American Association of Law Libraries Annual Conference & Meeting 2026
Cleveland, OH
A big thank you to the Central New York Library Resources Council (CLRC) for supporting my trip to the 2026 AALL Annual Conference & Meeting in Cleveland. Their generosity ensured I could dive into a week of learning, leadership, and the kind of only‑at‑AALL adventures you definitely won’t find in the official conference program.
This year’s conference was especially meaningful because I attended in several national leadership roles: as President of the Association of Law Libraries of Upstate New York (ALLUNY), Secretary Treasurer of AALL’s Social Responsibilities Special Interest Section (SR-SIS), and as a member of the Conference of Newer Law Librarians (CONELL). These roles allowed me to contribute to the conference beyond attending educational sessions by helping shape programming, and collaborating with colleagues from across the country. Wearing that many hats also meant I spent the week answering questions, directing attendees, and occasionally pretending I knew which ballroom I was in before checking the app.
As a CONELL member, I hosted one of the dine‑arounds, which is basically AALL‑speak for “delicious food with librarians who become your friends before dessert.” In my other roles, I helped welcome and orient new members—everything from tabling to introducing them to the associations, the profession, and the many ways they can get involved. Think of it as librarian speed‑dating, but with fewer awkward pauses and more enthusiastic nodding.
Throughout the conference I attended educational programs on legal research, emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, access to justice, library management, and leadership development. These sessions provided practical strategies that can be incorporated into my work with the New York State Unified Court System, particularly in serving self represented litigants, improving legal information services, and helping make sure AI is a helpful tool rather than something that accidentally tries to run the library.
Equally valuable were the opportunities to meet with law librarians from court, academic, government, and private law libraries across North America. Conversations with colleagues highlighted innovative outreach programs, approaches to professional development, and creative solutions to challenges facing our profession. As President of ALLUNY, these discussions fueled upcoming plans for future educational programming, member engagement, and collaboration with regional and national organizations.
As Secretary Treasurer of SR-SIS, I participated in meetings focused on advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and social responsibility within the legal information profession. I was able to share the work being done in New York, including initiatives supporting LGBTQ+ inclusion, community outreach, and access to justice, while also learning from colleagues who are piloting remarkable programs of their own. It was energizing, insightful, and occasionally involved deciphering handwritten meeting notes that looked like they were produced during a sprint between sessions.
Of course, AALL wouldn’t be AALL without the legendary unofficial programming—the stuff that never makes it into the brochure but somehow becomes the highlight reel. The Tri‑Chapter gathering with NJLLA and LLAGNY was a fantastic blend of networking and laughter (plus the unofficial sport of guessing who traveled the farthest). The Alan Holoch Reception at Nuevo Modern Mexican Restaurant offered great food, conversations and amazing connections. Karaoke at the House of Blues reminded us that librarians can, in fact, be fearless performers when handed a microphone. And the haunted ghost tour through downtown Cleveland added spooky ambiance and unexpected team bonding as we all attempted to determine whether the ghost stories were historically accurate or just very enthusiastic improv.
The conference reinforced the importance of strong professional networks and continuous learning. I returned to New York with practical ideas, new partnerships, and expanded leadership experience that will directly benefit my work at the Supreme Court Law Library in Onondaga County, my leadership within ALLUNY, and my continued service to AALL. The knowledge and connections gained through this conference will have lasting value, allowing me to bring new programming, advocacy strategies, mentorship opportunities, and best practices back to the legal information community in Central New York.
And yes there were walks to the liquor store (this is where they sell White Claw, I swear!) with brand-new friends, too, proving once again that AALL conference networking comes in all forms, including “accidental mentorship through hydration planning.”
This conference reaffirmed the importance of strong professional networks and continuous learning. I returned to New York with new ideas, renewed energy, expanded leadership experience, and a fresh appreciation for the creativity and resilience of law librarians everywhere. These takeaways will support my work at the Supreme Court Law Library in Onondaga County, strengthen ALLUNY’s member engagement and programming, and enhance my ongoing service within AALL.
Thank you to CLRC for investing in my professional development and making this unforgettable and highly productive experience possible.
Kristin K. Neri, Law Librarian
Onondaga County Supreme Court Law Library
Are you interested in being our next Professional Development Award recipient? Check out the award page for the rules & requirements!
American Alliance of Museums 2026 Annual Meeting
Philadelphia, PA
I attended the American Alliance of Museums’ 2026 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. This was my first time at the annual AAM conference, and I was thrilled to spend three days surrounded by fellow museum professionals. I attended thirteen conference sessions, visited four of Philadelphia’s best museums, explored the MuseumExpo, and generally had an amazing time being surrounded by several thousand fellow museum enthusiasts!
Several of the conference sessions provided me with ideas to bring back to the Everson. The presenters of “Low Carbon Footprint Exhibitions” shared how to design and install exhibitions while being conscious of the environmental impact exhibitions can have, while “School is in session… in the Museum! Re-Imagining Museum-Based Learning” was an inspiring look at how the New York Historical engages with thousands of 6th grade students every year. I learned how project management software can help track tasks and assist with collaboration across many museum departments and listened to inspiring stories about museums working closely with Indigenous communities.
One of the most unique parts of AAM is the MuseumExpo, which features hundreds of exhibitors showcasing their products and services designed specifically for the museum industry. At the Expo, I learned about everything from new casework designs to different traveling exhibition services to innovative art storage solutions.
I returned to Syracuse after attending AAM feeling revitalized and excited to take on new challenges and implement several of the ideas I learned while at the conference. I am deeply thankful for the CLRC’s financial support, which made attending the conference possible.
Steffi Chappell, Director of Curatorial Affairs
Everson Museum of Art
Are you interested in being our next Professional Development Award recipient? Check out the award page for the rules & requirements!
LOEX 2026 Conference
Norfolk, VA
As a recent MLIS graduate working toward becoming an academic librarian, attending LOEX for the first time was an incredible experience for me. I was able to build professional connections, engage in thoughtful conversations, and learn from librarians who are innovating in the sphere of information literacy and instruction.
Over the course of the conference, I attended sessions on faculty outreach, digital instruction tools, and collaborative curriculum development. These sessions sparked new ideas and a fresh passion for my own work as a librarian, motivating me to pursue independent projects and develop new skills as I continue my search for a long-term position post-graduation.
I also had the privilege to present a poster of my own research during sessions on the first two conference days. This past winter, I partnered with a librarian at Syracuse University to co-lead a video creation workshop targeted toward MLIS students and library staff. This experience formed the basis for my poster, which explored experiential learning outcomes for MLIS graduate students as both participants and (in my case) facilitators for these kinds of hands-on workshops. Presenting my poster to attendees gave me experience in communicating my work in an academic conference setting, and allowed me to receive helpful feedback and insights from professionals working in my field.
I am very grateful to CLRC for the support given through their Professional Development Award, which played a key role in making this experience a reality for me. Attending the LOEX 2026 conference provided me with valuable ideas, insights, and connections that will continue to shape my path forward as an early-career librarian.
Joel Carpenter, Information Literacy Scholar
Syracuse University
Are you interested in being our next Professional Development Award recipient? Check out the award page for the rules & requirements!
Tactile Library
Please provide a brief narrative explaining your project and its outcomes.
With this grant, the Everson developed a tactile library of sensory-based items to be used during tours, onsite and offsite programs, and events. These will enhance learning opportunities in a multi-sensory way, which enriches the museum experience for all. For guests with visual or other sensory or neuro divergent challenges, they present an alternative way to envision and interpret visual arts.
What is the most remarkable accomplishment or finding of your project?
The most remarkable accomplishment so far for this project has been the piloting of the resources and the internal buy-in from staff across the museum. While the Tactile Library lives under and will primarily be used by Learning and Engagement, we have received insight from the curatorial and collections department, and interest from staff overall. In piloting the Library, the museum will increase sensory and accessibility resources for a more diverse range of visitors and provide a dedicated space for exploration, curiosity, and reflection.
How did your project differ from what you originally proposed?
The research and items selection process took longer than we anticipated, but the time was well spent, as we discovered objects that we felt would be most appropriate and effective for our guests while complementing our exhibitions and collections. Ultimately, we accomplished our goal of developing this tactile library and making it available for use and we recognize that challenges along the way help us to strengthen our work, so it has been a good learning opportunity!
Please provide a brief summary of your evaluation activities and/or results, if available.
The Tactile Library will be piloted in early June 2026. Our plan for evaluation is recording the number of visits to the library, as well as the duration per guest, and integrating with our visitors’ services representatives to evaluate public perception and impact of the resource.
Anything else you’d like us to know?
Thank you for this opportunity to create this library for the Everson. We know the library will be used and enjoyed by museum guests and we look forward to making it available in the coming weeks.
Heidi Freedman
Grants Writer, Everson Museum of Art
Are you interested in applying for a Catalyst Grant? Check out the grant page for the rules & requirements!
]]>Erie Canal Museum Skill Share Workshop
Please provide a brief narrative explaining your project and its outcomes.
In an effort to bolster community resiliency, comradery, and solidarity the Erie Canal Museum hosted a series skill sharing workshop, where presenters from community partners will teach the basics of how to do a variety of useful skills that also would have been practiced by canallers of the past, present, and future. We hosted skill shares on gardening, bike repair, orienteering, zine making, and cyanotype/paper making. This series was very popular, with most events filling up registration or coming close. The one challenge we had was that a presenter for a foraging workshop had an unexpected life event that prevented him from hosting that shkill share. Post-events surveys were overwhelmingly positive as well.
What is the most remarkable accomplishment or finding of your project?
People are very interested in learning practical skills and there are some great teachers available in our community. The connection between those two groups needs to just be established further.
How did your project differ from what you originally proposed?
We had to fit in the cyanotype/paper making workshop to make up for the cancelled foraging workshop.
Please provide a brief summary of your evaluation activities and/or results, if available.
We sent out post-event surveys following each workshop. Of the responses we received, 75% gave the top mark for satisfaction in the program, with all other reponses but one providing above average satisfaction reponses. Likewise, participants reported learning in a meaningful way to them at a similar rate.
Anything else you’d like us to know?
We have continued this series into 2026 due to its success!
Derrick Pratt
Director of Education, Erie Canal Museum
Are you interested in applying for a Catalyst Grant? Check out the grant page for the rules & requirements!
]]>Arts on the Patio
Please provide a brief narrative explaining your project and its outcomes.
We set out to present a series of arts programs on the newly added patio at the Bridgeport branch of Sullivan Free Library.
We held painting workshops for adults and for teens. We also held various multi media craft programs for kids and families. All of the arts programming was full to capacity (and over in some cases!) and very well received. Patrons commented often throughout the summer about how much they were enjoying all of the arts programming and thanked us for scheduling it.
We had a local arts company (Splat Sumthin) bring an interactive messy art program to the patio, and it was great fun for all who attended.
We had a popular local family-centric musical act (Donna Butterfield), and she was well attended and very popular with the kids.
We had a local musical act (Merry Mischief) in the middle of the summer. They performed songs and stories in celebration of the Erie Canal’s anniversary, and the audience had a great time. {We did learn, though, that the Bridgeport location presents difficulties with large live music and vocal performances due to the small size of the community room and lack of coverage from weather outside.}
We also had a balloon artist (Drew Allen) give a demonstration and lessons.
Our biggest obstacle throughout the summer was the weather. As the patio isn’t covered, we had to move many of the programs into the library’s community room because of rain or scorching heat. The ultimate goal of drawing the community members into the library for programs was accomplished, and we gained several new library members over the course of the summer and fall because of the events.
What is the most remarkable accomplishment or finding of your project?
Several of the art programs have evolved to regular programming, and have expanded to Art in the Park (at the library table for weekly Tuesdays in the Park) and to the Chittenango branch. The programs at both branches are consistently full, and we are creating quite the art and craft library community. There is a real desire for this type of programming in the community, and we are so pleased to be able to fill it.
How did your project differ from what you originally proposed?
Our original schedule was to include an open mic. The equipment was backordered and ultimately canceled, so we had to pivot to more physical arts. The patrons were pleased with the additional programming.
Because of this, we were able to expand the programming into the fall, continuing to draw more patrons into the library to experience the arts events.
Please provide a brief summary of your evaluation activities and/or results, if available.
We measured the success of the program through:
Attendance: Each arts program throughout the summer was very well attended. In cases where registration was required, the programs were full with wait lists. I cases with no registration, they were full to capacity.
Participant and Community Feedback: The response from the participants was overwhelmingly positive and patrons were very excited with the addition of the programming and events. We added several new library regulars through the programming.
Anything else you’d like us to know?
Thank you for the opportunity to expand arts programming in our small community of Bridgeport and the greater Sullivan area.
Lori Finger
Library Director, Sullivan Free Library
Are you interested in applying for a Catalyst Grant? Check out the grant page for the rules & requirements!
]]>OCPL Educational Toy Lending Libraries at Betts and Hazard Branch Libraries
Please provide a brief narrative explaining your project and its outcomes.
The OCPL Educational Toy Lending Libraries at Betts and Hazard Branch Libraries offered community members in the Valley and Tipp Hill neighborhoods of Syracuse the ability to borrow materials that help children develop fine motor skills while learning counting, shape and color recognition, time-telling, and letter identification. Literacy and learning prompts were affixed to each toy to aid caregivers in their use of materials. The aim of this project was to offer patrons, regardless of socio-economic status, the ability to engage children at home in play-based, directed, screen-free educational activities. This project got off to a slower start than anticipated due to staffing changes; but the collections are now well established at Betts and Hazard and will continue beyond the completion of this grant cycle. These toys have been well-received, and patrons have expressed appreciation for the ability to use them in-house and borrow them for home-use.
What is the most remarkable accomplishment or finding of your project?
The most noteworthy finding of this project at both branches was the wide age range drawn to these screen-free toys and manipulatives. Though the target age for these materials was preschool, staff at Betts and Hazard observed elementary-age, middle schoolers, and special needs adults utilizing the collection. Even with computers and screens nearby, patrons were genuinely curious about and often engrossed for long stretches of time with these “analog” objects – especially the tape measure, lacing toys, and giant clocks. It seems that within an ocean of screens and electronics, there is a general hunger for “unplugged” forms of play and learning.
How did your project differ from what you originally proposed?
This project differed from its original proposal in three key ways. First, the rollout for the Educational Toy Lending Library was significantly delayed at one branch, as children’s librarian Margaret Martin transferred from Soule to Betts Library in October of 2025. Hazard was able to launch its collection in December of 2025; but Betts’ program was delayed until late February 2026. Second, after patron feedback, both branches found that the original 1-week loan period was inconvenient for many families and therefore extended toy loan periods. And third, from speaking with patrons, staff observed that users largely overlooked or ignored the literacy and educational prompts on the toys.
Please provide a brief summary of your evaluation activities and/or results, if available.
Evaluation was conducted quantitatively and qualitatively. At both branches, circulation statistics were tracked for check-outs and in-house use. The staff at Betts and Hazard also engaged in qualitative assessment by informally polling users on their experiences with the materials. Through frequent face-to-face conversations with caregivers and children, the Betts and Hazard librarians were able to react to and make adjustments based on patron suggestions, as well as collect valuable data on play practices and user preferences.
Anything else you’d like us to know?
Betts and Hazard Libraries appreciate the financial support of CLRC and the opportunity to experiment, develop new ideas, and engage patrons in the assessment process.
Margaret Martin
Children’s Librarian, Betts Branch Library (OCPL)
Are you interested in applying for a Catalyst Grant? Check out the grant page for the rules & requirements!
]]>“Genrefying the Middle School Library”
Please provide a brief narrative explaining your project and its outcomes.
One year ago I submitted a grant proposal to genrefy my middle school library to the CRLC and was ecstatic when I received my grant! First the fiction collection had to be analyzed and I had found out that Follett would give me a “Genre Helper” report for free by contacting my Follett representative I obtained that report.
Carts were gathered from other libraries in the district to aide with the physical rearrangement of the library. Advice was sought from both librarians who had genrefied their collections and our BOCES library automation system experts who would assist with the cataloging of global changes.
Then a major flood hit our high school and attempted to derail my project as all summer PD (professional development) was rerouted to be held in my library over the summer. The flood also took out most of our LAN, our WIFI and as a result school closed early in June of 2024. Luckily, I could begin the analyzing portion of my project at home with the Genre Helper report I had obtained and I worked for a couple of weeks from home using the report and identifying one of the collections largest genres of the fiction, realistic fiction.
A couple of weeks later I was able to gain access to my school library and started the work of physically moving and sorting books. I worked with each group needing to use my library for PD, so that I could quietly work around them throughout the summer, sometimes working in the evenings on sorting books. While it was originally planned to be a messy sorting process of all sections being sorted simultaneously, that wouldn’t work as I needed to share my space. To keep the shared space neat, I utilized carts and shelf-tops only, and many of the 8,000 books would need to be moved multiple times.
Remarkably I met my goal of having 85% of the collection sorted, scanned and updated in our circulation system with the help of BOCES library automation services by the start of school in September. There was one more complication to the plan however, we would share our building between the middle school and high school, and I would only have access to my collections during the afternoon portion of the day for the year. That changed in February, when our high schoolers could move back into their building. Finally, it is the end of May and I would consider the project 99% complete. I just have one cart of retrospective collections to sort and a few boxes of new books.
Our library looks amazing! We have been so energized by this project we have even tried to add some dynamic shelving arrangement and more forward-facing covers for students!
What is the most remarkable accomplishment or finding of your project?
It was very remarkable that one of my intended results, of students being able to navigate the library to locate books independently, showed immediate results. While I expected this result to take months or longer, we saw students gravitating to the genre section of their choice, browsing them and finding books of their choice within weeks. We also saw students being able to conquer alphabetical order in the now smaller sections with ease and confidence. Even high school students who were forced to return to their middle school for 1/2 school due to our flood, commented on how nice the new arrangement was.
How did your project differ from what you originally proposed?
Beyond the hurdles we had to work around of a flood requiring shared space over summer months and for the first half of the year, the only difference was in signage. I had originally proposed using Canva to design my own signage. I found I needed temporary signage at the beginning of the year and I did that with garage sale arrow signs. Those have since been replaced with more expensive signage from Demco. I was able to utilize my materials budget to add to grant funding to acquire Demco Shelfsparks which are neon descriptions on a black plastic sign. The signage includes genre area signs at the top of shelves and dividers to make the beginning of genre sections.
Please provide a brief summary of your evaluation activities and/or results, if available.
Reactions from returning students and teachers were very positive. We immediately began to receive compliments and noticed an ease students felt when searching for books that interested them. Students were browsing with more purpose, choosing a favorite genre and finding books on their own. Students who were asked if they needed assistance, often responded they did not. Additionally, students who are regular library users have been asked personally for their reactions, which have all been positive. Some have commented on how comfortable it is just to be able to browse a favorite genre, some have commented that they feel the change is a positive one and the library looks really great.
Unfortunately, circulation statistics are not a valid measure of the projects success as I had hoped they would be. This year due to our shared building situation where we only attended 1/2 day and had 22-minute classes vs. the 42-minute classes students normally have students had far less time to visit the library and many did not leave their very short study halls to visit the library. This resulted in lower circulation during the first five months of the school year, with average circulation dropping by 33% compared to the previous school year.
In February we returned to full day and had normal circulation for two months which resulted in a 28.5% increase in circulation over the previous year. Those two normal months were followed by threats of school violence which resulted in low attendance and lowered circulation by an average of 12% during April/May. For this reason, I do not think circulation is a valid measure of the project’s success. While we could consider returning to full day in February and March which resulted in a 28.5% increase in circulation a positive, it is hard to determine if that increase was due to genrefying the collection or students just back to full day.
My overall sense, however, tells me genrefication was the correct move for OSMS library and the library is looking beautiful and is easier to navigate if my teacher and librarian observations are correct, which I believe they are.
Anything else you’d like us to know?
This has been a challenging year to take on this grant and amazing process. I told myself it would take several years to see results of these efforts. Surprisingly, I saw results with students searching and locating materials, I witnessed increased confidence navigating the library collection and successful location of books independently, almost immediately. It has been so gratifying to see the extra time and effort put in has made a difference to students and faculty. I am grateful for CLRC’s support as this in one of my final projects as I retire in June of 2026. As I retire, I am so pleased to feel I’ve left students one more tool to be successful in our middle school library and I’m so proud of the way the fiction collection looks and works for our patrons!
Deb Becker
Librarian and K-12 Library Director, Oneida City School District’s Otto Shortell Middle School
Are you interested in applying for a Catalyst Grant? Check out the grant page for the rules & requirements!
]]>“MLK Library A/V Club for Morning Announcements”
Please provide a brief narrative explaining your project and its outcomes.
This year I focused on using the equipment to livestream our MLK Morning Show and it went really well! The way it functioned is that I had students apply for a position in the morning show (camera person, computer tech – 2 positions, set up crew, researchers/writers – 3, and anchors – 2 positions). I interviewed students as well to find out who was best suited for what roles. We then used OBS and live-streamed our morning show through YouTube. Some students would run the whole show and others would be writing the script for the next day/week.
Some accomplishments include being able to do it! Also, it was awesome that we were able to include some literacy initiatives that our building has been trying to include, which is talking weekly about a ELA or math word of the week. Some of the things the students included were:
- Vocabulary Tuesday: Students would define an ELA or Math vocabulary word and provide an example if applicable.
- Wise Wednesday: research and share an interesting fact
- Trivia Thursday: students would research an interesting thing and then create a multiple choice question for ask a teacher. They would call a teacher in their classroom on the livestream and ask them the question.
- Riddle Friday: students would find a riddle to read and classrooms could call in to try and answer.
The biggest obstacle we had was being banned from YouTube. I didn’t realize that we were unable to livestream children under the age of 13 without an adult in the frame. This is an important safety feature, but I didn’t realize it would be an issue. I petitioned my school district to purchase a subscription to Panopto which would allow us to livestream and record/store the videos in a password protected program. After several months of waiting and hoping we would get access to the software I started using Zoom to livestream the program. It’s not a perfect system, but at least it’s working for now. Hopefully with the passing of our budget the school district will purchase Panopto for us to use next year.
What is the most remarkable accomplishment or finding of your project?
Seeing our students grow! My principal and I chose to have our 5th graders run the morning show instead of 6th grade as they are a group of students that need more attention and support than our other students. They have more social emotional and interpersonal issues and we sort of agreed it would be a great opportunity for them to do something hands-on that required communication, and real-life skills. It’s been really impressive to see how they’ve grown and matured.
I’m honestly also just impressed we’re able to do it! We start around 8:45 and students are packed out and out of the library by 9:20 for my first class. The students and I have gotten it down to a system and I’m impressed we’re able to get it all done in time!
How did your project differ from what you originally proposed?
Not much, honestly! The only other difference is that I haven’t done MORE with the camera and equipment, but I think for the first year we’re accomplished a lot! I would in the future like to use the camera, green screen, and microphones to have students help me make videos, record interviews, and use it as a learning tool to present what they’ve learned or make a video for graduation. I hope in the years coming to use the equipment for more.
Also, we added a field trip for all of the MLK Morning Show students to visit WKTV, our local news station. We got to see how they use the cameras, equipment, green screen, and what it looks like behind the scenes. It was really neat for the students to see all of the jobs that they are doing are what they actually do at the news station!
Please provide a brief summary of your evaluation activities and/or results, if available.
Nothing at this time. I plan to do an end of the year survey of the classroom teachers. I would plan to ask if they have any suggestions for how to improve the show, the ease of getting the livestream up every day, what their students thought of the show, and lately I am curious if it helps students get into their classroom and seats sooner. historically our mornings started sort of slow with the announcements sometimes starting as late as 9:25 or 9:30 and students taking their time eating breakfast in the cafeteria. I plan to ask if having the show go live every morning at 9:10 helped get their day started and students settled.
Meredith Bruno
Library Media Specialist, Utica Central School District’s Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary
Are you interested in applying for a Catalyst Grant? Check out the grant page for the rules & requirements!
]]>“Adult Memory Care Collection”
Please provide a brief narrative explaining your project and its outcomes.
Maxwell Memorial Library has been working to increase our resources for our ever-growing older community of lifelong patrons. While large print books, digital ebooks and eaudiobooks, and programming related to health, hobbies, and literacy fill a need, we want to provide tools to assist family and caregivers who are trying to help their aging loved ones remain active and engaged as long as possible. We see this as a continuation of providing relevant and exciting services to our patrons throughout all stages of their lives.
The CLRC grant awarded $2000 toward the purchase of Stay Sharp Memory Care Kits. These kits, compiled by the Penworthy Company, contain books, games, puzzles, and more to support meaningful interaction among older adults and their families and friends. They cover a variety of interests ranging from history and hobbies to exercise and travel. Each kit comes in a large plastic carrying case, making it easy to keep track of the components. Kits can be borrowed by adults 18 and older with a library account in good standing.
To date, the kits have been used primarily by families and caregivers. Our outreach coordinator has also used three of the kits in her visits to a senior living apartment complex, where the puzzles and games in the kits made for a fun and interactive community gathering.
We spread the word about the new collection through a press release in the local community newspaper, as well as through our newsletter and social media. As awareness of the collection spreads, we hope that more families will utilize the kits.
What is the most remarkable accomplishment or finding of your project?
The kits will continue to be useful in our senior outreach and are a great addition to our outreach toolkit. We are also happy to see families who borrow an initial kit return to borrow others, indicating that they appreciate the value of the kits. There’s also the “wow!” factor—the reaction of patrons who see the kits for the first time and are amazed that the library provides such a fun resource for borrowing.
How did your project differ from what you originally proposed?
Shortly after receiving the CLRC Catalyst Grant and starting the Memory Care Kit Collection, we received a Mini-Grant from the Onondaga County Public Library for various literacy projects. We used a portion of this grant to add three Launchpads for adults from Playaway Products. Launchpads are tablets with preloaded software for games, puzzles, and trivia designed to challenge and train memory, attention span, problem solving, observation skills, and more. They are the perfect complement to the Stay Sharp kits.
We also received a monetary donation in memory of a former employee. Her family asked that the donation be used to add to the Memory Care Collection. This allowed us to purchase more Stay Sharp kits than we originally planned for.
Please provide a brief summary of your evaluation activities and/or results, if available.
We are keeping track of circulation of the kits as well as monitoring feedback from those who use them. So far, all feedback has been positive. The kits have circulated approximately 20 times since they were catalogued five months ago (mid-November 2025-mid-April 2026). Most kits have been borrowed 1 to 3 times, and just a few have not been borrowed yet.
Anything else you’d like us to know?
I want to thank CLRC for providing the opportunity to start this collection. Adding materials of this sort to our Library of Things has been a longtime goal and it would not have happened at this time without the financial support from the Catalyst Grant.
Rena Brower
Library Assistant/Adult Services Coordinator, Maxwell Memorial Library
Are you interested in applying for a Catalyst Grant? Check out the grant page for the rules & requirements!
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