Accessibility and Inclusion
Danbury Library
After a community member brought forward the idea of a sensory room at the library for patrons with autism and other sensory processing needs, the Danbury Library applied for the Connecticut State Library Construction Grant to support renovation of the library’s junior floor and included plans for Danbury Library Sensory Space.
Advancement in Literacy and Education
Hamden Public Library
Since January 2022 when the Hamden Public Library started as a pilot library for Digital Navigation, the library has kept growing and evolving the role of digital navigation in improving individual lives and strengthening the community by expanding digital literacy – knowledge/skills, access to devices, and broadband availability – beyond the brick and mortar of the library buildings, seeking to teach people where they are.
Civic Champion
Darien Library
Between October 2023 and January 2024, Darien Library hosted a four-part program, The President’s Series on Intellectual Freedom in response to the passionate national debate on censorship, free expression, and civil liberties in American institutions.
Community Engagement
Wilton Library Association
In January 2023, Wilton Library Association launched a new Strategic Plan whose vision centered on fulfilling the diverse needs of their changing community, with an emphasis on engagement and creating an environment where everyone is made to feel safe and welcome. Actively forming new partnerships has been essential to this work. For example, over the last two years, Wilton Library and Wilton Pride have held a series of events designed to promote understanding and acceptance throughout the community with hundreds of community members engaging.
Innovative Programming
Hartford Public Library
At Hartford Public Library (HPL), addressing community health and wellness is a core mission. By integrating critical partnerships, health resources and wellness initiatives into programs and services, the library serves as a vital hub for the Hartford community, promoting holistic well-being and fostering a culture of health literacy. Building on this work led to HPL incorporating a full-time social worker/community health employee into our staffing model and this person was hired in November 2023.
Outstanding Children's Services
Ansonia Library
In the year since the pandemic, the Ansonia Library has undergone the process of revitalizing the Children’s Services embracing the mantra “to meet people where they are at.” Ansonia is ranked 18 on the Distressed Municipality List, with one of the lowest average incomes in the state. With a strong relationship between the library, the Board of Alderman, and the Mayor, the Children’s Room at the Ansonia Library has proven to be a resource that families want and need in their lives and the staff in the children’s room are always looking for ways to make the lives of those they serve easier. From a programming budget of $2,000 in 2021-22, the Mayor’s 2024-25 budget proposed and approved a programming budget of $21,250 for the Ansonia Library.
