All posts by Angie

Books

Book Suggestions: Girls Made of Snow and Glass

We love to read books, and to talk about books. Check out our entire series here! Need more book chatting and suggestions in your life? Listen to our Books and Beverages podcast!

I love retellings of fairy tales, so when I heard about this book being marketed as a “feminist fantasy reimagining of Snow White” of course I was interested!

So far I’m really enjoying the book (hurrying to finish so I avoid an overdue fine!) and the setting of a chilly castle trapped in the season of winter fits perfectly with our Minnesota weather. The two main characters are strong and determined to discover their own identities despite lots of obstacles, some of them magic-related. There’s definitely a sense of something ominous coming and I can’t wait to find out what happens next!

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust
“Entwining the stories of both Lynet and Mina in the past and present, Girls Made of Snow and Glass traces the relationship of two young women doomed to be rivals from the start. Only one can win all, while the other must lose everything—unless both can find a way to reshape themselves and their story.”

 

 

 

Advocacy, CMLE

Share the value of libraries at our Postcard Party!

The goal behind our Postcard Parties is to share the value of libraries with legislators and other library stakeholders who may not hear enough about the incredible work that takes place in libraries. It’s up to us to let them know how important libraries are!

We are looking forward to our advocacy Postcard Party coming up on Tuesday, December 19th from 3-5pm at the Local Blend coffee shop in St. Joseph! We’ll chat, have snacks, and write out postcards to library stakeholders!

We want to make this as pain-free for you as possible, so CMLE will supply the postcards, library facts, addresses for state and federal legislators (feel free to bring your own addresses for your library’s stakeholders), and sample text of what to write on your postcard. Plus, we’ll mail all the postcards at the end!

Hope to see you there! RSVP below:

CMLE, Visits

Come visit the library at SCSU with CMLE!

Thank you to everyone that voted for a date/time for our CMLE member visit to the library at SCSU! We are looking forward to touring the library on Thursday, January 11th from 3-4pm. We always love seeing the fantastic work that happens in our member libraries, and meeting the library people that are making it happen! Mary recently toured this library and was so impressed that she thought our members should have a chance to visit too!

Since we are a multitype system, we are always working to connect our members with each other. Even if the type of library you work in may be different, many challenges you face may be similar. And something that works for another library might just work for yours too!

So join us! These visits are casual so if you need to arrive a bit late or leave early, no problem. RSVP below, we hope you can make it! 🙂

Communication

Learning About Library Associations: Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA)

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 we’re learning about the Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA). CALA is affiliated with ALA and “is the only professional organization in North America that 1) promotes better communication among Chinese American librarians; 2) serves as a forum for the discussion of mutual problems and professional concerns among Chinese American librarians; and 3) promotes the development of Chinese and American librarianship with scholarships and grants.”

CALA has several programs and initiatives, such as the Academic Resources and Repostory System, and the Twenty-first Century Librarian Seminar Series. They also have several different publications including a newsletter and Recommended Reading List of Chinese Materials. CALA also offers several different awards, grants, and scholarships.

There are several committees you can volunteer to join if you become a member, such as the Best Book Award Committee and the Mentorship Program Committee. Committees meet at ALA Annual and the Midwinter Conference. Learn more about becoming a member of CALA on their membership page!

School Media Specialist, Tech

AASL Recommended Apps: Organization and Management: Google Keep

Last summer, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced their Best Apps for Teaching and Learning 2017. The apps encourage qualities such as creativity and collaboration, and encourage discovery and curiosity.

The app Google Keep is a note-taking service with lots of capabilities. (Side note, I use this app and think it’s great!) Users can share notes with others, save and bookmark research, save photos, links, and notes. The app works across platforms and is part of G Suite. A quick tip: “Color code notes and use tags for the ultimate organization; set reminders for important lists.”

Level: All
Platform: iOS and Android
Cost: FREE

Common Sense Media has this detailed review of the app which includes input from parents and pictures that explain features of the app. This review from Computer World gives an overview of Google Keep and shares ways it can be used in everyday life.