This Month at CLC: August 2020
|
|
When I was in the CLC office this week, something really struck me. Every staff white board was filled with project plans and calendars - and they all said March 2020. Five months later, most of our carefully laid plans have been discarded, replaced by new, never-imagined virtual events and priorities.
Like you, we have been focusing on our mission and concentrating on creating new paths to delivering the services our members need most. While none of us can clearly see what lies ahead, we all are moving forward and developing Plan A, B and C. Fortunately for CLC, we have a talented staff, dedicated board, and wonderful members. In June, we welcomed five new board members - meet them below. They and the entire board have already rolled up their sleeves and have committed to focusing on a new strategic plan for CLC.
What can you look forward to this year? We'll be launching major new discounts like our library furniture, shelving and accessories contract (learn more in Jackie's column below), and adding other discounted products and services to address your changing priorities. CLC staff will be focusing on piloting a vetted consultants pool and a new library programming directory, and our professional development offerings will continue to evolve and grow. As your needs change, so will our programs and services.
It has been a COVID-19 silver lining to get to see and speak with so many of you through our regular
coffee talks
. (The next one is on 8/11 -
sign up here
!) Together, we can navigate the challenges ahead - so keep in touch.
|
|
Jennifer Keohane
Executive Director
|
|
MEET OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS & CHAIR
|
|
At CLC's annual meeting in June, members voted five new trustees onto the
CLC board. Immediately following the meeting, the board voted in its officers for the year. This year's president is
Sally Tornow, former director of the New Milford Public Library. CLC is grateful to all of our board members for their tireless work on behalf of the organization and all of our member libraries. Please feel free to
reach out to any board member with your suggestions, questions and concerns.
|
|
Katie Bauer
Trinity College
NEW TRUSTEE
|
|
Matt Cadorette
Waterford High School
NEW TRUSTEE &
2020-21 MEMBER-AT-LARGE
|
|
Kim McNally
Durham Public Library
NEW TRUSTEE
|
|
Linda Robinson
Mansfield Public Schools
NEW TRUSTEE
|
|
Sally Tornow
New Milford Public Library (retired)
2020-21 CHAIR
|
|
Jillian Woychowski
West Haven High School
NEW TRUSTEE
|
|
NEW DISCOUNT CONTRACTS FOR A NEW NORMAL
|
|
Jacqueline Cashin
Vendor Relations Manager
Hello librarians! It has been some time since the COVID event started, and CLC has been busily adding contracts with great discounts for you to use.
In January we added
WT Cox
for subscription management. Now more than ever, the team at WT Cox is ready to step up and help the library community. With the uncertainty of the “new normal,” libraries are faced with budget cuts and having to make tough decisions regarding their serial subscriptions. WT Cox will process your next renewal and you can see how they are helping libraries hold on to as much of their collections as possible as well as improving their overall customer service. Contact Shannon at WT Cox today to get the best consortium prices -
snavarro@wtcox.com
or 800.571.9554 x238.
We also finished our
furniture contracts
in July. We have added
26 outstanding suppliers
to help with renovations, new construction and remodels! These suppliers specialize in library furniture. They are great collaborators with great ideas, and many have offered free or low-cost design services to help with construction grants. The contracts have all been signed, so our furniture suppliers are ready to serve. In the coming weeks, CLC will launch a comprehensive member guide to our furniture discounts, and each supplier will have a page on our website. For now, you can get the basics at
ctlibrarians.org/furniture
.
We understand the mighty work that librarians and staff at small and mid-sized public libraries deliver to support their communities. The
Gale Small Library Support Program
is a custom portfolio of top-notch resources to meet essential information needs at a modest budget, and it is offered to public libraries serving up to 50,000 residents. The 9 resources included in the program address job and career readiness, small business guidance, personal enrichment, early literacy, readers advisory, and even car repair! Choose two or more resources to take advantage of deeply discounted pricing. Learn more at
ctlibrarians.org/gale
. Jen Van Nostrand at CLC and Sidney Coleman at Gale are ready to answer your questions.
Finally, work is underway for future contracts that can help reduce costs and add valuable goods and services to our portfolio. The many
coffee talks
we have had over these few months have served to inform us about what the needs of our library community will be in this changed environment. So many more online services will be needed, and we are gathering information about these services.
I hope you are all staying safe and well. Visit our
website
to find these products and services as well as others that we are updating. Do not hesitate to
contact us
if you have any questions at all.
|
|
|
|
Tracy Monterville
Office Administrator
Hi CLC members! We here at CLC have been dealing with the pandemic along with you. Most of our staff is currently working from home either full time or part time, but we are all available to you via both
phone and email
. I have been in the office answering your calls and processing mail. If you have any questions on invoices, need to order
totes
,
flash drives
or
acrylic sign holders
(which would come in very handy to remind folks to social distance or point them in the correct one-way direction), I am here to help. Stay safe, and we look forward to seeing you all soon.
|
|
COFFEE TALK
Join the discussion!
|
|
Coffee Talk: Planning for Fall
Tuesday, August 11
10:00am
Join the CLC staff for Coffee Talk! Get a sense of what is going on in our libraries across the state, and get help from colleagues on the challenges of the weeks ahead.
Next topic: Planning for Fall
We've made it through June and July. Public libraries have instituted successful curbside pickup programs statewide, and some libraries have even started welcoming patrons back into the building. But what will fall look like?
Please join us on August 11 as we discuss programming; partnerships among school, academic, and public libraries; and how to handle service roll-backs should that be required this fall. Bring your best ideas and your concerns as we work together to brainstorm solutions and plan for the future.
Register today!
Login information will be sent with your registration confirmation email.
|
|
DISCOUNT HIGHLIGHTS
CLC has current offers on these products & services and many others. Please visit our website to learn more!
|
|
FURNITURE, SHELVING & ACCESSORIES!
|
|
FOR EVERYONE
CLC is thrilled to announce our new furniture, shelving, and accessories contracts, featuring 26 suppliers for all of our members' needs!
If you need to purchase furniture, shelving and related accessories for your library, CLC has you covered! Our publicly-bid contracts with
26 outstanding furniture suppliers are ready for CLC members to begin shopping and saving. We will be rolling out complete access information - web pages for each vendor, a user guide for CLC members, and much more - over the next few weeks. But if you can't wait to begin exploring and using our discounts right away, visit
ctlibrarians.org/furniture to get started!
|
|
FOR PUBLIC LIBRARIES
NEW Gale Small Library Support Program
A hand-picked suite of Gale's most-purchased, most-used, and most-loved digital resources is now available at special pricing for CLC's public libraries that serve up to 50,000 residents. Same quality as any Gale resource - up to 78% off list prices! Choose any two or more resources to qualify for pricing.
|
|
FOR PUBLIC LIBRARIES
Special offer on public performance site licenses - outdoor movies included for first time ever!
Purchase or renew your public performance site license from Movie Licensing/SWANK by 8/31, and receive up to 5 free months of coverage AND the ability to show outdoor movies this summer and fall!
|
|
|
FOR EVERYONE
Anti-Harrassment Training
Anti-Harassment Policy
Almost all CT employers must require employees to complete state-mandated anti-harassment training by
October 1
. Don't panic! CLC has a recommended training program, discounted pricing, and also a free anti-harassment policy template for members to use free of charge.
|
|
FOR EVERYONE
All CLC Book, Media & Supplies Contracts Extended 6 Months
CLC's contracts for
print books
,
non-print media
, and
library supplies
were originally set to expire this summer. CLC is pleased to announce that we have extended all of our contracts for six months. Continue using existing CLC contracts for books and supplies through December 2020, and for non-print media through January 2021.
|
|
|
ROUNDTABLE ROUNDUP
These are virtual meetings. Registration is required.
Login information will be sent with your registration confirmation email.
|
|
All are always welcome at CLC roundtable meetings, and that is especially true in this virtual environment! Do not let a regional designation stop you from attending a meeting that interests you. Regional groups and chairs may host and lead meetings, but attendance is not limited to people who live or work in the region. Please note that our meetings are not recorded. We look forward to seeing you on our screens soon!
|
|
|
|
Tuesday, August 4
9:00 - 10:00am
FALL VIRTUAL PROGRAMS
|
Join the group for a discussion about virtual programs for the fall. What ideas do you have for fall programming that stand out? Please come prepared with one or two program ideas to share - we'd like to hear from everyone!
|
|
|
|
Thursday, August 6
2:00 - 3:30pm
|
Please join your fellow Eastern CT library directors for a virtual meeting. We'll talk about what we are doing to continue to provide services and programming for our patrons, share tips and resources, and help each other brainstorm solutions.
|
|
|
|
Monday, August 10
10:00 - 11:30am
|
Please join us for our next meeting on Monday, August 10 as we discuss staffing issues and virtual programming during this "new normal."
|
|
|
|
Monday, August 10
3:00 - 4:00pm
SUMMER CHECK-IN
|
How is your summer going? What are your plans for fall? If your library has opened, how has it impacted you? We know there may still be more questions than answers, but we'd like to invite everyone to share how their programming and outreach have been going.
|
|
After a pause since March, all of CLC's
media swaps resumed in July with a new socially-distant format. Circuit Coordinators Karla Umland (pictured below, with new board member Kim McNally in car) and Laura Marcella came up with a drive-up procedure for "swapping" that enabled media circuit participants to continue sharing materials now that libraries have begun opening once again. Said one swapper,
"
Wow, it was so great the way you planned out for the swap for this morning!!! All went very smoothly!! Thanks for all you do for us with the swap and making today’s switch so enjoyable!" CLC also extended circuit memberships for 6 months at no charge. If you're interested in continuing to keep a small, continuously-updated supply of DVDs and/or books on CD on hand for your users who still love these formats - at minimal expense - why not consider a media circuit? Learn more at
ctlibrarians.org/circuits.
|
|
You have received this newsletter because your library is a CLC member or partner, or you signed up for our mailing list. To adjust your CLC email settings,
log into your CLC account
.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
