For more information and to address your questions, visit our Summer Reading Reports LibGuide page and you'll find important information on:

You can also use the Summer Program Templates and customize them for your library. So many resources!

Save your spot and register today! Join the New England Collaborative with the Connecticut State Library, the Maine State Library, the Massachusetts Library System, the New Hampshire State Library, the Rhode Island Office of Library & Information Services, and the Vermont Department of Libraries.

The CT Summer Meals Program is federally funded by the USDA and state-administered by the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE). The program provides free, nutritious meals to kids during summer break. Summer Meals meet federal nutrition guidelines and are composed of milk, fruits, vegetables, grains, and meat or another protein. Summer Meals are offered at hundreds of sites around the state from June to late August, serving combinations of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Meals are free to any child age 18-and-under, no questions asked.

Girls Who Code Clubs are FREE and flexible computer science programs for 3rd-12th grade students to learn how to make a positive impact on the world through computer science.

When you sign up to start an in-person or virtual Club, you’ll gain access to the following -- all for FREE.

Affiliate your club with the CT State Library and receive extra benefits. Plus, NO coding experience is required to start a Girls Who Code Club!

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!

The CT State Library Division of Library Development held an extra-special virtual launch with the authors of the 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. 

Book discussion sets of all twelve titles are available for reservations and borrowing by public, school, and academic libraries from the Middletown Library Service Center. 

Explore All CT Reads website:

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.

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.

This session will focus on what the Americans with Disabilities Act says about workplace accommodations, what are accommodations and why they aren't special perks, and what the general process might look like to get an accommodation. Questions throughout the session are encouraged.

JJ Pionke is the Applied Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is an award-winning librarian whose research revolves around disability and accessibility for library patrons and employees. His most recent work focuses on the educational and competency needs of library science graduate students and current library employees in regards to disability and accessibility in libraries.

Tuesday, April 4, 10:30-11:30 am | Register

Wednesday, April 19, 2-3 pm | Register

(In-person at MLSC!) on May 9 | Registration coming soon!

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.

We will learn about changes to day-to-day operations that increase capacity for community-led planning. These include scheduling, job descriptions, and measuring and communicating success.

Dr. Audrey Barbakoff is the CEO of Co/Lab Capacity, which provides community-centered consulting for libraries and social good organizations. She has more than a decade of experience in public libraries, where she focused on community engagement and leadership. Her innovative and inclusive work has been recognized by Library Journal Movers & Shakers, the Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal 40 Under 40, the Freedom to Read Foundation, and the Urban Libraries Council. In addition to her MLIS, Dr. Barbakoff holds an EdD in organizational change and leadership. Her dissertation research focused on building organizational capacity for equity, diversity, and inclusion in public libraries through community-led programs. She is the author of Adults Just Wanna Have Fun: Programs for Emerging Adults and the forthcoming book Twelve Steps to a Community-Led Library. Find her at www.colabcapacity.com.      

Watch the previous session recordings and access the slides on the GELS: Growing Equitable Library Services: Community LibGuide page.

Community-led planning helps increase equity, creativity, and engagement in library programs and services. But many libraries struggle with building the mindset, culture, and structures to embrace it. In this four-part interactive series, you will learn how to apply the fundamentals of community-led planning in your library. The evidence-based strategies will cover three types of change, derived from Dr. Barbakoff’s original research: inspirational, transformational, and operational. We will discuss real-world scenarios to help you use the concepts in your work. Regardless of the size, type, or readiness of your library, you can build your capacity to equitably center community. 

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.

DLD will be presenting on our Growing Equitable Library Services (GELS) initiative at the American Library Association’s Annual Conference taking place this June in Chicago! We are excited for the opportunity to share information about GELS with fellow library professionals.