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Public libraries across Vermont are dealing with tight budgets, staffing shortages, and a push to go digital, making it hard for some to keep up. Reporter Kiana Burks caught up with librarians for some perspective on what they’re seeing.
WESTMINSTER It’s been a long time, but with COVID numbers apparently staying low in this region and vaccination numbers increasing, the Butterfield Library has reopened by appointment only
St. Johnsbury Athenaeum distribution site for sanitizer, Census, and other materials.
Michele: What approach have you taken with the CARES Act stimulus funds, including mechanisms you have used to distribute them?
Jason: To find out what libraries were experiencing, we released a survey asking about their needs. We took a portion of the funds and purchased shield guards based on feedback from the survey. Vermont’s prison industry made them for us, which cost us less and allowed us to purchase additional items. We gave some funds to our historical society that oversees the State Museum of Vermont to do some virtual programming. We also provided a grant to our Green Mountain Library Consortium to make more eBooks accessible to a wider audience. Then we reserved some of the money in case the virus had a resurgence. We also planned on a second round of grants for Wi-Fi extenders to help around 50 libraries. The last round of funds was slated for disinfectant and cleaning wipes. We ar