BlogJunction Connecticut » CT Library Community

The State Library’s Linda Williams Wins Faith Hektoen Award

Tom Newman — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:54:59 +0000

The Faith Hektoen Award is given annually by the Children’s Section of the Connecticut Library Association to recognize the efforts of an individual or group that has made an impact on library services to children in Connecticut at the local, regional, or state level. The 2012 winner is Linda Williams who works at the Willimantic Library Service Center. See the nomination summary for more. Linda will receive her award at the upcoming CLA Conference. Congratulations, Linda!

Annual Reports Showcase

Tom Newman — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:54:19 +0000

As promised, WebJunction Connecticut now has an “Annual Reports Showcase” of Connecticut Public Libraries. These are some of the annual reports public libraries produce for their communities.

Thanks go out to the libraries that sent me their Annual Reports so that other libraries could see the great work being done in libraries and get ideas for their own reports. If you would like your library’s report added, please send me the document or a link. Thanks! Tom Newman

Connecticard Loans Nearly 5 Million Per Year

Tom Newman — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:31:36 +0000

Despite budget cuts, reduced hours, and tighter materials budgets, borrowing by non-residents at Connecticut public libraries remains at a high level. Connecticut public libraries lent 4,916,021 items to non-residents during the 2011-2012 year (which ended February 28). Connecticard loans have remained about the same for the last three years. Information on Connecticard loans, borrowing, and payments for libraries should be available on WebJunction Connecticut the week of March 26. Connecticard and Connecticar are crucial to the State Library’s efforts to provide equity of access to library services.

Friends of Connecticut Libraries Schedules Spring Boot Camp for April 21st

Tom Newman — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:51:37 +0000

Boot Camp 2012 will be held his at the University of Hartford, Gray Conference Center, on Saturday, April 21^st. Our theme focuses on how Friends groups communicate with both their membership and their community. The program consists of a main speaker, an introduction to the new FOCL on-line Directory, and three discussion groups. To register for Boot Camp and for more information, go to www.FOCLib.org

Important Changes to WebJunction Connecticut

Tom Newman — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:58:04 +0000

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.

Survey for a Survey

Tom Newman — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:10:02 +0000

Attention Public Library Staff Who Completed the 2011 Annual Report for the State Library:

Thanks go out to those who helped fill out the Report last fall. Before the State Library examines what should be on next year’s Report, we would like to get some feedback from those of you who will have to suffer through it. We are not expecting the Report to change much, but we would appreciate getting your answers/opinions on some of these questions: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CTAnnualReportSurvey

A short survey, there are only 10 questions. Thanks for your help.

Excellence in Public Library Service Awards

Tom Newman — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:49:03 +0000

We know that your budget is shrinking and that you are busier than ever. But we also know that public libraries are offering outstanding, creative and vital programs and services for their communities. This is a challenging time for the library community so why not give your staff something to cheer about and your colleagues something to inspire them by nominating your library for the 2012 Excellence in Public Library Service Awards.

These awards will honor public libraries that have provided outstanding service to their communities. They will be given in 2 population groups (under 15,000 and over 15,000) for the entire range of services that your library provides to your community.

Nominations will be judged on:

Creativity and innovation
Service to their community
Leadership in creating model programs
Programs which will affect the future of the library and its community

If you’ve been nominated in the past and haven’t won, submit another nomination. The competition is different each year.

Winners will receive a:

Feature story in Connecticut Libraries
Gala reception at the CLA Annual Conference
Modest cash award

Nominations due by Noon, November 7, 2011

(from Conntech posting by Mary Engels, October 14, 2011)

Upcoming Webinar on Public Access Computing and Advocacy

Tom Newman — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:57:16 +0000

Early registration is now available to Connecticut librarians for this webinar on using this survey in your advocacy efforts for improved public access computing infrastructure. Attend this webinar. Fill out the survey. Do both! Here is the information from WebJunction:

2011 Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study: Results, Trends, and Resources

November 1, 2:00 pm Eastern

Early Free Registration

Over 8,400 urban, suburban, and rural libraries participated in the 2011 Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study, the largest and longest-running study of Internet connectivity in U.S. public libraries. Key findings include:

70% of libraries report increased use of public access computers, while at the same time, over 76% report an insufficient number of public computers to meet demand.
65% of libraries report that they are the only source of free public access to computers and the Internet in their communities.
67% of libraries offer access to e-books.
72% of libraries report that staff help patrons complete online job applications.
16% of libraries report decreased hours of operation. This translates to lost hours at more than 2,600 branches.

In this webinar co-sponsored by ALA TechSource, the ALA Office for Research & Statistics, and WebJunction, you will learn how to interpret the data and emerging trends; access new advocacy and marketing tools including state profiles, issue briefs, and PR templates; and use the data to make the case for your library with elected officials and community stakeholders. Take the new survey now!

Presented by: John Bertot, Co-Director, Information Policy & Access Center, University of Maryland; Judy Hoffman, Project Manager, American Library Association, Office for Research and Statistics; and Peggy Rudd, Director, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Are You Ready for Irene?

Tom Newman — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 18:06:18 +0000

Hurricane Irene may be visiting Connecticut this weekend. Are you wondering what your library can do to prepare? Check out Jane Cullinane’s Conntech post on Hurricane Preparedness and Disaster Recovery. There are many useful links on what to do before and after this kind of event.

What Recent Statistics Say About Connecticut Public Libraries

Tom Newman — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:42:56 +0000

Circulation has increased 10% since 2007.
Library visits have increased 13%.
The % of total town/city tax revenue that goes to public libraries has dropped 17% since 2007.
Adjusting for inflation, materials expenditures have fallen 7% since 2005.
Filled Interlibrary loans are up 90% since 2006.
Connecticard loans (loans to non-residents) are up 10% since 2006.
Program attendance has increased 16% since 2007.
Connecticut ranks # 1 in the nation in Masters Degree library staff per capita.
Of 165 Connecticut principal public libraries, the smallest half of those libraries (83 libraries) serve only 15% of Connecticut’s population.

See a list of recent statistics, and how Connecticut fares in national rankings.