midstate Regional Library, Berlin. Contact: Marianne Kotch, 828-2320.

Fri., June 6, 9:30 am - Public Library Directors quarterly forum, Midstate Regional Library, Berlin. Topic for discussion: USA PATRIOT Act. Contact: Marianne Kotch, 828-2320.

Tues., June 10 & 17, 9:30 am - Public Relations workshop, Midstate Regional Library, Berlin. Contact: Grace Greene, 828-2320.

Tues., June 17, 10:30 am - Vermont Board of Libraries meeting, Midstate Regional Library, Berlin. Contact: Sybil Brigham McShane, 828-3265.

Mon.-Fri., June 23-27, 9:30 am each day - Basic Reference workshop, Rutland High School. Contact: Grace W. Greene, 828-3261.

Fri., July 4 - State holiday. Department of Libraries central office and regional libraries closed.

Mon.-Fri., July 7-11, 9:30 am each day - Basic Public Library Administration workshop, Milton Public Library. Repeats August 4-8, Sherburne Memorial Library, Killington. Contact: Grace Greene, 828-3261.

Wed., July 16 & 23, 9:30 am - Adult Programming workshop, Quechee Library. Repeats Thurs., July 17 & 24, Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston. Contact: Grace Greene, 828-3261.
 

AVAILABLE...

RESOURCES...
   ...The New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), a private nonprofit regional arts organization working in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the six New England state arts agencies, offers funding opportunities to libraries for a variety of programs. The New England States Touring Program (NEST) funds public engagements of literary and performing artists, ensembles and companies who are eligible for fee support as NEST roster of over 900 artists. Meet The Composer/New England is a program is designed to support meaningful opportunities for composers to interact with communities, including performances, master classes, lectures or artist talks, or even the creation of new compositions. NEST and Meet The Composer/N.E. quarterly application deadlines are the first business days of March, June, September and December. Applications must reach NEFA's office - delivered, not postmarked - by the appropriate deadline date for the project start date. Complete and detailed information about all NEFA opportunities are available at http://www.nefa.org/ or by calling Program Manager Wayne Self (wself@nefa.org) or Program Assistant Adrienne Petrillo (apetrillo@nefa.org) at 617.951.0010.

    ...Public Libraries and GASB 34 Reporting was recently published by the Wyoming State Library and offers "a non-authoritative guide to the new financial reporting" using accrual accounting methods. If your library's treasurer is stumped about GASB 34, this may be the place to start. It is available from author Jerry Krois, (307) 777-6333 or on the web at http://www-wsl.state.wy.us/.

   ...Shelburne's Pierson Library recently announced the availability of multiple copies of large print books with matching full-length audio books for loan to other Vermont libraries.  Purchased with VPLF grant funds, the thirteen fiction and non-fiction titles are available in sets of eight books and one audio book each.  Titles range from The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd) to Trial by Ice (Richard Parry).  For more information, call the Pierson Library, 985-5124.

GRANTS...
   ...The Vermont Community Foundation recently announced the annual round for the Paul Post Fund Award, a special grant program for Vermont Libraries in memory of a 12 year-old who was killed in 1987. Any public or school library "with a plan or program to serve its young adult population", which would normally be grades 6-12, may apply. The fund is primarily interested in projects with a program component such as a summer reading group, an after-school discussion group, authors' visits, etc. Libraries receiving grants last year included Brookfield Free Public, Haston (Franklin), Lake Region Union High School (Orleans), Mater Christi School (Burlington), Rockingham Free Public. The typical grant will be in the $100 - $500 range. For an application form and guidelines, or for further information on what's been funded in the past, contact Judy Dunning at the Vermont Community Foundation, P.O. Box 30, Middlebury, VT 05753, (802) 388-3355, http://www.vermontcf.org/. Deadline for applying is June 1, 2003, with a decision by the end of July.

   ...The Ashgate Publishing Company makes special one-time grants to Vermont public libraries for special projects and needs as they arise. This year's grant deadline is June 30, and the application process involves writing acover letter explaining the nature of the project, specifically addressing what population(s) will be served by the project, and how they will be served; the amount requested, with a budget if appropriate, or at least a justification for the amount; and the timeframe in which the project is scheduled to be completed. Grants will be awarded by the end of the summer. For more information, or to submit a proposal, contact Erika Gaffney, Ashgate Publishing Company, 131 Main St., Burlington, VT 05401-5600; 865-7641; e-mail: egaffney@ashgate.com

CONTINUING EDUCATION...
   ...Department of Libraries regional consultants are happy to provide miniworkshops on a variety of topics at local libraries for local staffs, groups of library staffs, and trustees. Some of the most popular topics include an introduction to the Vermont Online Library, the reference interview, personal safety, working with volunteers, and trustee orientation. Currently in development are miniworkshops on interlibrary loan procedures and readers' advisory. For more information, contact regional consultants Michael Roche, Amy Howlett, and Marianne Kotch.

WEBSITES TO EXPLORE...
   ...Many Vermont public libraries have developed websites in recent months, and there are links to many of them from the Department of Libraries website, http://www.libraries.vermont.gov. Follow the links from "Web Pages of Vermont Public Libraries" or go directly to http://www.libraries.vermont.gov/www/html/plib.html.

News is published four times each year by the Vermont Department of Libraries and is distributed to all Vermont libraries, trustee chairs, state legislators, and others who care about Vermont libraries. News is available upon request in Braille, in large print, or on disk. Call 828-3261. NEWS is supported in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal agency, through the Library Services and Technology Act.   Editor: Marianne Kotch, (802) 828-2320,  marianne.kotch@dol.state.vt.us

Department of Libraries, 109 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05609-0601