Logo: CT State Library Division of Library Development

Children and YA Newsletter

November 2024

Bitmoji of Kymberlee Powe with her kneeling and holding up a giant radiant pumpkin.

How is the holiday season here already?!


Have you had your pumpkin spice fill yet? If not, you've got some time. As always, we have things for you as you wait for your pumpkin pie: Youth Services Critical Conversations, Governor Lamont's Grants for Youth-led Service Initiatives, MLSC Out in the Wild, and more. Read on to learn all about it.

Kymberlee Powe | Children and YA Consultant

Photo of a pumpkin patch with 3 bitmojis of Kym holding up a giant pumpkin, pushing a wheelbarrow of pumpkins, and behind a pumpkin stand.

Upcoming Programs

Logo: Youth Services Critical Conversations

Youth Services Critical Conversations


Tuesday, November 19 | 1-2 pm

Register: Critical Conversations


Relationship-building, professional learning cohorts, and idea sharing are integral ways for library staff to stay inspired, engaged, innovative, and intentional. To this end, the Division of Library Development will begin to hold Youth Services Critical Conversations to serve as an informal and open-ended opportunity for Youth Services folks in Connecticut to connect, talk, idea-share, and build community.


Four times a year, the Connecticut State Library will provide a virtual space for youth services, early learning, school-age, and teen services workers in public libraries to come together. While Zoom sessions will be hosted by Children/ Young Adult Consultant Kym Powe, conversations are intended center and run primarily with public library voices. Bring your successes, questions, ideas, and challenges! Ask questions and ask for resources. What supports are needed, what information is needed, help us help you!


These meetings are intended as interactive spaces, so we ask that registrants have a camera, microphone, and a designated space to allow for vocal conversation. These meetings will be driven by voices of attendees!


Recording and Slides:


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


Who Should Come?


Perfect for anyone currently working in the front lines of youth services who would like to participate in open conversation that center youth service experiences and needs.


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.

Three photos of The GIANT Room programs with kids and adults participating.
Logo for The GIANT Room. White text sits inside a large red circle.

The GIANT Room: Community Engagement Through Hands-On Creative STEM Building, Writing, and Collaborative Publication


The GIANT Room Part 2

Wednesday, November 20 |10 am-12 pm

Register for The GIANT Room Part 2


The GIANT Room Part 3

Thursday, December 5 |1-3 pm

Register for The GIANT Room Part 3


In this interactive live series (online on zoom), we will provide a framework for creating engaging and accessible community engagement programs for families. The framework outlines ways in which The GIANT Room partners with librarians to bring community publication programs into libraries through “Remix Publication Stations” as well as in-person family STEM workshops. GIANT Remix is a new program funded by the CT State Library, DLD, for local libraries through which families will be given “creative missions” to contribute writings, illustrations, and ideas to “community books” and “trading cards” throughout the year.


View the recording of Creative Community Engagement with The GIANT Room to hear about their year of working with The GIANT Room on creative family programming for their communities.


The GIANT Room

The GIANT Room is a creative co-design lab that provides opportunities for children, families, and educators to collaborate, co-design, and co-publish books and games they can read and play with their friends and family. We also partner with libraries to plan and implement engaging family workshops which incorporate creative STEM, art, book reading, and writing activities. 


For more information, visit The GIANT Room LibGuide.

Logos: Libraries Without Borders USA and CT State Library.

Session 7: Community Canvassing as Effective Awareness and Promotion Strategies with Libraries Without Borders


Tuesday, December 10 | 1-3 pm

Register for Community Canvassing


In this session, we will overview how to utilize community canvassing as effective tool for increasing library awareness. Participants will leave being able to analyze the effectiveness of different canvassing strategies and identify the optimal timing for using canvassing strategies within their community.


This session is part of the Reimagining Library Outreach and Access series of 10 workshops taking place through March 2025 that will provide library staff with strategies, tools, and frameworks to expand their reach and impact within their communities. Using their own library and local data, participants have the opportunity to evaluate barriers to access within their own communities and to reconsider their approach to outreach utilizing their existing assets and structures.


Recording and Slides:


This program is being recorded and will be made available on the Libraries Without Borders LibGuide page. (Please allow up to five business days for availability.)


Who Should Come?


Perfect for anyone who would like to look inwards to assess library assets, priorities, and staff capacity with an eye towards access and outreach. Consider attending if you are a library director, department head, librarians, library staff, or plan to do any type of outreach in your community.


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.

Logo: Towards Inclusive Accessibility in Libraries (TIAL)

Towards Inclusive Accessibility in Libraries (TIAL)


Join us for the inaugural series of Towards Inclusive Accessibility in Libraries (TIAL) with Dr. Clayton Copeland.


To learn more, visit the Towards Inclusive Accessibility in Libraries (TIAL) LibGuide.


Developing an Accessibility Lens

Tuesday, December 17 | 10-11:30 am

Register for Developing an Accessibility Lens


This session offers an in-depth discussion of disability as a social construct and how social constructivism can – both positively and negatively – inform thinking and human responses to differences (i.e. disabilities or differing abilities) in society. Participants will be invited to explore (either privately or by sharing with the group) how they feel about working with people with disabilities. They may share what they feel may be their strengths in terms of their prior knowledge and skillsets in fostering inclusive libraries, as well what they feel may be their greatest needs/areas of opportunity.


Online resources will be provided and there will be opportunities for Q&A and discussion.


**If you would like to submit a question anonymously before or during the TIAL workshop, please submit them using the TIAL Questionnaire.


Presenter: 


Dr. Clayton A. Copeland is faculty and director of the Laboratory for Leadership in Equity of Access and Diversity (LLEAD) at the University of South Carolina’s School of Information Science. Much of her research focuses upon equity of access to information for people with disabilities. Copeland also pursues research interests in universal design and Universal Design for Learning, literacy, facilities planning, technology, and materials and programming for children and young adults. She manages the Linda Lucas Walling Collection for Disabled Children and recently co-authored and edited Disabilities and the Library: Fostering Equity for Patrons and Staff with Differing Abilities.


Recording & Slides:


The presentation portion of this program is being recorded and will only be shared with registrants. The slides will not be shared. Resources shared will be made available on the Towards Inclusive Accessibility in Libraries (TIAL) LibGuide. To encourage open discussion, we will stop the recording ahead of the Q&A and discussion portion at the end of the program.


NOTE: If you are not able to attend and would like to receive the recording, please register for the event or complete the waitlist.


Who should come?


Perfect for anyone focused on accessibility and inclusion in the library, including library directors/ administrators, children’s and YA Staff, department heads, librarians, and library staff.


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. 

Opportunities

Governor Lamont Announces Applications Now Open for Grants To Support Youth-Led Service Initiatives


On October 30, Governor Ned Lamont announced that the Connecticut Commission on Community Service, also known as Serve Connecticut, is now accepting applications for mini-grants to support youth-led service initiatives in Connecticut.


These mini-grants are available to support the engagement of youths between the ages of 5 and 25 in meaningful, youth-led service or service-learning projects or programs benefitting the community during the grant term of January 1 to September 30, 2025. Eligible applicants include schools, out-of-school time programs (after school or summer), municipalities, agencies, and youth-serving organizations. Youth-led groups are welcome to apply with sponsorship of an eligible applicant.


Application


Applications must be submitted by December 2, 2024.


To apply, visit Serve CT: Youth Service Funding Opportunities.


Contact


Questions about the application process can be directed to:

Kate Scheuritzel, Director of Programs, Serve Connecticut

Kate.Scheuritzel@ct.gov.

Resources

Four photos: three with students reading books, one with a book and a poster with the text across the grouping: MLSC Out in the Wild.

MLSC Out in the Wild


The wilds of CT library land, that is! The collections materials from MLSC travel far and wide within the borders of our state, and sometimes, we want to know just what they get to do on their journeys.


Today we hear from Valerie Grabek, Teacher-Librarian at Windham Middle School where last spring MLSC book discussion sets were perused and sampled in a book tasting! As Valerie shared, "Last school year our 8th grade teachers wanted to do book clubs for one of their units, and the MLSC came in clutch for helping us find and use a variety of materials. Students attended a book tasting in the library to figure out what they were most interested in and borrowed the books for the unit. The school was thankful for saving a good amount of money, the students loved their books, and this librarian loved the whole process!"


Do you have an MLSC Out in the Wild story to share?

Contact Abbey Lynch at abbey.e.lynch@ct.gov.

Logo: CT Ready to Read with drawn bookshelf above text full of books and a plant with splotches of color all within a drawn blue double circle.

CT Ready to Read


CT Ready to Read is a new initiative of the CT State Library designed to equip public library staff with the information, skills, and tools needed to promote and develop early literacy skills and reading readiness in their communities. Through research backed learning models, workshops, and resources, library staff will have the opportunity to learn to model for, and work with, parents, caregivers, and children. Current pre-recorded workshops include Every Child Ready to Read, Reimagining School Readiness, Becoming Readers, and information on how caregivers integrating early literacy skills into school readiness.


To learn more, explore the CT Ready to Read LibGuide Page

Bitmoji of Kymberlee Powe with an open book popping out of a laptop screen.

Reading Up on Youth Services


Here's where we share the latest articles on youth services in libraries that have popped up on our reading list.


Did you know? All CT library staff can access professional library journals through researchIT CT - and the public can use it too!


Explore all the magazines and journals for librarians on the Children's and YA Services Collection Development LibGuide page.


Access each month's articles by following these instructions:

  1. Copy the full title of the article from the list below.
  2. Visit researchITCT.org for the Public.
  3. Paste the full title of the article in the search box and check the "Title" bubble below, then click "Search."
  4. You will be prompted to type in your library card, please do!
  5. Once you do, the article will be the only one on your results list.
  6. Click the link and read!


November's reads and why I'm sharing:


"For the Ages: Intergenerational book clubs foster friendship" | American Libraries, Nov/Dec 2024

  • Libraries and communities demonstrate the positive impact of intergenerational programming. The first town mentioned is right here in Connecticut!

"Nurturing Little Bodies and Brains: Supporting Brain Development, Learning, and Health for Families" | Children and Libraries: The Journal of the Association for Library Service to Children, Fall 2024

  • “By understanding the social determinants of health and early learning inequities, libraries can position themselves to better address the needs of families with children aged 0–24 months from underserved communities.”

Summer Reading 2024 CT State Summary Report

Summer Reading 2024 CT State Summary Report - link to website.

The 2024 Summer Reading Fact Flyer that reflects summer with libraries across the state of Connecticut has some amazing data to share!


In comparison to 2023, in 2024 libraries ran over 2,000 more programs for resident with over 50,000 more attendees. A significant number of libraries also reported running more summer reading programs for teens and adults, and more libraries reported partnering with local schools and additional community organizations. That additional effort appears to have had a positive impact as more teens self-reported learning from summer programming and planning to return to the library after summer has ended.


To see statewide fact flyers from past summer’s, or to access a template to share local summer data with your community or stakeholders, visit the Summer With the Library Reports LibGuide page

Graphic: Level Up at Your Library. iREAD Summer Reading. IReadProgram.org

Did you miss the iREAD 2025 webinar?


While sign ups to access a code may be closed, the recording, slides, and additional materials are ready for viewing!


Visit the iREAD LibGuide page to watch recordings and see this summer's featured artists.


As stated on the LibGuide page, for those who signed up for access to the iREAD resource guide, an email with instructions will be sent out before the end of November to one person who signed up for access. Please connect with other departments and branches to create a plan to share the Resource Guide and collaborate for the summer!

Stay Connected! Join our Email Lists


Our many email discussion lists 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.


Browse the full email list and subscription information.

Bitmoji of Kymberlee Powe with text: Any questions?

Kymberlee Powe

Children and YA Consultant

kymberlee.powe@ct.gov | (860) 704-2207


Connecticut State Library | Division of Library Development

Middletown Library Service Center

786 South Main Street | Middletown, CT 06457

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