| December 2021, Issue 1 |
| Updates from State Library Services How Are We Doing?  Could you check your inbox for an email from Management Analysis and Development (MAD)? They are helping us evaluate our Five-Year Plan 2018-2022 under the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), and they are conducting a survey on our behalf. You’ll have an opportunity on the survey to give input on the support State Library Services provides to libraries around the state, including managing the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library, coordinating learning and networking opportunities for library staff, and administering state aid, state grants and federal aid to public libraries. The survey closes on December 20, and the link in the email you received is unique to you. It takes 10-15 minutes to complete. If you have questions about the survey, please contact Verena Getahun. CareerForce Corner CareerForce Corner is a two-part opportunity for your library to enhance its workforce programming with physical resources and local connections. Libraries will have the option to receive a physical kit of resources from Minnesota CareerForce. This will include brochures, flyers, promotional items like pens, Post-Its, and USB drives, as well as virtual introductions to your local job service team. Libraries can also choose to be connected with their local job service teams via a virtual meet-up to discuss options for collaboration without receiving the physical materials.  Who can participate in CareerForce Corner? Every library can participate! CareerForce Corner was designed to be flexible. The partnership between State Library Services and Minnesota CareerForce is one built on mutual respect for the work our organizations do within the state. Libraries across the state contribute to the state’s workforce efforts, and we are ready to work with all of you to expand or enhance your workforce programming no matter where you are at with that now. Join us for an information session on Zoom to learn more and ask all of your questions! Information Sessions will be held on: December 22, 2021, 10-11 a.m. December 29, 2021, 10-11 a.m. Contact Cassy Leeport for assistance with questions or for more information. Youth Services Connections in 2022  In May 2020, State Library Services began hosting weekly and then monthly virtual meetings to share and hear from youth services staff around the state about a variety of topics. We’d love to continue these gatherings, but we want to structure them in the way that’s most helpful to you. As we look forward to 2022, please share your thoughts on how you would like to gather. If you have any questions, please contact Ashley Bieber. |
Updates from our Partners #PlantWildflowers  To celebrate and support native and wild pollinator populations, HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and PBS Nature are launching #PlantWildflowers, a nationwide education and action initiative to highlight pollinator diversity and spark local efforts to support wild pollinators. Across the U.S. and Canada, they’re inviting libraries to join by hosting localized pollinator celebration events that will build community collaborations, highlight the crucial role bees and other pollinators play, and give members the opportunity to support local pollinators by planting native wildflowers. Selected libraries will receive a $1,000 honorarium, regionalized pollinator-friendly wildflower seed packets for distribution, and a variety of informal and formal pollinator-focused educational activity tools. Applications close on December 31, 2021, which is just around the corner, so apply today. Grants for Financial Inclusion  If you see a need for personal finance education and information in the community that your library serves, consider this grant opportunity. The FINRA Foundation is accepting grant applications to help public and academic libraries meet the financial education needs of their communities and foster financial inclusion. The FINRA Foundation supports innovative research and educational projects that give underserved Americans the knowledge, skills, and tools to make sound financial decisions throughout life. Grant funds may be used for educational programs, professional development for library staff, marketing, evaluation, outreach activities, materials and supplies relevant to financial education, and other direct financial education services. The maximum grant amount is $50,000. The first application deadline is March 1, 2022. If you have questions about this grant opportunity, please contact Robert Ganem at the FINRA Investor Education Foundation. Photo credits: Ricky Kharawala, Omar Flores, Laura Ockel, RODNAE |
| About State Library Services State Library Services, a division of the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), partners with libraries to achieve equity and excellence in our collective work for Minnesotans. Division staff are consultants who help libraries plan, develop and implement high-quality services that address community needs. State Library Services administers federal grant, state aid, and state grant programs that benefit all types of libraries. |
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