All posts by Angie

Books

We Heart MN: State Fair books

In this series, we’ll pick some of our favorite things about Minnesota and share some related book suggestions. (We’re open to your suggestions! Comment below or email us and tell us some of your favorite MN things!) 

Favorite Thing: The MN State Fair!
Didn’t make it to the Great MN Get-Together this year, or already looking forward to next year? Read on:

Minnesota State Fair: An Illustrated History by Kathryn Strand Koutsky “State fairs are cornerstones of the American tradition, and few are as beloved as the Minnesota State Fair. Since 1854, Minnesota has reveled in promoting the rich bounty of its land and the magnificent talents of its citizens. From the legendary horse Dan Patch, whose record-breaking races kept the country on the edge of its seat, to Teddy Roosevelt’s famous grandstand speech suggesting that America should “speak softly and carry a big stick,” and from the invention of mini donuts to the discovery of batter-fried cheese curds, the Minnesota State Fair has captured the imagination—and the taste buds—of the entire nation.”

Fair foods : the most popular and offbeat recipes from America’s state & county fairs by George Geary This book is “packed with 120 original recipes created by award-winning chef, best-selling author, and renowned educator George Geary, Each page in Fair Foods is lavishly illustrated with both vintage and contemporary photographs of America’s most beloved fair foods, as well as fun and lively images of rides and attractions and nostalgic ephemera. Fair Foods is not only mouthwateringly addictive, it also captures the joy and spirit of America’s greatest state and county fairs.”

Minnesota State Fair: Deep Fried Thoughts on Cheese Curds, Carnies, and The Human Condition by Ben Nesvig
The author “shares his stream of consciousness journey at the Minnesota State Fair with readers as he explores everything from deep fried cookie dough, the thrill of a giant yellow slide, and ultimately, what prompts Minnesotans to make the greasy pilgrimage.”

 

 

 

Resources, School Media Specialist

AASL Recommended Apps: Engaging Congress

In June, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced their Best Apps for Teaching and Learning 2018. The apps encourage qualities such as creativity and collaboration, and encourage discovery and curiosity.

The app Engaging Congress is a “fun,  interactive game that uses primary source documents to explore the basic tenets of representative government and the challenges they face in contemporary society.”

Level: Middle and High School
Platform: Android and iPhone
Cost: FREE!

According to this article from the National Council for Social Studies, the goal of the app is to “inform students about the legislative process and to do so in a format that is consistent with how young people today receive information.”

This article from School Library Journal gives a more detailed explanation of the app and highlights the resources for educators available at the Engaging Congress site.

 

Podcast

Linking Our Libraries Season Four!

We are so excited to begin our FOURTH SEASON of our library training podcast Linking Our Libraries!

This season we are focused on Leadership Competencies. Obviously this will have a library focus, but the skills we discuss can easily be applied to any organization. If you are looking to improve your interpersonal skills, work on your credibility, or bring more creativity into your workplace, tune in this season!

Podcasting has been such an adventure for us. You can read all about our early days in this article. We so appreciate all the Guest Hosts who have come on the show to share their expertise, and this season will feature several new voices!

Check out Season Three of Linking Our Libraries, or peruse all our old episodes on our streaming page.

And don’t forget to subscribe to Linking Our Libraries on whatever podcast app you use! We hope our podcast is informative and useful to you in your library work!

Advocacy, Programs

Advocate for libraries at our Postcard Party

Our next library advocacy Postcard Party will be on Tuesday, September 25th from 11-1 (feel free to come a little early, or stay a little late, we’re flexible!) We will be having a lunchtime Postcard Party at the lovely Munsinger Gardens in St. Cloud.

Why do we hold these events? School, public, academic, special libraries and archives all serve important roles and assist their communities in different ways. Libraries deserve funding and support, so let’s spread that message!

For this postcard party we are focusing on local officials and decision makers. That means school boards, city council members, principals, and more. We will again provide library advocacy postcards, postage, and yummy snacks to fuel your advocacy efforts! If you are unsure of the identity of your local officials, do some research beforehand otherwise we’re happy to help you out.

Hope to see you there!

Programs

Join us for CMLE Tea

Are you a fan of tea? How about meeting other members of the library community? CMLE is organizing a high tea social event to allow members to get to know each other, share library challenges and success stories, and of course, to enjoy delicious tea.

This event will take place at the Mad Hatter Restaurant, in Anoka:
Sunday, September 30 at 10:30am.

For this event, we are planning on the Queen of Hearts tea service. As this is going to be a little pricey, we are also offering “scholarships” to CMLE members who RSVP to us by Monday, Sept 24. We will cover the cost of your Queen of Hearts tea service if you respond below. (We need to make reservations!)

We want to meet in different places, so we can try out new things, and we can be closer to different members at different times. This is a bit of a drive, but we have set this up so you have time to go down to the Cities, if you want, after we are done. Plan on being here about an hour and a half, possibly longer if you wish.

If you know you can come with us (be pretty sure!), fill out the form below. We would love to see you, and hear about your library!!