[CASL-L] This week in CT Libraries: 5.13.24

[Ellen Paul]

Good Morning CT Libraries, here's what's going on this week.

CLC HAPPENINGS

We have a lot of roundtables this week and a lot of them are in person.

Tuesday we have Readers Advisory at 11<https://www.ctlibrarians.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1830399&group=> talking about my least favorite genre: horror.  Also on Tuesday Adult Programming<https://www.ctlibrarians.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1838959&group=> in person at Westport.

Wednesday the Eastern CT Library Directors<https://www.ctlibrarians.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1830417&group=> are meeting at the recently renovated Jonathan Trumbull Library in Lebanon.

Thursday, the Office Administrators Roundtable<https://www.ctlibrarians.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1855568&group=> is meeting at the Wallingford Library to talk about records retention.  Also on Thursday, the Social Justice Roundtable<https://www.ctlibrarians.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1853058&group=> is meeting on zoom with guest Alice Knapp talking about the process Ferguson Library went through to become a book sanctuary library.

Children's services roundtable<https://www.ctlibrarians.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1853903&group=> meets on Friday at the Cromwell Belden Library to talk about children's spaces.  The Academic Library Roundtable for Access Services<https://www.ctlibrarians.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1853913&group=> is meeting at the UConn Law Library in Hartford to talk about triumphs and challenges.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES / THINGS I THINK I THINK

The 2024 legislative session of the Connecticut General Assembly is over. Truthfully, we didn't get as far as I hoped.

The legislative process is a slow one.  It wasn't built to be fast.  It was built for slow and careful deliberation.  And here in Connecticut, unlike in many other states, it was built so that you need bipartisan support to pass a bill.

Our Connecticut General Assembly has a history of unlimited debate.  And as such, the minority party has a lot of power, particularly at the end of session to defeat a bill.  All they have to do is keep talking or even just threatening to keep talking.  Filibustering a bill, if you will.  And, that's what happened with our bills:  they were labeled as 'talkers.'

Democratic leadership knew that Republicans were going to do a lot of talking on both our ebook bill (as we saw last week) or our school library bill.   With limited time in the legislative session, Democratic leadership passed on our bills so they could work on other bills that would take less time.

And, to be clear, there are other reasons why our bills didn't move forward.  Republicans holding up our bills with a filibuster or a threatened filibuster wasn't our only issue.   But now we know unequivocally:  we cannot get our bills passed without bipartisan support.  The problem is this seems to get harder every year.

I've got to be honest.  I'm really concerned about the growing partisan nature of libraries.  I'm really concerned that libraries are becoming wedge issues.  It's not good for libraries.

But, putting my concerns aside, there were bright spots.  When librarians talked to their legislators, especially Republican legislators, we made progress.  Thanks to Kara Canney and Jenn Billingsley, Representative Carpino (R-32) flipped on the ebook bill to support it.  Thanks to Lisa Timothy, Representative Cheeseman (R-37) flipped on the ebook bill to support it.  Thanks to Evelyn Morgan and Maureen Sullivan, Representative Haines (R-34) flipped on the ebook bill to support it.

And so, if we've learned anything this year, it is that we have an untapped power: you.  When we talk to our legislators, even if they don't always agree with us, they do listen.  After all, all of us, no matter what position we hold in a library, are community leaders and we vote.

So, where do we go from here?  In the coming months, we'll be debriefing with our legislative champions.  We'll set a legislative agenda for 2025.  And, we'll get ready to do this all over again because as we all now know, this is a marathon not a sprint.  I'll keep showing up.  I hope you will too.

NEWS OF NOTE

Dozens protest budget cuts at Hartford Public Schools, a school librarian laid off.<https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/dozens-protest-devastating-school-cuts-among-them-one-of-district-s-seven-librarians-recently-laid-off/ar-BB1m2knH>

Ex-Middletown Library workers faced threats of legal action for criticizing budget, lawsuits claim. <https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/middletown-library-lawsuits-thompson-allen-smith-19434286.php>

Fairfield University Library offers K9 cuddles with an adorable therapy dog in advance of finals. <https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/connecticut-university-offers-adorable-therapy-194041236.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9kdWNrZHVja2dvLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAAkwSnc7u05iwpgBA2QV60HAKS4WFPpe6AL61YMdykwG9Gcy-DF5JO2GWLmh4mG3EDAZvkDtborQe9xn6OBBn1RyuzSFHbMyMM61EynPoIniaKwtNrf_9YsJSIT7ish6sb3jS1AS94AEKNpACXoFkhXtzqIn-_Mybrl6X5U1mtPD>

A CT non- profit received $400K to build small libraries in prisons. <https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/journalinquirer/article/ct-prisons-libraries-freedom-reads-19437278.php>

Libraries are building community through identity and cultural change<https://www.ctpublic.org/show/disrupted/2024-05-08/libraries-are-building-community-through-identity-and-cultural-change> on CT Public.

Glastonbury goes fine free. <https://patch.com/connecticut/glastonbury/overdue-library-fines-eliminated-glastonbury>

Stratford takes home top honors at the CLA Publicity Awards for Billy Bones, a 12-foot skeleton!<https://patch.com/connecticut/stratford/stratford-librarys-billy-bones-campaign-wins-state-library-award>

Big bird returns to the West Hartford Library!<https://view.publitas.com/p222-6222/whll_050124_p/page/20-21>

If you or your library is in the news and I miss it, drop me a line!

Have a good week,
Ellen


Ellen Paul
Executive Director
Connecticut Library Consortium
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860.344.8777x3043
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860.740.3043
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860.344.9199
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Middletown, CT 06457
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