[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6336788,"mediaKeyId","2280109-d822f2f385e1d638ffb16c649ec3d2e8","parentId",2280109,"title","State librarian briefs Senate on library services, statewide ebook programs and $26.4 million in administered grants","audioSeconds",2537,"startMs",1855000,"endMs",4392000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2280109-d822f2f385e1d638ffb16c649ec3d2e8&start=1855&end=4392","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2280109-d822f2f385e1d638ffb16c649ec3d2e8/thumbnail_1855000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6336788/Vermont/State-librarian-briefs-Senate-on-library-services-statewide-ebook-programs-and-264-million-in-administered-grants","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6336788-c7fcb5b444f2142a9252e89890bfafbc/orig.mp4?Expires=1773645753&Signature=ipjPRdBXsDlV~TbmJD46S6CMH4vvg-3qg6fdoQ0SvVgwxfolXbo4Qm-t4gkuBXSFq05wj9~dUwJIuhIkaoLihFtnODff7S4Ozf0aKUrqLQyIRcw7Xtook7aXAZ7oXDTMU-HvwwbFNgYMnvT8sdFopHkg~XPGSYanEj4WM698nbyIQZS62I5eKsjMQU~Fv95G2BzI6RLSHfJDdemAHqp5pJjmLNPevEo5QsWKqyTbytYIkE2O~wbsuQHzd4OwQPfo8vd9EQdxU-TAHl71v8M0m7JLqhARd29EyS~m6QpMy07b45pj1JxdkMP5ukZNkwkp71f~Hy4auqMG48tjCb8DQQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-02-12T18:30:25Z","article","Catherine Villeneuve, state librarian and commissioner of the Vermont Department of Libraries, told the Senate Committee on Government Operations on Feb. 12 that the department operates statewide library services — including a statewide ebook/audiobook platform, a learning portal, an interlibrary loan courier and special services for readers with print disabilities — and is administering federal grants to support library building repairs and upgrades.

Villeneuve described several statewide services: the Palace Project (Vermont's statewide ebook and eaudiobook platform), a Vermont Online Library database with magazines and reference resources, an online learning portal (Udemy) and an interlibrary loan network that moved roughly 67,000 books to Vermonters last year. \"Every library in the state can use this service,\" she said of the learning portal, and she noted that the department authenticates access for Vermonters.

Why it matters: Vermont's public libraries serve as local community hubs and provide remote access to research, workforce training and accessible reading materials. Villeneuve emphasized that many library services rely on federal funding streams — including grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) — and that capital needs outstrip available resources in many communities.

Villeneuve told senators there are about 187 libraries in Vermont, 141 of which participate in the statewide courier contract. She said the department processed and coordinated interlibrary deliveries and subsidized courier costs for participating libraries. The department also supports access for Vermonters with print disabilities through the National Library Service network (referred to in testimony as the department's \"Able\" library service).

On infrastructure and grants, Villeneuve said the department is administering $16,400,000 in ARPA funds for library projects and a separate $10,000,000 congressional-directed spending (CDS) package the department is managing for small rural libraries — a combined $26.4 million in administered federal funds. She said 14 libraries have received awards from the ARPA program and that the CDS funds were routed through HUD for community projects. Villeneuve described the state's public library building stock as old: survey respondents reported building ages ranging from 1781 to 2021, and a data analyst cited a mean construction year around 1912 for libraries that responded to a department survey.

Villeneuve also summarized facility needs reported by libraries in the department's survey: ramps (24%), door upgrades (18%), restrooms (15%), elevators (14%), parking improvements (10%), new heating systems (13%) and HVAC/air-exchange upgrades (21% noted HVAC specifically). She said most libraries are open a median of 31 hours per week, that 15–18% of library staff hold a master's degree in library science, and that the state provides continuing education and a certificate program to upskill staff.

Villeneuve addressed digital access and equity. She said the Palace Project focuses on perpetual-license ebooks and eaudiobooks to maximize long-term access while preserving local libraries' ability to buy short-term or one-off digital titles. She emphasized the accessibility advantages of digital formats for readers with low vision or print disabilities but noted that physical materials still matter for children and for those without reliable internet access.

Committee members asked about adult literacy, library staffing, social-service roles in libraries and the state’s legal framework for collection-development challenges. Villeneuve said the department does not track adult literacy statewide but supports early-childhood literacy initiatives and has published a report on resources to bolster such efforts. She described recent statutory work (Act 150) that provided model collection-development and reconsideration procedures for libraries.

Ending: Villeneuve urged continued investment in library facilities and staff training, and she offered the department's expertise for communities planning renovations or new library projects.

\"The department is administering a grant of $16,400,000 and, we have awarded those funds to 14 libraries in Vermont,\" she said, adding that the ARPA and CDS funds can help address pressing building needs but will not meet the full statewide capital backlog.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Government Operations - 2025-02-12 - 1:30PM","oneSentenceSummary","Catherine Villeneuve, state librarian and commissioner of the Vermont Department of Libraries, told the Senate Government Operations Committee on Feb. 12 that the department runs statewide digital resources, interlibrary loan, special services for readers with print disabilities and is administering federal grants to support library building projects.","taxTitle","Government Operations, SENATE, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",38232,"location","Vermont","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6336793,"Vermont assistant judges tell Senate panel they manage aging courthouses, small county budgets and limited judicial duties",1242,133000,1375000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2280109-d822f2f385e1d638ffb16c649ec3d2e8&start=133&end=1375","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2280109-d822f2f385e1d638ffb16c649ec3d2e8/thumbnail_133000.jpg","/articles/6336793/Vermont/Vermont-assistant-judges-tell-Senate-panel-they-manage-aging-courthouses-small-county-budgets-and-limited-judicial-duties","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6336793-dab751bbe90eb184332fb29027a8c17d/orig.mp4?Expires=1773645753&Signature=lDVBrjyNrD9eeA-j05JJXUynQyoh-gY-3HkjXK9PQu-zTelnaVP5L7U6pEISqYND34IGSwSA7gHPmdq1UyzR6F0Wtd~bvONEhrVtrV2~HuybnMynPPosxJDfSnMiL2WSVLCqLsJQ4ji9UEvD6UXOM7Wx9d918YYliroVPLF3mZF-VzBYVnAWtldWhnVhriaFkqUHUuUSwE7bQzXFcJAtflNoMeP3eiI0bgNieZ4zON~ilUKv8AZgmVQcT2X-c2193TPMuvEsY227-PnEzdGRLaMH0sqh309m0LftL9fTjojgpZ2ret0KX2-pPXaw4pkdZZsdMTUhRFeQo-r0oHqesA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Joyce McKimann, president of the Vermont Association of County Judges and an Orange County assistant judge, told the Senate Committee on Government Operations on Feb. 12 that assistant judges hold a dual role: county executives responsible for courthouse upkeep and limited judicial officers who act as finders of fact in civil and family dockets.

McKimann said the Office of Assistant Judges is a constitutional office whose duties are statutory. \"It is a constitutional office. We've existed since the founding of Vermont. However, our duties are statutory,\" she said, describing a statewide corps of 28 elected assistant judges who serve four-year terms and are up for reelection in 2026.

Why it matters: Assistant judges oversee many of Vermont's old county courthouses and the limited county budgets that sustain them. McKimann told the committee that courthouse condition affects the judiciary's ability to operate and access to justice for Vermonters.

McKimann described two broadly separate sets of responsibilities. On the county-administration side, assistant judges oversee maintenance of courthouse buildings when counties still own them and help fund basic overhead for sheriff's departments (heat, utilities, plowing, some training). She said county budgets are assessed to towns based on grand lists and that Vermont law gives assistant judges statutory authority \"to tax the towns up to 5¢ per hundred dollars of assessed valuation,\" though few counties levy near that limit; she said Orange County's rate for the fiscal year under discussion was 1.1¢.

On the judicial side, McKimann said assistant judges no longer participate in criminal sentencing. Instead, they sit with presiding judges in civil and family matters \"as finders of fact,\" helping determine the facts while the presiding judge applies the law. She also described assistant-judge participation in the Judicial Bureau (Vermont's unified traffic and civil-violation adjudication system), saying four people statewide are trained to sit as Judicial Bureau hearing officers, including two assistant judges.

McKimann described facility challenges in multiple counties: many courthouses are historic and need modern HVAC, elevators or other renovations. She cited Orange County's courthouse (built in 1847) as an example of an older building that requires ongoing care. She said some counties used COVID-relief funds to update HVAC systems, and she detailed a recent emergency response when the Washington County courthouse suffered flood damage and assistant judges worked long hours to restore operations.

McKimann also discussed accountability for elected county officers. She noted the limits of remedies for alleged malfeasance when offices are constitutional: impeachment or the ballot box. She referenced public debate over a prior constitutional amendment (referred to in testimony as Proposition 1) and said that, while those concerns are not active legislation now, they reflect ongoing tension about removing officers from office.

Committee members asked about historic changes to assistant-judge roles and criminal jurisdiction; McKimann said she was not certain of the precise date when criminal duties were removed but that the criminal role had been whittled back over time and that some post-conviction relief matters now proceed as civil matters in superior court. She told the committee the statutory framework for county budgeting is laid out in Title 24 and referenced the Vermont Supreme Court decision Stowe v. Lamoille (1976) as a precedent that addresses county budgeting and the care expected of assistant judges.

Ending: McKimann told senators she had no specific legislation to request from the committee at this time but offered to return to discuss assistant judges or county government matters in the future.

\"I don't have anything right now,\" she said, adding that she was available to speak further about assistant judges or county government needs.","Joyce McKimann, president of the Vermont Association of County Judges, told the Senate Government Operations Committee that assistant judges balance courthouse upkeep and limited judicial roles, oversee county budgets assessed to towns, and have statutory tax authority that few counties fully use.","actionData","errors"]

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State librarian briefs Senate on library services, statewide ebook programs and $26.4 million in administered grants

Vermont assistant judges tell Senate panel they manage aging courthouses, small county budgets and limited judicial duties