MN State Library Updates & Reminders – Part 2

state_mnTO: Minnesota Libraries
FROM: State Library Services
DATE: November 4, 2014
SUBJECT: MNsure, Out-of-School Time Meals, 90-Second Newbery, MBTBL Advisory Committee Vacancies

MNsure and Open Enrollment: What You Need to Know

MNsure is hosting a second webinar designed specifically for the library community on Thursday, November 13, from 11:00 a.m. to noon.

Participants will get a preview of MNsure’s marketing, outreach, and operations for the upcoming open enrollment period that runs from November 15, 2014 through February 15, 2015. You’ll also have a chance to ask questions.

Preregistration is not required. To view the webinar, please follow this link. Depending on browser settings, you may have to click “join as a participant.” Participants will be able to join the meeting about 10 minutes before it is scheduled to begin. To hear the webinar, dial 1-888-742-5095 and enter Conference Code 9879144187 when prompted.

For more information, please contact Emily Kissane at emily.kissane@state.mn.us or 651-582-8508.

Summer and At-Risk Food Programs for Kids

Fewer than 17 percent of Minnesota kids who benefit from the free or reduced-price school lunch program have access to summer and afterschool food programs. Limited access to free food programs, particularly during the summer, leaves many children hungry. Public libraries can help make sure kids have access to nutritious food when school is not in session. Begin planning your summer 2015 participation today, there are many ways your library can get involved:

1. Learn about local free meal resources and direct patrons to them.
Find information about Minnesota meal sites on MDE’s At-Risk Afterschool Meals web page and Summer Food Service Program web page.

2. Provide information at your library for patrons to take home.
Make available take-home information for families in need. Contact Second Harvest Heartland for pads of tear-off sheets to passively promote summer food service.

3. Your library may be eligible to be an at-risk afterschool and/or summer food site or sponsor.
Sites store and distribute food, supervise meal service, provide activities, and keep a daily record of participation. To notify MDE of your desire to participate as a site, fill out an interest survey. Sponsors manage multiple sites, coordinate fund distribution and reporting. Read through this toolkit for more information about how to be a sponsor.

Contact State Library Services, Jen Nelson at jennifer.r.nelson@state.mn.us or Jen Verbrugge at jennifer.verbrugge@state.mn.us, for more information about how your library can work with summer and out-of-school time food programs.

Calling All Kid Filmmakers!
The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival is an annual video contest in which kid filmmakers make movies that creatively tell the entire stories of Newbery-winning books in ninety seconds or less. Making the film is a fun, creative and multi-faceted educational exercise. Kids write, storyboard, produce, act, frame and edit. James Kennedy, the founder and curator of the 90-Second Newbery, made his own 90-second movie about the 90-Second Newbery inviting you to take part.

Public librarians, school librarians, homeschool parents and teachers are encouraged to work with their kids to make movies. The deadline to submit films is December 20, 2014 (deadline extended to 1-16-2015 as of 12-11-2014). Inspiration and more information can be found on the 90-Second Newbery website. Want to make a 90-Second Newbery video, but are daunted by the project? Download this handy guide of tips, tricks, and strategies. At least ten Minnesota-made video submissions are currently in the works. You can start working with your kids today.

Don’t forget to mark your calendar for the first-ever Minnesota screening of the year’s best entries on Saturday, February 28, 2015, from 3:00-4:30 pm at Hennepin County Library – Minneapolis Central. Co-hosts of the event will be James Kennedy and Kelly Barnhill, Minneapolis author of The Witch’s Boy. For more details, please contact Jennifer Verbrugge at jennifer.verbrugge@state.mn.us or 651-582-8356.

Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library Advisory Committee Vacancies
The Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library (MBTBL) is currently accepting applications for positions on its advisory committee. The committee advises the staff of the MBTBL on long-range plans and library services, and is comprised of people who use the MBTBL. Application forms are available online and must be submitted by November 25, 2014, to be assured of full consideration. Visit the Secretary of State website for complete descriptions.