Vermont School Library Snapshot Day:

How To Do It

A library advocacy pilot project in Northwest Vermont, Winter 2010-2011

What is Library Snapshot Day?

Vermont Library Snapshot Day (VLSD) is an advocacy project for libraries of all kinds.  On Library Snapshot Day, each participating library captures in photos, statistics, and narrative comments, the impact it has on its community and patrons during a typical day.   These materials, while just a “snapshot” of what we do, give us powerful and persuasive images, data, and feedback for illustrating to decision makers, taxpayers, grant-funders, and the general public the value and importance of libraries. 

Each library collects data and photos for its own use, and also contributes the material to the VLSD Committee.  The VLSD Committee will aggregate the data to show the broad impact of libraries in our region/state, and a pool of photos will be available to show the wide range of activities, resources, and users across types of libraries. 

Library Snapshot Day originated in New Jersey and has been emulated in additional states.  At the 2010 ALA Midwinter Meeting, the ALA Advocacy Coordinating Group agreed to take the initiative to a national level.  In Vermont, two regions in the Northwest (Franklin and Chittenden Counties) are undertaking Library Snapshot Day as a pilot project during the winter of 2010-2011.  We hope other regions will join us next year, expanding and improving what we begin. 

When is Vermont Library Snapshot Day?

You can hold your Library Snapshot Day any one day during the week of December 13, 2010.  Recognizing how varied school librarians’ schedules are over the course of a week, we decided to designate the week and let you choose which one day that week is the best for you. 

How Do I Participate?

• Decide which day during the week of December 13 that you would like to hold your Vermont Library Snapshot Day.
• Join the "Vermont School Library Snapshot Day Group" on Flickr.com.  If you do not already have a Flickr account, you will need to create one. See Registering for Flickr for details.
• Print out the following forms to use on your Library Snapshot Day:
• VLSD Survey Form (print the survey as tally sheet)
• VLSD Patron Comment Form (edit as desired & save; make copies to hand out)
• VLSD Photo Consent Form  (*This form is only for adults. See note below regarding photos.)
• On the day you have chosen to hold your VLSD collect statistics, comments, and photos which represent a day in your library.  
• Upload your data to the survey form by January 21, 2011.
• Upload photos to the Flickr group by January 21, 2011. See How to Upload your Pictures to Flickr for details. 
• Share your results locally with the community and school officials.  For ideas, see the VLSD page on presentation tools.  Also, look at what other states have done. 

Additional Considerations

• You need to follow your school’s policy on publishing photos of students.  Be informed about this before VLSD arrives.  You will need signed photo consent forms for pictures of individuals not covered by the school policy, such as volunteers, visitors, faculty, etc. 
• You may wish to ask volunteers or students to help you with specific tasks, such as taking photos, counting users, or handing out comment forms.  
• You should create a backup of your data and photos.