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DLD Weekly Wrap-Up | April 18, 2025

In celebration of Earth Day on April 22:

"To leave the world better than you found it, sometimes you have to pick up other people’s trash."

– Bill Nye 

The core function of the Middletown Library Service Center (MLSC) is serving as a library for 270 public and school libraries, promoting resource sharing and supporting collections for children and young adults as well as professional development and programming for librarians. 

The MLSC is supported by three LSTA-funded staff. The cost for an individual library to replicate MLSC collection support includes:

• Storytime Props - $15,075.71
• Large Print - $137,118.28*
• STEM kits - $20,400.47
• Board Book Sets - $21,892.75
• Discussion Sets - $169,545.32
• Professional Collection - $89,504.98

TOTAL COST BENEFIT TO LIBRARIES: $1,759,524

*For some libraries, MLSC is the main source of large print collections for their patrons.

An Update on Federal Library Funding in CT 

Recently, we learned that as of April 1, 2025, the CT State Library’s LSTA Grants to States Grant was terminated mid-fiscal year, along with only two other states, WA and CA. CT Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 20 other attorneys general to sue the current federal administration.

In 2024, CT was slated to receive $2,164,184 through the LSTA Grants to States program. The statutory grant was scheduled to cover the current federal fiscal year ending September 30, 2025.

Federal funds granted through the Institute of Museum and Library Services Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grants to States Program supports much of the statutorily mandated statewide library infrastructure, programs, resources, and services that enable information and education access to the people of Connecticut. 

The 13 Division of Library Development staff that support CT statutory statewide service, are supported with LSTA funds, many staff supporting multiple projects.

Programs, services, and resources associated with these mandatory projects are funded by LSTA – including:



• Middletown Library Service Center (collections, continuing education, early literacy) – 3 LSTA supported staff
• Summer Reading – 2 LSTA supported staff
• CT Library for Accessible Books – 3 LSTA supported staff
• E-Rate – 1 LSTA supported staff
• borrowIT CT – 1 LSTA supported staff
• eGO eBook and eAudio Platform – 1 LSTA supported staff

To learn more, visit the DLD Federal Library Funding in CT LibGuide to see LSTA supported projects, which include consulting, collections, training, programs, digital resources and much more. 

Federal funds do not directly support public libraries who are funded locally by their municipalities; however, local impact would be felt by the loss of programs, services, and resources across all CT communities. 

News Updates:

• DLD in the News – Media Coverage
• CT State Library Receives Notice of Termination of Federal IMLS Grant | CT State Library Press Release, 4.4.2025
• Attorney General Tong Sues to Stop Trump Administration Attack on Libraries, Museums and Workers | Office of the Attorney General Connecticut Press Release, 4.4.2025
• American Library Association, AFSCME Challenge Trump Administration Gutting of Institute of Museum and Library Services | ALA Press Release, April 7, 2025

Summer With the Library

Summer Reading is right around the corner and we're ready for it. This year's summer reading theme for the State Library is "Level Up at Your Library" hosted by iREAD. All codes for the iREAD Resource Guide were shared with one person from the libraries that registered the week of November 24, 2024. Check with your colleagues, one of them may have received the access email. The sign-up list for the 2026 resource guide will open in May.

There are other helpful resources on the Summer with the Library Libguides page:

• Summer Reading Canva Templates. Find bingo boards, drawing slips, calendar templates, and more!
• Resources from our first-ever Summer Symposium, including program swap resources, programs pulled from the iREAD resource guide, and slides from our presenters.
• Frequently Asked Questions on Summer with the Library with everything from the iREAD resource guide to the summer reading report.

The suggested list is just that, suggested! It's been created to provide guidance to library workers and a starting point to library users that matches the age breakdowns and number of titles as the Department of Education reading challenge lists. 

The CT Public Libraries Annual Report Fact Flyer FY2024 is also available on above page telling the stories and highlighting the work of public libraries in FY2024.

• Renewable Energy Hits 32% of Global Electricity in 2024 | Ember

Books, Poetry and Reading:

• Celebrate Poetry Month | The Poetry Foundation

• How “The Great Gatsby” Took Over Pop Culture | The New York Times

• The 10 Most Popular Books of March, According to Libby | Book Riot

For the Love of Learning:

• How to Create Meaningful Connections by Asking Great Questions | Clearer Thinking

Following her talk, Monica engaged in facilitated Q+A and conversation with CT librarian and All CT Reads 2025 Adult Committee member Cindy Haiken of the Wallingford Public Library.

The recording is also available on the All CT Reads website under "Virtual Author Launches."

Participants in this workshop will develop an understanding of the interpreter’s role and will learn how to effectively communicate through an interpreter, as well as best practices for finding and hiring the right interpreter for the situation. 

Upcoming webinars in this series:

Wednesday, May 21 | 10:00-11:30am - Welcoming Deaf Kids and Families to Your Library

Wednesday, June 18 | 10:00-11:30am - Little Hands Signing in Storytime

We'll cover funding categories, application process, grant application evaluation, timeline, grant contract, starting and managing the project, state requirements, and advice.

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.

Grant Requirement: Attendance at a construction grant information session is a requirement for all applicants. 

Who must attend?

• Association Libraries: Library Director and Building Committee Chair
• Municipal Libraries: Library Director, Town Manager or chief executive (Mayor, First Selectman).

Upcoming Construction Grant Session: Wednesday, May 14 | 1-2:30 pm

Accessibility: This webinar will be captioned. If you require another access service to participate fully, please use the Accommodation Request Form at least 7 days prior to the event.

As part of the public service mission of DLD, staff can work with your library, for free, to facilitate a forward-facing strategic framework.

We are living in a rapidly changing world that is moving much faster than organizations can necessarily react. Disruption is perpetual.

Join CT State Library staff to learn how the Division of Library Development (DLD) Strategic Framework Toolkit guided the innovative approach towards envisioning the future of the State Library. The CT State Library strove to move strategy planning beyond the traditional linear process of data analysis, looking past library land to the surrounding environment to develop robust, flexible, creative, and transformative visions of the future. The State Library recognizes that organizations embedded with foresight and futures thinking are better equipped to identify possibilities and opportunities beyond their doors and harness them today to create more future-facing organizations.

Embedded with creativity and Strategic Foresight in navigating complexity and uncertainly, the new Strategic Framework positions the agency to become more adaptive, resilient, and transformative in its development of an aspirational future for the State Library and for the numerous Connecticut communities it touches.

Presenters: Dawn La Valle (Certified Strategic Foresight Practitioner, 20+ years public library administration and planning experience) and Ashley Sklar (Natural Foresight Practitioner, communications, and outreach expert).

Recording: Please plan to attend this program as scheduled as it will not be recorded, and the slides will not be shared.

Who Should Come?

Best for Library Directors/Administrators, Senior Staff, Library Board Members, and anyone planning for the future of the library, and to best serve the library and community.

Participants will learn about some of Canva’s newest features and will work on their own design during the workshop and will finish the class with a presentation they can refer back to at their library.

Since this is a small group workshop, participants will need a computer with a camera and microphone so they can share thoughts and ask questions throughout the class.

This is a beginner class - however, it assumes participants have basic knowledge of Canva or have taken CSL DLD’s INTRO TO CANVA class.

Participants should have a Canva account and be able to log in before the workshop. (Free Canva accounts may be used - be aware that some features available only on Canva Pro/Teams will be demonstrated). 

Our approach to weeding is that it isn't the irresponsible disposal of the library's property, but rather a part of good public service to borrowers in terms of maintaining the best possible collection for the community.

The workshop will cover:

• The purpose of weeding
• Criteria for weeding decisions
• The mechanics of weeding
• Developing a weeding policy
• Resources for disposal of weeded material

Who Should Come? 

Everyone who works in library services with collections.

After assessing community interests and needs around AI in a recent poll (summarized here), WebJunction is bringing together a group of library leaders and technologists with AI expertise to discuss some of the main themes identified in the poll results, and their professional perspectives on the questions and opportunities that AI presents.

Attendees will come away with a deeper understanding of AI and its applications in public libraries, and strategies for addressing AI with the public.

Students and AI: A Framework for Understanding the Benefits, Challenges, and Impacts of AI on Learners [Library 2.0] 

Tuesday, May 16 | 2:00-3:00pm 

Register for Students and AI

We have mixed feelings that big technology breakthroughs will either "wreck" or "revolutionize" education, and now the focus is on Artificial Intelligence (AI). This is a BIG technology breakthrough.

Before the machinery of education typically absorbs technologies into the system (often turning them into shadows of their transformative potential), there’s a robust discussion about both the benefits and potential drawbacks of that technology on teaching and learning—a pedagogical debate that reminds us of our enlightened hopes for schooling to bring out the potential and capacity of every student and to encourage their ability to think, reason, and participate actively in society.

Visit our calendar for additional workshops and programs!

CT Digital Library

Nutmeg Nominees for 2026 Titles Available

The Nutmeg Nominees for 2026 have been announced! To support demand for these titles, we have purchased multiple copies of all this year’s Nutmegs. We also created a Nutmeg Nominees 2026 lane in the Palace Project App that can be used by any participating library for improved discoverability. If you are not sure how to add a lane, contact us and we can add it for you.

Check out all the book bundles available at MLSC.

The kit can be used by people who are blind, people who have low vision, and by people who are sighted. The kit circulates for 45 days and includes:

• Lego Braille Blocks
• Lego braille kit activities sheets
• Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille – Twin Vision Book
• Clark the Shark – Twin Vision Book
• Bear Came Along – Twin Vision Book
• Exit Sign with braille
• Braille alphabet cards/bookmarks
• Print/Braille alphabet flash cards
• Kitten’s First Moon – board book with braille
• That’s Not My Train – board book with braille
• My Braille Blocks – practice braille blocks with instruction booklet
• Muffin tin and 6 tennis balls – provides large braille cell to practice the braille alphabet