March 2022 | Vol. 6 No. 3

ALA names CT State Library Board Chair Maureen Sullivan Honorary Member

The American Library Association (ALA) Council elected former ALA President (2021-2013) Maureen Sullivan to honorary membership in the association during the virtual 2022 Library Learning Experience. Honorary membership, the ALA's highest honor, is conferred in recognition of outstanding contributions of lasting importance to libraries and librarianship. Congratulations Maureen!

Read the full ALA News Release.

Judy Crooks Retires After 36 Years

Before Judy Crooks retires from the CT State Library Middletown Library Service Center on March 31, 2022, she kindly sat down to indulge us in a few questions.

What is one of your most memorable MLSC moments?

Years ago, there was a young boy, maybe 7 or 8, who came in with his mom, a librarian, to check out her regular monthly supply from our large print books collection. Her son was so fascinated with the check out process that I pulled him around to explain, show him, and let him help scan the barcode numbers on the books. He was fascinated with how once you scanned an item, it popped up on the computer screen.

More than a decade after these visits, his mom wrote to me sharing that her son is on the autism spectrum and sadly has many unpleasant memories of a lot of cruel behavior, yet his visit here was a bright spot. Ten years later, as they happened to drive past MLSC, he remembered and asked "Isn't that where the nice woman with the long hair works?" She emailed just to tell me this part of the story, that what I saw as just taking a moment to share and engage with a young visitor, made a world of difference to him and left him with a memory full of kindness.

What is the biggest thing that’s changed in library service since you started?

I joined the CT State Library in March 21, 1986 - so many things have changed! When I started, my job was to work with our 16 mm film collection. I used the film inspection machines as they came in and went out, and filled library orders, packing and sending them out to school and public libraries. We also had VHS and books on cassettes too. In the late 1990s the film collection went to UCONN and my job changed for the first of many times over the years.

What is one thing you want to share with CT libraries about MLSC ?

We have so many things to offer and I think many of the public and school libraries don’t know what we have! We have so many sets and equipment to borrow including book props, book discussions sets for many ages; kits including ones with a STEM focus, musical instruments, storytimes, and more - browse them all! We also have a robust children’s collection, loads of puppets; a large print collection and we will put together book bundles too - explore the catalog!

What's up first for you when you retire?

I am looking forward to working outside in my yard, in my flower garden during April – mulching, and doing the spring cleanup of the flower beds, moving things around. Lots of fresh air!

All books. All people. All CT Reads.

How is your library engaging with All CT Reads?

SHARE with us!

Tell us all about how you, your library, school, book club, or any group are participating in All CT Reads this year.

Explore All CT Reads including:

• 12 book pages full of engagement resources
• Virtual Author Launch recording with primary title authors Kat Leyh, Maika Moulite, Maritza Moulite, and Yaa Gyasi
• Reserve book discussion sets
• Purchase books from our friends at CLC!
• Publicity materials to support your All CT Reads outreach.
• Book discussion resources in case you need to brush up on your book club facilitation skills!
• Sign-up to stay connected!

All CT Reads is an initiative of the Connecticut State Library Division of Library Development and partners with the Connecticut Center for the Book at Connecticut Humanities, the Connecticut Association for School Librarians (CASL), and the Connecticut Library Consortium (CLC). All CT Reads is supported by a generous grant from EBSCO Information Services to the Connecticut Heritage Foundation.

Official Statistical Profile, Chart Makers, and Flyers Released

The official version of “Connecticut’s Public Libraries: A Statistical Profile, July 2020 – June 2021” has been released. The statistics compiled in this report are based on the Annual Reports submitted by public libraries in the fall. 

Download the profile.

Also available with the Statistical Profile:

New FY2021 Chart & Report Creators – create data reports or suites of charts in just a few clicks for use in presentations and documents. Compare your library to others or see 12-year and 26-year trends for your library.

Library Fact Flyers – flyers with statistics from your library. Now with THREE versions available: 

• NEW! Canva template that you can customize with your library data from the Statistical Profile
• Multiple infographic layouts (At a Glance, Children’s and YA, and COVID-19 services) with your library data pre-filled, available as a pdf or Publisher file
• The traditional one-page layout with your library data pre-filled, available as a pdf or Publisher file

Statistical Trends – This short publication identifies and explains trends in the use and management of CT public libraries through FY2021, including Highs and Lows for the year plus a new section on Equity and Inclusion. 

CareerConn

CT's Largest Career School Fair

Tuesday, March 29 | 9-3 pm

Register by Monday, March 7

Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville

We are pleased to share an upcoming event from the Connecticut Office of Higher Education, one of our partner state agencies.

Over 30 career schools participate in CareerConn as well as business partners who employ career school grads. Opportunities include career paths in the automotive industry, hospitality, healthcare, professional beauty, manufacturing and construction, and computer-based occupations.

Share this with your patrons looking:

• for workforce development and job training opportunities
• to expanded professional skills
• to make a professional career change
• as well as those who are new to the state

Learn more about CareerConn.

How to Use Your State Annual Report Data During Budget Season (and Year-Round)

Wednesday, March 2 | 10-11 am

Register

Join Maria Bernier, State Data Coordinator, for an informative demonstration of how to sift through the mountains of Connecticut public library data in order to tell your library's story and answer common data questions. Learn how to use pre-made Excel charts to illustrate your budget presentations and documents. Let the data work for you.

The same content will be repeated in each session. Register for the date that’s most convenient for you. Each session will be recorded, with the recordings posted to the Statistics for Connecticut Public Libraries: Flyers & Resources for Advocacy page.

Making the (Two!) New Fact Flyers All Yours

Tuesday, March 8 | 2-3 pm

Register

As we all know, 2021 brought about more change, and so much of it was captured in your 2021 Annual Report. Together let’s look at our suite of new fact flyers for wrapping up some of your data highlights. This year, we are offering THREE choices: the traditional fact flyer, the new designs launched last year, and a new Canva template you can fill in yourself. You can choose to use one or all! Join Ashley Sklar, Adult Services and Community Engagement Consultant, for some simple tips and tricks for personalizing the Publisher and Canva flyers as you think about your various uses, contexts, and audiences.

Visit Statistics for Connecticut Public Libraries: Flyers & Resources for Advocacy to see fact flyer examples and information on how to request your flyers. It is strongly encouraged that you request your library’s fact flyer(s) at least a week ahead of the program.

Grant Writing Workshop

Thursday, March 10 | 1-2:30 pm

Register

Grant writing is a skill required of many library practitioners in public, academic, school and special libraries. The goal of this workshop is to provide practical guidance on how to find available grants and how to write fundable proposals based upon library outcomes.

By the end of the session participants will be able to:

• Identify opportunities for grant-writing
• Develop skills to be able to write a grant proposal aligned with program outcomes
• Increase confidence in writing a grant proposal
• Brainstorm a project for grant funding
• Investigate the steps in the grant-writing process
• Review successful examples of funded grants

Instructor is Dr. Laura L. Summers. Dr. Summers is an Assistant Clinical Professor and Program Leader for Learning Design & Technology at University of Colorado Denver.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the Library: An Introduction to Trauma-informed Library Service –

Friday, March 18 | 10-11:30 am

Register

Presented by Patrick Lloyd: Library Social Worker at the Texas State Library Archives and Commission

This session will provide an overview of research into adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and the lifelong consequences of trauma. Special attention will be paid to the behavioral responses to trauma commonly observed among public library patrons.

We will explore ways that libraries can move to become trauma-informed, providing customer service that addresses the needs of the whole person.

Please note that while ACEs occur during childhood, the repercussions are felt throughout our lives; this session is not specific to children and youth.

This is part 1 of a 4-part series with Patrick:

The Public Library as a Protective Factor 

Tuesday, April 19, 11 am-12:30 pm | Register

Approaching Patrons Who Have Experienced Trauma 

Monday, May 16, 2-3:30 pm | Register

The Connected Library: Vetting and Partnering with Social Service Providers 

Tuesday, June 7, 11 am-12:30 pm | Register

Inclusive Story Time – Strategies and Implementation Tips

Thursday, March 24 | 2-3:30 pm

Register

The Connecticut State Library (CSL) and the Connecticut State Education Resource Center (SERC) have partnered to bring you a workshop on Inclusive Story Time.

Inclusion is essential to creating a high-quality experience for all young patrons who visit the library. How do we ensure that all who attend our story times can fully engage in and enjoy the experience? One way to do this is by implementing a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and its respective networks: Engagement, Representation, and Expression. We will cover the brain science of UDL and link it to what the science of reading tells us happens in a developing reading brain. We will discuss why and how story time can be accessible to all. Participants will learn assistive technology strategies to implement inclusive story time.  

Audience: 

• Public library workers who work with young children and their caregivers

Topics Covered:

• Universal Design for Learning
• Science of Reading
• Assistive Technology

Partners in Statewide Accessibility:

Meet the State Education Resource Center and the CT State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

Wednesday, March 30 | 4:30-5:30 pm

Register

The State Education Resource Center (SERC) and the Connecticut State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (LBPH) are partnering to offer a one-hour virtual workshop to raise awareness on the use of technology to assist K-12 students with dyslexia and other reading disabilities. Educators will learn about applications and built-in accessibility features on iOS devices and the Chrome browser that help students access text, as well as be shown websites and other resources that support the science of reading. Participants will also learn how the resources and services of the CT State Library for the Blind can support them and students with dyslexia and other reading disabilities. Educators will be given time to ask questions and discuss what will best support their students’ needs. The recording will be sent to registered participants afterward and be available on the SERC and LBPH websites.

borrowIT CT Report Forms

Due by Tuesday, March 15

February 2022 brings to a close the borrowIT CT reporting period for 2021-2022. Libraries should complete the report form (an Excel file) for their March 2021 through February 2022 loans to non-residents. Find more information on the report form.

Send the completed form to Maria Bernier by email at maria.bernier@ct.gov as an attachment, and she will confirm receipt. If you have any difficulty with the form or have questions, please contact Maria.

The DEADLINE for submissions is MARCH 15. Although there is no formal “certification” required, you are required to have accurate and complete figures in place by the deadline in order to receive a reimbursement payment. The 2022 funding for the borrowIT program is the same as last year at $703,638. Thank you for your participation in this important program.

eGO and The Palace Project

As we get closer to the launch of the Palace Project as part of the eGO program, DLD staff have been busy working on the collection. Focus areas for collection development include children and YA including titles that support the school curriculum, biography & memoir, self-help, home life and DIY, mystery and backlist bestsellers, Connecticut authors and Connecticut as subject. To date, we have added over 900 new items. This. includes over 50 Spanish language titles in addition to the 436 Spanish language items we already have in the collection. 

So far, 131 libraries have been configured and tested in the app and once we move into production, we will begin to deploy libraries in phases. The first phase will be to activate 8 standalone libraries. Once they are active and we have access to all the various streams of content, we will then activate 20-25 libraries in the app per week. Look for updates on the eGO listserv and the Palace Project Community Hub. 

Palace is a new e-reading app that will replace your SimplyE app. SimplyE was developed by librarians at The New York Public Library, and Palace is built on the same code, but is designed for the needs of libraries beyond NYC. If your library still needs to get configured, let us know. Lyrasis will work with you on an individual basis and the process is quick and easy.

If you are interested in getting your library configured or have any other questions, please contact Brad Bullis at bradley.bullis@ct.gov.

New Titles: Books on CD Collection

Welcoming some new titles into the Middletown Library Service Center’s books on CD collection. Find these titles and more in our catalog.

Stay Connected!

Our many discussion listservs for the library community help you connect with your peers. Conntech has the greatest reach across the state, and both Goodnightmoon for children's services and Speak for YA services have lively discussions and professional interchange.

Join our listservs!

Middletown Library Service Center

Open by appointment only for the foreseeable future

Monday - Friday | 9 am - 4 pm

MLSC will be closed Friday, April 15 in observance of Good Friday.y, February 21 in observance of Washington's Birthday.

MLSC staff, whether in the office or telecommuting, are responding to voicemail and e-mail during business hours of 8 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday, except for state holidays.