State funding initiative

I’m just getting back from ten days of vacation, and I’m disappointed to learn that the initiative to obtain state funding of public libraries has taken a large step backwards.

The House General Committee voted out a bill, H-99, to create a legislative study committee that would, in part, “document the full range of services provided by public libraries and the impact that these services have on their patrons and communities; and consider at what level financial support is needed for public libraries so that they can meet the increased demands of Vermont’s citizens.”

The legislation also created a “public library special fund,” with initial funding of $10,000. A $10,000 state-wide appropriation was not going to have a meaningful impact, but the creation of the “special fund” was something tangible to advocate for with the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.

The bill was referred to the House Appropriations Committee which then stripped the bill of funding and substance. The bill, as passed by the full House, reads,

(a) The Joint Fiscal Office and the Legislative Council, with the cooperation of the State department of libraries, and in consultation with the Vermont Library Association, shall identify other states that are comparable to Vermont in terms of population or population density. The study shall examine the number of libraries per capita, funding mechanisms, governance structures, and the services provided from the state library.

(b) A report detailing the results of the study shall be submitted to the general assembly by January 15, 2008.

Our attention will now turn to the Senate Education and Appropriations Committees.

The Times Argus ran an article on state funding on March 28^th.

Vermont Master Gardener Program

Yellow crocuses are blooming in the Kellogg-Hubbard Library garden. The tulips are pushing their way out of the ground, too. It's exciting to see this new plant growth and bright blooms amidst the dirty snow and mud. It's a sign of Spring although it doesn't feel like it with the cold wind we've experienced the last couple of days. Each year I enjoy watching the library gardens unfold. They are so beautiful! We thank the Washington/Orange Chapter of the Vermont Master Gardeners Program for creating and maintaining the library gardens. It's fun to see what combination of plants they showcase in the window gardens next to our School Street entrance. Each year it's different. There is always something edible along with the flowers. One year the staff picked lettuce from that garden to add to their lunches. In addition to adding beauty to our library, the Master Gardeners also organize workshops and programs at the library. This Saturday, March 31 at 10:00am we will have our third year of Tree Pruning with Dave Wilcox, District Urban and Community Forester, with the Agency of Natural Resources. We'll meet in the East Montpelier Room for instruction of how and when to prune trees, then head outside to prune the crabapple trees in the front of the library. For the past two years it has rained during this workshop. It probably will rain again this year so bring your raincoat and umbrella and join us for this great program. Next month the Master Gardeners have organized a program called, Wild Edibles: Spring Greens and other Edibles with Mike Ather and in June we'll have another pruning workshop, for shrubs. The Vermont Master Gardeners website has a page of book recommendations from our Washington-Orange Chapter Gardeners that indicates which books are in our collection. Check it out!

More Art by Frank Woods

Some of you may have visited the Kellogg-Hubbard Library art exhibit by Frank Woods in the last week or so. It turns out that Frank has another exhibit in Burlington at the Artpath Gallery, Wing Building on the Waterfront,1 Steele Street (802) 563-2273. His work has been reviewed by Hillary Archer and is included in the current edition of the ArtMap News. Ray Brown, of The Drawing Board, also has work exhibited in the ArtPath Gallery. It's not clear to me how long Frank and Ray's art will be on exhibit in Burlington. Call the telephone number above to be sure. Frank's work will continue to be on exhibit at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library through April. We Vermonters truly are fortunate to have such talented artists in our midst!

Home Repair Made Simple

Is the melting snow uncovering the problems on your house that you should have tackled last fall? Never fear. The Library has a great selection of books and videos to help and inspire you as you take out your ladder and your paintbrush. Just a few samples include: Basic Wiring: Pro Tips and Simple Steps, The Complete Photo Guide to Outdoor Home Improvement, Decks 1-2-3: Design, Build, Maintain, Repair, The Complete Guide to Home Masonry, Solving Home Plumbing Problems, and Modern Paint Effects: A Guide to Contemporary Finishes. These and many more can be found with the help of the friendly library staff.

Son at Seventeen

My good friend, Francette Cerulli, will have one of her poems read tomorrow morning, Tuesday, March 27, 2007, by Garrison Keillor on National Public Radio's Writer's Edition. The poem is called, Son at Seventeen, and is in her book, The Spirits Need to Eat. You may know Fran - she used to work at Bear Pond Books, she writes an occasional column for the Times Argus, she is a reading and discussion leader for the Vermont Humanities Council and she's fun to be with. Tune into NPR (107.9 fm) at 8:35am to hear Fran's poem. The Kellogg-Hubbard Library has a copy of her book, The Spirits Need to Eat. Check it out!

Frank Woods Art Exhibit

Frank Woods, former librarian for the State of Vermont Department of Libraries and occasional sub at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library, is exhibiting a small collection of landscape paintings on the 2nd Floor at KHL. This group of paintings is from the Gaspe Peninsula north of Quebec City on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. The works are ‘plein-air’ oil on paper, or wood panel, with additional work in the studio as needed. Frank is interested in exploring the relationship between the “real” landscape and the abstract version he creates. Geometric forms, symbols and heightened color are all part of his approach.

This exhibit is part of the Montpelier Art Walk on Friday, March 23, 2007. Visit Frank at the library between 4:00pm to 5:30pm to talk about his art. The first floor features a Community Art Show, by Washington County artists.

Dear Omnivorous Readers

If you read like I do, it's difficult to go anywhere without a book, magazine or newspaper. I mean how do those people on the treadmill get to the end of the block without something to read? Or how about the folks that sit down to lunch alone? I can't chew solo without a chapter or two to keep me company. And it doesn't need to be a book to entertain or educate. The Kellogg-Hubbard Library has many magazines and newspapers to help expand your horizons.

The issues of Harper's, Atlantic Monthly or The Smithsonian have monthly articles of interest and the weekly magazine, The New Yorker, can keep you up until the wee hours. In fact the New Yorker is so addictive many readers suffer from "New Yorker backlog" syndrome. Far better to read the library copies, if you miss a few it's guilt free (and someone else has to store the back issues).

A stellar recent New Yorker issue was Feb. 5, 2007 . (Click here to read the entire article.) Starting with a terrific review by Peter Schjeldahl,on page 70, of Martin Gayford's book "The Yellow House: Van Gogh, Gauguin and Nine Turbulent Weeks in Arles". The book and review provide a glimpse into the lives of the two artists during a brief period in the 1880's when the men lived together in Provence.

According to Gaylord Van Gogh moved there "looking for a different light" hoping "that observing nature under a brighter sky might give one a more accurate idea of the way the Japanese feel and draw". While Gauguin seems to have moved south to get closer to Vincent Van Gogh's brother Theo, a prominent art dealer. Gauguin hoped for a bigger return for his artistic efforts.

The review is an excellent synopsis of a legendary time of genius and madness. While Gaylord examines Van Gogh the pure artist and Gauguin the manipulative entrepreneur, we also enjoy the reviewer's ability to pick apart the story. Really the review is so good you ALMOST don't need the book.

Roberta Downey, Adult Head Circulation Librarian

(For a second article review from this same New Yorker issue click here to read it on the Montpelier Matters blog.)

Did you know...

The Kellogg-Hubbard Library subscribes to the Vermont Online Library, with support from the Vermont Department of Libraries. VOL provides access to a tremendous range of academic journals, periodicals, and research materials. Students, researchers, writers, and the general public will find a wealth of information that is not otherwise easily accessible from the internet.

To log in, enter the number below the barcode on the back of your library card. Don’t have a library card? The card is free to residents of Montpelier, Berlin (until June 30, 2007), Worcester, East Montpelier, Calais, and Middlesex. You can obtain a card if you don’t live in our service area; follow this link for more information. (One word of warning, I know from personal experience that VOL can be quite slow if you have dial-up internet access.)

Martin

Montpelier's Commercial History Along the Winooski RIver

Local historian, Manuel Garcia, will present a slide show called, THE HISTORY OF MONTPELIER'S COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY Along the Winooski River Valley, Thursday, March 22, 2007 at 7pm. Garcia will share photos of many of the earlier business establishments, large and small, along the Memorial Drive, Berlin Street, River Street, Barre Street area neighborhoods. The presentation includes the Manufactured Gas and Electric Generating plants along with some pictures of the Railroad, and Trolley systems that traversed this valley, and the early single span bridges that crossed the Winooski River. This program is for those of you who love local history.

Flood planning at the Library

In preparation for a possible flood, we have moved our outreach book collection out of the basement and transferred everything moveable (supplies, computer equipment, etc.) to a higher level. Our biggest concern is the heating and telephone systems: impossible to move and expensive to replace. Keep your fingers crossed!

Our Children's Library is now high and dry on the second floor. This is quite an improvement over 1992 when the staff and many community members rushed in to save the children's collection which was then housed in the basement. It was in the nick of time; the basement flooded to the ceiling. Without our local heroes, the collection would have been destroyed. When some people ask us why the library had to expand in 2000, we remind them of that flood. Taking the children's collection out of harm's way was the compelling reason for the expansion.

On the bright side, the temporary postponement the flood risk has let us proceed with our book sale. It starts today, so stop in and buy lots of books! Because the book sale is located in the basement this fundraising event could be at risk should we find ourselves in a flood situation.

If our river floods while the library is open, any children who are unattended by parents or guardians will be escorted by the children's staff to Vermont College. The staff is also ready to drive anyone who is unable to walk to higher ground. Again, we will use the Red Cross center at Vermont College.

If you have further questions or concerns, don't hesitate to let me know.