We are the Central Minnesota Libraries Exchange, a multitype system serving all types of libraries. We are here to help you find new books, for yourself or for your library.

This season we continue to travel around Minnesota but this time we’re learning about all the fascinating historical sites our state has to offer and giving you a book prompt inspired by each site.  

We will share six book suggestions to meet that prompt, to get you started on reading new books. You can also take that prompt and find any other book to meet the challenge!

This week we encourage you to explore Historic Fort Snelling. “Learn stories of the military fort and its surrounding area, home to a wide history that includes Native peoples, trade, soldiers and veterans, enslaved people, immigrants, and the changing landscape.” To celebrate this, we suggest you read a book about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). 

We give you links to each of these books on our show notes page, taking you to Amazon.com. If you click on any of them, and buy anything at all – including a nice book – Amazon will send us a small percent of the profits they made on these sales. Thank you for supporting CMLE!

Learn how to get your communities connected to affordable and reliable high-speed Internet!

Date and time

Wed, January 25, 2023, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM CST

Location

Mystic Lake Center 2400 Mystic Lake Blvd Prior Lake, MN 55372

“The Minnesota Office of Broadband Development, Association of Minnesota Counties, League of Minnesota Cities, and the Minnesota Association of Townships, and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration invite you to the Internet for All: Connecting One Minnesota Workshop in Prior Lake, MN!

This day long workshop will bring together critical partners in Minnesota from the federal, state, tribal, and local governments, industry, and other key collaborators to discuss coordination on broadband efforts as the state prepares to receive significant broadband funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Connecting all people in Minnesota to affordable, reliable high-speed internet is critical to our economic stability and this event will provide an opportunity for us to discuss ways we can work together to efficiently and effectively utilize these federal dollars to the maximum extent. Proposed agenda topics include:

Looking Back at Broadband in Minnesota

Connecting all Minnesotans to Broadband

Overview of Federal Broadband Funding Opportunities

Why Digital Equity Matters

Digital Equity in Practice

Industry Panel: Networking Design and Build

Local Coordination: How to Get Involved

Barriers to Broadband Access and Tools to Break Them Down

Networking And Office Hours with the Minnesota Broadband Office and NTIA

Additional Details

Registration will open at 8:30 am; the program will begin at 9:00 am.

There is no fee to attend this event.

A light breakfast and lunch will be provided. If you have any special dietary needs, please contact Julia Pulidindi at (202) 748-7878 or jpulidindi@ntia.gov by Wednesday, January 18, 2023.

Upon request, accommodations for individuals with disabilities will be provided by calling (202) 748-7878 or emailing jpulidindi@ntia.gov 10 days before the event (Monday, January 16, 2023.)

Also upon request, voice interpretation services (in Hmong, Somali, and Spanish) will be made available by contacting Julia Pulidindi at (202) 748-7878 or jpulidindi@ntia.gov by Monday, January 16, 2023.

For those requiring accommodations, hotel rooms are available at the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel. Reservations can be made by calling (800) 548-8536.”

It’s a tough time for libraries, and people in customer service. And while we don’t want to veer into any toxic positivity, it is good to spend a little time focused on building your happiness level. We are not going to solve people’s serious mental issues here. But bringing some happiness skills to your week can be helpful to everyone!

Mondays can be a little hard, even when things are going fine. Use this small injection of a happiness skill to your week. We are here to support you, and to help you to be a little happier in the library.

This week we are looking at some strategies to show yourself some grace at work. It can be too easy to get caught up in trying to get everything done, and to serve all the needs at work. There’s nothing wrong with being good at your job; but we all need some permission to relax and take some happiness time.

Check out this article excerpt: What Giving Yourself Grace at Work—and in Life—Really Means:

“You likely have heard the so-called golden rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” In my opinion, giving yourself grace is all about the reverse: Do unto yourself as you do unto others. Or in other words, practice self-compassion—aka having understanding, acceptance, and forgiveness of yourself. This looks like being realistic, flexible, and honest about your bandwidth, energy, and interest.

1. Say no to perfectionism

2. Give yourself credit and a reward

3. Press mute on negative self-talk

4. Say no to something

You can read the whole article here, and get all the details.

CMLE can be part of your support network; we are here for you, and support you in your library work. Take a nice deep breath in, and whoosh it out; it’s going to be okay today.

If you are the kind of person who enjoys books, enjoys libraries, and likes to share that fun – have I got a deal for you!

We are looking for some Guest Hosts for the next season of Reading With Libraries.

Hopefully, you are already listening to this in your favorite podcast app. Or, maybe you stream it on our website. Or, you might just read our show notes for each episode. All of these are great ways to access the Reader’s Advisory material, and to be part of the book group.

And now, you have the opportunity to take it a step further and join in the discussion!

We have a season of looking at prompts from the 2023 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge. We’ve done these before, and they are fun – and this season it would be fun to have some new voices sharing ideas and books with the group!

What qualifications do you need to be a Guest Host?

It’s pretty simple:

• Do you like books? Read books? Want to suggest a few books to people?
• Can you click on a Zoom link?
• Do you have a microphone of any sort? (Headphones with a mic is a great thing. A stand alone mic is also great. Earbuds or other such devices are less great, but might work. Screaming into your phone or computer’s mic technically will work – but you will sound not-great when recorded. We want the best for you; so a mic is the way to go!)

Yes? Fantastic! You are qualified! You can fill out the application here.

What would you do on the episode?

In each episode, we talk about a specific theme of books. We share Reader’s Advisory information, we drink beverages related to that theme (theater of the mind beverages!). You will bring titles, authors, and discussion on four or five books related to the topic. Be cheerful about your books! Show some energy, so we encourage other people to read your suggestions!

What happens after you fill out this application?

Our crack team sifts through everyone’s material. We look at availability and preferred topics, and start making some schedules. Then we reach out to people to set up dates and times for recording. Our availability is pretty flexible; so we work around you!

We are really excited to have a season of new voices, and to share some new books – especially that our area library people are reading. Fill out an application today, and let’s get started!

Questions? Email Mary at mary@cmle.org.

Join our colleagues at Prairielandslibrary system for an important conference topic!

Prairielands Library Exchange Presents

The First Friday in February

Online Conference

When it Happens to You:
Coping with Resource Complaints and Challenges

Session 1

De-escalation Techniques: Managing an Intense Interaction

Session 2
Breath. Stay Calm:
Responding to Book Challenges in Your Library

Session 3
Challenges and Crises: Preparing Your Board of Trustees

When:  Friday February 3, 2023
Who:  School, Public, Special and Academic Libraries
How:  Zoom – Attend any or all sessions
Cost:  Free

Register here!

SCHEDULE

9:00 am

De-escalation Techniques: Managing an Intense Interaction

Amber McLain – Lakeland Library Coop

Grand Rapids, Michigan

11:00 am

Breathe. Stay Calm: Responding to Book Challenges in Your Library

Abbey Engebretson – Champlin Park High School

Debra Geiger – Coon Rapids High School

Allison Hackenmiller – Anoka High School

1:00 pm

Challenges & Crises: Preparing Your Board of Trustees

ALA Webinar

Moderator

David Paige
Trustee, Conway (N.H.) Public Library
2020-2021 United for Libraries President

Speakers

Skip Auld
Chief Executive Officer
Anne Arundel County Public Library
Annapolis, Maryland

Will Shorter
Chairman
Anne Arundel County Public Library Board of Trustees
Annapolis, Maryland

Jessica Hudson
Director
Fairfax County Public Library
Fairfax, Virginia

Christine Jones
Deputy Director
Fairfax County Public Library
Fairfax, Virginia