Volume 2, No.2 | February 2018
Your monthly news & updates
DLD
“February will be a busy month for DLD, we will be out and about in the library community conducting focus groups, presenting information sessions for LSTA grants and eRate and making consultant visits. If you see us, ask what’s new at DLD, we have a great story to tell. We are looking forward to a busy few months as projects wrap up, Division goals are met and new initiatives launched.” - - Dawn La Valle, Director, Division of Library Development, Connecticut State Library
Service Spotlight
This is just a reminder that February 2018 will bring to a close the borrowIT CT reporting period for 2017-2018. Once February is over, libraries will be completing the report form (an Excel file) for their March 2017 thru February 2018 non-resident loans. For more information on the report form, see:  http://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/dld/ccard/report . The deadline for submissions will be March 16 at 4 P.M. At the current time, borrowIT CT funding looks to be about 10% less than last year.
 
Thank you for your participation in the borrowIT CT program. Contact Tom.Newman@ct.gov with questions.
Service Spotlight
New LSTA Grant Categories
 
The CT State Library’s Division of Library Development is pleased to announce the availability of approximately $75,000 for LSTA grants in two categories:
 
1. 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.
 
2. 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. Libraries must have completed both the Best Practices for CT Public Libraries self-assessment and the Aspen Action Guide and must submit the results with their grant applications. Projects must include a community needs assessment component, such as a survey, focus groups, interviews, etc.
 
More information, including the literacy grant instructions and application, is online at http://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/dld/lstagrants/grantapplication . The planning grant application will be available in early February. 
 
Information Sessions, required for all applicants, will be held at the Middletown Library Service Center and several locations around the state in February and March. Register for one near you at http://cslib.libcal.com/ .
 
Upcoming Grant Writing Workshops at MLSC - Details below
 
How to Demonstrate Sustainability for Grant Projects , Wednesday, February 14, 9:00 am-12:30 pm
Library Planning Toolkit and LSTA Planning Grants , Wednesday, February 28, 9:00-noon
Service Spotlight
E-rate Funding for Internet Service [please use E-rate image in Constant Contact]
 
If you’d like to cut costs on your library’s internet service from CEN or explore cost savings on non-fiber internet service from Granite Telecommunications, contact Maria Bernier, E-rate Coordinator, to learn how ( maria.bernier@ct.gov , 860-704-2204). Your library would need to be CIPA compliant, including filtering, to be eligible.
 
E-rate Help Sessions
 
If you’d like some assistance filling out your E-rate Form 471 (due March 22) or would just like to talk about the possibilities of E-rate, attend one of the help sessions held at the Middletown Library Service Center and several locations around the state in February and March. Find the one nearest you at http://cslib.libcal.com/ .
 
Bring with you or have handy:
·          A laptop to access wifi
·          Your EPC username and password
·          Copy of your signed contract (pdf)
·          Copy of your quote and any other information the vendor provided you (pdf)
·          Estimate of any related expenses for new computers or software you expect to purchase in the next
fiscal year
 
For more information, contact Maria Bernier, E-rate Coordinator ( maria.bernier@ct.gov , 860-704-2204).
Service Spotlight
Financial Literacy - Connecticut Saves Week 2018

Connecticut Saves Week is February 26 - March 3. The Connecticut State Library is one of the partners in the Connecticut Saves coalition. Visit the Connecticut Saves site to see what kinds of financial literacy workshops are available to you at your library as well as upcoming events and resources.

Visit DLD staff at the Legislative Office Building February 28 from 10-1 for the Financial Education Expo, coordinated by the CT Department of Banking.
For questions, contact Gail Hurley Gail.Hurley@ct.gov or 860-704-2222.
Service Spotlight
Focus groups

researchIT CT gathered responses to the online eResource Assessment Survey that ran until January 19 and identified trends from those responses. We will follow up with user focus groups in February and March in each of the six CLA regions. Focus groups will include librarians and users in public and academic libraries. We will also observe students in K12 settings when and where it's feasible to do so. When finalized, the focus group schedule will be available here: http://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/researchIT_CT/about-researchIT_CT/focus_groups

Questions? Send them to Eric.A.Hansen@ct.gov , or call 860-704-2224.
Service Spotlight
Development Update
 
LYRASIS and Library Connection, Inc. (LCI) have succeeded in getting LYRASIS's eGO circulation manager to communicate successfully with LCI's Innovative Interfaces server.
 
LYRASIS and LCI settled a single means of authenticating library users in the eGO circulation manager. LCI has negotiated this means of access for authenticating the users in LCI's OverDrive collections as well. In the meantime, LYRASIS is communicating with Bibliomation to begin configuration so that their libraries can be put up in eGO as well.
 
Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) Content Exchange curatorial work began in December with reviews of freely available eBooks in the Internet Archive and the Library of Congress. DPLA has retained a developer from the New York Public Library (NYPL) to work on connecting the DPLA Content Exchange with the NYPL designed circulation manager so that title curation can be integrated in the circulation manager.
 
eResource Advisory Task Force RBDigital selectors have agreed to assist with content selection and acquisition for eGO in Feedbooks. LYRASIS will host a training webinar for those selectors, possibly in early February.
Workshop Spotlight
The Connecticut State Library and the YA Section of the Connecticut Library Association wil jointly sponsor an all-day workshop on diversity in library teen and children's collections. The program is for school and public library staff who work with children and teens.

The morning program will be an introduction to the Diverse Book Finder and a research backed discussion about ensuring libraries provide collections for children and teens that are diverse and inclusive.

The afternoon will include a Panel Program of librarians, a publisher, and an author, and a presentation by author Leslea Newman entitled: Dump Trucks and Dresses and Dolls: Oh My! Smashing Gender Stereotypes in Children’s Literature.

Lunch (sandwiches/salads/chips/dessert/drink) will be provided, and there is no fee to attend.

The program will be held on Wednesday, March 14 from 10:00-3:30 at the Wallingford Public Library, Wallingford, CT.

Professional Development
How to Demonstrate Sustainability for Grant Projects
In person workshop
Wednesday, February 14, 9 am to 12:30 pm
Middletown Library Service Center, 786 South Main St., Middletown, CT 06457
Cost: Free      
For details and to register, visit https://cslib.libcal.com/event/3885375

Library Planning Toolkit and LSTA Planning Grants
In person workshop
Wednesday, February 28, 9 am to noon
Middletown Library Service Center, 786 South Main St., Middletown, CT 06457
Cost: Free      
For details and to register, visit https://cslib.libcal.com/event/3957487
Hours Reminder
Reminder: MLSC Hours – February 2018

A reminder that in addition to 8 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday, the Middletown Library Service Center’s hours for January will include:
Thursday, February 1: Open 8 am to 8 pm
Saturday, February 3: Open 9 am to 12 pm

Note: the MLSC will be closed February 12 and 19 in observance of Lincoln's Birthday and President's Day.

Questions?
Contact us at 860-704-2200, our main phone number.
Contact Linda Williams ( Linda.Williams@ct.gov ) for specific theme/grade level requests.
Contact Grace Burchard ( grace.burchard@ct.gov ) to reserve book sets.
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.
DLD | CSL |860-757-6665 |  http://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/dld/home