Your monthly news & updates
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It is with heavy hearts, that the Connecticut State Library, Division of Library Development bids a fond farewell and best wishes for a very happy retirement to YA and Children’s Consultant, Linda Williams. Linda has provided invaluable service as a dedicated employee of the State Library for the past 20 years. In her position as YA and Children’s Consultant, Linda has been a true advocate for libraries and young adult and children’s librarians throughout state and nationally and will be truly missed.
In support of basic literacy training and support for CT librarians, Linda has planned groundbreaking, signature diversity and children’s literacy programs, identifying national experts; developed comprehensive resource guides to support these programs. Linda has compiled annual summer reading lists for the CT. State Department of Education, and provided her sought after
Children's Books Set in Connecticut
and
Children's & Young Adult Authors & Illustrators from Connecticut
documents for the annual National Book Festival. At Festival, teachers and parents from around the country descended on the CT table in search of Linda’s booklists. When Sue Cormier retired, Linda took over and administered the Collaborative Summer Library Program the backbone of the State Library’s Summer Reading Program and continuing the partnership with the State Department of Education for the Governor’s Summer Reading Challenge. Throughout her tenure, Linda has maintained and contributed to the Division of Library Development listservs, and the groundbreaking children's discussion listserv
goodnightmoon
and
Speak
Linda has provided invaluable expertise to YA and Children’s librarians in the writing of LSTA Literacy grants and has provided ongoing support to grantees in the development and implementation of their grant projects. Her expertise was contingent on keeping on the bleeding edge of keeping Connecticut children's librarians up on the most current library programs and principles assuring that they were trained in current research and practice by providing programs, such as
Every Child Ready to Read
and CT Libraries
It's Never too Early
. She created and maintained the Diversity, MakerSpace and Working with Schools libguides providing well-researched, relevant 21
st
Century resources for librarians all critical elements for responsive library service in meeting community needs.
As school media specialists dwindle in the state, Linda took it upon herself to forge new alliances with resource challenged school libraries, assisting them with developing and maintaining collections on small budgets; maximizing space and ensuring that they have the tools to provide literacy support to their curriculum
Among her many accolades, Linda was been the esteemed winner of the Faith Hektoen Award, for her career achievement in the field of children's services (2012) and has been named the Facilitator and Historian and has provided many years of guidance to the Nutmeg Book Award Steering Committee, which works to promote quality children's books for grades 2-12.
Congratulations Linda on a well deserved retirement!
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Official Statistical Profile & Other Resources Released
The official version of “
Connecticut’s Public Libraries: A Statistical Profile, July 2017 – June 2018
” will be released on January 2. Only minor changes were made from the Preliminary Version. You can download the Profile here:
https://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/dld/stats
. The statistics compiled in this report are based on the Annual Reports submitted by public libraries in the fall. Thanks go out to all those who helped complete the Annual Report for your library.
Also available with the Statistical Profile:
New Chart and Report Creators – create suites of charts in seconds
Library Facts and Advocacy Flyer – a one-page flyer with statistics from your library (same as the one made available in December)
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LSTA Grant Info Sessions
Applications for LSTA Literacy Grants will be due on April 8, 2019, and applications for LSTA Planning Grants are accepted on a rolling basis every two months, with the next deadlines at the end of February and April.
In order to apply, grant applicants must attend an information session about the assessment and planning tools available from the CT State Library as well as grant application instructions, regulations, and fiscal management. Register for the session of your preference at
http://cslib.libcal.com/
.
University, Willimantic, CT
One-year literacy grants will provide up to $7,500 to assist libraries with creating strategic, sustainable partnerships and lifelong learning programs that address the seven literacies in their communities. The seven literacies are described in the Division's
2018-2022 LSTA Five-Year Plan
as basic, early, civic/social, digital/information, financial, health, and legal literacy.
Six-month planning grants will provide up to $5,000 to assist libraries with planning initiatives to explore new services, assess and address the needs of changing population and patron bases, develop partnerships and collaboration, or write new strategic plans or long-range master plans.
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Contact Judy Crooks
judy.crooks@ct.gov
if you are interested in borrowing any of these titles.
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MLSC Hours – January 2018
Monday to Friday: 8 am to 4:30 pm
Thursday, January 3: Open until 8 pm
The Service Center will be closed Tuesday, January 1, 2019 for New Years Day and Monday, January 21 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Starting January 1, 2019, the Middletown Library Service Center (MLSC) will no longer be open on Saturdays. We will continue to be open until 8 pm on the first Thursday of the month.
Questions?
Contact us at 860-704-2200, our main phone number.
Contact Grace or Judy Crooks (
judy.crooks@ct.gov
) to pull general selections of children’s books or
Books on CD in advance of your visit.
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