Connecticut Library Consortium
Below is a list of most of the meetings held through the Reference & Instruction Roundtable, which was under the umbrella of the Connecticut Library Consortium. I was the co-founder and co-chair of the roundtable, which was active from 2018 to 2021. Along with my co-chair, I developed all of the agendas listed below, identified and invited all speakers, coordinated all logistics, and led the meetings.
Presented in reverse chronological order.
Click a link below to jump to that meeting description:
Diversity Audits of Adult Collections
Reference & Instruction One Year After the Shutdowns
Blending Online and Library-Based Learning
Diversity Audits of Adult Collections
September 2021, Zoom
- Kymberlee Powe, Children and YA Consultant, CT State Library: Principles and Best Practices for Diversity Audits
- Colleen Wood, Knowledge and Learning Services Librarian, Darien Library: Implementation of a Diversity Audit in an Adult Nonfiction Collection
Reference & Instruction One Year After the Shutdowns
May 2021, Zoom
Let’s gather virtually to discuss where we are after more than a year of modifying our reference and instruction due to the pandemic.
- Are you still offering virtual reference?
- Any plans for in-person instruction?
- What pandemic-induced changes are you planning to keep as things get back to normal?
- How will we be affected by the lifting of remaining business restrictions on May 19?
Intellectual Freedom
September 2020, Zoom
Intellectual freedom is a basic tenet of librarianship. We’ll hear from two leaders in IF about recent trends and Banned Books Week, which is September 27 to October 3.
- Ellie Diaz, Program Officer, Banned Books Week, ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom
- Samantha Lee, Head of Reference Services, Enfield Public Library , Chair, CLA Intellectual Freedom Committee
Ellie will talk to us about this year’s Banned Books Week, including ideas for promotion and programming.
Samantha will talk about recent regional trends in challenges and censorship, as well as masks and more.
Virtual Reference
April 2020, Zoom
Join us on Thursday, April 30 at 11 am for a virtual meeting of the Reference & Instruction Roundtable. We’ll talk about how we are providing virtual reference and instruction while our buildings are closed.
Women
Feb 2020, Middletown Library Service Center
Our February meeting was on women. With Women’s History Month approaching and the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment upon us, we thought it was the perfect time to cover this amazing topic. We chose four areas upon which to focus and hosted the following presentations:
Women’s History Resources
Liz Eberlein, Education Programs Manager
National Women’s History Museum, Alexandria, VA
Women’s Health Resources
Susan Halpin, Education & Outreach Specialist
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, New England Region
Women and Business
Kenyetta Banks and Laura Stetler, Program Managers
CT Women’s Business Development Council
Women in the Arts
Lynora Williams, Director
Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center
National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC
Technology and Instruction
January 2020, New Canaan Library
We met at New Canaan Library on January 23 for a meeting on technology and instruction. We had a presentation by Kayla Del Biondo, New Canaan Library, on VR and AR as well as tech instruction more generally. The group had a lively discussion on technology instruction topics.
The Census
November 2019, Cheshire Public Library
We met on November 14 at Cheshire Public Library to discuss the Census. We had presentations on getting ready for Census 2020, accessing and using the rich demographic data available through data.census.gov, and using Census records in genealogical research.
Presentations:
Census 2020
Michael Burke
Supervisory Partnership Specialist, U.S. Census Bureau
Demographic Research Using data.census.gov
Ana Maria Garcia
Data Dissemination Specialist, U.S. Census Bureau
Genealogical Research Using Census Records
Carol Ansel
Director, Godfrey Memorial Library
Local Authors and Writers
October 2019, Westport Library
Presentations:
Connecticut Center for the Book, Lisa Comstock, Director
Connecticut Authors Trail, Chris Schulz, Founder (information to be presented by Christie Mitchell), Janet Carlson Calvert Library, Franklin, CT
Spotlight on a Few Libraries:
Short presentations by:
Lesley Lambton, Adult Program Coordinator, Ridgefield Library, Ridgefield Writer’s Conference
Christy Billings, Program Coordinator, Reference Services and Adult Learning & Coordinator of “We Were There: Veteran’s Writing Group,” Russell Library
Tina Panik, Reference & Adult Services Manager & Farmers Market Manager/Local Author Festival Co-Founder, Avon Free Public Library
Job Search and Career
September 2019, Middletown Library Service Center
Presentations:
Christy Billings, Program Coordinator, Reference Services and Adult Learning, Russell Library.
Christy will speak about the Job and Career group she leads at Russell Library. She will share tips on how we can help our patrons find jobs.
Ellen Janpol, Business Librarian, Westport Library
Ellen will speak about the Job Search Work Team (JSWT) she leads at Westport Library. She will explain how JSWTs work, why they are successful, and how to implement them at our libraries.
Samantha Lee, Head of Reference Services, Enfield Public Library and Chair, CLA Intellectual Freedom Committee
Samantha will speak to the group about the privacy issues surrounding Lynda.com and LinkedIn.
Michael Shavel, Career Development Specialist, CT Department of Labor
Michael will talk about the job search and career resources and programs offered through the American Job Center.
Also Covered:
Resources and Services at Our Libraries
Instruction and Program Ideas
Food
June 2019, Fairfield Public Library
Presentations:
Liz Fitzgerald, Director of the Culinary Literacy Center & Caity Rietzen, Library Supervisor of the Culinary Literacy Center, Free Library of Philadelphia
Raven Fonfa, Reference & Information Literacy Librarian, Conrad N. Hilton Library, Culinary Institute of America
Gail Thompson-Allen, Director of Programming and Community Engagement, Russell Library (Middletown) to Dicsuss Their Plans for a Charlie Cart
Mary Coe, Acting Branch Manager, Fairfield Woods Library, Fairfield Woods Seed-to-Seed Library
Rachel Leff, Adult Services Librarian, Ridgefield Library, Food-Related Programming
Seniors
May 2019, Willoughby Wallace Memorial Library in Branford
Presentations:
Sharon Hawkes, Director, Nahant (MA) Public Library
Sharon will discuss her library’s Dementia-Friendly Nahant project.
Cherie L. Strucaly, Ambassador & Volunteer Program Manager, Agency on Aging of South Central CT
Cherie will talk about the range of services available through her agency.
Alexis Smith, Executive Director, New Haven Legal Assistance Association
Alexis will discuss legal resources geared to seniors
Genealogy and Local History
March 2019, Middletown Library Service Center
Presentations:
Jerry Seagrave, CT State Library: CT State Library Resources
Nora Galvin, CG, Editor of the quarterly journal of the CT Ancestry Society: Genealogy and DNA
African-American Genealogy Bibliography, NYPL Resources, Presented by Rachel Leff
Ethnic Heritage Center, New Haven, CT, Overview, Presented by Rachel Leff
Brief Presentations from the Following Libraries Doing Interesting Things in Genealogy and Local History:
Carol Ansel, Godfrey Memorial Library
Agatha Monahan, West Hartford Public Library
Amy Schumann, C.H. Booth Library (Newtown)
Sally Ijams, Darien Library
Blending Online and Library-Based Learning
February 2019, Online
MOOCs in the Library
Presentation by Dorothy Pawlowski, Ridgefield Library
Using Lynda.com for Group Learning
Presentation by Julie Whalen, Lynda.com
Online Language Learning Resources
OERs & Other Free Online Educational Resources
Learning Circles / P2PU
Inverted Classroom Instruction
Legal Reference
January 2019
January 17 at the Public Library of New London:
Special Presentations:
Peter Jenkins, Law Librarian, Law Library of New London, Connecticut Judicial Branch
Alexandra Gillett, Program Manager, Court Service Centers, Connecticut Judicial Branch
Ashleigh Backman, Esq., Pro Bono Attorney Manager, Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut, Inc.
Kate Frank, Web and Publications Manager, CTLawHelp.org
Co-Chair Presentations:
Law School Libraries
Prison Libraries
Brief Review of Professional Organizations, Recommended Resources, and Collection Development
January 24 at the North Branch of Bridgeport Public Library
Special Presentations:
Mary Ann Krivicky, Law Librarian, Bridgeport Law Library, Connecticut Judicial Branch
Alexandra Gillett, Program Manager, Court Service Centers, Connecticut Judicial Branch
Ashleigh Backman, Esq., Pro Bono Attorney Manager, Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut, Inc.
Kate Frank, Web and Publications Manager, CTLawHelp.org
Christina DeLucia, Reader Services Librarian, Lynne L. Pantalena Law Library, Quinnipiac School of Law
Co-Chair Presentations:
Prison Libraries
Brief Review of Professional Organizations, Recommended Resources, and Collection Development
Arts Reference
November 2018
November 1 at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford:
Special Presentations:
Amy Kilkenny, Head of Library & Archives, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Lindsay King, Associate Director for Access and Research Services, Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library, Yale University
Keri Thompson, Head, Digital Library Department, Smithsonian Libraries
Laura Damon-Moore, Co-creator of the Library as Incubator Project, co-author of The Artist’s Library and a forthcoming ALA Edition on creativity in libraries, and community engagement librarian at the Madison (WI) Public Library
Christie Mitchell presented an abbreviated version of a presentation by Laurie McGavin Bachmann, Ridgefield Library, on arts programming in the library.
Co-Chair Presentations:
Christie Mitchell presented on funding opportunities for artists, and Rachel Leff presented on open-access images and on ideas for arts-related instruction in the library.
November 8, Yale Arts Library:
Special Presentations:
Lindsay King, Associate Director for Access and Research Services, Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library, Yale University
Kraig Binkowski, Chief Librarian, Reference Library and Archives, Yale Center for British Art
Keri Thompson, Head, Digital Library Department, Smithsonian Libraries
Erinn Batykefer, Co-creator of the Library as Incubator Project and co-author of The Artist’s Library and a forthcoming ALA Edition on creativity in libraries
Laurie McGavin Bachmann, Arts Program Developer, Ridgefield Library
Co-Chair Presentations:
Christie Mitchell presented on funding opportunities for artists, and Rachel Leff presented on open-access images and on ideas for arts-related instruction in the library.
Medical Reference
September 20, Darien Library
Presentations:
Wendy Urciuoli, Patient & Family Resource Librarian, UConn Health, Lyman Maynard Stowe Library
Carolyn English, Consumer Health Librarian, Greenwich Hospital – Yale New Haven Health, Medical Library
Carole Clark, Adult Services Librarian, Ridgefield Library: Creation of a core medical reference collection as well as collection development
Sally Ijams, Head of Knowledge and Learning Services, Darien Library: Darien Library’s program on finding reliable medical resources (Fake News or Real News: Health Edition)
Review of Guidance and Best Practices:
- Presented by Christie Mitchell and Rachel Leff:
- RUSA Health and Medical Reference Guidelines
- Mental Health Issues, a Toolkit from the Association of Specialized Government and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASGCLA), a division of the American Library Association
- Mental Health Guidance from NNLM Course “Caring for the Mind: Providing Mental Health Information at Your Library”
- Connecticut State Library Guidance on Health Literacy
- Libraries Transform and Health Literacy Month
- Medical Library Association’s publication “Find Good Health Information”
September 27, Noah Webster Library, West Hartford
Presentations:
Margot G. Malachowski, Education and Outreach Specialist, New England Region, National Network of Libraries of Medicine
Carole Clark, Adult Services Librarian, Ridgefield Library: Creation of a core medical reference collection as well as collection development
Brittany Netherton, Knowledge and Learning Services Librarian, Darien Library: Darien Library’s program on finding reliable medical resources (Fake News or Real News: Health Edition)
Review of Guidance and Best Practices:
Presented by Christie Mitchell and Rachel Leff (see above)
Reference and Instruction Roundtable Inaugural Meeting
July 2018, Ridgefield Library
rachel leff 