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The CSL Outreach Van at CLA!

The CT State Library Agency’s new state-of the-art library/ museum/ archives on wheels was on site at the CT Library Association's annual conference in Mystic on April 29 and 30. Members of the Division of Library Development (DLD) team - including Dawn La Valle, Kym Powe, Suzanne Kiss, and Brad Bullis - invited conference participants inside the Outreach Van to experience it firsthand and answered questions about our new vehicle and about DLD's programs and services. We are thrilled that so many members of our library community came to visit us and that the van is generating so much excitement!

Funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) America Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), CSL’s Outreach Van will be used for community engagement, programs, special events, professional development, library programming support, and pop-up exhibits for all State Library divisions and units, including DLD, the CT Library for Accessible Books, Archives, the Museum of CT History, and more!

For more information or to book the Outreach Van for an upcoming event, please reach out to Suzanne Kiss at Suzanne.E.Kiss@ct.gov.

In addition, Kym will receive a 2024 Literacy Champion Award from Read to Grow at their event - "A Night For The Books" - on Thursday, May 2 at 6:00pm at The Westport Library. Kym's exceptional, enthusiastic, and creative dedication to making books and dynamic literacy experiences accessible to all children across Connecticut makes her a stellar choice for both awards and we congratulate her wholeheartedly! Congratulations, Kym! You're AWESOME!! 

If you would like to attend the Read to Grow event in support of Kym, please click the link for the event ticketing site.

Call for Nominations!

Get Involved in Library Planning and Development!

The Connecticut State Library’s Advisory Council for Library Planning & Development (ACLPD) is seeking volunteers to serve on ACLPD for the following groups:

• Representing Shared Automation Systems - Academic and Public
• Representing School Media Centers
• Representing Special Libraries

The mission of the Advisory Council for Library Planning and Development (ACLPD) is to provide the State Library Board and staff with advice, perspective, and communication from the library community on matters relating to the State Library's various statewide program and service responsibilities, including the aspects of the federal Library Services and Technology Act.

In meeting its mission, the ACLPD will provide advice, assistance, and recommendations in the following specific areas:

• Strategic Scenarios planning for, and coordination of statewide library and information services.
• Assist CSL in the development of policies for the operation of statewide library and information services.
• Assist CSL in the development of programs and services including but not limited to statewide professional development opportunities, special programs, pilots, and initiatives.
• Environmental scanning of trends; development of patterns leading to scenario planning.
• Collaborative and cooperative problem-solving including EDI, Digital Inclusion, and other national initiatives.

Interested in volunteering? Please forward completed application to Dawn

La Valle, Director, Division of Library Development at Dawn.Lavalle@ct.gov.

This year, the CT State Library accepted 12 Summer Enrichment Grant applications and awarded grants in amounts ranging from $300-$2,000 per library. These grants will support 2024 summer activities that are outcome oriented, engage the community, and promote active learning experiences that are positive, experiential, educational, and fun.

We congratulate the following CT public libraries and their summer reading programs:

Clinton – Henry Carter Hull Library

Paddling Together: Summer Enrichment on the Shoreline | $2,000

Danbury – Danbury Public Library

Skill Builders Club | $2,000

East Haven – Hagaman Memorial Library

EH Summer Gaming Academy | $1,800

Granby – Granby Public Library

The Great Granby Goosechase | $2,000

Lebanon – Jonathan Trumbull Library

Neighborhood of Make-Believe | $2,000

Monroe – Edith Wheeler Memorial Library

Robot Invasion | $1,920

New Britain – New Britain Public Library

Play in the Park: Summer Outreach with New Britain Public Library | $1,550

New Hartford – Licia & Mason Beekley Community Library

Beekley Community Garden | $1,950

North Branford – Edward Smith Library

Choose Your Own Adventure Book Club | $940.98

Portland – Portland Public Library

Caregiver Community of Practice | $2,000

Prospect – Prospect Public Library

Library Garden | $2,000

Wallingford – Wallingford Public Library

We Read | $1,050

Organized by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), the event enabled participants to use telescopes, eclipse eyeglasses and other equipment to view the eclipse, including scopes people could make themselves out of paper.

One of the most popular event offerings was brought by DLD's Kym Powe, who set up a unique wooden device called a Sunspotter and showed visitors how to use it (see above photo).

Kristen Bellantuono, coordinator of CT DEEP’s No Child Left Inside initiative and one of the event organizers, said, “Any time we can engage people in learning and exploring and give them a positive outdoor experience, the better off we are.” 

Watch the recording of Unlocking the Principles of Trauma-Informed Services, Part I

In the first part of our two-part webinar, we delve into the guiding principles of trauma informed services tailored specifically for library settings. In this session, we explored the core concepts of safety, trustworthiness and transparency, and peer support. 

For more information, including presentation slides and videos related to trauma, please visit the GELS Trauma-Informed Services page.

Beatriz De La Espriella is a licensed clinical social worker and mental health expert in anxiety, stress, and trauma. Beatriz works with individuals and libraries to improve the mental health and well-being of library staff, so they can feel empowered to serve their community and thrive personally and professionally. She provides training and coaching to libraries on trauma-informed services, mindfulness, self-care, and more.

Beatriz developed a Trauma-Informed Services Professional Development Curriculum that highlights the prevalence of trauma and provides library staff with essential skills to recognize and respond to trauma. Beatriz launched the “Empowered, Confident, and Thriving: A Mental Wellness Program for Library Staff'' that focuses on promoting mental well-being by practicing self-care, building resilience, and gaining the tools and strategies needed to navigate life’s challenges. Beatriz earned her MSW from Rutgers University and her Trauma Informed Professional Certification from Barry University.

Join us for more GELS sessions this spring with Beatriz – see the Workshops section below or head straight to the Continuing Education Calendar.

The data you provide will help us better understand what you do and will contribute to a report that will recommend strategies to sustain this work beyond the current Digital Equity Act investment. 

For questions, please send an email to research@benton.org.

• How These Eight Neurodivergent Travel Programs Are Making Traveling Easier | USA Today

• The Power of Open Heart Neuromeditation to Combat Depression | Psychology Today

• The Meaning Behind Semicolon Tattoos: A Symbol of Resilience and Solidarity | HowStuffWorks

• This is Why Music is Good for Your Mental Health | ClassicalMusic.com

Embark on the journey of becoming and planning for trauma-informed services in your library. This webinar will guide libraries in assessing their readiness for trauma-informed services, and learn the steps needed to become a trauma informed library, including the significance of community feedback, self-care practices and ongoing professional development for staff.

Through interactive discussions and practical activities, participants will develop a trauma-informed services plan that includes key milestones, measurable goals, and evaluation strategies.

Construction Grant Information Session with Dawn La Valle

Wednesday, May 15 | 10:00-11:30 am

Register for Construction Grant Session

*Please note: This will be the last construction grant information session for the upcoming construction grant cycle. If your library is planning to submit a Notice of Intent, you MUST ATTEND this session along with designated officials (indicated below).

Who should come? 

Anyone considering a public library renovation or construction project, including library directors/administrators, library board chair and members, municipal leaders, procurement officers, and building committee members.

Who must attend?

Association Libraries: Library Director and Building Committee Chair

Municipal Libraries: Library Director, Town Manager or chief executive (Mayor, First Selectman).

Workshop will have captions enabled. If you require another access service to participate fully, please use the Accommodation Request Form at least 7 days prior to the event.

To build and share immersive experiences, we will use web-based Virtual Reality (VR) platforms and simple Augmented Reality (AR) apps.

This capital projects workshop will walk you through how to tell the story of your project to enhance community engagement, build project champions and, if you need to, raise money!

Captions will be enabled in this workshop. If you require another access service to participate fully, please use the Accommodation Request Form at least 7 days prior to the event.

Though finance and budgeting are often the least favorite tasks library administrators face, they are skills that are essential to understand in order to assure the viability of your organization. We will review the tools and tasks that must be mastered including accounting standards, internal controls, the budgeting process, audits, and insurance. Note: This session will be recorded.

In this workshop, gain specialized insights into addressing trauma challenges within distinct groups such as LGBTQ individuals, children, and immigrants and refugees.

Led by experts with hands-on experience, this seminar offers exploration of the unique hurdles faced by these populations and provides practical strategies for trauma-informed intervention. Participants will leave equipped with a deeper understanding of tailoring approaches to specific needs, fostering inclusivity, and contributing to the well-being of diverse communities.

Visit our calendar

The eGO CT Program Supports Reading Programs!

The Division of Library Development (DLD) purchases content that supports All CT Reads, Experiencing America, and your Summer Reading Programs. We aim to provide titles in eBook and eAudio format and in Spanish language when available.

If your library is planning a reading program, let us know. We can purchase copies of the titles for the program and even create a lane in Palace to highlight those titles. We also purchase multiple copies of titles, and many classics are available without loan restrictions and are great for book discussion groups!

During the month of April, DLD purchased a total of 780 items for both platforms and there are 36,000 items provided for free to public libraries. This includes 22,569 open access titles provided by Lyrasis in the Palace Bookshelf.

DLD is continuing to work with Baker & Taylor to bring the eGO CT Community Share Program to Connecticut schools. This program allows DLD to deliver eBook and eAudio content, including Nutmeg, Charter Oak, Summer Reading, and All CT Reads titles from eGO CT directly to schools in Connecticut. To date, we have 149 sites that are active in the program and over 1,100 items have been purchased specifically for this program.

Have questions about eGO CT or the Palace app? Please reach out to Brad Bullis at Brad.Bullis@ct.gov.

New eAudio Titles Now Available in the Palace Project app!

While StoryWalks® are traditionally outdoor activities, we encourage you to use these materials wherever works for your library, including indoors. Thank you to the Richmond Memorial Library for generously donating several of our new StoryWalks®!

The loan period for StoryWalks® is 45 days. Laminated pages can be mounted according to borrowing library's preference. Please do not puncture the laminated pages. Please remove tape, Velcro, and other adhesives before returning.

The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier,

VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk®

is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.

New titles available as StoryWalks®:

• And Then Comes Summer by Tom Brenner, illustrated by Jaimie Kim
• City Beet by Tziporah Cohen, illustrated by Udayana Lugo
• Don’t Touch That Flower! by Alice Hemming & Nicola Slater
• The Earth Gives More by Sue Fliess, illustrated by Christiane Engel
• Finding Wild by Megan Wagner Lloyd, illustrated by Abigail Halpin
• First Notes of Spring by Jessica Kulekjian, illustrated by Jennifer Bower
• Happy Springtime! by Kate McMullan, illustrated by Sujean Rim
• Ice Cream Summer by Peter Sís
• In November by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Jill Kastner
• My Voice is a Trumpet by Jimmy Allen, illustrated by Cathy Ann Johnson
• The Sea Knows by Alice B. McGinty & Alan B. Havis, illustrated by Stephanie Laberis
• Summer Color! by Diana Murray, illustrated by Zoe Persico
• When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Lauren Dronzek

View all available StoryWalks® here. And keep checking back for new additions!