Your monthly news & updates
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Welcome to the DLD Team!
The CT State Library, Division of Library Development is very happy to welcome
Ashley Sklar
as the new Adult Services and Community Engagement Consultant. Ashley comes to DLD from the New Haven Free Public Library where she was the Public Services Administrator for Adult Learning, Partnerships and Communications. Ashley brings to DLD extensive experience in community programming and outreach and will be working with the DLD team and CT library community to develop a robust program of adult services; community engagement and will contribute to DLD's extensive Professional Development programming. Ashley was an active participant in NHFPL's EXCITE Re-Envisioning planning which was a direct result of DLD's EXCITE Transformation for Libraries IMLS grant funded project.
Ashley shares, "I am honored to be joining such a strong team of library leaders at the Connecticut State Library's Division of Library Development. I am energized and excited by the opportunity to work with libraries across Connecticut, and the staff, advocates, and people that make them thrive. I am eager to listen, to learn, and to ask questions about all the possibilities for adult services and explore how we can work with our communities to think, create, and build together this new future we are all facing."
Please join us in welcoming Ashley to our DLD team.
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DLD Mission
:
“The Division of Library Development (DLD) provides leadership, funding, education, and statewide services that enhance a local library's ability to deliver high-quality library service to their community.”
DLD works with its COSLINE, COSLA state library partners, Urban Library Council, organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; state agency partners and other key organizations in the state and nationally to develop programs, resources and services and pilots, develops and implements programs of impact statewide and nationally.
Who does what:
Dawn La Valle, Director Division of Library Development
- Directs and coordinates the operations of and services rendered by the Division of Library Development and:
- Project Manager for IMLS Transformation for Libraries – The Futures School
- Consultant for Library Administration and Board Governance
- Liaison to ACLB and FOCL
- Commission member, Access to Justice (ATJ) Commission; Co-Chair, ATJ Working Group on Public Libraries
- CEN, Digital Learning Advisory Group Member
- New England Resource Sharing Group Member
- Construction grant administrator, projects prior to 2020
- Coordinates DLD strategic partnerships with state and federal agencies; organizations and other potential partners
Gail Hurley, Professional Development Coordinator
- Coordinates all statewide professional development workshops, webinars, signature programs supporting the 7+ literacies as outlined in the LSTA 5yr plan; determined by ongoing community needs assessments and the DLD Strategic Focus plan.
- Coordinates special projects and grants including NASA @YourLibrary, Money Smart Week
- Coordinates findIT CT development and management with Bibliomation
- MLSC facilities manager
Maria Bernier, Statewide Data Coordinator
- Coordinates statewide data collection for State Program Report (SPR)
- Coordinates and administers borrowIT CT program
- Develops data collection best practice initiatives
- Construction grant administrator for projects submitted FY 2020
- With other DLD staff coordinates special grant projects such as Transformation for Libraries
- CLA ADA committee member
Kymberlee Powe, Children’s and YA Consultant
- Coordinates statewide summer reading program in cooperation with the Governor’s Office
- Coordinates children’s and YA targeted MLSC collections
- With partners, develops and implements special Children’s and YA programs such as “Set the Stage”
- Works with the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) to develop themes for summer reading
- Works with other state libraries to develop special childrens and YA programs
Christine Gauvreau, LSTA Coordinator and eRate Coordinator
- With DLD Director coordinates LSTA program including LSTA pass through grants
- Coordinates statewide eRate program including outreach, training and works on CSL eRate discount
- Coordinates State Library fiber project
Brad Bullis, Digital Content and Innovation Coordinator
- Coordinates researchIT CT project
- Coordinates eGO statewide platform project
- Coordinates reQuestIT project
- Develops special projects such as Veterans and Military Families Services in Libraries
Ashley Sklar, Adult Services and Community Outreach Consultant
- Develops statewide adult services programming; services and special projects
- Develops statewide community outreach initiatives, activities and projects
- Identifies and develops strategic partnerships with local, state and national partners on adult services issues
- Develops readers advisory and collection development best practices
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End of Summer Statistics
Summer is coming to an end and we would like to make sure that you’re prepared to submit your end of summer statistics.
The data from the summer statistics is compiled and sent to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Funding from IMLS allows the state to purchase a subscription to
READsquared
, a digital platform that allows participants to track their reading. Funding from IMLS also allows the state of Connecticut to purchase our membership to the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) who provide us with a yearly theme, graphics, incentive prizes, a manual full of book list, program ideas, displays, and
more
.
Only the libraries that complete the Summer Statistics form will gain access to material provided by CSLP.
The
deadline
for submitting summer statics is
Friday, October 2 by 4:00 pm
.
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LSTA Grants Information
Do the LSTA Grant deadlines sneak up on you? Have you found that you did not have enough time to do an effective community needs assessment before the application is due? The solution is to start thinking, planning, and assessing right now!
The CT State Library makes LSTA planning grants available on a rolling basis. Do you need to plan additional services for the “new normal”? Refashion old services based on the experience of re-opening? The next deadlines for planning grants will be October 23, 2020, sometime around the middle of December 2020, late February 2021, and late April 2021. (The dates are set once the State Library Board finalizes its schedule.) Taking your team through exercises from the
Aspen Action Guide for Re-Envisioning Your Public Library
or exercises based on the
EXCITE Transformation for Libraries
approach should be part of your fall 2020 work flow. Relevant community dialogues need to take place far in advance of the crafting of your application.
The LSTA literacy grant deadline for 2021 will be scheduled for late April 2021. Do you need re-think adult literacy and financial literacy programming in the context of the new economic slump? Are you newly fired up to do social or civic literacy programming? To write an effective application, you really should be planning your community needs assessment and holding focused conversations with your ideal partners today.
The LSTA virtual information session is a requirement for all applicants. In addition to introducing tools for collaborating with users and partners, it will cover application instructions, regulations, and fiscal management. It is recommended that the person writing the application and the person managing the project attend. Dawn LaValle, Director of the Division of Library Development, and Christine Gauvreau, LSTA Coordinator, will review the resources and tools available for preparing your applications.
Register for one of these upcoming virtual LSTA Grant Information Sessions:
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State Bond Commission Approves Funding for 4 Library Construction Projects
At the July 21st Special Bond Commission meeting, grant funding for these libraries who obtained their local match was approved.
- $1,000,000 to the Meriden Public Library for a major alteration
- $1,000,000 to the Welles-Turner Memorial Library, Glastonbury for an addition and renovation
- $250,000 to the New Britain Public Library for an exterior maintenance project
- $49,400 to the Warren Public Library for accessibility
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Annual Report of Connecticut Public Libraries
Participation in this survey is critical for state and national data gathering on public libraries.
The firm DEADLINE for submission is 4 P.M. on Monday, November 16, 2020. (When the usual deadline of November 15 falls on a weekend, the deadline is pushed to the next business day.) Public libraries are required by statute CGS Sec. 11-25 (a) to submit an Annual Report in order to receive borrowIT payments or other state appropriations.
In addition, Maria led a more general webinar on July 16 showing how to complete the report and addressing some common misconceptions. That
recording is also available
online and will be especially useful for library staff who are new to the report.
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findIT CT Update
We continue to update the findIT catalog. The holdings of 198 libraries, of the 318 libraries in the findIT catalog, are now up to date. This includes the holdings from libraries that are in Bibliomation, CONNcert, Library Connection, LION, and SECONN. We will be asking for all other libraries to send us their holdings over the next few months. As of August 1, Gail Hurley, will be coordinating the findIT catalog in partnership with Bibliomation.
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requestIT CT Update
We anticipate improvements to retargeting and to requesting multiple copies will be released to the FulfILLMent system in the next few weeks. As of August 1, Brad Bullis will be coordinating requestIT.
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eGO CT Update
The final fiscal year stats for RBDigital have been
posted
. Over 50,000 items were checked out this year for an average of 4,183 checkout per month in FY20. There were 37,945 eAudiobooks and 12,255 eBooks checked out. This represents a 33% increase in the number if checkouts when compared to last year.
Over 19,000 items were checked out using the SimplyE app!
There are now
39
libraries that have rolled out SimplyE to their patrons.
Interest in eGO program and the SimplyE app continues to grow.
Of the 192 public libraries in Connecticut,
143
are configured in the SimplyE app.
CSL has purchased
3,234
new items so far this year to coincide with libraries going live in the SimplyE app and rolling it out to their patrons. A
total of
24,222
items are now available to you in SimplyE from the Connecticut State Library and our partners
Interested libraries can join upon request by contacting Brad Bullis at bradley.bullis@ct.gov.
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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Children & YA Titles, Biography, Connecticut Book Award winners, and Maker titles available in SimplyE
The titles shown above are accessible using the
SimplyE app
.
Check with your local library to see if they participate in the eGO Program.
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Upcoming August Virtual Workshops
August 13 from 1-3
What Patrons Really Want: Assessing Community Needs
- This workshop is full with a waiting list. Additional sessions may be scheduled in the Fall. To put yourself on the waiting list, please register
here.
If you are looking for a particular type of training for yourself or staff, please contact Gail Hurley,
Gail.Hurley@ct.gov or leave a message at 860-704-2222.
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New Professional Collection Books
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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 – August 2020
MLSC is open by appointment only, Monday to Friday, 9 am to 4 pm, for the foreseeable future.
MLSC staff, whether in the office or telecommuting, will be responding to voicemail and e-mail during business hours of 8 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday, except for state holidays.
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