Do you like libraries? Drinking coffee? How about interacting with other friendly library people? Then you should definitely come to our Library Advocacy Postcard Party on Thursday, May 31st!
From 3pm-5pm we will be at the Local Blend in St. Joe, writing postcards (or emails or Tweets or whatever method you prefer) to library stakeholders to make sure they understand just how vital libraries are to our communities. Public, academic, school, and special libraries – we need them all!!
We will provide postcards (with new designs!), library facts, addresses for state and federal legislators (if you have information for principals or school board members, bring those along too), and sample text of what to write on your postcard. Plus, we’ll mail all the postcards at the end!
Library science is an enormous field, home to every interest you could imagine! This means that there are many organizations out there for you to join, in order to connect with other people who share your professional interests.
So even if you work alone in your library, there are other people out there doing work similar to yours! Each week we will highlight a different library association for you to learn more about, and depending on your work, potentially join! You can also check out our page dedicated to Library Associations.
This week let’s learn about a great organization: the USA Toy Library Association (USATLA). They are a member of the International Toy Library Association and provide tons of services and resources to librarians and others working in the field of Early Childhood. According to their website, these resources include:
Meetings and one-on-one experiences with other professionals in the field of play, including toy librarians, child therapists, teachers, librarians, toy makers, parents and medical professionals. Regional, national and international conferences provide occasions for dialogue and opportunities to build lasting professional relationships.
• Practical advice and information. USATLA brings you up-to-date information on toys, especially those that carry the most play value. USATLA distributes information on toy repair and discounts. We provide research material on play, toys and early learning. We offer books on play, good toys and how to establish and maintain toy libraries in a variety of settings.
• Educational and promotional materials that help individuals and organizations start and promote toy libraries, understand more about resources necessary to create valuable play environments, and provide quality toys.
USATLA has their educational conference coming up in October 2018 with the theme “Play More, Stress Less: How Play Encourages Social – Emotional Development at All Ages.”
Join us TOMORROW May 8th from 9am – 5pm at CMLE HQ for some important library advocacy!
National Library Legislative Day takes place May 7-8 when librarians and library supporters will go to Washington DC for a two-day event to meet with their members of Congress and encourage support of libraries! However, since traveling to DC is out of the question for many library supporters, there is a virtual option! You can register to participate and join in from home or your library – or have even more fun and join us at CMLE HQ! We’ll be advocating from our office between 9am – 5pm (ring the bell after 3pm and we’ll let you in!) and would love to have you join us! (We will have snacks, advocacy postcards, suggested text and other supplies to help advocate for libraries!)
Need some tips for library advocacy? Listen to our podcast episode on the topic, featuring Guest Host (and past MLA Legislative Chair) Jami Trenam, who is actually leading the MN delegation to DC! Our members rock!!
In search of more resources? Take a look at this great advocacy toolkit from ALA to get inspiration for social media posts, talking points, and letter templates. You can also use #NLLD18. Keep in mind these legislative topics when you are advocating:
House & Senate: Reauthorize the Museum and Library Services Act (S. 2271)
House & Senate: Fully Fund LSTA and IAL (Innovative Approaches to Literacy) for FY 2019
House & Senate: Visit a library, see broadband access in action
We hope you can join us TOMORROW for Virtual Library Legislative Day! If you can’t make it to our office, definitely take a few minutes to send an email, make a phone call, or post to social media about the importance of libraries!
Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes, and it also has many interesting books. In this series, we are sharing some of the books we like from Minnesota, or Minnesota authors.
We are mapping our literary journey around Minnesota, so you can see all the interesting places where our books are set. Follow our progress on our Google Map, accessible by clicking that link or searching for the title CMLE Reads Across Minnesota!
This is a guest post from CMLE member Violet Fox. Want to write a book review for us? Let us know!
I recently finished a six-week beginning American Sign Language (ASL) course through the St. Cloud Area School District Community Education program. I’d highly recommend taking the course! We learned basic ASL vocabulary and grammar from the instructor, who works for the Minnesota Department of Human Services’ Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division.
I’ve been looking for books to help me learn more about Deaf culture, which is why I picked up Wonderstruck. This 2011 book written and illustrated by Brian Selznick is a hefty 637 pages, but many of those are illustrations, so it’s a quick but powerful reading experience. As he did with The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Selznick marries evocative drawings with text, though it’s not a traditional graphic novel or comic, as the narration is moved forward by either art or text, not both simultaneously.
Wonderstruck is the story of two tweens in two different time periods. Ben’s story, beginning in his rural home of Gunflint Lake, Minnesota in 1977, is told through words. Rose’s story, taking place in 1927 in New York City, takes place entirely in pictures. Much of each of the stories touches on the experience and challenges of being deaf in a hearing world. Readers get a sense of the isolation that occurs when deaf people are not able to communicate effectively with those around them. The characters are true to life in trying to find a place where they feel that they belong; I found both characters to be charming in their inventiveness and curiosity.
If you don’t regularly read middle grade children’s books, you might have missed this book when it was first released (like I did!). Consider picking it up for both the well-told story and the expressive artwork!
Last Friday I had the chance to present at ARLD Day 2018 which took place at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. I really enjoyed meeting lots of academic librarians, chatting about podcasting, and attending sessions.
Great presentation on the MN Reflections Primary Source Sets
It was a fun and informative day that got even better when I discovered there was a library onsite! The Andersen Horticultural Library is actually the largest horticultural research library in the Upper Midwest and provides resources for gardeners, floral designers, landscapers, or anyone interested in Minnesota’s natural history. Browse their digital collections here.
Upon entering the library, you are greeted by a beautiful workspace across from a librarian’s desk, perfect if users need questions answered or help with research! (There were a few people quietly working and I didn’t want to interrupt them, so no picture of this space, sorry!)
Go through another door and you are greeted by gorgeous tables and furniture that provide inviting spaces for researchers and readers! (A fellow conference attendee clued me in that this furniture is pretty famous and a big draw to visitors!)
There was a great section for children’s books, with kid-sized tables and chairs and an inviting selection of books within easy access! And it was awesome to see the library advertising their weekly storytime.
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The library was full of interesting resources for those conducting research, or anyone just interested in plants, gardens, or other outdoor topics. There was a computer to search the collection, a gorgeous book of natural artwork, periodicals, and an entire back room packed with exciting materials!
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After enjoying the library I kept exploring, and found the Conservatory, full of wonderful blooming flowers, and also enjoyed the exhibit Origami in the Garden. Not much was blooming outside yet but I was so encouraged to see the little hints of color coming through the ground!
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ARLD Day 2018 was so much fun, and it was fantastic to visit the Andersen Horticultural Library! If you have a chance to stop by and visit the MN Landscape Arboretum, I definitely encourage you to do so!
Partnering with libraries for visioning, advocating, and educating
