For Immediate Release

08/10/2022

Contact

Karen Gravlin, Library Consultant for Inclusive Services

(802) 272-4912, Karen.Gravlin@vermont.gov

The Vermont Department of Libraries, in collaboration with the Department of Corrections, has provided over $42,000 in books to the six state correctional facilities. The books will refresh the facilities’ library collections available to incarcerated individuals. The funding was part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant provided to the Vermont Department of Libraries by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

The IMLS ARPA funding is meant to help libraries update collections, spaces, and equipment for safe operations and expand programming possibilities, with the overall goal of improving and increasing services to end-users. The Department of Libraries is responsible for distributing the funds to libraries across Vermont to meet these goals.

The Department of Libraries believes that “every citizen of the State of Vermont should have access to the educational, cultural, recreational, informational, and research benefits of libraries.” This effort aims to support the libraries in the correctional facilities around the state as they work to provide that access to incarcerated Vermonters.

“Access to reading materials is vitally important to individuals who are incarcerated in Vermont, as books both support academic coursework and provide cultural enrichment. The ARPA funds available to us through IMLS enabled the Department of Libraries to work with colleagues at the Department of Corrections in bolstering collections at all six correctional facilities in our state,” said State Librarian Catherine Delneo. “The books were selected to meet the individuals’ recreational and informational needs, while considering a wide range of reading levels.”

“Reading may be the single greatest skill of humankind. It enables us to know where we’ve been, understand where we are, and dream of where we might go,” said Department of Corrections Commissioner Nicholas Deml. “These new resources from the Department of Libraries will benefit those in our care and custody, whether they are looking to learn new things, to build skills that will support them when they’re released, or to get lost in another world for a while. We are so appreciative of this effort and our partners at the Department of Libraries.”

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About the Vermont Department of Corrections: The Vermont Department of Corrections is charged with overseeing correctional facilities and supervising people on probation and parole. The Department of Corrections is part of the Agency of Human Services. To learn more, visit doc.vermont.gov. Follow Vermont DOC on Facebook and Twitter.

About the Vermont Department of Libraries: The Vermont Department of Libraries—housed within the Vermont Agency of Administration—supports Vermont libraries as they work to ensure access to quality information for their patrons. To learn more, visit libraries.vermont.gov and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About IMLS: The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's approximately 120,000 libraries and 35,000 museums and related organizations. The agency’s mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Its grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. To learn more, visit http://www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

For Immediate Release

02/01/2022

Contact

Tom McMurdo, Interim State Librarian/Commissioner of Libraries

(802) 622-4012, thomas.mcmurdo@vermont.gov

The Vermont Department of Libraries (VTLIB) is pleased to announce agreements with two eBook and eAudiobook content providers, LYRASIS and Baker & Taylor. Both vendors provide a huge range of eContent from a wide variety of publishers. VTLIB contracted with LYRASIS to provide free access to their Palace Project app to all Vermonters through their local public libraries. The Palace Project app aggregates eBook and eAudiobook content from multiple vendors into a single interface, increasing access, ease of use, and appeal.  

The Palace Project will launch with a large collection of eBooks and eAudiobooks already in place. The Palace Project app will access content from Baker & Taylor as well as from Listen Up Vermont! (LUV), the statewide eBook and eAudiobook platform administered by the Green Mountain Library Consortium (GMLC). “We are excited about this effort to simplify eBook and eAudiobook access across multiple collections. It improves the ability of GMLC, the Department of Libraries, and individual public libraries to efficiently share resources in our continued work to meet Vermonters' digital needs” says Wendy Hysko, President of GMLC. “We are pleased to partner on this effort.” 

The contracts with LYRASIS and Baker & Taylor provide public libraries in Vermont more options for purchasing eContent, increasing access to content from different publishers at competitive prices. By providing a more robust marketplace for libraries from which to purchase content, as well as an app allowing patrons to access content across vendors seamlessly, Vermonters will have easy access to not only the latest and greatest bestsellers, but a robust electronic library of children’s, youth, classics, and general interest titles. Current users of eBook and eAudiobooks will find more of what they want and those who have not yet explored this medium should find something that interests them and with instant access. 

Building on the diligent work done by the Green Mountain Library Consortium over the last decade, the Department of Libraries is eager to take the next step in the evolution of access to eBooks and eAudiobooks in Vermont. Expect to see this rollout in Vermont communities over the next several months into summer 2022.  

This project is made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Vermont Department of Libraries.

Funded by a $5 million investment from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Palace Project is a division of LYRASIS working in strategic partnership with Digital Public Library of America (DPLA).

About the Vermont Department of Libraries

The Vermont Department of Libraries—housed within the Vermont Agency of Administration—supports Vermont libraries as they work to ensure access to quality information for their patrons. To learn more, visit libraries.vermont.gov and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

About IMLS

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's approximately 120,000 libraries and 35,000 museums and related organizations. The agency’s mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Its grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. To learn more, visit http://www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Vermont libraries that receive grant monies from VTLIB/IMLS must acknowledge this funding in any communications relating to programs, items, etc. purchased/funded by these monies.

• VTLIB & IMLS Logos (Google Drive)
  • VTLIB Logos
  • IMLS Logos
  • VTLIB/IMLS Attribution Text
    • This text should be used to acknowledge programming/items funded by ARPA/CARES grants, courier grants, and technology grants.
      • "This program is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal agency, through the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the Vermont Department of Libraries."
  • IMLS Standards Guide (in IMLS Logos folder)
• Please tag VTLIB & IMLS when posting about grant-funded programs/projects/items on social media.
  • VTLIB Facebook: @VermontLib
  • VTLIB Instagram: @vermontdeptlib
  • IMLS Facebook: @USIMLS
  • IMLS Twitter: @US_IMLS

For more information, consult the IMLS Grantee Communication Kit or contact LSTA Coordinator Janette Shaffer (janette.shaffer@vermont.gov).

The Winter Reading Challenge: Read for a Better World (All Ages) is available for pre-registration now on the Vermont libraries Beanstack page at https://vermont.beanstack.org/. The challenge starts January 1, 2022 and ends January 31. This challenge is available for free to all Vermonters and could be a simple way for public libraries to engage readers this January!

Readers of all ages are encouraged to read for at least 20 minutes a day and log their minutes using the Beanstack website or the mobile app. Participants can read books of their choosing, log minutes, participate in simple activities, and earn digital badges. Participants are encouraged to explore diversity, empathy, and action through literature by choosing books and stories from an array of diverse authors and topics.

There are many places readers can find lists of diverse books. One good place to start is We Need Diverse Books, which has compiled a list of sites that offer recommendations for diverse titles. There are also many fantastic diverse titles included in the Vermont youth book awards current and past nominee lists.

As a reminder, anyone who has created a Beanstack account in past will not need to create a new account and will just need to register for the challenge. If they do not have an account they will need to create one before they are able to register. There are instructions on the Beanstack landing page for logging-in and creating accounts.

You can find art, promotional/marketing materials for Winter Reading 2022 here: WRC2022 Editable Assets - Libraries.zip.

If you are new to Beanstack or looking for a refresher, check out the Beanstack info sheet for admin and user login instructions, and our Beanstack info page for support links, video tutorials, and recordings of previous trainings.

Feel free to reach out to Jonathan Clark if you have any questions.

Back to VTLIB Beanstack main page.

The Vermont Book Awards, created in 2015, are annual prizes for outstanding literature by Vermont authors. They are awarded through a partnership between Vermont Humanities and the Vermont Department of Libraries.

2024 Vermont Book Awards Celebration | 5/3/25

We extend heartfelt congratulations to the recipients of the 2024 Vermont Book Award, honored at a ceremony in Montpelier on Saturday, May 3rd. Each winner received an award of $1000, and a unique cowbell medal crafted by Vermont artist, metalworker, and master jeweler Nikki Ibey. Educator, environmentalist, and author Bill McKibben provided the inspiring keynote address at the event.

2024 Vermont Book Award Winners:

• for Children's Literature: How It All Ends, Emma Hunsinger
• for Creative Nonfiction: An Image of My Name Enters America, Lucy Ives
• for Fiction: Fifty Beasts To Break Your Heart: And Other Stories, GennaRose Nethercott
• for Poetry: Nowhere Was a Lake, Margaret Draft

Congratulations to the 2024 Vermont Book Award Finalists:

Children's Literature
How It All Ends, Emma Hunsinger
The Secret Library, Kekla Magoon
Remembering Rosalind Franklin, Tanya Lee Stone

Creative Nonfiction
Not Till We Are Lost: Thoreau, Education, and Climate Crisis, William Homestead
An Image of My Name Enters America, Lucy Ives
The Trauma Mantras: A Memoir in Prose Poems, Adrie Kusserow
How to Love a Forest: The Bittersweet Work of Tending a Changing World, Ethan Tapper

Fiction
Nicked, M. T. Anderson
Goldenseal, Maria Hummel
Liquid, Fragile, Perishable, Carolyn Kuebler
Fifty Beasts To Break Your Heart: And Other Stories, GennaRose Nethercott

Poetry
Some Dark Familiar, Julia Alter
In the Cathedral of My Undoing, Kellam Ayres
Nowhere Was a Lake, Margaret Draft
Loss and its Antonym, Alison Prine

Listen or read more about the 2024 Vermont Book Award:

• From The Montpelier Bridge: Vermont Book Awards: “the tide of creativity continues to rise”
• From Seven Days: Draft, Hunsinger, Ives and Nethercott Win Vermont Book Awards
• From Seven Days: Vermont Book Awards Announces Finalists for the State's Most Prestigious Literary Honors
• From Vermont Public: Here are the 2024 Vermont Book Awards finalists

The Vermont Book Awards are presented by Vermont Humanities and the Department, with support from:
Phoenix Books - Lead Underwriter
Susan Z. Ritz
Greenway Institute
Vermont Arts Council
Vermont Book Shop - Award Sponsor (Fiction)
Hugh Coyle and Maynard Yost
The Audiobook Experience at Voice Over Vermont - Award Sponsor (Creative Nonfiction)
The Norwich Bookstore - Award Sponsor (Poetry)

2024 Vermont Book Awards celebration flyer

Nominations for books published in 2025 will open in Summer 2025. To be eligible, the author must live in Vermont more than half the year. Self-published books are not eligible. For more information about the nomination process or the Awards, please visit the Vermont Humanities Vermont Book Award page.

2023 Vermont Book Awards Celebration | 5/4/24

Vermont Book Award winners were revealed at a celebration the evening of Saturday, May 4, 2024, at Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier. Vermont authors, librarians, and friends of literature gathered for this special dessert and cocktail reception featuring the announcement of the 2023 winners in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and children’s literature. The 2023 Awards were supported by a partnership between Vermont Humanities, Vermont Department of Libraries, and Vermont College of Fine Arts with additional support from Phoenix Books and the Vermont Arts Council. 

2023 Vermont Book Award Winners:

• for Children's Literature: Dan Nott for Hidden Systems: Water, Electricity, the Internet, and the Secrets Behind the Systems We Use Every Day
• for Creative Non-Fiction: Mary Ruefle for The Book
• for Fiction: Sandra Simonds for Assia
• for Poetry: Vievee Francis for The Shared World

2023 Vermont Book Award Finalists:

Creative Nonfiction

• Brad Kessler for Deep North: Stories of Somali Resettlement in Vermont
• Mary Ruefle for The Book
• Jeff Sharlet for The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War

Fiction

• J. Vanessa Lyon for Lush Lives
• Genevieve Plunkett for In the Lobby of the Dream Hotel
• Sandra Simonds for Assia

Poetry

• Michael Dumanis for Creature
• Vievee Francis for The Shared World
• Leslie Sainz for Have You Been Long Enough at Table
• Ellen Bryant Voigt for Collected Poems

Children’s Literature

• Kekla Magoon for The Minus-One Club (young adult novel)
• M.T. Anderson for Elf Dog and Owl Head (middle grade novel)
• Kenneth M. Cadow for Gather (young adult novel)
• Dan Nott for Hidden Systems: Water, Electricity, the Internet, and the Secrets Behind the Systems We Use Every Day (graphic literature)

Vermont Book Awards celebration 2023 press release 

2022 Vermont Book Awards Celebration | 5/6/23

On Saturday, May 6, 2023, the Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA), Vermont Humanities, and Vermont Department of Libraries hosted the 2022 Vermont Book Award celebration. About 120 Vermont authors, book sellers, librarians, and friends of literature attended the dessert reception at VCFA’s Alumnx Hall.

“In a country that suffers from loneliness, books are often life affirming companions,” Leslie Ward, president of Vermont College of Fine Arts, said in her welcoming remarks at the event. “We gather tonight to celebrate the writers of our great state because we owe them our deepest gratitude for the work they do and the gifts they offer to us. And because community is what sustains writers.”

The previous year’s Vermont Book Award winners Alison Bechdel, Melanie Finn, Shanta Lee Gander, and M.T. Anderson announced the winners. A panel of judges composed of writers, readers, editors, librarians and booksellers of Vermont chose the winners from among 14 finalists.

Vermont Book Awards celebration 2022 Press Release

2022 Vermont Book Award Winners:

• for Children's Literature: Zoë Tilley Poster for The Night Wild
• for Creative Non-Fiction: Kathryn Davis for Aurelia Aurelia
• for Fiction: Caren Beilin for Revenge of the Scapegoat
• for Poetry: Bianca Stone for What Is Otherwise Infinite

2022 Vermont Book Award Finalists:

Creative Nonfiction

· Nancy Marie Brown for Looking for the Hidden Folk: How Iceland's Elves Can Save the Earth
· Kathryn Davis for Aurelia, Aurélia
· Peter Orner for Still No Word from You: Notes in the Margin

Fiction

· Caren Beilin for Revenge of the Scapegoat
· Ann Dávila Cardinal for The Storyteller’s Death
· Louise Glück for Marigold and Rose
· Erin Stalcup for Keen

Poetry

· Rage Hezekiah for Yearn
· Carol Potter for What Happens Next Is Anyone's Guess
· Bianca Stone for What Is Otherwise Infinite

Children’s Literature

· Margot Harrison for We Made it All Up (young adult)
· Jo Knowles for Meant to Be (middle grade)
· Zoë Tilley Poster for The Night Wild (picture book)
· Leda Schubert for Firsts and Lasts: The Changing Seasons (picture book)

Vermont Book Awards FAQ

• What are the Vermont Book Awards?

Established in 2015 by Vermont College of Fine Arts, the Vermont Book Awards are literary prizes honoring work of outstanding literary merit by Vermont authors and celebrating the long tradition of literature in the state.

• What books are eligible?

In order to be eligible for the award, a book must be written by a Vermont writer and published between January 1 and December 31 of the year prior to the award (books published in 2024 will be considered for this year's award.) A “Vermont writer” is a writer who lives in Vermont for at least half the year. Self-published books are not eligible for the Book Award, nor are books written by staff of the Vermont Department of Libraries, and Vermont Humanities. Anthologies containing work written by multiple authors are also not eligible.

• Who nominates books?

A committee of librarians and independent booksellers of Vermont nominates books in four categories: Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Poetry, and Children's Literature. Graphic literature should also be entered into the appropriate category; for example, a graphic memoir should be entered as Creative Nonfiction.

• Who are the judges?

Each year, the Vermont Book Awards leadership team selects a panel of judges made up of Vermont writers, teachers, librarians, and passionate supporters of literature in Vermont. Staff, members, and trustees of leadership team organizations are not included in this independent panel of judges.

• How are the finalists and the winner chosen?

A committee of librarians and independent booksellers of Vermont nominates books in four categories: Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Poetry, and Children's Literature. 

• What does the award entail?

The Winners of the Vermont Book Award receive a prize of $1,000. The winners are announced at a celebration hosted by Vermont Humanities in the spring.

• Where can a list of previous year's finalists and winners be found?

Explore Vermont Humanities' list of all Vermont Book Award finalists and winners. 

Contacts

• For more information about the nomination process or the Awards, visit the Vermont Humanities Vermont Book Award page.
• For media inquiries, specific questions, etc, please contact Miciah Bay Gault, Vermont Book Awards Director and Development Officer at Vermont Humanities.

Updated 05/05/25

For Immediate Release
7/23/2021

Contact
Janette Shaffer, Assistant State Librarian for Library Advancement
802-249-7889, janette.shaffer@vermont.gov

Vermont Department of Libraries Awarded Over $2M in American Rescue Plan Act Funding by the Institute of Museum and Library Services

Barre, Vt.—The Vermont Department of Libraries was awarded $2,135,819 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to help Vermont communities respond directly and immediately to the pandemic and related economic and community needs.

IMLS continues to prioritize digital inclusion and emergency pandemic response, much as it did when it issued CARES Act 2020 funding. The Vermont Department of Libraries received nearly $60,000 in CARES funding that it used to expand statewide access to resources and for bulk Personal Protective Equipment purchases that were distributed to Vermont public and academic libraries.

This round of IMLS funding gives the country’s libraries an opportunity to improve technology access and connectivity to support the education, health, and workforce development needs in their communities. The funding is also meant to help libraries update spaces and equipment for safe operations and expand programming possibilities, with the overall goal of improving and increasing services.

With an initial grant period opening in early July, the Department of Libraries is leading the way to get federal funds out to Vermont public libraries as quickly as possible. The Department will make nearly $1 million of this ARPA funding available to all 185 public libraries in Vermont as “ARPA Grants to Public Libraries for Equipment and Supply Purchases.” These funds will go directly to public libraries to respond to needs resulting from the pandemic. The Department is granting funds based on a formula that uses poverty rates, access to broadband, and unemployment data to determine allocation amounts. This approach allows limited funds to be leveraged to their best advantage by targeting communities most affected by COVID-19.

"Libraries are vital to community and workforce development. In the past 18 months, our public libraries responded to the pandemic by connecting Vermonters to rent assistance and unemployment, COVID mitigation, and mental and physical health resources. Vermont's libraries remain an important part of this effort," said Secretary of the Agency of Administration Susanne Young. "This grant will strengthen their ability to continue to support the state's pandemic recovery and will keep them at the center of civic life."

“During the pandemic, the state’s public libraries proved, once again, to be an invaluable resource. Library staff met this crisis with ingenuity, recognizing the importance of reliable access, and doing everything possible to provide it,” said State Librarian Jason Broughton. “The level of IMLS ARPA funding the Vermont Department of Libraries is able to pass onto public libraries is unprecedented and will position every one of them, no matter how large or small, to meet new post-pandemic challenges with continued creativity.”

Remaining IMLS ARPA funds will be disbursed as grants to Vermont library consortia or library/museum collaborations, and to support statewide and K-12 resources and programming.

About the Vermont Department of Libraries

The Vermont Department of Libraries—housed within the Vermont Agency of Administration—supports Vermont libraries as they work to ensure access to quality information for their patrons. To learn more, visit libraries.vermont.gov and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. ARPA Grant to Public Libraries for Equipment and Supply Purchases

About IMLS

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's approximately 120,000 libraries and 35,000 museums and related organizations. The agency’s mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Its grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. To learn more, visit http://www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

How can I use my license to promote a movie event?

By following these simple guidelines, you can stay in compliance while promoting your event. Please note, the reason for these guidelines is to avoid direct competition with a local movie theater.

1. Advertising Inside Your Library and to Registered Borrowers:

Within the library building, you are free to advertise the movie title, studio name and movie artwork. Artwork cannot be altered and must contain the studio’s copyright, for example: ©Walt Disney Pictures.

You are also free to advertise the movie title, studio name and movie artwork on the library’s website as well as in correspondence such as standard mailings, emails and monthly newsletters to registered borrowers/card holders of the library. The library website is considered a virtual branch of the library, allowing for such advertising.

Movie Licensing USA makes it easy to create publicity with customizable posters, bookmarks and movie tickets that are already properly copyrighted. This feature can be found on our website at library.movlic.com/publicity. Your customer number is located on your license certificate. Copyrighted movie images are also available using the movie search feature on our website. Artwork found on the MLUSA website can be used to advertise your event as long as it is not altered and includes the studio’s copyright, for example: ©Walt Disney Pictures.

2. Advertising in Social Media

If the public library’s social media accounts are set to private, the title may be used. If the library’s social media accounts are not set to private, it is recommended the title not be included. The movie event may be promoted on the social media pages with a link to the title on the library’s website.

3. Advertising in Public Media

If you choose to advertise through public media (such as public radio, television, or newspapers), you may do so as long as your message does not include the movie title and studio name. For example, “Join us at Anytown Library for a Neighborhood Movie Night at 7:00 pm” is permitted.