Leading from the Future:                Library Policy Development

Wednesday, May 7, 2025 7:00 – 8:00pm via Zoom

Leading from the Future: Library Policy Development explores how libraries can effectively shape their policies for the future. Join Dawn La Valle from the Division of Library Development at the Connecticut State Library and Jan Glover from the Association of Connecticut Library Boards as they discuss the collaboration of library administration and the library board in creating library policies that can adapt to a changing landscape and serve their communities well. This session will outline the steps in developing, maintaining, and evaluating library policies as well as highlighting the roles of library trustees, library administration, and library staff.

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Featured Library 

Somers Public Library - The Heart of the Community

The Somers Public Library has been serving the community of Somers since 1896, when it was built and donated by Laurinda Collins Whitney in memory of her father, William Collins. With an additional donation of $500 from Mrs. Whitney, and book donations from private individuals, the collection began with 1,100 volumes. The original building served as the town’s library until October 1965 when it became the Somers Historical Society and museum.

From 1965-1988, Piedmont Hall became the new location of the library. This building began as a Methodist Church and was moved to Main St. in Somers in the 1800’s. The church closed and the building was purchased by Mrs. Ernest Fuller in 1914. It was named Piedmont Hall after her home. It was a playhouse before becoming the library in 1965.

The current Somers Public Library building was built in 1988 with donations from the Blake Foundationand donations from a trust established by local resident Hazel Neelans, which continues to this day. In 2009, with grants from the State of CT, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and Friendly’s co-founder Prestley Blake, the library underwent a significant expansion and renovation done byarchitect Tai Soo Kim, including a magazine room with a fireplace, a children’s room, a teen room, quiet study rooms, and the Blake Community Room.

Today, the Somers Public Library serves as a wonderful resource for all ages in the community. We offer children’s storytimes, after school teen activities, adult programs, and have many other offerings for our patrons.

In addition to circulating traditional items such as books, dvd’s and audiobooks, the Somers Public Library now lends electronic items such as ebooks, downloadable audiobooks, TV shows, movies, and more. We now also have a Library of Things. This includes a telescope, a metal detector, lawn games, a record player, a knitting kit, a ukulele, puzzles, board games, and more!  We have a lot of items to offer children including Tonies and Tonieboxes, Early Learning backpack kits, Wonderbooks, Playaway Views, and GoReaders. Somers Public Library also lends museum passes so families can have access to many local attractions for a free or discounted price.

The Somers Public Library has many opportunities for adults and seniors to come together- we have several book clubs, weekly movie matinees, a monthly Memory Care Cafe for people caring for a loved one with dementia, and a weekly drop-in Craft & Chat group. We also have a beautiful magazine room with a fireplace, a coffee station where patrons can make coffee, tea, or hot cocoa, and plenty of comfy chairs if someone just wants to relax and spend the day reading and browsing in a peaceful space!

Somers Public Library has four study rooms for students and community members who need a quiet place to focus or work on group projects. We also have a beautiful courtyard with benches.

In addition to physical items, patrons can also borrow ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines through Libby, Hoopla, and the Palace Project. We also offer many online resources for our patrons to pursue their own learning and research, such as Ancestry, ResearchIT, and Novelist.

Here in Somers, we offer a wonderful home delivery service for patrons in town who are unable to physically come into the library due to illness, disability, age,or  lack of transportation.

Somers Public Library is a dementia-friendly library, which means it is a space that's designed to be welcoming and inclusive for individuals living with dementia, their families, and caregivers, offering resources, programs, and a supportive environment to enhance their well-being.

We also offer memory kits for those living with dementia and their caregivers.

Somers Public Library is home to two guinea pigs, Oreo and S'mores! The children in the community were involved in the naming process with a fun survey.

For the past few years, Somers Public Library has been offering a Seed Library to the community, along with a gardening program covering a different topic each spring to kick it off. We offer a variety of vegetable, fruit, herb and flower seeds!

We recently received a generous donation in honor of a patron, Carolyn Palomba, which allowed us to get a local artist to cover the walls of our children’s room with colorful murals. The artist included images throughout the murals of things that Carolyn loved.

Many of our library programs, including summer reading and prizes, are funded by the Friends of the Somers Library. Every spring and fall, the Friends host a book sale, with the proceeds going towards programs and events for all ages.

There truly is something for everyone at the Somers Public Library, the heart of the community!