Volume 1, No.10 | November 2017
Your monthly news & updates
Reminder
EXCITE Transformation for Libraries
The Connecticut State Library is recruiting library teams to participate in the IMLS-funded “EXCITE Transformation for Libraries” program!

Applications for Cohort 1 are due by Wednesday, November 1, 2017.

For more details, please go to the EXCITE recruitment page.
 
EXCITE Transformation for Libraries is an intensive team-based experiential learning program that will teach collaboration and innovation skills, result in programs and services that respond to community input and demonstrated needs, lead to cultural change at libraries, and sustain project impact through extended training. 

The learning is led by Jeanine Esposito from Innovation Builders, an organization with experience guiding organizations such as PepsiCo, United Health, and several public libraries to innovate new products and services and transform ways of doing business.

For more information please contact Dawn La Valle at 860-757-6665 or [email protected] .
Reminder
Public Library Annual Report Reminder

Information on completing the 2017 Annual Report to the State Library was e-mailed to all public library directors last July. This is a reminder that the deadline for submitting the Report is 4 P.M. on November 15. The Annual Report is critical for state and national data gathering on public libraries.
 
Libraries will again be using an Excel report form (an .xlsx file) which you will fill out and then send back to me. See the Annual Report webpag e http://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/dld/stats/annreport for:
                   A printable list of the questions on the report form
                   An instruction sheet
                   The report form itself (to download when you are ready to complete it)
There are almost no changes from last year.

Public libraries are required by statute CGS Sec. 11-25 (a) to submit an Annual Report in order to receive State Aid, borrowIT payments, or other state appropriations.

Please contact Tom Newman, [email protected], with questions. Thanks in advance to all those who will be assisting with the annual report. And thanks to all those who have submitted their reports early.
Service Spotlight
Funding for Better Internet Access
 
Dozens of principal public libraries around the state are using new high-speed fiber internet connections funded by grants from the State Library and the E-rate program. Here’s what they have to say about the effects of the new fiber:
  • Replacing the DSL network with fiber has greatly improved the speed of access for staff and patrons using the internet.
  • In recent years with the proliferation of wireless devices we were often having difficulty keeping up with the demand.
  • Where in the past, we had patrons who would sometimes be waiting upwards of 15 minutes just to get a page to load in their browser, they are now given almost instantaneous results.
  • Programming ideas that were previously impossible, such as live streaming our events so that our patrons can view our programs from home, can now be a regular part of our services.
  • Fiber provides important increased connectivity for the people of our community and provides greater access and capacity. It allows our library to stay current with changes and advances in technology and provide state of the art Internet service to our patrons.
 
 
Why not bring it to your library too? To learn more about available funding to install fiber, contact Maria Bernier at [email protected] or 860-704-2204. Libraries do NOT have to be CIPA compliant to participate. 
Service Spotlight
Hartford Courant Historical (1764-1922)
 
Recently researchIT CT has relocated the link to the Hartford Courant Historical (HCH) in some of its web pages. That resource is available on all of these researchIT CT web pages:
 

In the /classicpublic/ menu, the HCH is included beneath the History, Biography & Genealogy header. In the /classicschool/ and /classicmiddleschool/ menus, it is located beneath the History & Biography header. In the /genealogy/ page it is the second resource down from the top of the page. In all of those pages it is represented by this clickable web button:

In the /newspapers/ and /resources-a-z/ menus, HCH is represented by a simple link:

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researchIT CT Secure

The researchIT CT web site now operates in an SSL environment – the updated URL is https://researchitct.org. The old link will automatically redirect to the new, more secure one, but you may want to update bookmarks and links just the same.

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Resources for Middle Schools

researchIT CT has added a screencast about researchIT CT for middle schools by Sarah Dolan-Adamec of the Griswold Middle School to its homepage and Resources for Middle Schools page.


Questions? Send them to [email protected], or call 860-704-2224.
Service Spotlight
findIT CT Logo
The findIT CT statewide library catalog continues to grow. The holdings of more than 270 libraries are contained in the catalog. We also are starting to update the holdings of libraries that are in the catalog and we will be putting out the call for new extracts of your libraries holdings soon. 

Questions?
Contact Steve Cauffman, [email protected] or 860-704-2223.
Service Spotlight
As of October 26, 96 libraries have been trained on and are using requestIT CT, the statewide interlibrary loan system. There are a few seats remaining for the requestIT training session that’s taking place on Friday, November 3 at Quinebaug Valley Community College in Danielson. We also added a session at Bridgeport Public Library that will be talking place on Thursday, December 14 from 1 – 4 pm. For details on those training sessions, visit https://is.gd/wxmC7I

Questions?
Contact Steve Cauffman, [email protected] or 860-704-2223.
Professional Development
Understanding Grant Guidelines & Responding to Requests for Proposals
In person workshop
Wednesday, November 15, 9:30 am to 1 pm
Middletown Library Service Center, 786 South Main St., Middletown, CT 06457
Cost: Free      
For details and to register, visit https://cslib.libcal.com/event/3686026

Weeding in the Garden of Good & Evil
In person workshop
Wednesday, November 29, 10 am to 1 pm
E. C. Scranton Memorial Library, 801 Boston Post Road, Madison, CT
Cost: Free
For details and to register, visit https://cslib.libcal.com/event/3678935

And coming in December…

How to Write a Grant Proposal – Impact, Methodology
In person workshop
Tuesday, December 12, 9 am to 4 pm
Middletown Library Service Center, 786 South Main St., Middletown, CT 06457
Cost: Free      
For details and to register, visit https://cslib.libcal.com/event/3686027

For more professional development opportunities,
visit the Division of Library Development’s
Continuing Education Calendar at https://cslib.libcal.com/
Hours Reminder
Reminder: MLSC New Hours – Novenber 2017

A reminder that in addition to 8 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday, the Middletown Library Service Center’s new hours for October will be:
Wednesday, November 1: Open 7 am to 4:30 pm
Thursday, November 2: Open 8 am to 8 pm
Saturday, November 4: Open 9 am to 12 pm

Questions?
Contact us at 860-704-2200, our main phone number.
Contact Linda Williams ( [email protected] ) for specific theme/grade level requests.
Contact Grace Burchard ( [email protected] ) to reserve book sets.
Contact Grace or Judy Crooks ( [email protected] ) to pull general selections of children’s books or
Books on CD in advance of your visit.
DLD | CSL |860-757-6665 |  http://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/dld/home