100% complete
$800 Goal
Today, Monday, 3/31/25, Vermont libraries received an email from Vermont Librarian Catherine Delneo as follows: Teri DeVoe, Associate Deputy Director, Grants to States, Institute of Museum and Library Services sent the following message to all Chief Officers (State Librarians) and Library Services Technology Act Coordinators: “Within the last hour IMLS received word that all staff are going to be placed on administrative leave, effective today. We will not be able to work or respond to your emails, and we don’t have any information about future timelines related to this action. Please share with other staff as appropriate, and please know how much we appreciate you and your work.”
Thank you so much for your support.
April 1st, 2025 is Library Giving Day: a day to celebrate and perhaps give back to our library. We at the Windsor Public Library look to Library Giving Day as a day to reach out to you, our community: to show you what we've been up to, to celebrate our community, and to ask for your support.
As an aside, Library Giving Day might be on April Fool's Day this year, but loss of funding is no laughing matter. Please see #5 (below) for information on the attempt to defund IMLS, how this affects Vermont libraries, and steps that can be taken.
First, a few updates on what's going on at the library:
1. FLOORS REFINISHED
In September, we got rid of our 40-year-old carpet and refinished our birch floors. Have you seen it yet? It looks so good (although we are looking forward to the end of mud/snow/salt season!)
2. UNIVERSAL CLASSES
Are you familiar with the over 500 Online Continuing Education Classes available with your library card? These classes cover topics ranging from drawing to history, home schooling to Quickbooks, dog psychology to marine biology and more. You have 6 months to complete each class and can sign up for 5 classes at a time. All for free at https://windsorlibrary.org with your library card!
3. SHELTER FROM THE STORM
The Windsor Public Library is a designated cooling center. During a hot summer day, we've got the air conditioning on. Folks are encouraged to come in and cool off. Likewise, we do our best to help out when conditions are cold, raw and icy. During winter storms when many may lose power, we are a place where you can charge your phone, use a computer, access our WIFI... even heat something up in the microwave or fill up gallon jugs of water.
4. PROGRAMMING
We do our best to have programming that is thought-provoking, fun, engaging and connects our community members. Recent programming includes a Vermont Humanities talk: A Bridge Across Two Vermonts, Vermont Reads discussion of Kenneth Cadow's Gather, and a wonderful dictionary talk by local lexicographer Michael Metivier. Our French conversation group is growing by leaps and bounds and is moving to Wednesdays in April. Parlez-vous Francais? Many folks who come to our library do!
5. HOW IMLS FUNDING AFFECTS THE WINDSOR LIBRARY
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) provides the Vermont Department of Libraries (VTLIB) with a third of their funding, about 1.25 million dollars. VTLIB assists Windsor and other Vermont library staff in a myriad of ways: with needed technical assistance, with spearheading collaboration of libraries statewide, with ebooks/audiobooks, online databases and classes, and with staff training. The Windsor Public Library also receives 2 grants from VTLIB each year: for our courier service (which delivers interlibrary loan books) and for our summer reading program. IMLS services are critical for libraries statewide and nationwide. More information is here. The Vermont Library Association's letter about these cuts can be found here.
The Windsor Public Library is an incorporated library as opposed to a town library. Town libraries are fully supported by their town. Here in Windsor, our library is a private nonprofit. We gratefully receive 2/3 of our needed income from the town, but rely on donations, and interest from a small investment account for the other third.
BECOME A SUSTAINING DONOR!
Did you know you can actually be a "sustaining donor" of the Windsor Public Library? (Similar to being a sustaining member of your local public radio station, etc.) Sustaining donors are folks who want to donate to the Windsor Library, but spread it out and give a smaller amount each month rather than a lump sum. In contributing via Mighty Cause, just choose "monthly" if you'd like to join our very-appreciated sustaining donors.
Thank you for reading and thank you as always for your support. Happy Spring!
With gratitude,
Barbara
Barbara Ball, Director
----------------------------