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I got my 2025 Spotify Wrapped the other day. I was shocked to find out that I have the listening habits of a 68 year old. I don’t understand how that’s possible when Taylor Swift was my number one artist. But, perhaps that says something about what actual 68 year olds are listening to. I don’t know.

I do know that I’m happy to put a wrap on 2025. It was a good year for CLC. Perhaps not for the rest of the country, perhaps not for libraries in general, but for CLC, we had a good year:

• 148 events and roundtables with just shy of 4,800 librarians and library staff attending.
• We’re up to 135 discount contracts, a new high.
• We’ve got 37 active roundtable groups, again a new high.
• The Vendor Expo and our School Library Professional Development Day saw their biggest crowds ever.
• We launched a brand new conference for high school and higher education librarians called Bridging the Gap.
• We held 7 neighbor networks to bring together librarians of all types in a specific region.
• We sent hundreds of advocacy postcards to local, state and elected officials in support of libraries.
• We advocated for academic librarians to be included in the NECHE accreditation standards - and WON!
• We passed two landmark pieces of legislation in the General Assembly.

And we did this all with six staff members. To Jackie, Julie, Christine, Stephanie and Tracy, I can’t thank you enough for all of your work. 

And to everyone who attended an event, bought off of our discount contracts, sent an advocacy postcard, thank you. We’re in this together - this year, next year, and always.

Now, let’s put a wrap on 2025. 

Ellen

Ellen Paul, Executive Director

epaul@ctlibrarians.org  | 860.740.3043

January

NAVIGATING A NEW NORMAL

How would libraries be impacted by the 2024 election? CLC invited John Chrastka, Executive Director and Founder of EveryLibrary, to help CT librarians understand the threats and position themselves to be effective advocates.

February

WELCOME, STEPHANIE!

CLC welcomed Stephanie Smith as our new Events and Special Projects coordinator. She's been SO busy, oveseeing nearly 150 events and roundtable meetings since her arrival. She has expanded our roundtable offerings and expertly managed our signature events as well as brand-new programs that you'll read about below. And her vast collection of fidget toys brings joy to our entire staff!

January-May

AN EPIC LEGISLATIVE SESSION

The advocacy efforts of the entire Connecticut library community resulted in passage of two monumental pieces of library legislation. (1) The CT eBook act bans libraries from entering into contracts with e-book publishers that contain certain restrictive terms; it will be triggered once other state(s) with at least 7 million population enact similar legislation. (2) The CT "Freedom to Read" act, tucked into the state budget bill and passed on the last night of the session, clarifies the roles and responsibilities of school and public libraries when it comes to providing access to library materials. CLC worked with our partners CLA, CASL, and the State Library to coordinate efforts, keep libraries apprised of developments, and offer media training and learning sessions.

Senator Tony Hwang (center) with Colleen Bailie, Ellen Paul, Scott Jarzombek, and Kate Byroade after an eBook bill hearing.

Representative Corey Paris (center) with Ellen Paul, Jenny Lussier, Melissa Thom, and Colleen Bailie after a Freedom to Read bill hearing.

January-June

NEW FURNITURE CONTRACTS

CLC's RFP for discounts from furniture dealers and manufacturers attracted a lot of interest - these are just some of the bid submissions we received! After months of work, new discount contracts with 28 suppliers went into effect July 1. Always use a CLC contract when you shop!

April

ALA CONGRESSIONAL FLY-IN

Ellen Paul was invited to the Annual ALA Congressional Fly-In to advocate for IMLS funding. She happened to be in DC the day the State Library received word that CT's funding was rescinded, making the conversations with our delegation even more important. Pictured: Ellen (right) and West Haven PL's Colleen Bailie (next to Ellen) meet with members of Rep. Jahana Hayes' staff.

April

CLA CONFERENCE

With libraries suddenly the focus of political interest at every level of government, CLC used our booth at the CLA conference to make it easy for library staff to advocate. We designed and printed pro-library postcards, offered suggested messaging, and took care of the stamping and mailing. Over 150 CLA attendees wrote to their to federal, state, and local legislators.

May

POSTCARD PARTIES

After the conference, we took the postcard writing on the road, organizing four "postcard parties" at breweries (yes, breweries!) across the state. We loved catching up with colleagues at these relaxed events, while doing the good and important work of promoting libraries!

May

MEDIA TRAINING SERIES

With libraries facing increased media scrutiny, CLC brought in strategic communications expert Brian Farber for a 3-part media training series for librarians. The course focused on empowering first-time spokespeople, building message confidence, and preparing teams for high-stakes scenarios. Photo: Ellen Paul interviewed by WFSB-TV's Eric Parker. Courtesy of WFSB

June

CLC ANNUAL MEETING

Of course we conducted the business of the organization. But we were especially proud to present the 2025 Jan Gluz Cooperative Spirit Award to Alice Knapp, President and CEO of the Ferguson Library in Stamford, for her decades-long commitment to the CT library community and her tireless advocacy for collaboration and shared purpose. Pictured L-R: Ellen Paul, Alice Knapp, CLC Board Chair Katie Bauer

June

ALA MEET-UP IN PHILLY

An ALA annual conference in nearby Philly meant lots of CT library attendees - the perfect opportunity for a meet-up! CLC welcomed over 80 CT library staff and some of our favorite vendor partners to a convivial gathering on Friday evening. It was the perfect way to ease into the conference and build connections.

July

"BRIDGING THE GAP" CONFERENCE

What separates a high school student from a college student? Often, just 2 months - and an enormous educational shift that can be challenging for students to navigate. The CLC College Outreach Committee, made up of dedicated CT academic and high school librarians and coordinated by CLC's Julie Yulo-Medeiros, was formed to strengthen partnerships to ensure smooth transitions for students moving from high school to higher education. One of their initiatives was this unique conference for CT high school librarians and other educators, led by CT academic library staff. Through presentations, mini workshops, and hands-on sessions, attendees built connections and acquired tools to support students on their educational journey. This event will return in 2026!

July

A.I. BOOTCAMP WITH UCONN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

38 librarians joined CLC and UConn School of Business Professor Wei Chen for "Make the Most of Generative A.I. for Your Library Work," an intensive one-day training workshop designed to equip library professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to leverage generative A.I. and Large Language Models in library contexts.

September

LEADER TO LEADER RETREAT

CLC held our second annual retreat for CT library directors and other top leaders. Facilitated by Maureen Sullivan, the event offered attendees space and support to reflect on leadership challenges, engage in meaningful dialogue, and develop strategies to navigate complex situations. This event will return in 2026, this time for library department heads and managers.

September

STRATEGIC PLANNING COHORT #4

Since 2023, CLC has been leading groups of 5-7 CT libraries to successful strategic plans by conducting a strategic planning process TOGETHER - as a cohort. This fall, we launched our 4th cohort with 2 academic and 4 public libraries. The program is coordinated by Ellen Paul and led by library consultant Maureen Sullivan.

September-December

BOOK BUYING SHIFTS

If you hung up an iconic Baker & Taylor cat calendar back in January, you probably did not predict that it would be your last. With the staggering news of B&T's imminent closure, CLC did our best to help B&T libraries by communicating breaking news, launching an Acquisitions Roundtable, and connecting libraries to new vendors.

October-November

REGIONAL ROUNDTABLES

This fall, CLC reconnected with our regional roots and launched seven "Neighboring Library Networks." These groups brought together school, academic, public, and special librarians for in-person conversation with peers from their local area. Attendees shared local successes and challenges, and imagined new ways to strengthen library service together.

October

ROUNDTABLE CHAIR EVENT

33 CLC roundtable chairs attended an appreciation and training workshop at the Wallingford Public Library. The event included meeting facilitation training led by Maureen Sullivan, and a "Roundtable for Roundtable Chairs" featuring peer-to-peer discussions and collaborative group conversations aimed at strengthening connections and sharing best practices.

October

FOLLETT TOURS CT

Baker & Taylor's closure had a ripple effect throughout the book industry. Follett Content Solutions, a dominant book distributor for school libraries, decided to enter the public library marketplace - but they knew they had a learning curve. Ellen Paul connected them with 3 CT libraries - Hartford, Lucy Robbins Welles, and Saxton B. Little - for an in-person learning tour.

Pictured L-R: Saxton B. Little Library's Cait Orlomoski and Julie Styles; Ellen Paul; Follett Content Solutions CEO Britten Follett and VP/GM Amy Egan.

November

SCHOOL LIBRARIAN PD DAY

110 school librarians spent their Election Day at CLC's 5th annual School Librarian Professional Development Day. This year's event featured sessions on A.I. and CT's new Freedom to Read law, as well as ample opportunities for collaboration and connection. This event fills up early every year, and this year was no exception.

November

VENDOR EXPO

CLC's 3rd annual Vendor Expo was our biggest one yet, with 21 vendors and over 160 attendees. One community college attendee reported, "I expected this event to be useful, but boring. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it .... I didn't feel trapped in a long boring session, but had plenty of time to learn and gather information, as well as time to decompress. .... The door prize drawing was a fun and relaxing way to round out the day, with lots of excitement and laughter." Won't you join us next year? Save the date: Tuesday, November 10, 2026!

Photos, clockwise: (1) Carolyn from Westport Library won the TV donated by Security 101! (2) A packed Amazon Business session. (3) Attendees use the vendor "lightning round" to plan their day.

Pictured L-R: Jenny Lussier, CASL Past President; Val DiLorenzo, CASL President; Ellen Paul and Julie Yulo-Medeiros of CLC

December

CASL & AASL COMMENDATION

Thanks to the nomination of our friends and partners at the CT Association of School Librarians (CASL), at the December CASL board meeting CLC was presented with a Commendation from the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) "for empowering the library supporters of Connecticut to advocate for students' freedom to read and effectively communicate with state legislators about school library and intellectual freedom concerns." Thank you, CASL and AASL!

Thanks for being with us in 2025. We can’t wait to show you what we have planned for you in 2026. New programs, new contracts, new services. All for you. From ideas to impact, we’re here for you.

Pictured L-R: Christine Sarrazin, Ellen Paul, Stephanie Smith, Julie Yulo-Medeiros, Jackie Cashin. Not pictured: Tracy Monterville.

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