This article was written by Christine Friese, Assistant State Librarian, Vermont Department of Libraries Recently, Library directors, trustees and staff from 10 public libraries, representatives from the Vermont State Library, and members of the Vermont Digital Economy Project spent a day at the Brown Public library in Northfield with consultants from IBM, learning all about…
A goal of our grant is to assist towns, business and nonprofits in using technology to be more prepared in the case of another disaster. This effort includes encouraging communities to learn to communicate with their residents through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Front Porch Forum (which we’re excited to have just…
This article is written by Patrick Ripley, VtSBDC Director of e-Commerce Wilmington was one of many southern Vermont communities hit hardest by Hurricane Irene in the late summer of 2011. Its tight-knit business community has stuck together, and continues to take steps to improve awareness of what they have to offer Vermont travelers. “Our building…
Vermont’s 2011 floods demonstrated the potential for digital tools to support community resilience and recovery, as well as the vulnerability of nonprofits and communities who were not making full use of digital tools. Thankfully, Vermont is gifted with a growing, community-oriented tech sector. In the hours before and after Tropical Storm Irene hit Vermont, the…
Paul Haskell, Chair of the Sharon Selectboard was a part of a group discussion on how to use digital mapping and crowd-sourcing tools to solve community problems convened by the Vermont Digital Economy Project. Stay tuned for additional stories of organizations using mapping tools and crowd sourced information to further their missions. (SHARON, VT) Like…
Our visits to Vermont’s flood-impacted communities reveal several compelling stories of how towns used social media to help recover from Tropical Storm Irene. Part of this social media effort was to assist with the dissemination of vital information, organize volunteer efforts, and attract donations to help with the recovery process. Perhaps the most poignant of…
By Mary McClements, Coordinator of Academic Services-Career Training Programs at CCV Blake dropped out of school when he was sixteen and, for several years, tried to make a living on minimum wage which he just wasn’t able to do. He tried to start his own business, but with no real skills, he wasn’t able to…
Vermont’s strength is a direct result of the strength of the community organizations that step up in time of need, or provide ongoing assistance to members of the community in need. While these organizations are often small and cover only a few towns, it is still beneficial for them to have a web presence that…
The driveway to my house, in Ludlow near the Plymouth town border, became a river during Tropical Storm Irene. I have to admit that all of the rain we’ve gotten lately has made me very nervous. As a Tropical Storm Irene victim, I am paying particularly close attention to the flash flood warnings that scroll…
I was recently invited to participate in a panel on Civility for the National Endowment on the Humanities and the Vermont Bar Association, and it made me think of the challenges we see in rural towns in a different light. When the Vermont Council on Rural Development led our “Community Visit” process to one small…