Your monthly news & updates
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Preparing to Reopen Your Library in the "New Normal" - CT Libraries: a Road Map to
Re-Opening and Recovery
CSL has developed a draft document "CT Libraries: a Road Map to Re-Opening and Recovery" that has been shared with the Governor's Office to ensure that the Re-Open Connecticut Task Force is aware of the role of libraries in their communities and that CSL's recommendations are coordinated with the Governor's directives. Once we get the Governor issues re-opening guidance, we will share the Road Map along a DLD Road Map libguide.
A Snapshot of Recommendations to consider:
- Develop a strong communications plan to help reintroduce patrons to the library and help them adapt to new protocols, policies and procedures.
- Space planning recommendations to adapt existing library space to social distancing guidelines.
- Care and handling of library materials.
- Facilities inspection, safety check and cleaning procedures.
- Provision and availability of hand sanitizer, hand washing facilities in public spaces.
- System checks - network, alarm and communications.
- Develop staff training for this new normal.
- Amendment of patron conduct policies to include requiring patrons to adhere to statewide social distancing directives and library guidelines.
- Address the health and safety needs of staff (stress - emotional and financial).
- Assessment of which services restore in stages to minimize exposure and risk to staff and patrons.Temporary elimination of onsite programming
- Children's programming special needs
- Specific hours for protected groups such as older adults
- Consideration of room rental policies to include social distancing limitations.
- Special concerns around children's services, difficult to get children to adhere to safety without a plan.
- Develop a children's program to address social distancing, hand washing etc.
- Make sure the library board and Friends's group and any other stakeholders are involved and aware of the re-opening protocol.
*Libraries should continue to work with local government including public health officers to ensure that re-open procedures adhere to state and local directives.
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Materials Handling Resources
The DLD libguide on Covid 19
https://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/dld/COVID-19 has a list of resources regarding materials handling which include recommendations from the NEDCC on disinfecting circulating books, list of disinfectants from the EPA,
New England Journal of Medicine research on how long the Covid-19 virus lasts in the air and on different surfaces, CDC sources and others.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) held a
webinar,
"Mitigating COVID-19 When Managing Paper-Based, Circulating, and Other Types of Collections," which was recorded and featured in a Library Journal article.
The Heritage Emergency National Task Force has launched their
COVID-19 Resource Hub
that includes resources on collections care during a pandemic.
Resources will continue to be added to the COVID-19 libguide as they are made available.
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borrowIT reminders
1. Libraries must report how they spent the borrowIT payment they received a year ago (April 2019). Most libraries have already spent this money, so please go to this survey form and submit your figures:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CCardExpReport
You do not need to submit a paper form.
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LSTA Literacy and Planning Grants for the Crisis and Your Library’s Re-Opening:
June 26 deadline for both!
LSTA literacy and planning grants can help you plan and implement operations during the many phases of re-opening to the public.
Planning grants can fund preparations to reconfigure space for social distancing, to enhance digital services to increase equity, and to think out staff development for communities newly affected by grave levels of unemployment and crises for small businesses.
You can apply for a six-month planning grant of up to $5000until June 26, 2020.
Eleven-month literacy grants of up to $7500 can fund efforts to develop and present programming needed now for workforce development and community literacy on health, finances, and legal issues special to the crisis. In order to make these literacy grant funds available to help libraries meet the new challenges,
the literacy grant deadline has been extended from April to June 26, a full two months from now.
Note:
The wealth of data being released on the impact of the pandemic and corresponding economic downturn can be used to illuminate community need for both kinds of grants.
If you would like to apply for either a literacy or planning grant and have not previously attended a
required LSTA Grant information session, you can sign up for a virtual version of the same on the DLD Continuing Education calendar:
For more information, please contact Christine Gauvreau, LSTA Grant Coordinator at
christine.gauvreau@ct.gov
. You can also leave a message at her office desk 860-704-2224
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Construction Grants Available
The Connecticut State Library will be accepting construction grant applications this year from public libraries for library expansion, new buildings, major alterations, remodeling, accessibility, code compliance, emergency preparedness, and energy conservation. Available funding is expected to be approximately $8 million.
Public library construction grants fund one-half of total project costs up to a maximum of $1 million. The minimum projected project cost must be $60,000. All interested libraries MUST submit a “Notice of Intent” form by June 30. Applications will be due by September 1. The new “Notice of Intent” form and other documents explaining the grant program are available on our Construction Grants web page here: https://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/dld/construction/constructiongrants.
Applicants are now required to attend an information session. The final session prior to this year's application deadline will be on May 12, 10:00 am, online. (Register at
https://cslib.libcal.com/event/6476380
) Information sessions will be held annually in the spring and late fall going forward.
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Virtual Program Counts
As a reminder, it's important for each library to keep virtual/online program counts, program attendance, and recording views for each age group (children, young adults, adults, and other) separate from physical in-person programs. You'll report this data to me in your State Annual Report later in 2020. Find more information in the
Annual Report page
, in the "Changes to 2020 Report" tab. Email Maria Bernier, maria.bernier@ct.gov, if you have questions.
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There has been a increased level of interest in the eGO CT program and the SimplyE app due to the COVID-19 crisis. There have been ten new libraries that have gone live bringing the total number of libraries that are live in the app to twenty five. We are now able offer libraries the ability to move forward with the program upon request. Twenty new libraries reached out in April requesting to take next steps to go live in the SimplyE app.
If your library is interested in rolling out the SimplyE app, please contact Brad Bullis (bradley.bullis@ct.gov) to be added to the list.
New content has been added to RBDigital, DPLA Exchange, Baker & Taylor and therefore to SimplyE to coincide with the rollout. Over 421 new items have been added this month including a large number of backlist bestsellers, award winning titles for children and teens, works by Connecticut Authors, professional development titles and much more.
For more information about eGO CT, visit our website at egoct.org.
eGO CT is a project from the Connecticut State Library that includes acquiring digital content, such as eBooks and eAudio, and making it available to users statewide, primarily through the SimplyE app.
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Services to Veterans &Families Collection eBooks
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findIT CT and requestIT CT Updates
We are in the process of updating the findIT catalog.
- LION - holdings updated earlier this month
- Bibliomation - holdings will be updated this week
- CONNcert - holdings will be updated next week
- SECONN - holdings will be updated first week of May
We'll be sending an invite to all other libraries in May. Once a library sends their holdings to us the actual process of loading them into findIT is totally automated and requires human intervention only if there's a problem. It's a new process so there's a new ftp folder and new passwords for uploading holdings. Ultimately, libraries will be able to send us their holdings as often as they wish, although not more frequently than monthly.
Connector development in requestIT continues. Equinox is working on patron-initiated, staff-mediated requesting. The connector for Evergreen libraries, used by Bibliomation, is scheduled for the second quarter of 2020 with testing and roll out soon after that.
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With the future uncertain, and summer on its way, DLD wants to remind you about the READsquared software. READsquared is available for any public library to use free of charge. READsquared allows libraries to run online summer reading programs that include the ability to create reading lists, use digital badges, play digital games, create bingo boards, access CSLP themed banners, run raffles and so much more.
For those who have used READsquared in the past, note there has been one big change. Under the “Reports” feature there is a new report called
All Grades
. The report has been created and uploaded for Connecticut Librarians insuring the compilation of all necessary data to fill out the state summer reading survey with ease.
To create your free account sign up
here
. For more guidance on the use of the READsquared software, you’ll find videos on uploading the CSLP 2020 themed templates, manipulating digital badges, creating book lists, setting up registration, and uploading and creating Bingo Boards
here
. For any questions or concerns, email Kymberlee Powe, Children and YA Consultant, at
kymberlee.powe@ct.gov
.
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Extended!!
Connecticut State Library Academy
Trial through May
We are pleased to announce that Niche Academy has extended the free trial of the
Connecticut State Library Academy
through May!
It has been wonderful to see the use so many of you have made with these library-related online tutorials.
For the short time you had the trial at the end of March there were close to 3000 views of the tutorials. For the month of April you have more than 10,000 views bringing the total views to date of more than 13,000.
Your top 10 most popular to date are:
- Zoom 101 - Intro to Zoom
- Addressing homeless issues
- De-escalation: recognizing and responding to tense situations
- 10 Strategies for community organizing in libraries
- Survival Spanish for library staff
- Customer service strategies
- Dealing with the difficult patrons
- Being customer focused: new and emerging trends in customer service
- Internet basics
- Disability etiquette and awareness
New tutorials will be added to the Connecticut State Library Academy for the month of May. Hope you are able to take advantage of these and enjoy them.
We would love to have feedback from you as you are using this service. As always, if you are looking for a particular kind of training for yourself or staff, please contact Gail Hurley,
Gail.Hurley@ct.gov or leave a message at 860-704-2222.
May in-person trainings / workshops are canceled, but you can view upcoming virtual and future in-person events by visiting:
https://cslib.libcal.com/
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Professional Collection eBooks
The titles listed below are accessible using the
SimplyE app
. Check with your local library to see if they participate in the eGO Program.
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For more new professional development titles, available when we reopen!, visit:
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MLSC Hours – May 2020
MLSC is closed until further notice.
While we are closed, staff will be responding to voicemail and e-mail during business hours of 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday.
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