Navigating the Library Director        Hiring Process

During this webinar you will learn some best practices for and common pitfalls of the Library Director selection process. 

Join Karen Miller, President of Bradbury Miller Associates, an executive search firm dedicated to working exclusively with libraries and library support organizations, and Carol Mikulski, ACLB President, former member of the Wallingford Public Library Board of Managers and chair of the director search committee.

Wednesday March 26, 2025 7:00-8:30 via Zoom

Register here

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Association of Connecticut Library Boards
PO Box 263
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Featured Library 

Berlin-Peck Memorial Library

Berlin-Peck Memorial Library’s current Kensington Road location was dedicated on October 2, 1989, opening with a collection of 58,669 items. Over the past thirty-five years, the library has almost doubled its collection size and offers many services today that could never have been imagined in 1989. E-Books, downloadable audiobooks, a seed library, a circulating “Library of Things” consisting of items such as Wi-Fi hotspots, a metal detector, board games and an outdoor projector are just some of the innovative offerings that have been added over the years.

The past thirty-five years were not without their challenges. However, in most cases, the library staff were able to turn these challenges into opportunities to serve the public in new ways.  In October 2010, a freak snowstorm left most of Berlin without electricity for a week. Luckily, the library had power and became the community hub for those seeking warmth, outlets to charge their devices, and a place to work and study when many places in the state were inaccessible. While it may have been chaotic at the time, it served as a reminder to the community about the value of their local library. Six years later, the library faced a new challenge when a sprinkler pipe burst and flooded the children’s department, resulting in thousands of damaged books.  Though it took several months to repair the damage and replace the lost books, it was heartwarming to see how much support the community offered to the library staff. More recently, the Covid-19 pandemic deeply and suddenly impacted library services. Library staff worked remotely for three months, answering questions, offering online programming and finding new ways to build connections to combat fear and loneliness within the community.  Once the public was allowed back into the building, dramatic changes occurred. There were plexiglass partitions surrounding service desks, mask mandates and social distancing.  While this was an extremely difficult time in our history, library services evolved from this experience and several innovations that began during that time continue today.  For example, the library continues to offer the option of curbside pickup and routinely includes some online programming to the calendar each month.

After a six-month planning process, the Berlin-Peck Memorial Library’s Strategic Plan was unveiled in January 2024. The plan introduced a new mission statement for the library: “Every day, the Berlin-Peck Memorial Library strengthens individuals and builds community through universal access to information, opportunities, ideas and understanding.” The plan highlights the library’s vision to be “the heart of an engaged, informed and vibrant community” and identified its values as “Intellectual Freedom, Connection and Collaboration, Curiosity and Discovery, Exceptional Service and a Welcoming Place.”  Through extensive community feedback, the library outlined its priorities and goals for the next three years: “Engaging Community, Supporting Literacy, Fostering Connection in a Divided World, Enriching Lives through the Arts and Culture.”

Today, the library serves as a community hub: a place for literacy, life-long learning, entertainment and connection.  Berlin residents look forward to many of our annual events such as the summer reading program, gingerbread house contest, Juneteenth celebration, Art and Poetry exhibit, literary contests, and yearlong reading challenges. The library also holds several monthly and weekly programs for all ages. New programs introduced in 2024 include Sensory Play and Learn for children, “Lawyers in Libraries” consultations, knitting classes, a toy swap, a puzzle contest, a civics class and a school readiness series.  New services include Transparent Language, an online language learning site for Berlin cardholders, Craft and Hobby, an on-demand site for classes and tutorials, and a new Memory Care shelf with books and resources for those living with dementia and their caregivers. Thanks to a donation from the Berlin Lions Club, the children’s department now circulates Tonies, screen-free listening devices with stories and songs, allowing for creativity and interactive play. Additional library services include children’s book bundles, delivery services to homebound patrons, job seeker assistance and a monthly dementia caregiver support group.

The library also proudly offers a public Courageous Conversations series.  Courageous Conversations is a small-group discussion series that provides an opportunity for people of all backgrounds and viewpoints to discuss important local, cultural, social, and political issues in a safe environment where differing opinions, patient listening, and respectful discussion are welcomed as a necessary part of building connection with others and identifying shared values. Participants are often asked to read short articles, books, or listen to podcasts prior to the meetings and agree to abide by our shared discussion guidelines. Library staff facilitate the conversations and ensure that all participants can share in the discussion.

The 2024/2025 academic year brought a new initiative to the town of Berlin: the first annual One Book, One Berlin program. One Book, One Berlin is a collaboration between the Berlin-Peck Memorial Library, Berlin Public Schools, Berlin Social and Youth Services and Berlin police. The purpose is to bring the community together to promote reading, discuss ideas, and break down barriers between people. The featured book for this year’s initiative is The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. This thought-provoking work explores the rise of anxiety and mental health struggles among young people in the modern world. Through this book, the library and related town departments aim to spark meaningful conversations about the challenges facing today’s youth and encourage the community to come together in support of mental health and well-being.

The library is currently in the process of a huge undertaking: completely reorganizing the adult non-fiction section, moving away from the Dewey Decimal System to a word-based cataloging system. The goal of the project, aptly named “The Pecking Order”, is to make it easier to browse and find books. The project is slated to finish in early 2025. At this time, only a handful of public libraries in the state have made the transition to a word-based nonfiction cataloging system, and the Berlin-Peck Memorial Library is honored to be at the forefront of this trend.

The library is lucky to have a supportive Library Board. Its members are passionate about library services and believe in the intrinsic value of the public library. Through the guidance of the Library Board, the assistance of the Friends of the Berlin-Peck Memorial Library, the dedication of talented library staff, and the encouragement of the community, the library looks forward to continuing to offer meaningful and valuable services to the citizens of Berlin in the years to come.

Please click the link to see the featured library document in PDF form.

Berlin-Peck Memorial Libraryal Library

Peck Memorial Library’s