NEW CANAAN LIBRARY INC
151 MAIN STREET, NEW CANAAN, CT 06840 newcanaanlibrary.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: TO INSPIRE LIFELONG LEARNING THROUGH INNOVATION AND DISCOVERY; TO BECOME THE INFORMATION AND CULTURAL CENTER OF THE COMMUNITY.

PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICES.

INFORMATION/EDUCATIONAL SERVICES AND PROGRAMS - IN FURTHERANCE OF ITS MISSION TO FOSTER LIFELONG LEARNING, THE LIBRARY PROVIDES BOTH TECHNOLOGICAL AND OTHER TYPES OF INSTRUCTION. DIGITAL-RELATED OFFERINGS, BOTH FOR INSTRUCTION AND INDEPENDENT USE, ARE OFFERED IN THE MAKERLAB, CONTAINING 3D PRINTERS AND SCANNERS, VARIOUS CODING KITS, 3D MODELING AND MANGA CREATION SOFTWARE, AND A VIRTUAL REALITY STATION FEATURING AN OCULUS RIFT, AS WELL AS IN WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES PROVIDING INSTRUCTION IN A VARIETY OF SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS AND USE OF DATABASES AND OTHER DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES. THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR AND NOTWITHSTANDING THE CLOSURE OF THE LIBRARY IN MID-MARCH FOR THE BALANCE OF THE YEAR DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS, THE INFORMATION, DIGITAL SERVICE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION LIBRARIANS PLANNED AND CONDUCTED 171 CLASSES WHICH WERE ATTENDED BY NEARLY 1,080 ADULTS, TEENS AND CHILDREN IN THE USE OF THESE DEVICES AND IN OTHER DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AT VARIOUS PROFICIENCY LEVELS, BOTH AT THE LIBRARY AND AT COMMUNITY OUTREACH VENUES. DURING THE SHUTDOWN, THE DIGITAL TEAM CONTINUED TO PROVIDE CLASSES VIRTUALLY, INCLUDING IN THE USE OF ZOOM AND OTHER VIDEO CONFERENCING FORMATS AND INSTRUCTION IN DOWNLOADING DIGITAL MATERIAL FROM VARIOUS LIBRARY PROVIDERS. SPECIFICALLY, FOR CHILDREN, THE LIBRARY PROVIDED, AMONG OTHER PROGRAMS, MAKERLAB AT HOME OFFERING A HARRY POTTER HOUSE SORTING QUIZ IN PYTHON, A COMPUTER SCIENCE ESCAPE ROOM AND VIRTUAL GAME NIGHTS. IN ADDITION, THE LIBRARY OFFERS WEEKLY OPEN TECH HOURS AND ONE-ON-ONE INDIVIDUAL TIME TO ASSIST USERS WITH THEIR DIGITAL QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS, WHICH SERVICE WAS CONTINUED DURING THE SHUTDOWN BY PHONE. NON-DIGITAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS INCLUDED CLASSES IN SHORT STORY WRITING, ANCESTRY RESEARCH, VARIOUS CRAFTS, LECTURES ON HEALTH, NUTRITION AND WELL-BEING, SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL TOPICS, AND MEET-UPS FOR CONVERSATION IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES. DURING THE SHUTDOWN, THE LIBRARY INTRODUCED NCL LEARNS, A SELF-GUIDED ONLINE LEARNING EXPERIENCE WHERE STAFF FACILITATORS LED A GROUP OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGH A MOOC ON COUSERA VIA ZOOM, THE FIRST COURSE ENTITLED COEXISTENCE IN MEDIEVAL SPAIN: JEWS, CHRISTIANS, AND MUSLIMS. THE FAMILY SERVICES LIBRARIANS ALSO CONDUCT VISITS WITH PRESCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLASSES, BOTH AT THE RESPECTIVE SCHOOLS AND AT THE LIBRARY, TO INTRODUCE READING CONCEPTS OR TO TEACH STUDENTS USE OF THE LIBRARY.

COLLECTIONS AND CIRCULATION - THE LIBRARYS COLLECTION, COMPRISED OF BOTH PHYSICAL MATERIAL, INCLUDING BOOKS, AUDIOBOOKS, PERIODICALS, DVDS, SPECIALTY ITEMS (I.E., BOARD GAMES AND MUSEUM PASSES), AND DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT (E.G., EBOOKS, AUDIOBOOKS, MUSIC, FILMS, TV PROGRAMMING AND VARIOUS RESEARCH DATABASES), PROVIDES MATERIAL FOR EDUCATION, RESEARCH, ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURAL ENRICHMENT. PARTICIPATION IN THE NATIONAL INTERLIBRARY LOAN PROGRAM ALSO ALLOWS THE LIBRARY TO MAKE AVAILABLE ADDITIONAL TITLES NOT IN THE COLLECTION DUE TO PUBLICATION DATE OR ACADEMIC FOCUS, WHICH FOR THE EIGHT AND A HALF MONTHS THAT THE LIBRARY PROVIDED THIS SERVICE BEFORE SHUTDOWN GENERATED 677 REQUESTS. WHILE OPEN DURING THE PAST YEAR AND THROUGH RESERVES MADE DURING CLOSURE, THE LIBRARY STILL CIRCULATED NEARLY 205,000 PHYSICAL ITEMS. ANTICIPATING THE INCREASED DEMAND FOR DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT DURING THIS PERIOD, THE LIBRARY INCREASED THE PURCHASE OF SUCH SELECTIONS, WHICH RESULTED IN THE CIRCULATION OF 62,073 DOWNLOADABLE ITEMS, AN INCREASE OF 25% OVER THE PRIOR YEAR. BY EMPHASIZING THE DELIVERY OF COLLECTIONS AND SERVICES THAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS, THE LIBRARY'S FOOT TRAFFIC AVERAGED OVER 17,000 VISITORS PER MONTH BEFORE SHUTDOWN, AND NEARLY 1,600 INQUIRIES WERE MADE PER DAY TO THE LIBRARYS WEBSITE, FOR THE PURPOSE OF BORROWING OR DOWNLOADING COLLECTION ITEMS; CHECKING THE STATUS OF AN ACCOUNT; RENEWING OR PLACING A RESERVE; CONDUCTING RESEARCH; RESERVING A MEETING VENUE, OR TO REGISTER TO ATTEND A CLASS, PROGRAM OR SPECIAL EVENT. TO ENSURE COLLECTION RELEVANCE, STAFF ACTIVELY MANAGES THE SELECTION, ACQUISITION, AND CATALOGUING OF MATERIAL PURCHASED; THE ONGOING REVIEW, SELECTION AND UPGRADE OF THE TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS AND SYSTEMS TO PROVIDE DIGITAL SERVICES AND TO MAKE MATERIAL AVAILABLE TO THE USER; THE PROMOTIONAL DISPLAY AND OFFERING OF MATERIAL (E.G., EXPRESS LOANS, FAMILY MOVIE CART, SECOND LOOK THEMATIC AND FACE-OUT DISPLAYS), AND THE DE-ACCESSION OF MATERIAL THAT IS NO LONGER USED OR IS AVAILABLE IN NEW, MORE POPULAR FORMATS.

THE LIBRARY IS KNOWN FOR THE CREATIVITY AND DIVERSITY OF ITS PROGRAMMING FOR ALL AGE LEVELS. APPROXIMATELY 16,000 ADULTS ATTENDED 429 PROGRAMS HELD DURING FY2020, EITHER IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY FOLLOWING SHUTDOWN. A SELECTION OF THE ADULT PROGRAMMING FOR THE PAST YEAR INCLUDED (I) AUTHOR TALKS, INCLUDING NELSON DEMILLE, DELIA OWENS, AND AN EVENING WITH ANN PATCHETT WHICH HAD OVER 300 ATTENDEES; (II) ROTATING ART EXHIBITIONS IN THE GALLERY WITH COMMENTARY VIA AUGMENTED REALITY BY THE ARTIST AS WELL AS LECTURES ON ART HISTORY TOPICS AND WORKSHOPS ON PORTRAITURE AND BASICS OF WATERCOLOR; (III) LECTURES ON MEDICAL TOPICS, INCLUDING THE CORONAVIRUS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AN AREA HOSPITAL; (IV) SCIENCE AND NATURE-RELATED PROGRAMS, INCLUDING ON BIRDING, ORGANIC LAND CARE, AND CONNECTICUT ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES; (V) HISTORY, INCLUDING A SERIES ON CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT RIGHTS; AND (VI) MUSIC AT NCL SERIES. IN ADDITION, THE LIBRARY SPONSORS SEVERAL ANNUAL LECTURE SERIES, INCLUDING THE SALANT LECTURE FEATURING BRIAN LEHRER, AND THE STODDARD ART LECTURE AT WHICH JOACHIM PISSARRO SPOKE ON WILD ART. DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH, THE LIBRARY CURATED A SERIES OF PROGRAMS ON THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF LEONARDO DA VINCI TO ART, SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING IN COORDINATION WITH THE EXHIBITION OF A SERIES OF PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE LAST SUPPER BY RENOWNED PHOTOGRAPHER, AHMET ERTUG. THE FAMILY SERVICES DEPARTMENT CONTINUALLY INNOVATES ITS PROGRAM SELECTION FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS. IN FY2020, ALTHOUGH SLIGHTLY FEWER PROGRAMS (456) WERE CONDUCTED, THE TOTAL ATTENDANCE AT OVER 18,000 CHILDREN, EXCEEDED THAT OF THE PRIOR YEAR. SUCH PROGRAMMING INCLUDED STORYTIMES FOR ALL AGE RANGES, INCLUDING THOSE IN SPANISH; AUTHOR VISITS, ANIMAL PROGRAMS (PETTING ZOO), CRAFT CLASSES, YOGA, AND MUSICAL EVENTS (E.G., VIRTUAL DANCE PARTIES). THE SUMMER READING PROGRAM WITH A MEDIEVAL THEME, INCLUDING A JOUST, AGAIN SAW AN INCREASE IN ATTENDANCE OF 33%. PROGRAMS FOR PARENTS WERE ALSO PROVIDED, INCLUDING WAYS TO PREVENT LEARNING LOSS OVER THE SUMMER AND PREPARE FOR FALL. PROGRAMMING FOR TEENS INCREASED BY 25% AND RESULTED IN A 17% INCREASE IN ATTENDANCE. SUCH PROGRAMMING INCLUDED THE TEEN ADVISORY GROUP, HARRY POTTER TRIVIA NIGHT, TEEN IMPROV, TYPING CLUB, SEWING BASICS AND GAME NIGHTS.

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