« Previous Entries

Breaking News from DLD

Breaking News from DLD, Buildings and Construction
Construction Grants Available for 2012
March 30th, 2012 | Permalink | Comment?

Construction grants will be made available this year to Connecticut’s 25 distressed communities (Excel file) (as determined by the Dept. of Economic and Community Development). This program provides grants for public library construction projects to improve their facilities and to meet their communities’ needs. Public libraries can apply under two grant categories :

Category #1 – 80% of total monies fund projects that create additional usable space (i.e. new buildings, additions, and renovations).

Category #2 – 20% of total monies fund projects that improve existing space (i.e. handicapped accessibility, correcting building and fire code violations, remodeling to accommodate new technologies, and energy conservation).

For further information, see the Construction Grants web page.

A Notice of Intent form is due by June 1. Applications are due by September 4. Please email Tom Newman if you have questions.
Breaking News from DLD, WebJunction Community
Changes at WebJunction Connecticut
March 26th, 2012 | Permalink | Comment?
Those of you who have tried to access WebJunction Connecticut today have probably noticed that OCLC/WebJunction has re-organized the website. WebJunction Connecticut (the web-site of the State Library’s Division of Library Development) is now available as a section of the main WebJunction website.

Highlights:
- There is no longer a http://ct.webjunction.org website.
- If you use an old ct.webjunction.org address, you should be re-directed to the corresponding page on the new website.
- WebJunction has a separate and improved online course center which requires its own login. A link to this course center is provided on the web-page above. Use your existing WebJunction CT username and password to access. If you haven’t taken a course in the past year, you will have to re-apply for a Connecticut account.
If you have any questions about the new WebJunction Connecticut, please contact me.
Breaking News from DLD
Happy New Year!
March 1st, 2012 | Permalink | Comment?

Spring seems a fitting time to begin the New Year (rather than during the depths of winter), and for Connecticard March 1^st IS New Year’s Day. The ConnectiCard reporting period for public libraries runs from March to February. February 2012 brings to a close the reporting period for the 2011-2012. Make it your New Year’s resolution to complete all your library’s reports for the past 12 months.

Go to http://collect.btol.com/ to enter non-resident Connecticard loans for each month from March 2011 through February 2012. THE DEADLINE IS FRIDAY MARCH 16 at 4 P.M. At that time your library’s Ccard report form will be locked. Though there is no formal “certification” required at completion of the form, you are required to have accurate and complete figures in place by the deadline, or you will not receive a reimbursement payment. The online form for March 2011- February 2012 will not be available after the deadline.

Please contact Tom Newman at tom.newman@ct.gov if you have any questions.
Breaking News from DLD, CT Library Community
Important Changes to WebJunction Connecticut
January 25th, 2012 | Permalink | Comment?

The State Library continues its partnership with OCLC’s WebJunction project as it makes some important enhancements in the coming months. In mid-March WebJunction Connecticut will disappear as a standalone domain (ct.webjunction.org) and will become one of the partner sections on a new www.webjunction.org. This means all our current content will be moved to a new section of the main WebJunction website. Navigation, organization, and functionality should improve with this new Connecticut section of WebJunction. All the web content of the State Library’s Division of Library Development will continue to appear on WebJunction rather than in the State Library’s main web site. And those who have book-marked specific web pages on our current ct.webjunction.org site will be re-directed to the appropriate page on the new web site.

As part of the upgrade, online self-paced courses will be made available in a separate system so that WebJunction members can plan and manage their course-taking more easily. As a consequence of this change, however, you will lose a record of all incomplete courses that you are still enrolled in on February 29. You should complete those courses before the 29^th, if you can.

Also, all WebJunction Connecticut members who have logged into WebJunction since July 2010 will automatically have their membership account transferred to the new WebJunction website. If you have not signed in since then, however, you will want to do so before February 29 or lose your account.

The State Library looks forward to its continued partnership with WebJunction in providing professional development and continuing education opportunities for Connecticut’s library staff.
Breaking News from DLD, Connecticard
Connecticard Report Reminder
January 23rd, 2012 | Permalink | Comment?

Libraries are reminded that the Connecticard reporting year ends with the FEBRUARY report. The “Connecticard 2011” report form has columns that start with March 2011 and end with February 2012. Therefore the January and February columns of the report should have 2012 figures and not 2011 figures. Sorry for any confusion this may have caused.
Breaking News from DLD, Grants and Reimbursements
State Aid Payments for Public Libraries
January 4th, 2012 | Permalink | Comment?

Annual State Aid Payments to Connecticut public libraries will go out within the next few weeks. The payment amounts will be smaller this year (between $1,200 and $1,700) due to a funding cut. Go to 2012 State Aid Payments to find out how much your library can expect. State Aid money must be spent within the next two years and it must be spent on the library. It cannot go to the general fund of the town.

Thanks go out to all those who filled out the Annual Report and Application for State Aid this year.
Breaking News from DLD, Statistics
Official Statistical Profile Released, Customized Charts Available
January 3rd, 2012 | Permalink | Comment?
The official version of the Connecticut Public Libraries : Statistical Profile July 2010 – June 2011 is now available. The only significant change from the preliminary version released in early December is an update to municipal tax revenue figures.

Also, as was done last year, the State Library is offering a suite of Excel charts customized for your particular library. These charts
- show your library’s 2011 statistics and compare them to state averages and averages of towns with a similar population,
- show your library’s statistical trends since 1996 (based on figures provided in annual reports each year),
- may be copied and pasted into any document or presentation.
To ask for your library’s charts email Tom Newman, tom.newman@ct.gov .

Go to Automatic Chart-Makers to see an example of the charts, or to create charts yourself (including one that compares your library to 4 other libraries of your choice).

Questions? Contact me.
Breaking News from DLD, Statistics
Library Use and Budgets Decline for Many Connecticut Public Libraries
December 5th, 2011 | Permalink | Comment?
Preliminary findings from Annual Reports submitted recently by Connecticut public libraries for FY 2010-2011 indicate that library use has fallen from last year’s record highs. An early draft of the “Statistical Profile of Connecticut Public Libraries” shows circulation, library visits, and program attendance modestly lower than in FY2010. The chart section of the Profile illustrates statewide declines in library use statistics, as well as the clear erosion in financial support for libraries.

Possible reasons for this decline in statewide library use include:
- The 2011 winter was particularly harsh.
- The popularity of e-books and e-book readers. For reasons beyond the library community’s control, publishers and distributors have been very slow to sell e-books to libraries. There is pent-up demand there which most libraries have not been able to meet.
- The recession is over. Many libraries receive a bounce in library use during recessions. Library use statistics usually flatten out during the rebound from a recession.
- Libraries have reduced their hours in response to budget cuts.
- Budget cuts have forced libraries to reduce library materials expenditures. This trend has gone on for several years. Normally it takes a couple years for this sort of reduction to effect circulation.
- Budget cuts have also reduced expenditures on programs, which reduces program attendance and library visits.
A preliminary version of the Statistical Profile of Connecticut Public Libraries is now available for those who would like to refer to this resource during the early budget season. Please report errors/problems to Tom Newman. The official version of the Profile will be available on January 1.
Breaking News from DLD, Buildings and Construction
Construction Grants Awarded
December 1st, 2011 | Permalink | Comment?

Congratulations go out to the Meriden Public Library and the New Haven Free Public Library for receiving approval of their recent construction grant applications. The State Library Board approved these grants with funding earmarked for distressed municipalities. New Haven Free Public Library will receive $318,524 towards a project to renovate their performance and exhibit area, as well as expand programming space. Meriden Public Library will receive $62,667 towards replacement lighting and other renovation work. Construction grants for distressed municipalities pay for 1/3^rd of total project costs up to $1 million.
Breaking News from DLD
ETLA: Measuring the Outcome and Value of Libraries
November 2nd, 2011 | Permalink | 2 Comments

Libraries provide many types of value to their constituents, but measuring that value is a challenge. The IMLS LibValue project, led by Carol Tenopir, brings together a national team of academic librarians and researchers to study multiple measures for multiple services and collections in academic libraries. In this webinar, Carol will describe the LibValue academic libraries project and discuss methods for measuring outcomes and value in all types of libraries.

Presented by Carol Tenopir, Chancellor’s Professor, School of Information Sciences, Director of Research and Director of the Center for Information and Communication Studies, College of Communication and Information,Univ. of Tennessee

Wednesday, November 9, 2011
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Online

For additional details and registration information visit: Measuring the Outcome and Value of Libraries

« Previous Entries

BlogJunction Connecticut

about

search

WJCT Pages

Links

Categories

Archives Last 12 Months

Archives By Year

Pages

feeds

Meta

Copyright

Category

Breaking News from DLD

Breaking News from DLD, Buildings and Construction

Construction Grants Available for 2012

Breaking News from DLD, WebJunction Community

Changes at WebJunction Connecticut

Breaking News from DLD

Happy New Year!

Breaking News from DLD, CT Library Community

Important Changes to WebJunction Connecticut

Breaking News from DLD, Connecticard

Connecticard Report Reminder

Breaking News from DLD, Grants and Reimbursements

State Aid Payments for Public Libraries

Breaking News from DLD, Statistics

Official Statistical Profile Released, Customized Charts Available

Breaking News from DLD, Statistics

Library Use and Budgets Decline for Many Connecticut Public Libraries

Breaking News from DLD, Buildings and Construction

Construction Grants Awarded

Breaking News from DLD

ETLA: Measuring the Outcome and Value of Libraries