Monthly Archives: October 2010

Museum Passes


Vermont State Parks, Vermont Historic Sites, and the Echo Museum have created passes for public libraries. Many libraries also have passes to local museums and historical sites around the state available for lending. To advertise the passes and explain reserves, policies and usage, Lawrence Memorial Library in Bristol created a brochure for patrons.

Lawrence Memorial staff contact area museums by email or letter and most supply a free pass. In return for the free pass, the Library tracks use and reports to each museum. Two sites, Chimney Point and Mt Independence, gave permission to the Library to design a pass for the site allowing admission. The Library works on this project in the spring, before families come looking for weekend entertainment.

Ilsley offers new devices

iPad

New devices to try…
Try a Kindle, iPad, Nook, an MP3player, and an iPod Nano. Ask at the adult loan desk for availability.

David Clark of the Ilsley Public Library in Middlebury writes: Everything points to the greater acceptance of ebooks, in spite of the adamant protests of some of our longtime readers.

How we’ll manage is yet to be determined.

What we are doing is giving our residents a chance to try some of the new mobile devices. We lend a Kindle, MP3 player and two Nanos for 3 weeks, and a Nook for 1 week. An iPad is available in the library.

We have purchased e-books and downloaded free titles for the Kindle, Nook, and iPad. The first 10 borrowers of the Kindle got to select a title for us to purchase. You can imagine what a variety of titles we have!

Who knows where this will all lead. We’re looking into an iPhone app for our catalog as other libraries around the country have added to their “avenues of connectedness.”

Firefighter Storytime

Dorothy Alling Memorial Library in Williston held a firefighter themed storytime for children up to age 6.

Other Vermont libraries have invited the town bus (Rockingham), town trucks (Ludlow), or other interesting town services to come and visit. Kids love those vehicles! And towns enjoy local promotion.

Norwich Tribute Fund

Wrapped gift

A gift

How does a library position itself to encourage bequests and contributions? The Norwich Public Library developed a quiet brochure to do the job.

Directors may want to have a lawyer review and offer background so the board is prepared to work with donors. The Vermont Community Foundation offers support to organizations like libraries who are setting up contribution vehicles. Contact them for help managing an endowment or creating planned giving.

Use the Scribd link to read the brochure, particularly the inside. A donor could make the gift without doing anything more than filling in the form.

Kindle Contract

We previously posted about how libraries are now lending expensive equipment (such as Kindles, MP3 players, Flip cameras, etc.).  Here is a Kindle Contract that Barton Public Library has patrons sign before they can check out a Kindle.