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Vermont Department of Libraries outlines FY26 services, federal grants and capital subawards
Summary
State Librarian Catherine Zellnow told the Senate Appropriations Committee the Department of Libraries is seeking general-fund support while managing significant federal grants that fund statewide digital resources, courier services and upcoming capital repairs to small rural libraries.
Catherine Zellnow, state librarian and commissioner of the Vermont Department of Libraries, told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Feb. 6 that the department’s FY26 request pairs state general funds with federal grant dollars to sustain statewide services and several one-time capital programs.
Zellnow said the department provides statewide digital resources including the Vermont Online Library and a new Udemy offering “with more than 20,000 instructional videos and classes,” and that those shared subscriptions produce cost savings compared with individual libraries contracting separately. “If those resources were not available, each school or academic institution in each public library would need to individually contract for those services,” Zellnow said.
The nut graf: The department’s operating budget request relies on a mix of state and federal funds — Zellnow said roughly 61% general funds and an anticipated 33% from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) — while two one-time federal grant…
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