The Delaware Division of Libraries and all public libraries in Delaware invite children, teens, and adults to join the 2015 Summer Library Reading program! Themes for this year are “Every Hero has a Story” for kids, “Unmask” for teens, and “Escape the Ordinary” for adults. Registration is free and incentive prizes are awarded based on reading milestones.

“The Summer Library Reading Program is a lighthearted way to approach the serious topic of summer learning loss,” said State Librarian, Dr. Annie Norman. “Studies have shown that children who participate in public library summer reading programs score higher on reading achievement tests at the beginning of the new school year, experience less summer reading loss, and begin the school year with more confidence.”

Throughout the summer, libraries will be presenting a variety of fun and educational STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), art, and cultural programs.

The following three programs for children will be presented at libraries throughout the state; visit http://guides.lib.de.us/heroes for more information:

Act!vated Story Theatre: They don’t just tell stories, they act!vate them with physical comedy, audience participation, American Sign Language and imaginative props; staged by professional actors and young “guest stars” from your community before a gigantic oversized book. Each show promotes reading and a love for literature. In partnership with the Delaware Division of the Arts.

Tom Crowl, Comedy Ventriloquist: Puppeteer and ventriloquist, Tom Crowl, has a satchel of mischievous “friends” who, through the use of their imaginations, become out-of-the-ordinary super heroes, fighting evil in fantastically funny ways. From sharing hero stories to solving clues with the help of the audience, “Super Quack and Library Dragon” will keep everyone guessing. In partnership with the Delaware Division of the Arts.

Heroes All Around: The Delaware Aerospace Education Foundation is bringing facts and fun designed to inspire the next generation of heroes! Navigate your way to exploration and adventure with magnetic forces, use pattern blocks to design a vehicle fit for a hero, and see how homemade stethoscopes can help you listen to your heart. Learn about air pressure and gravity by making a super hero helicopter! You and your child will see a collection of NASA mission pins and your young hero will use a paper bag and their imagination to make a space helmet and a space mission patch. Programs address a variety of State science standards: Science Standard 1 – Nature and Application of Science and Technology, Science Standard 2 – Materials and Their Properties, Science Standard 3 – Energy and Its Effects, Science Standard 4 – Earth in Space, Science Standard 6 – Life Processes.

About:
The Delaware Division of Libraries, a state agency dedicated to unleashing the potential in all Delawareans in partnership with Delaware Libraries, offers free access to the online catalog (delawarelibraries.org); Wi-Fi; computers/internet; eBooks, programs/classes, community partnerships, and more.

WILMINGTON, Del. — Congressman John Carney gave remarks today at the launch of an initiative between the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Delaware Division of Libraries, and the Delaware Financial Literacy Institute that will improve financial literacy in Delaware. The initiative, which is being offered through the state’s public libraries, will provide Delawareans with the tools they need to make smart financial decisions on topics ranging from mortgages and credit reports to student loans and credit card debt.

Today’s announcement was followed by a training session in the Wilmington Public Library’s Inspiration Space. Librarians from throughout the state joined the presentation led by representatives from the CFPB and The Money School, either in person or via video conference.

“The ability to understand and make good financial decisions for yourself and for your family is a skill that every Delawarean should learn. In a lot of cases, it can be the difference between just getting by, and getting ahead,” said Congressman Carney. “I thank the CFPB for bringing their expertise and resources to Delaware, and Delaware libraries for helping to fill this need in our communities. Between this initiative, and the partnership already underway with The Money School, Delawareans have more help than ever before to effectively manage their money.”

“Congressman Carney and the CFPB share the goal of empowering consumers to help them make responsible financial decisions,” said Gail Hillebrand, Associate Director for Consumer Education and Engagement. “This initiative with Delaware’s Division of Libraries and local libraries will help the state’s already-trusted libraries to be community centers for financial education.”

“Delaware libraries are pleased to be collaborating with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to help bring additional financial literacy tools to Delawareans,” said Dr. Annie Norman, State Librarian. “Libraries are conveniently located in communities throughout the state, and are devoted to supporting individuals and communities achieve their full potential. The new set of financial empowerment tools provided by the CFPB will support libraries’ efforts to help all Delawareans achieve their versions of the Delaware Dream.”

Ronni Cohen, Executive Director of DFLI, home of The Money School added, “Delaware public libraries and the Money School have worked together for many years to ensure that every Delawarean has the information and support they need to make smart financial decisions today and into the future. We are very pleased to welcome the CFPB to this partnership, and encourage anyone looking for help to seek out their local library and the resources available.”

Over the last several months, Congressman Carney has worked closely with the CFPB, the Delaware Financial Literacy Institute, and the Delaware Division of Libraries to bring this initiative to Delaware. As a member of the House Financial Services Committee, Congressman Carney has strongly supported the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in its mission of ensuring that consumer finance markets are fair and consistent, and that consumers have the knowledge and ability to make smarter financial decisions.

Carl Shaw, Wilmington Library Inspiration Space Coordinator; Diana Brown, New Castle County Librarian; Annie Norman, State Librarian; Gail Hillebrand, Associate Director for Consumer Education and Engagement​, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; Ronni Cohen, Executive Director, Delaware Financial Literacy Institute/The Money School; Ken McDonnell, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Congressman Carney (right) talks with Gail Hillebrand, Associate Director for Consumer Education and Engagement at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Rod Scott, president of the Board of Managers for the Wilmington Institute Library before today’s announcement.

Congressman John Carney speaks with librarians from throughout the state at today’s launch a new financial literacy initiative between Delaware libraries and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

CONTACTS:

Albert Shields: (302) 691-7333 office/(302) 561-5043 cell
Albert.Shields@mail.house.gov

Beth-Ann Ryan, Deputy Director, Delaware Division of Libraries
beth-ann.ryan@delaware.gov
delawarelibraries.org • libraries.delaware.gov

Delaware library officials, friends, advocates, patrons, and other lovers of libraries will have an opportunity to meet with legislators at the annual Delaware Library Legislative Action Day on Tuesday, March 24 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The event is presented by the Delaware Library Association.

A full day of activities is planned, including an information session at the Dover Public Library, and lunch with legislators followed by discussions with legislators at Legislative Hall.

Since the first event in 1992, library supporters have influenced legislation and funding to benefit libraries throughout Delaware. During that time, state funding for libraries has increased by more than 150 percent, and more than $25 million of state funds have gone into library construction projects during the Markell administration. Statewide library technology infrastructure, broadband, and wireless access has been achieved and more than half a million Delawareans and/or their families have library cards.  The Delaware Library Catalog eBook lending program enters into its fourth year with Delawareans downloading eBooks, eAudiobooks, and eMagazines over 30,000 times each month.

Library Legislative Action Day gives librarians and library advocates an opportunity to thank Delaware legislators for their support of libraries as well as to influence future legislation and funding.

About the Delaware Library Association

The Delaware Library Association (http://dla.lib.de.us) is a chapter of the American Library Association, and its mission is to promote the profession of librarianship, to advocate for library services, and to provide information and services for Delawareans.  DLA is the only statewide association that represents all types of libraries including academic, public, school, and special libraries.

Contact: Cathay Keough, Cathay.keough@lib.de.us

The Delaware School Libraries Council, with support from the Delaware Department of State and the Department of Education, is embarking on a Statewide Master Plan for Delaware School Libraries, a comprehensive planning effort designed to create a vision that will inform solutions for the development of state-of-the-art school libraries.

The year-long planning effort, which will appraise the current status of school library services and will address future trends and needs, will be conducted by the Institute for Public Administration (IPA) at the University of Delaware and Himmel & Wilson, Library Consultants. IPA has an extensive project management and strategic planning background in the public sector. Himmel & Wilson specializes in evaluation and planning services for libraries.

“Delaware has made a great investment in upgrading the services offered to residents in our 35 public libraries across the state,” said Secretary of State, Jeff Bullock. “Creating a Master Plan for Delaware’s school libraries ensures students will have the resources they need to be successful within their schools.”

“This is an opportunity for our school librarians, teachers, administrators, students and families to share their needs and help us coordinate services and resources across our state and between our public school and library systems,” Secretary of Education Mark Murphy said.

This school library planning process builds upon the strategic Statewide Master Plan for Delaware Public Libraries which resulted in significant improvements in public library buildings and sharing of library collections statewide through the Delaware Library Catalog. “A statewide strategic approach to all library services will support Delawareans in achieving potential in their education, career, and throughout life,” according to Dr. Annie Norman, State Librarian and Chair of the Delaware School Libraries Council.

The consultants will review background documents and national research, and will obtain input from school librarians, educators, district administrators, students, parents, legislators, and the public through surveys, site visits, interviews, and focus groups. A focus of the researchers is determining the most effective methods to integrate electronic resources, instructional technologies, and information literacy/fluency at the individual school-building level. The project will identify ways to utilize print resources to engage elementary-age children with reading, and methods to equip older students to navigate and apply information resources in the post-secondary realm.

The final plan submitted to the Delaware School Libraries Council will provide recommendations for an integrated framework for school libraries, including library services, collections, funding, staffing, operating costs, maintenance, performance indicators and measures, policies, and state and local governance. The summary of efforts to improve school libraries to date and the recommendations for the Statewide Master Plan for Delaware School Libraries can be found in the 2013 Annual Report of the Delaware School Libraries Council.

About:
The Delaware School Libraries Council was enacted by Governor Markell in 2011 through Executive Order 30 to improve and extend school library services that are essential to educational success.

The Delaware Division of Libraries is a state agency dedicated to unleashing the potential in all Delawareans in partnership with Delaware Libraries.

Over the last 18 months, the Delaware Library Consortium (DLC) in cooperation with the Delaware Division of Libraries (DDL) was pleased to add six new member institutions: Barratt’s Chapel and Museum, Biggs Museum of American Art, Delaware’s Legislative Hall Library, Fort Delaware Society, Positive Outcomes Charter School, and Thomas Edison Charter School. These six institutions join the 35 public libraries, six academic libraries, two school libraries, and seven special libraries currently in the DLC. Membership in the DLC allows institutions to add their print collections to the online Delaware Library Catalog (http://dlc.lib.de.us) as well as digitized collections to the online Delaware Heritage Collection (http://delawarelibraries.org/delaware-heritage-collection).  The participating collections may be searched online, all at once or by individual library.  All Delaware libraries are invited to join the DLC.

“Thanks to the consortium, Delawareans now can easily search the millions of physical items in the participating institutions, as well as the online digital collections,” said Dr. Annie Norman, State Librarian.  “Due to the collaboration among the DLC participants, Delawareans now have access to more.”

About the new libraries:

Barratt’s Chapel and Museum houses a research library emphasizing Methodist history and the archives of the Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conference. The archives contains a wide variety of material dating from the eighteenth century to the present, including membership records of closed churches, annual conference records, sermons, memoirs, and personal papers.

The Biggs Museum of American Art, a private non-profit museum in Dover, Delaware, exhibits and collects fine and decorative arts of Delaware, the Mid-Atlantic Region and the Nation from 1700 to the present. The Biggs research library includes catalogs, reference works, and select biographies.

Delaware’s Legislative Hall Library contains a collection used for legislative research and is also open to the general public.  Featured collections include: Original Bills back to 1973, Session Laws from the 1770’s, Delaware Code, Senate and House Journals from 1949, Previous Executive Orders from Castle through the current Governor, books on the history of Delaware, and Delaware Constitutional Debates, 1897.

The Fort Delaware Society is a non-profit organization, chartered in 1950, and dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of Fort Delaware, a Civil War prison camp on Pea Patch Island. The society maintains the Emerson Wilson Research Library focusing on Civil War research and publishes books and documents related to Fort Delaware.

Positive Outcomes Charter School serves students in the seventh through the twelfth grades and Thomas Edison Charter School serves students in K-8 grades.  Both libraries focus on collections to support the learning of their students.

About:

The Delaware Division of Libraries, a state agency dedicated to unleashing the potential in all Delawareans in partnership with Delaware Libraries, offers free access to the online catalog (delawarelibraries.org); Wi-Fi; computers/internet; eBooks, programs/classes, community partnerships, and more.

Delaware Department of State | Division of Libraries
Contact: Beth-Ann Ryan, Deputy Director
(302) 257-3002 | beth-ann.ryan@delaware.gov