CMLE Headquarters will continue to bring you all the library news from around the state. You can sign up for these updates from the State Library Services yourself, or just get them forwarded to you here from CMLE. When you are part of a big and wonderful profession like libraries – you want to know all the things happening here!
Early Childhood Screening Informational Video and Webinar
Early Childhood Screening, offered by all school districts, is a way to determine if young children are on track for meeting developmental milestones. Some families do not take advantage of Early Childhood Screening because they don’t know about it or they have concerns about it. If parents knew more about what screening is and is not, they may be more likely to have their child screened and identify areas for additional focus before kindergarten.
Public librarians can help increase participation in screening by encouraging families to get their children screened between the ages of 3 and the start of kindergarten. The Minnesota Department of Education and community partners teamed up to create a five-minute informational video with basic information about screening for parents and caregivers, thanks to funding from The McKnight Foundation.
To learn how you can help increase families’ awareness of screening and comfort with the process, please join us for a lunch break webinar presented by MDE’s Early Childhood Screening Coordinator, Margo Chresand on Thursday, December 8, noon-12:30 p.m. (Add to your calendar.) Please contact Jen Verbrugge (651-582-8356) with questions or to request a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event. Note: MDE requires a two-weekadvance notice in order to provide the requested accommodation and requires a 48-hour notice in order to cancel a requested accommodation.
Tax Season Is Quickly Approaching – Order Outreach Materials and Attend a Webinar
Your library probably receives at least a few questions about taxes during the tax season. State Library Services is working again with Prepare + Prosper’s statewide outreach campaign, Claim it!, and the Department of Revenue, to provide your library with free resources and a webinar in December.
Order outreach materials from Prepare + Prosper for your library to help individuals find out if they qualify for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit and to help them locate a free tax preparation site. Place your order to receive these free materials in time for tax season.
Prepare + Prosper and the Department of Revenue will host a webinar for libraries with resources and information to help you during the 2017 tax season. The webinar will take place on Wednesday, December 14, 11 a.m.-noon. Please register for the webinar today and join us in December. Please contact Emily Kissane (651-582-8508) with questions or to request a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event. Note: MDE requires a two-week advance notice in order to provide the requested accommodation and requires a 48-hour notice in order to cancel a requested accommodation.
What’s New for the 2016 Minnesota Public Library Annual Report?
2016 will soon be history. It’s time to get ready to document your library’s performance measures in your annual report. Share your ideas and preferences about data elements for the 2016 report by completing the 2016 Minnesota Public Library Report Proposed Data Element Changes survey.
You’re also invited to make suggestions, share issues, and learn about proposed new indicators and modifications to current definitions. Join your colleagues in a discussion on Thursday, December 15, 1:30-2:30 p.m. When it’s time, join the meeting via WebEx or join by phone at 1-888-742-5095. Registration is not required. Please contact Joe Manion (651-582-8640) if you have questions or to request a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event. Note: MDE requires a two-week advance notice in order to provide the requested accommodation and requires a 48-hour notice in order to cancel a requested accommodation.
Community Support for Minnesota’s Public Libraries
Minnesota has 38 library foundations. That’s 27 percent of the state’s 141 public libraries. Each foundation has funds managed by its own trustees that provide a stable source of income for the libraries through investments of the principle. In addition, Minnesota has 224 library Friends groups. That’s 68 percent of the state’s 355 branch libraries. Friends of the Library groups support the library through financial contributions for specific projects, volunteers and advocacy.
You can download a directory of Minnesota library foundations and Friends groups from the State Library Services website. Go to Library Statistics and select “Public Library Community Support” under Data Summaries. The source of the directory information is the 2015 Minnesota Public Library Report.
Updates from the Minnesota Department of Education
K-12 Physical Education Standards Review Launched
The K-12 Physical Education standards review process will soon begin, and MDE is looking to public libraries to help us spread the word about the opportunities given below for public involvement. Library staff are invited to participate as well!
Apply for the Physical Education Standards Committee
The Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards are the statewide expectations for student achievement in K-12 public schools. The standards identify the knowledge and skills that all students must achieve in a content area by the end of a grade level or grade band. Minnesota adopted the 2004 national physical education standards in 2010. Recent legislation requires that MDE convene a Standards Committee during the 2016-2017 school year to review the current (2010) standards and adopt new standards. Applications are now being accepted for individuals interested in serving on the Physical Education Standards Review Committee. For more information, visit the Health and Physical Education webpage.
Tell Us What You Think About the Current Physical Education Standards
As part of the standards review process, the public is invited to comment on the current (2010) physical education standards. See the Health and Physical Education webpage for directions.
For more information about the physical education standards review, please contact the department’s health and physical education specialist, Mary Thissen-Milder (651-582-8505).
If you’d like to post a flyer in your library to share this information with patrons, please contact Jen Verbrugge (651-582-8356).