Will keep you posted on what comes of the meeting.

Looking for information for kids and parents on internet safety? The Illinois Library Association and MySpace.com have put together three bookmarks that anyone may download and copy freely. Designed as a series to help educate youth and parents to make safe and informed decisions online, each bookmark is aimed at a specific audience including kids, teens, and parents. Topics include: Dealing with Cyberbullies (for kids), Safe Blogging (for teens), and Social Networking (for parents). Check them out at http://www.ila.org/netsafe/index.htm. The bookmarks are also available in packs of 100 for $8 per pack at the website which also offers some excellent links for more information on internet safety.

The Vermont Securities Division (of the Dept. of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Admin. — BISHCA) has offered investor education presentations to libraries throughout Vermont for about three years.

Typically, the presentations areabout one or all of the following three subjects:

1. Understanding and Avoiding Investment Fraud
2. Understanding Investment Products
3. Selecting Financial Professionals.

The contact person for requesting a presentation is John R. Cronin.  He is a Securities Examiner with BISHCA and you may contact him at: (802) 828-4858 jcronin@bishca.state.vt.us

John indicates that he can also speak to some basic investment concepts and financial planning and that he would be more than happy to visit your library to discuss these issues.

Further information from BISHCA about investor education may be found at this web site: www.vermontinvestorprotection.info

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest.

Dear Colleague,

The Institute of Museum and Library Services , in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, is proud to announce the third deadline for the Big Read program. The Big Read aims to reenergize the role of literary reading in American culture.

Libraries bring the expertise necessary to inspire their communities to connect with literature and revitalize the role of reading in community life. All museums and libraries are encouraged to take part in the Big Read.

In addition to grants ranging from $2,500 – $20,000, a library of related materials is available to inspire literary reading and entice readers to join the Big Read in their local communities. Organizations selected to participate in the Big Read will receive a grant, financial support to attend a national orientation meeting, educational and promotional materials for broad distribution, an organizer’s guide for developing and managing Big Read Activities, inclusion of the organization and its activities on The Big Read Web site, and the prestige of participating in a highly visible national initiative. Approximately 200 organizations of varying sizes across the country will be selected in this cycle.

Request for Proposals Deadline is April 12, 2007

The library of related materials provided to each of the selected organizations includes:

• Reader’s guides for each book, providing historical context, author biographies, discussion questions, and more.
• Teacher’s guides for each novel, with ten days of lesson plans, including writing assignments, discussion questions, and handouts.
• CDs for each book, with commentary from renowned artists, educators, and public figures.
• TV spots and radio programming, as part of a comprehensive media plan.
• Publicity materials, including posters, banners, and bookmarks.

Sincerely,
Anne-Imelda M. Radice, Director, IMLS

Go to www.NEABigRead.org to download the Guidelines and Application.

Questions? Call Arts Midwest at 612.341.0755 or e-mail TheBigRead@artsmidwest.org

Deadlines:
Intent to apply deadline (strongly encouraged): June 29, 2007
Application deadline: July 31, 2007
Project activity: January – June 2008

If you missed the chance to become a tatooed librarian, you can pick up your DCF tattoo at the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award Ceremony on Tuesday, May 22, 2007 at 10:30 a.m..  If you have not RSVP’d for the cermony, please do so by contacting Grace  Greene (grace.greene@mail.dol.state.vt.us).  There is a RSVP form on the DCF website.  Since the date is fast approaching, you may want to fax your form to 802-828-2199 0r contact Grace directly to let her know you would like to come.  If you won’t be able to attend the ceremony, you can contact Grace afterward to request tattoos. 

We will be having more DCF and Vermont Authors posters printed.  Right now our plan is to place them at the regional libraries so that you can pick them up there.  When they are ready, we will let you know.

The materials from the “Reaching Out for Grants” session given by Marianne Kotch, Gail Weymouth, and Linda Wells have been posted on WebJunction VT.  If you have any follow-up questions from that presentation, you may post a comment here or a reply to the WJ-VT forum topic.

“Far from hurting American libraries, the Internet has actually helped to spur more people to use their local libraries because it has increased our hunger for knowledge and information,” said Loriene Roy, president-elect of the American Library Association. According the ALA report, virtually every library in the United States – 99 percent – provides free public computer access to the Internet, a four-fold increase in the percentage of libraries providing such free access over the last decade. By comparison, Roy pointed to another study released in March showing that only 69 percent of U.S. households have Internet access.

Even as libraries continue to evolve their services in response to changing needs and technologies, the report shows that people continue to go to their public library to read or check out a book in record numbers. Overall circulation at public libraries in the U.S. rose by 28 percent during the decade, partly driven by significant growth in circulation of children’s materials, which grew by 44 percent. Attendance in library programs for children was also up 42 percent for this same period.

Marianne Kotch

Governor Douglas will be at the Brown Public Library in Northfield on Monday, April 16 from 10:15 – 11:00 to kick-off National Library Week, by participating in the library’s story hour and signing the NLW proclamation.  The State Board of Libraries will meet following the ceremony and encourages those attending to stay for all or part of the meeting which will run until approximately 12:30 pm.  The Board would be interested in hearing from you about what is going on in your library.  Hope to see you at the Brown Public Library which is located at 93 S. Main St. (VT Rte 12) in Northfield.

We’ll follup up with all of the official links when we have them.

2007-2008 DOROTHY CANFIELD FISHER BOOK AWARD MASTER LIST:

Abbott, Tony. FIREGIRL
Anderson, M.T. THE CLUE OF THE LINOLEUM LEDERHOSEN
Auch, MJ. ONE–HANDED CATCH
Dowell, Frances O’Roark. PHINEAS L. MACGUIRE ERUPTS
Ellis, Sarah. ODD MAN OUT
Fleischman, Sid. ESCAPE! THE STORY OF THE GREAT HOUDINI
Fleischman, Sid. THE WHITE ELEPHANT
Fletcher, Susan. ALPHABET OF DREAMS
Freedman, Russell. THE ADVENTURES OF MARCO POLO
Hatkoff, Craig and Isabella. OWEN & MZEE
Hobbs, Will. CROSSING THE WIRE
Kadohata, Cynthia. WEEDFLOWER
Key, Watt. ALABAMA MOON
Kurlansky, Mark. THE STORY OF SALT
Larson, Kirby. HATTIE BIG SKY
Lawrence, Iain. GEMINI SUMMER
Leavitt, Martine. KETURAH & LORD DEATH
Lisle, Janet Taylor. BLACK DUCK
Lord, Cynthia. RULES
Lowry, Lois. GOSSAMER
Nuzum, K.A. A SMALL WHITE SCAR
Paterson, Katherine. BREAD & ROSES, TOO
Patron, Susan THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY
Pearsall, Shelley. ALL OF THE ABOVE
Schlitz, Laura Amy. A DROWNED MAIDEN’S HAIR
Shinn, Sharon. THE DREAM MAKER’S MAGIC
Springer, Nancy. THE CASE OF THE MISSING MARQUESS
Tolan, Stephanie S. LISTEN!
Turner, Megan Whelan. THE KING OF ATTOLIA
Winthrop, Elizabeth. COUNTING ON GRACE

It was via Marylaine that I learned about the following:

• http://homeschoolingandlibraries.wordpress.com – a blog for librarians working with homeschoolers
• http://marylaine.com/5.html – Marylaine’s own list of five great sites (each) for practically any topic
• http://booklust.wetpaint.com – Nancy Pearl’s “Book Lust” wiki with great ideas for readers’ advisory
• http://kimbooktu.wordpress.com/ – A blog featuring cool gadgets for book lovers.

Enjoy!

• Public programs about Town Meeting by Susan Clark, co-author (with Frank Bryan) of All Those In Favor: Rediscovering the Secrets of Town Meeting and Community. Susan will read from the book, lead a discussion, and then lead discussions on issues related to civic engagement and building community. The programs are available free of charge for groups of ten or more, and Susan also has additional copies of the book for sale at a special library discount of $6 per book plus $0.50 shipping, payable to Vermont Institute for Government, 617 Comstock Rd., Suite 5, Berlin, VT 05602-9194. Contact Susan for details at 223-5824, sclark@sover.net.
• The Simple Living Lending Library and programs of the Vermont Earth Institute are still available to public libraries around Vermont. Seventeen books, one pamphlet and two videos make up the free collection, for which participating libraries create a display, circulate the books for a two-month period, and ship them to the next participating library. VEI provides libraries with flyers to advertise the collection. VEI also invites libraries to host its community discussion courses on such topics as Voluntary Simplicity and climate change. Contact Barbara Duncan at vei@valley.net or 802-333-3664 for details.
• “Wish for Lit” grants from Amazon.com, a program aimed at giving more than $20,000 in Amazon.com products to three deserving libraries in the United States. Beginning today, libraries interested in participating must submit an online entry form at www.amazon.com/wishforlit and create their Library Wish List. Applications will be accepted until February 16, 2007.

Please let us know if we can help you as you pursue the many, various grants and programs available.

Marianne Kotch