Connecticut Library Consortium

Last week, we were lucky to have John Chrastka from EveryLibrary in Connecticut for three workshops—one for academic libraries, one for public libraries, and one for school libraries.

Advocacy for libraries isn’t just about federal funding, IMLS grants, or bills in the State House (though those matter too!). The real change happens locally, in the libraries and communities we serve every day.

John reminded us why that matters and gave us practical ideas to make a difference where it counts most. A big thank you to him for sharing his time, energy and expertise with Connecticut librarians!

We’re excited to share that our Executive Director, Ellen Paul, was featured on Hoopla’s Straight Download podcast!

In this episode, Ellen dives into:
📘 Connecticut’s landmark eBook access law
⚖️ The growing wave of national legislation reshaping digital publishing
🔓 How libraries are standing up for fair access and intellectual freedom

Ellen brings her deep expertise and passion to a conversation that highlights why this fight matters for libraries, readers, and communities everywhere.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here:
https://library.hoopladigital.com/the-straight-download/

We’re proud to see CLC at the forefront of this important movement!

Last week, library leaders gathered at The Guest House in Chester for CLC’s second annual Leader to Leader Retreat - a powerful day of reflection, renewal, and real connection. Expertly facilitated by the inspiring Maureen Sullivan and Ellen Paul, this one-day, in-person retreat brought together directors from public, academic, and special libraries to pause, connect, and refocus.
Leadership can be heavy, but no one has to carry it alone.
Thank you to everyone who joined us to support one another, share insight, and strengthen the library leadership community. Here's to leading with purpose, clarity, and care.

Big day for the CLC's Fourth Strategic Planning Cohort!
Yesterday we kicked off the first full planning team meeting for Cohort 4 — and for the first time, we’re joined by two academic libraries! 🎉
Since 2023, CLC has helped 19 libraries across Connecticut create strong, community-driven strategic plans - working together to overcome common barriers like limited staff, time, and budget. With guidance from Maureen Sullivan and coordination by Ellen Paul, libraries lead their own planning process while learning and supporting one another along the way.
Excited to see what this new group will achieve!
Derby Neck Library Bloomfield Public Library Case Memorial Library Hilton C. Buley Library, Southern Connecticut State University Welles-Turner Memorial Library

Summer Highlights Continued! On July 22, CLC teamed up with the UConn School of Business to offer an all-day AI Bootcamp in Hartford. Led by Professor Wei Chen, attendees dove into generative AI, prompt engineering, and retrieval-augmented generation. The workshop combined hands-on exercises with expert insights. Thanks to UConn for partnering with us to bring this valuable training to Connecticut libraries!

Summer Highlights continue with a look back at the Bridging the Gap Conference!

On July 15th, high school and academic library staff from across the state came together at Connecticut State Community College in Manchester for a dynamic day of connection and collaboration. The Bridging the Gap Conference was designed to strengthen partnerships between high schools and higher education institutions. Attendees explored resources available at Connecticut’s colleges and universities, exchanged ideas, and discussed strategies to support students as they transition from high school to college.

It was an inspiring day filled with shared experiences, fresh perspectives, and a collective commitment to student success. Thank you to everyone who made this event possible -and to all who joined us to help bridge the gap!

Next up in our Summer Highlights series: the Connecticut Library Meet Up at ALA Annual 2025 in Philadelphia!
We kicked off the conference weekend on Friday with a great gathering focused on connection and community. It was a joy to see so many familiar faces (and meet new ones!) from libraries across Connecticut. A few of our fantastic vendor partners even stopped by to say hello!
From spontaneous hallway conversations to inspiring sessions, it was a weekend filled with energy, ideas, and lots of library love.
What was your favorite part of ALA 2025? Let us know in the comments!

Summer may be winding down, but things have been buzzing here at CLC! While we've been busy behind the scenes, we haven’t been the best at sharing it all on social media - so this week, we're catching up and highlighting some of our favorite summer moments.
First up: our 22nd Anniversary Annual Meeting!
Held on June 18th, in the beautiful Hubbard Room at Russell Library, the event brought everyone together to reflect on a year of impact and collaboration.
Highlights included a keynote from author and school librarian Katie Tietjen and the celebration of the 2025 Jan Gluz Cooperative Spirit Award winner, Alice Knapp.