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DLD Weekly Wrap-Up | July 11, 2025

Celebrating July...

“July is hot afternoons and sultry nights and mornings when its joy just to be alive. July is a picnic and a red canoe and a sunburned neck and a softball game and ice tinkling in a tall glass. July is a blind date with summer.”

— Hal Borland, Sundial of the Seasons

We are pleased to offer the full course, including recordings and resources, to the CT library community through the CT State Library Niche Academy.

Kathy MacMillan [KA-thee MAC-mill-an) (she/her) is a writer, nationally certified American Sign Language interpreter, librarian, and signing storyteller. She has worked in school and public libraries for over 25 years and has published more than two dozen books for children, teens, and adults. 

Visit DLD’s Serving the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community LibGuide and access the full course on the CT State Library Niche Academy: Creating a Welcoming Space for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Patrons at Your Library with Kathy MacMillan.

To find out if your library is eligible and to review the E-Rate process basics, please contact the CT State Library E-Rate Coordinator, Chris Gauvreau at Christine.Gauvreau@ct.gov.

Chris will be hosting a workshop called "Would Your Library Benefit from E-Rate Discounts on Internet Costs" on Wednesday, July 23 at 10am. For more information and to register, please see the listing in the Workshops and Programs section below.

E-Rate Assistance - FCC Form 470

All public libraries who apply for discounts on internet service costs must now carry on their own competitive bidding. On July 17, the Universal Service Administration Co (USAC) is providing generalized instruction on FCC Form 470 and the competitive bidding process, which must be complete in order to apply for an E-Rate discount in the January-March window of 2026.

FCC Form 470 and the Competitive Bidding Process Webinar

Thursday, July 17 | 2:00-3:00 pm

Register for the Competitive Bidding Process webinar

"This webinar will provide E-Rate participants with information on how to file the FCC Form 470 and the E-Rate competitive bidding process. This webinar is for applicants and service providers of all levels of E-Rate experience, with emphasis towards beginner-level participants." 

If you need individualized or group assistance, you are welcome to schedule a Teams appointment with Chris Gauvreau, the CT State Library E-Rate Coordinator.

E-Rate Assistance - Form 471 and Form 486

If your library applied for an E-Rate discount (Form 471) this winter and you have received a Funding Commitment Decision Letter, you should file a start service form (Form 486) soon after July 1, 2025.  

If you would like to have assistance from the E-Rate State Coordinator, Chris Gauvreau, please use this link to schedule a Teams screen share with Chris. Before the Zoom screen share begins, please be sure to sign into the E-Rate system and to have your FY 2025 Form 471 printed out and at your side.  

For a quick review of the Form 486, check out this online video from the Universal Service Administration Company (USAC). Please email Chris at Christine.Gauvreau@ct.gov with any questions.

E-Rate Category Two Increases Coming 

Funds for Learning has issued a summary of a June 4 announcement by the FCC, which explains that the FCC has "announced significant adjustments to the E-rate Category Two funding floors and multipliers for the upcoming five-year funding cycle, which will run from FY2026 through FY2030."

Category Two services, which support internal connections, have a five-year, pre-discount budget limit.

Key Adjustments for FY 2026-2030:

Funding Floors:

• The Category Two funding floor for smaller schools and libraries has been increased from $25,000 to $30,175



• For Tribal libraries, the funding floor has been adjusted from $55,000 to $66,385

Budget Multipliers:

• For libraries and library systems, the multiplier has been adjusted from $4.50 per square foot to $5.43 per square foot

Watch for E-Rate webinars that will go into more detail on these increases. 

For more information about E-Rate, please visit our LibGuide or contact the CT State Library E-Rate Coordinator, Chris Gauvreau at Christine.Gauvreau@ct.gov.

• 'Words with Wings and Magic Things' Is a Book of Illustrated Poems for Kids | NPR

• Nine Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Jules Verne’s ‘Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea’ | Mental Floss

For the Love of Learning:

• To Break a Bad Habit and Create a New One, Neuroscience Says Just Make One Simple Change | Inc.

• Charted: The World’s Most Educated Countries | Visual Capitalist

Additional sessions will be held in August:

Monday, August 11 (for Bibliomation Libraries) | 10:00 am-12:00 pm

Register for How to Complete the FY2025 Public Library Annual Report for Bibliomation Libraries

Tuesday, August 19 | 2:00-3:30 pm

Register for How to Complete the FY2025 Public Library Annual Report - August

The FY2025 Annual Report is NOW OPEN and is due by 4pm on Wednesday, October 1, 2025.

All libraries in the system are also automatically given a substantial budget to upgrade internal connections such as managed WiFi.  Are you curious about the steps to take to get started?  

This workshop is designed for library directors and staff who want to find out what the E-Rate program can offer and what is required to take advantage of it. Bring your questions and concerns. 

Connecting Older Adults to Health Information [NNLM]

Wednesday, July 23 | 12:00-1:30 pm

Register for Connecting Older Adults to Health Information

This 90-minute webinar covers websites and data sources to help you respond to requests for health information from and about older adults at your library, as well as covering programming ideas.

Health Statistics on the Web [NNLM]

Tuesday, July 29 | 1:00-2:30 pm 

Register for Health Statistics on the Web

The importance and relevance of health statistics in various contexts will be discussed. Participants will have the opportunity to become familiar with the features and scope of several statistical Internet resources through the use of numerous exercises.

Visit NNLM's Available Classes webpage for additional trainings and resources.

Trauma-Informed Libraries – What are they, why do they matter, and how do we become one? [PCI Webinars]

Wednesday, July 23 | 2:00-3:00 pm

Register for Trauma-Informed Libraries

Trauma-Informed Libraries has become a buzz word in the field and seemingly everywhere, but what exactly does it mean? In this webinar, we will take deep dive into providing easy to digest explanations of what it means to be trauma-informed, why does it matter, and simple, actionable steps that professionals working in libraries can take to implement at their libraries from small scale to large scale.

Visit our calendar for additional workshops and programs!

Library Data You Can Use

State Aid Grant (SB2) Expenditure Report Information

Please reach out to Barbara Ghilardi at Barbara.Ghilardi@ct.gov with any questions.

CT Digital Library

This resource is perfect for:

• Assisting your patrons with their job search and improving their job skills
• Helping your patrons identify an occupation to pursue with the Job Career Accelerator
• Providing study materials and practice tests for Citizenship
• Helping your staff improve their computer skills and share that knowledge with your patrons
• Preparing for High School Equivalency
• Improving Workplace Success Skills

And much more!

If you already linked to Workforce Solutions on your library website, there is nothing you need to do. If haven’t linked to this resource yet, public libraries can find their link information by clicking here.

If you have questions or need information about Workforce Solutions or other researchIT CT resources, please contact Brad Bullis at Bradley.Bullis@ct.gov.

BIG Books Available To Borrow

We like big books, and we cannot lie! Did you know that the Middletown Library Service Center has a selection of big books?

Larger than life, big books are a great way to ensure everyone in the room can see the pictures! On average, books measure 46 x 39cm – some taller or smaller, some wider or narrower. Big books are sometimes small enough to be handheld and, if larger, can be placed on an easel or held in partner with a second person.

Big books can be found and reserved in the Primo catalog by conducting an advanced search using the call number "BIG BOOK" with the search scope set to "Middletown Library Service Center," or take a look at this visual list of titles with hyperlinks to reserve.

At this time, we have 50+ titles to borrow for a 90-day loan period. Holds will be filled as they are received – first come, first served – and we send them to you via deliverIT.

For more information, please contact Cathy Potter at Catherine.Potter@ct.gov. 

Mother Goose Asks "Why?", Mother Goose Explores Nature, and You Can Count on Mother Goose each include manipulatives to explore nature and numeracy.

Kits can be used for in-house programming or outreach and provide flexibility in facilitating programming centered on early literacy and helping children to develop skills for school readiness.

Use the kits in combination with materials at your library or borrow musical instruments, board book sets, puppets, and big books from MLSC! Kits circulate for 90 days and can be reserved in our Equipment Catalog.

Reach out to Cathy Potter at Catherine.Potter@ct.gov for more information.