All posts by Angie

Communication, Public

Learning About Library Associations: Public Library Association (PLA)

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.

The Public Library Association (PLA) is a division of ALA “dedicated to supporting the unique and evolving needs of public library professionals.” According to their website, PLA was founded in 1944 and has a growing presence around the world. They offer opportunities like continuing education and conferences for public library workers to network and grow their skills.

Visit their site to find out about their award and grant opportunities, some of which are currently accepting nominations! You can also explore their Publications and Resources page which provides access to a number of services to help public library staff in their job tasks and challenges.

Finally, you can check out PLA’s FAQ page or read their mission and goals to learn more about the association.

 

Communication, Conference, Tech

Linking Our Libraries: Episode 209: Conferences!

Want to listen to an episode?
  1. You can download an app, subscribe to “Linking Our Libraries” and all episodes will appear on your phone – it’s so easy!
    • Apps we like include Pocket Casts, iTunes, and Stitcher.
    • Download any of these, search for “Linking Our Libraries” and hit Subscribe.
    • If it is not readily available, just enter this RSS feed: http://libraries.blubrry.com/feed/podcast/.
  2. Or, you can stream an episode right now on your computer by going to our streaming page, by clicking here.

Whatever tool you use, we hope you enjoy it! Thanks for listening, and sharing ideas on libraries!

This week we are talking about professional conferences: attending them and presenting at them. This is your chance to meet other people who do what you do, who like the same things you like, and who are experiencing some of the same challenges you are facing! In our system, made up of all types and sizes of libraries, we have many people who are solo library workers, or who work with a very small group of people. That kind of isolation can be tough, so conferences are a great way to be sure you connect with other people in your area of the library world! And, as you are part of a big profession, this is also a chance for you to be giving back to everyone else with your ideas, your experiences, and your material.

We all work better when we are working together, and sharing information is a responsibility of being part of a community. (plus, it’s really fun to present at conferences! You get to feel like you are contributing, and you get the chance to really talk about issues and ideas that are important to you!)

So take a listen to our episode,  or find more information on our podcast page here. We hope to see you at some conferences this week! 🙂

Communication, General

Office Hours today, Wednesday Oct. 4th!

Lady Grey is ready to solve your library problems (or at least appreciate your attention!)

Just a reminder that today, Wednesday October 4th from 11am to 1pm, CMLE Headquarters will be having Office Hours!

It’s just Lady Grey and Angie available today, since Mary is meeting with other multitype directors and making all sorts of exciting plans for our member libraries! But feel free to stop in and chat about libraries, or perhaps about your upcoming conference plans! We will be happy to see you!

We are located at 570 1st St. SE St. Cloud 56304, in cmERDC building.

CMLE, Communication

Join us for our Fall Social Event on Monday, Oct. 23rd!

One of our main goals at CMLE is to connect our members who come from all different types of libraries. And one of our favorite ways to do this is through hosting social events! It’s a chance for us to chat with you about current happenings at your library, and an opportunity for you to connect with other library folks.

So we are very excited for our next social event, coming up on Monday, October 23rd at 5:30pm at Old Chicago in St. Cloud! 

Join us for a delicious dinner and casual library talk, find out what is happening in other libraries that may be different from yours, and share any success stories or challenges of your own!

RSVP below (and thank you to all of you that have already done so, we can’t wait to see you! 🙂 )

Books

New month, new books! Read with us in October!

It’s always exciting to pick up a new book to read and we are always happy to provide you with suggestions! Our online book groups are a great place to find ideas. Join us this month in our CMLE Librarian Professionals and CMLE Librarians Enjoying Books groups on Goodreads and let’s read together!

For our Librarian Professionals group we will be reading Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown

“Have you ever found yourself stretched too thin? Do you simultaneously feel overworked and underutilized? Are you often busy but not productive? Do you feel like your time is constantly being hijacked by other people’s agendas?

If you answered yes to any of these, the way out is the Way of the Essentialist.

The Way of the Essentialist isn’t about getting more done in less time. It’s about getting only the right things done.  It is not  a time management strategy, or a productivity technique. It is a systematic discipline for discerning what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything that is not, so we can make the highest possible contribution towards the things that really matter.”

For our Librarians Enjoying Books group, we will be reading The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Sansom.

“Israel Armstrong is a passionate soul, lured to Ireland by the promise of an exciting new career. Alas, the job that awaits him is not quite what he has in mind. Still, Israel is not one to dwell on disappointment, as he prepares to drive a mobile library around a small, damp Irish town. After all, the scenery is lovely, the people are charming–but where are the books? The rolling library’s 15,000 volumes have mysteriously gone missing, and it’s up to Israel to discover who would steal them…and why.”

Happy reading! 🙂