All posts by Angie

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

CMLE Featured Service: Scholarships!

273/365: 09/30/2013. Money, Money, Money!
Apply for a CMLE Scholarship

 

Did you know that CMLE offers scholarships? Since our main priority is helping libraries be successful, we know that sometimes additional money is required to make that happen! We want to help you get the professional development you need in order to bring some new ideas or skills to your library or media center.

CMLE offers scholarships of up to $200 per fiscal year per individual for staff affiliated with any type of library in Aitkin, Benton, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd and Wright counties in Central Minnesota. The scholarships can be used to attend workshops, conferences, library meetings or task forces, and other library-related activities to promote engagement and/or professional development. We encourage you to use the scholarships even if it can’t cover all of the costs. And, if you use our scholarship to help with costs, tell your administrator that you have used our program!

Keep in mind that two great library and technology conferences are quickly approaching: the annual MLA conference from September 29 – 30th in Duluth and the ITEM conference from October 13 – 15th in Brooklyn Park!

Whether it’s a conference, workshop, a way to learn new skills or teach others, being able to interact with your peers can be a great way to increase your energy and excitement about the library world. CMLE wants to help our members and their libraries or media centers continue to learn and grow. For full details, see our Scholarships Page for our easy (really, we promise!) application.

Need ideas for professional development? See our Continuing Education Page or visit the MN Library Continuing Education Calendar.

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Notable Date to Celebrate: September 25th is Shel Silverstein's birthday

You probably already know that at CMLE, we offer a service called “Notable Dates for your Noggin” which feature special holidays and birthdays of authors, as well as publications of well-known books. In an effort to help you get more from this service, we’ve decided to select one “Notable Date” each month to feature. We will include a few fun programming and activity ideas too, all for you to use!

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September 25th is Shel Silverstein’s birthday. Silverstein is well known for his children’s literature, poetry, and music. You can listen to him read his poem Backward Bill here, and even subscribe to the Shel Silverstein YouTube channel for more content.

If you are looking for some biographical information on Silverstein, check out this article from LibraryPoint.org which talks about his life and also gives some fast facts about the writer, including that he won a Grammy award in 1969 for A Boy Named Sue performed by Johnny Cash.

Love The Giving Tree? Celebrate by making some Giving Tree apple cupcakes!

Make math more fun with these poetry inspired activities.

Get creative and pick your favorite Shel Silverstein poem to draw some accompanying illustrations!

Want more Shel Silverstein activities or information? Check out this website for wallpapers, e-cards, and lesson plans.

 

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Looking for more fun holidays or days to celebrate? Check out our Notable Dates Page!

Academic, General, Public, Resources, School Media Specialist, Special

Making Monday awesome – CMLE Weekly Review now being released on Mondays

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Start your week with CMLE!

As part of some changes we are making at CMLE to better serve our members (that’s you!) we will now be sending out our Weekly Review newsletter each week on Monday, instead of Thursday. The Weekly Review will contain information and links to content from our blog that was published Monday – Friday the week previously.

So, starting next Monday, September 19th, check your inbox for your copy of CMLE’s Weekly Review! Make your Monday a little more enjoyable by catching up on library news, resources and technology you can use, and all the other great content that comes in the Weekly Review.

Would you like to start receiving the Weekly Review? Email us and we will add you to our contact list!

Academic, General, Public, Services

Libraries as a passport acceptance facility

A photo by Robert G Allen Photography. unsplash.com/photos/jRlslrpk6ek
Use your library to help travelers!

Ready to think outside the box about a way to help both your library and the community? If you are a public or academic library, this idea could be for you!

The U.S. State Department is looking to add to their growing network of passport acceptance facilities. A passport acceptance facility is just like it sounds – “a public sector office that is designated to accept passport applications.” The facility then sends the applications to the State Department, who handle the processing and issuing of the passports.

There are definitely benefits to becoming one of these acceptance facilities. Most libraries operate on a strict budget, and by becoming a passport acceptance facility, your library would get to keep the $25 Execution Fee that comes with each passport. That would add up quickly. Plus, you would get an increase of people coming to your library! And while they are there to get their passport, why not use a computer or check out a book? There’s also the consideration that many libraries have more inclusive hours of operation than the traditional passport acceptance facility, the post office. People may be more able to process their paperwork by visiting the library instead.

This article from American Libraries gets more in-depth about what to expect when a public library becomes a passport acceptance facility. Of course, you can find more information at the U.S. Passports and International travel website.

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Strategies to Simplify: Tip 1: Focus your attention

“Work simply. Live fully.”  This week CMLE focuses on the following work productivity tip from Work Simply, Carson Tate’s popular book.  At CMLE, we’ve boiled down Tate’s wealth of knowledge from Work Simply to a few key points; please see the book for more detail and resources. At the bottom, see links to earlier tips in the series! Let’s all be our best selves….

This week’s activity: Use your Productivity Style to focus your attention.

As Carson Tate explains in Work Simply, “Our attention is an enormously powerful force, one that can profoundly shape our lives and our very being.” With all the distractions around today, learning to make the most of our attention is an essential skill. Last week you discovered your Productivity Style with a simple assessment. Use your style to consider these tips.

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Work simply. Live fully

 

Find your Productivity Style for some personalized tips:

Prioritizer: Try setting a timer or alarm to go off at specific intervals throughout your day. The alarm serves to remind you to focus your attention and stay on task!

Planner: Use your scheduling skills to your benefit, and plan your day’s tasks around your varying energy levels or the type of work required by each task.

Arranger: Make a plan to mix your solitary work with a conversation or collaboration with a friend or co-worker. Music can also help Arrangers keep their focus. (As an Arranger, I can vouch for both of these tips! Angie)

Visualizer: Keep a balance in your day between the routine, boring tasks and more enjoyable, stimulating tasks. The variety will help keep your attention focused.

Previous tips in this series