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G2S Project Code: 2015-CT-75550
State: Connecticut
Fiscal Year: 2015
Grantee
Connecticut State Library

Project Director
Director Name: Dawn La Valle
Director Phone: 860-757-6507
Director Email: dawn.lavalle@ct.gov
General Information
Title: Consulting and DLD Administration
State Project Code:
Start Date: 10/01/2014
End Date: 09/30/2016
Abstract: The State Library's Division of Library Development (DLD) provides assistance to librarians in Connecticut in order to help them learn skills, resolve issues, and provide the best services to their patrons and communities. DLD offers continuing education opportunities, offers LSTA grants, provides circulating collections to supplement individual library collections, manages statewide electronic resources and the statewide library catalog, and oversees the delivery system. Progress on these individual projects is reported elsewhere in this report. In addition to their regular duties, DLD staff are also subject specialists who act as consultants for Connecticut's librarians on the subjects of youth services, statistics, library trustees, Friends groups, digital projects, financial literacy, health literacy, legal literacy, and grant writing and management, among other subjects. The State Data Coordinator compiles an annual statistical report of public library data that is used by individual libraries to help assess their performance and funding in relation to similar libraries.

State Goal: Literacies and learning
Budget Information
LSTA
MATCH-State
MATCH-Other
Total
$399,576.00
$53,201.00
$0.00
$452,777.00
Intent(s)
Improve library operations.
Library Infrastructure & Capacity
Activities
Activity Details
Title: Consulting
Narrative: All nine DLD professional staff act as consultants within their subject specialties and on behalf of the State Library in general. The Division's director serves as a liaison to multiple state and nonprofit agencies, helps to coordinate statewide projects and programs with those agencies, and represents the Division on several advisory boards.

DLD implemented a new liaison system of communicating with public library directors, to replace formal library visits. Each library now has a dedicated DLD staff member liaison who provides personalized outreach and keeps librarians updated on news from the State Library regarding events, resources, training, grants, and other services. The liaisons also gather input and requests from their libraries to help shape DLD's services and offerings.

DLD purchased a statewide subscription to the Edge Initiative Technology Assessment Toolkit so that all libraries can assess their technology services and communicate to stakeholders how technology at the public library improves the quality of life of the community they serve.


Intent: Improve library operations.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Consultation/drop-in/referral
Format: In-person


Quantity
Total number of consultation/reference transactions: 2,295
Average number of consultation/reference transactions per month: 191


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 192
Academic Libraries: 0
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 0

Activity Details
Title: Library statistics
Narrative: An important responsibility of DLD is the compilation of statewide library statistics for use in planning and comparison of services. The State Library's Data Coordinator uses Excel and Bibliostat software to collect, analyze, and publish data annually. This statistical information is used by stakeholders such as public library trustees, administrators, and the general public, and it is a determining factor in state aid grants. The research and statistics also provide a comparative tool to analyze services among service areas. The Division makes available an automatic chart-maker tool and online tutorials to help libraries use the annual statistics to evaluate their libraries. Official 2015 statistics from 180 participating public libraries are available online at http://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/dld/stats. They are also shared with state and federal agencies through the Public Libraries in the United States Survey conducted by IMLS and are reported nationally to the Public Library Statistics Cooperative (PLSC).


Intent: Improve library operations.

Activity: Content
Mode: Other
Format: Digital
Other: Gathering


Quantity


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: Yes
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 180
Academic Libraries: 0
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 0
Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important findings or outcomes from your project:

Please briefly describe importance of findings:

What methods did you use to determine your findings? Check all that apply:
Based on outputs, outcomes and/or other results, explain any significant lessons learned from these findings for either the SLAA or others in the LIS field:

Do you anticipate continuing this project after the current reporting period ends:
Yes
Do you anticipate any change in level of effort:
Yes: The Edge subscription, paid with LSTA funds, will not be renewed.
Do you anticipate any change in the project's scope:
No
Do you anticipate any other changes in the project:
No
Exemplary: No
Exemplary Narrative
Project Tags: public library statistics