Experience the Creativity of Minnesota’s Kid Filmmakers – with Kelly Barnhill

We are thrilled to announce that 123 films were submitted by Minnesota students to this year’s 90-Second Newbery Film Festival. 90-Second Newbery founder and middle grade author James Kennedy has chosen his favorite entries from Minnesota, and is set to show them at the third annual screening on Saturday, February 25, in Pohlad Hall, 3-4:30 p.m., at Hennepin County Library – Minneapolis Central. Newbery Award-winning author of The Girl Who Drank the Moon, Kelly Barnhill, will co-host the event with Mr. Kennedy. On-site book sales are provided by Addendum Books. Make your free reservation to attend the screening today. While it helps us to plan, a reservation does not guarantee a seat. In case of large turnout, we will live-stream the event in an overflow room adjacent to Pohlad Hall. Help us promote the event by downloading and sharing the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival poster. Please contact Jen Verbrugge (651-582-8356) for more information.

Explore Makerspaces at the Libraries Serving Youth Meetup

The Libraries Serving Youth Meetup is an annual opportunity for school librarians and public librarians to meet, network and share ideas. This year, you will have a chance to connect and develop creative ideas with colleagues around the topic of makerspaces.

We invite you to join us at SPNN in Saint Paul (550 Vandalia Street, Suite 170) on Saturday, April 22, 2017, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., followed by an optional stop-motion animation workshop, 2-4 p.m. Registration opens in late February. Stay tuned to our listserv and the State Library Services website for more information. If you have questions, please contact Jen Verbrugge (651-582-8356).

Learn How Your Library Can Fill Hungry Bellies

Fewer than 15 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 2017 participation by attending an informational webinar on March 7, 2017, at 11 a.m. Jenny Butcher, USDA Summer Food Service Program coordinator at MDE, will share how you can get involved. There is no need to pre-register. Please join the Summer and At-Risk Food Programs for Kids WebEx meeting online (meeting number 591 243 422) or call in at 1-888-742-5095 (conference code 874 403 3672). 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-week advance notice in order to provide the requested accommodation and requires a 48-hour notice in order to cancel a requested accommodation.

Grant funding may be available to support your library as a summer food site. Second Harvest Heartland serves the 7-county metro and surrounding counties. Their summer food grant opportunity opens in March, as long as funding is available. Additionally, libraries are eligible to apply for a Summer Meals Initiative grant from Hunger Impact Partners. We’ll share information about more grant opportunities as we learn about them.

Ebooks Minnesota Now Includes Bilingual Somali Folktales

Thanks to the Minnesota Humanities Center and the Somali Bilingual Books Project, Ebooks Minnesota now includes four Somali folktales. Written and illustrated by local talent in both English and Somali, the books help to fill a gap in culturally and linguistically appropriate books for Somali children and their families, while they also advance understanding of Somali culture. Please contact Jen Verbrugge (651-582-8356) for more information.

Updates from Our Partners

Help Shape the Future of Funding for Afterschool

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21CCLC) grant program is a major source of federal funding for afterschool (and out-of-school time, such as summer) programs. 21CCLC is part of the new federal education law, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which presents an opportunity to update how 21CCLC is implemented in Minnesota. Now is the time to share your perspective and information about gaps and needs in your community. It’s possible that organizations—such as libraries—that did not utilize 21CCLC funds in the past could in the future.

You can share your perspective and help shape the future of 21CCLC in Minnesota by filling out this 15-20 minute 21CCLC in ESSA Community Feedback survey by Monday, February 13, 2017.

Ignite Afterschool and their network partners—State Library Services, Greater Twin Cities United Way, Otto Bremer Trust, Sprockets Saint Paul, and Youthprise—have representation on MDE’s 21CCLC Advisory Board, and will bring themes from this survey to a 21CCLC Advisory Board meeting in late February.

Check Out This New Grants for Libraries Resource

Libraries are often overlooked and underfunded organizations that play a critical role in today’s society by providing free programs, resources, and services to millions of adults, children, and youth everyday around the United States. But many libraries lack the resources and support to innovate and build upon the ways they can meet their communities’ needs. With support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Visualizing Funding for Libraries is developed by Foundation Center to help libraries and their supporters find funding opportunities, increase understanding of funding sources, and track funding trends. Check it out today!

You Can Earn a Graduate Certificate of Professional Studies in Youth Experience

Applications for the first cohort of Graduate Certificate of Professional Studies in Youth Experience (YX) offered by the College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland are open and will close on February 17, 2017. This online post-Masters certificate will give youth service librarians the skills they need to integrate the latest research on learning, technology, community partnerships and design thinking into their practice with youth ages 0-18. Substantial tuition support is available through the Institute of Museum and Library Services. More information about the certificate and the application process is available on the Youth Experience website. For more information, contact the College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland.

Free Online Course – Digital Storytime: Kids, Apps, and Libraries

The Public Library Development Team at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is proud to announce a new professional development course about the role of apps and devices in the lives of young children and their families. Digital Storytime: Kids, Apps, and Libraries is a free online tool designed for public library staff serving youth and other educators. It is a module-based online learning experience that includes game-design elements to both increase participant motivation as well as model the appeal of apps designed for children. Each module includes activities for participants to Watch, Read, Explore, and Do. Not only do these activities personalize the learning experience, but many offer opportunities to view responses from other course participants.

Participants can log in anytime through any web browser and take the course at their own pace. It is recommended you use the same browser and device throughout the course in order to track course progress. Participants who complete all four modules will receive a certificate of completion.