Children and YA Newsletter
January 2023
Happy New Year!

Here we are, 2023 has started, folks. A new year and we have things to share with you while we wait for some snow... new Growing Equitable Library Services (GELS) with ADA and Beyond, All CT Reads has begun, borrow new book bundles and more from Girls Who Code. Read on to learn all about it.
Kymberlee Powe | Children and YA Consultant
Girls Who Code
Logo: Growing Equitable Library Services (GELS)
Growing Equitable Library Services (GELS)
ADA and Beyond

Making Programs Accessible for All
Wednesday, February 8 | 2-3:30 pm

How accommodating are the design and content of your programs to persons with disabilities? Do you have plans for how to adapt a program when a patron with low vision attends? How about someone on the autism spectrum or with limited dexterity? Does your library have a procedure for accommodation requests? Learn from our panel of experts as they discuss typical types of library programs and how to make them more accessible and welcoming for everyone.

Featuring:
  • Smita Worah, State Education Resource Center
  • Mary Silverberg, National Federation of the Blind of CT
  • Arlene Lugo, CT Tech Act
  • Maria Jacovino, American School for the Deaf

Coming up:

Stay tuned and join us for the rest of the GELS: ADA and Beyond series:
  • Disability 101 in March
  • Disability Accommodations in Libraries in March
  • Accessible Documents: Word and PowerPoint in April
  • Digital Accessibility in April
  • Assistive Technology Petting Zoo (In-person at MLSC!) on May 9th 

Growing Equitable Library Services (GELS) is a workshop series that strives to provide the trainings that help libraries become strength-based, trauma informed, antiracist, social and emotionally conscious community institutions.

Visit the GELS LibGuide for video recordings, presentation slides, resources and more.
Logo: All books. All people. All CT Reads. A program of the CT State Library.
All CT Reads 2023 Virtual Author Launch
with Rosena Fung, Samira Ahmed, and Dawnie Walton
Stay tuned to the All CT Reads website for the recordings to share with your classroom, patrons, or book group!

On Thursday, January 12, the CT State Library Division of Library Development held the 2023 All CT Reads Virtual Author Launch with the authors of all three 2023 All CT Reads primary selections – Rosena Fung, author of Living With Viola, our kids pick; Samira Ahmed, author of Hollow Fires, our teen pick; and Dawnie Walton, author of The Final Revival of Opal & Nev, our adult pick. Each author discussed their work and answered questions from our community.
Explore All CT Reads and find the recordings on the All CT Reads website.
Stay in the loop!


About All CT Reads

All CT Reads is a year-long initiative to promote lifelong reading, learning, and connection that uses a rotating community committee structure to select one main book title and three shortlist book titles, each calendar year for three age groups: children (ages 8-12), teens (ages 13-18), and adults. In addition to the books, All CT Reads provides a supported programmatic structure built around the titles with room for individuality and creativity.

Our Partners and Sponsors

All CT Reads is an initiative of the Connecticut State Library Division of Library Development and partners with the Connecticut Library Consortium (CLC) and the Connecticut Association for School Librarians (CASL).

All CT Reads is supported by a generous grant from EBSCO Information Services to the Connecticut Heritage Foundation.
Logo footer: All CT Reads, CT Library Consortium, CT Association of School  Librarians, EBSCO.
Borrow a Book Bundle!

No time to browse our collection? We can do it for you and we've got bundles of options with new, foreign, and underrated titles!

Choose from Book Bundles with:

Check out one of these specially curated book bundles to your public or school library for 90 days. Have particular parameters or titles in mind? Just drop us a note in the comment section of the booking system, and we will do our best to find what you need.

Can I let my patrons borrow them?

Yes! And you have options. You can add them to your ILS system with temporary bar codes to be checked out with a library card.

Or, track it with the included index card:
  1. Pull out the index card tucked into each book.
  2. Use the index card to record the students name, contact information, library card - whatever helps you find them.
  3. You keep the card and the student borrows the book.
  4. When the book comes back, tuck the index card back in the book.
  5. Just remember to have them return the book in time for the whole bundle to be returned to us!

Photo: Girl smiling in front of laptop with Girls Who Code logo.
Share summer opportunities with your library's Girls Who Code students!

Students can level up by becoming a coder this summer with Girls Who Code!

Choose your own adventure through our two free virtual programs and get the skills, network, and lifelong college and career support you need to change the world. All high school girls and non-binary students are welcome to apply, including past participants!

  • In our 2-week Summer Immersion Program for current 9th-11th graders, you’ll learn the fundamentals of game design in live virtual classrooms led by industry-leading companies. Build a suite of short games using p5.js, a JavaScript library for creative coding. You can even apply for laptop and hotspot access and grants of $300 for financial support!

  • In our 6-week Self-Paced Program for current 9th-12th graders, you’ll learn to code through independent study and real-world projects. By the end of the program, you’ll earn beginner-level certificates of completion in HTML, CSS, or JavaScript for web development or intermediate-level certificates of completion in Python for cybersecurity or data science.

Don’t miss your chance to be a part of a sisterhood that supports you for life! Get started at girlswhocode.com/summerapply, attend a webinar for more information, and share the program flyer.

A Look at Summer Programs, Straight from Girls Who Code Students

There's no better way to understand the impact of our Summer Programs than to hear it directly from students. Check out a few of our students' reflections on their summer experiences with Girls Who Code, and encourage high school-age girls and non-binary students to join us this year!
Anna S., Summer Immersion Program
Alyssa S., Summer Immersion Program
Prasamsha G., Summer Immersion Program & Self-Paced Program
Shana-Kay H., Self-Paced Program
Access the Girls Who Code Clubs Fund!

All new and renewed Girls Who Code Clubs are automatically eligible to receive $500 through a wish list process once they have 3 or more students in their Club - no raffling required! Each facilitator is directly contacted once their Club is populated by 3 or more students. We hope all current and future Clubs under the Community Partnership take advantage of this fund!

If you are not sure how to access your fund, please reach out to clubs@girlswhocode.com, where the Girls Who Code team can help!

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.

Bitmoji of Kym 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