The Central Minnesota Libraries Exchange (CMLE) is one of seven regional multitype library systems established to meet the needs of and share the resources of all types of libraries.
We love libraries, and are here to support them!
We have been singing the praises of Jamie Markus, Interim Wyoming State Librarian for quite some time. Why? Jamie bravely compiles and shares online professional development events that you can sit at your desk and attend. And recently, I became aware of a nicely categorized listing of these events on the WebJunction site that makes it even easier for you to pick and choose. No time to attend live? No problem, register anyway and you will likely receive a link of the archived session.
Registration for Big Talk From Small Libraries 2016 is now open! This free one-day online conference on February 26 is aimed at librarians from small libraries; the smaller the better. The day features 12 presentations from professionals serving populations from 1,400 to 23,647 around the United States and Canada. Topics range from technology to programming to partnering with your community. Everyone is welcome to register and attend, regardless of how big or small your library is.
This conference is organized and hosted by the Nebraska Library Commission and is co-sponsored by the Association for Rural & Small Libraries.
Information in this post was furnished by the OCLC WebJunction Crossroads Newsletter, Feb. 3, 2016.
Petersburg, Nebraska, Public Library. From the Nebraska Library Commission's Flickr account: https://flic.kr/p/Bh6qd
Valerie Horton, Minitex Director invites you to “kick the tires” on eBooks MN and offer constructive feedback before the “go live” date of February 29. Enjoy!
EBOOKS MINNESOTA WILL GO PUBLIC ON LEAP DAY (February 29th)
We are giving library staff a unique chance to preview Ebooks Minnesota (Ebooks MN) before our public launch on Leap Day 2016. The system is now available for you to explore at www.ebooksmn.org.
Ebooks MN is a collection featuring content from Minnesota’s independent publishers. The opening-day collection includes about 2,500 titles, and we plan to add more soon. Ebooks from ABDO, Lerner Publishing Group, and Cherry Lake Publishing make up a significant part of the school-age collection. Ebooks MN also includes scholarly and literary titles from the University of Minnesota Press, Milkweed Editions, Coffee House Press, and Arcadia Publishing/The History Press. These independent presses publish ebooks on a wide variety of topics and genres from sharks to the black death and from graphic novels to literary fiction. Ebooks MN also includes titles about Minnesota, such as Twins Baseball and Legendary Locals of Crookston, that were published outside the state. A selection of popular titles that are in the public domain, such as The Origin of Species and Dracula, rounds out the collection
Minitex will manage access to Ebooks MN using the familiar IP-range method we use for the Electronic Library for Minnesota. No digital rights management (DRM) is required. We have permanent access to these titles, there is no limit to the number that can be checked out at a time, and readers can keep them as long as they wish. As with ELM, there is no additional cost for libraries to use the collection. Be sure to watch and share our introductory video, and download the app from iTunes, Google Play, or for your Kindle Fire.
On February 29, we will add Ebooks MN to www.elm4you.org and www.mnknows.org. Take the leap and add this collection to your website on Leap Day as well. Instructions for linking are included on our project page at www.ebooksmn.org/about. School libraries may wish to link directly to content appropriate for younger readers. Libraries will be able to add the collection to their catalogs through MARC records, which will be available in March. An API for SirsiDynix will also be available soon.
Promotional bookmarks and posters will be available upon request. The Ebooks MN logo is available at www.ebooksmn.org/about for you to download. We encourage you to share your comments and suggestions using the form you’ll also find on the project page.
Ebooks MN is a two-year pilot project of the Minnesota Department of Education, State Library Services and Minitex. The collection was made possible in part by funding from the Minnesota Department of Education through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and by Minitex. The initiative originated from the 2014 Explore eBooks MN Summit and from the contributions of librarians across the state.
We hope you will enjoy leaping into Ebooks MN as we prepare the collection for your patrons!
CMLE is delighted to invite you to our Spring Author Event with mystery author and musician, Erin Hart and her husband, Irish musician and author, Paddy O’Brien. We have a fun, St. Patrick’s Day themed event planned at the North Folk Winery located 5 minutes from Cambridge, MN. Erin & Paddy will be sharing a slide presentation on Irish history, bogs, traditional music and culture, plus, they will talk about their books with a few Irish tunes thrown in. North Folk Winery will have wine-tasting available for a small additional charge and Scout and Morgan Books in Cambridge will have all of Erin and Paddy’s books available to be autographed and purchased. CMLE will also be providing some yummy appetizers. This is a ticketed event so register early because space is limited. Registration deadline is Friday, March 4, 2016.Register now!
A little bit about Erin Hart and Paddy O’Brien: “Erin Hart and Paddy O’Brien are an accomplished creative duo, having received accolades from around the world for their writing and music. Erin’s atmospheric and literary crime novels set in the bogs of Ireland (Haunted Ground, Lake of Sorrows, False Mermaid, and The Book of Killowen), have won critical praise, earned the Friends of American Writers Award, been shortlisted for the mystery world’s prestigious Anthony and Agatha and Minnesota Book Awards, and have been translated into eleven foreign languages. Paddy has won international acclaim for his amazing repertoire and artistry on the two-row button accordion, and in 2013 was named Ireland’s Traditional Composer of the Year at the Gradam Ceoil Irish Music Awards. His memoir about growing up in rural Ireland, The Road from Castlebarnagh, has received glowing reviews in Ireland and around the globe.”
We have been singing the praises of Jamie Markus, Interim Wyoming State Librarian for quite some time. Why? Jamie bravely compiles and shares online professional development events that you can sit at your desk and attend. And recently, I became aware of a nicely categorized listing of these events on the WebJunction site that makes it even easier for you to pick and choose. No time to attend live? No problem, register anyway and you will likely receive a link of the archived session.
