Throughout the year, the Project Director of Ready to Read at New York Libraries provided support and consultation via phone and email regarding various aspects of the program. There were approximately 250 phone or email consultations during the reporting period. Support was provided to the following:

23 Public Library Youth Services Consultants
35 Training Cohort members
Youth Services Librarians in over 1,000 public library outlets
New York State Education Department: P-12 Staff
School Library System Directors
Ready to Read at New York Libraries Management Team including Ready to Read project coordinator

Members of Supercharged Storytimes for All training team

Staff from partner organizations include Council on Children and Families and the Early Childhood Advisory Council initiative, Public Broadcasting Stations, Early Childhood Alliance Onondaga and Talking is Teaching, New York State Talking Book and Braille Library, New York State Reading Association, New York Library Association (NYLA) and NYLA Youth Services Section (YSS), and Public and School Library Systems Directors Organization.

The State Library also supported the enhancement and expansion of library early literacy services through a State-funded program called the Family Literacy Library Services Program.  In 2020/21 the program theme was Ready to Read at New York Libraries through Public Library Systems. This statewide program included 23 family literacy library services projects coordinated by the 23 public library systems in support of a wide range of local library services and programs geared at families with young children.  Library Development staff and the manager of the Family Literacy program also provided 200 phone and email consultations with staff from library systems on Family Literacy projects for the 2019-2022 project years. This was a particularly challenging year for libraries and library systems across the State due to mandated library closures that required the library systems to recreate training for library staff and programming for library communities, moving to a virtual format, with new or unfamiliar technology and little to no lead or planning time. In addition, many libraries pivoted to early literacy activities that could take place outside and in socially distanced settings, including Story Walks, which offer families the opportunity to read together while engaging with nature in library spaces and library-sponsored or connected locations. 

Assisting public library and library system staff with early literacy projects and initiatives serves to increase institutional capacity and the ability to provide increased early literacy programs and services.

New York Library Association – Youth Services Section Executive Board (3 meetings) – 15 attendees

Quarterly calls with Public Library System Youth Services Consultants - 23 attendees

New York State Early Childhood Council Advisory meeting - 30 attendees

School and Public Library System Director quarterly calls- 50 attendees

Presentations at various events serve to increase awareness of the Ready to Read initiative, activities, and resources and strengthen institutional capacity for public libraries and organizations throughout the state.

In late 2018 the State Library purchased the Moodle for School Learning Management software system to assist with the Supercharged Storytimes (SSA) training initiative that launched in fall 2018.  Supercharged Storytimes training has continued to be offered statewide through 2020 and 2021, and will continue in 2022. The Moodle subscription was renewed and continues to allow SSA trainers and participants to communicate, interact and learn from each other in an online community of practice, and it promotes access to enhanced resources and recordings of SSA virtual training sessions. The Ready to Read listserv and various statewide lists continue to be the primary means of sharing information and updates between the State Library and library staff in the field.  Email updates are sent out on a regular basis using dedicated State Library listservs like NYLINE, NYLINE-Y and NYLINE-S, which reach different targeted audiences throughout the state. Information is also shared regularly statewide through the NYLA newsletter and the NYLA Youth Services Section (YSS) newsletter. The Ready to Read Program Manager also communicates with Youth Services regional consultants several times a week through a dedicated email distribution group.  A State Library Youth Services electronic newsletter is being considered for implementation and distribution in 2022 to foster communication with the field and in an attempt to reach public library staff statewide. A new shared email address was added last year (nyslyouth@nysed.gov) to help field inquiries about all youth services State Library projects and initiatives. Several staff have access to this email inbox so it can be monitored consistently. 

Maintaining regular communication with the Training Cohort and other early literacy trainers, with system Youth Services Consultants and system leaders, and with the field serves to build institutional capacity at all levels within public libraries in New York State.