All posts by admincmle

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!

Weekly Review: 1/21/2016

 CMLE Updates: State & Regional News

  • Minitex year in review More
  • GRRL and ECRL libraries highlighted on MDL More
  • Fireside reading series and podcasts More
  • TIES Scholarship Summary More

Upcoming Events and Registration Information

  • Register now for free genealogy event in St. Cloud! More
  • Need financial help to attend events? CMLE Scholarships! More
  • Archived hangout: Finding your ideal library job More

Resources You Can Use

  • Did you miss any of these? Ed Tech Trends from 2015 More
  • Edutopia names top 10 education videos More
  • NYPL puts 180,000 high-res images online More
  • Education research highlights from 2015 More

Tech Bits and Ideas

  •  Creating a digital hub for PD materials More

Food for Thought

  • Big things that happened in libraries in 2015 More
  • Need tips to stimulate or quiet the mind More

Just for Fun

  • Laughs from the @Lousy Librarian More

Need tips to stimulate or quiet the mind?

photo-1444312645910-ffa973656ebaAlthough this article was listed under the Classroom Management column on Edutopia, I see great promise here for many venues. Many of our readers are indeed teachers, but these tips and tricks could work with story time and youth groups, grandkids and maybe even with adults who have been sitting in a never-ending meeting that has drained the life out of them!

This article includes:

  • Nine simple strategies to stimulate thinking and creativity. And, for those moments of a racing mind with a thousand thoughts flying way too fast, there are also:
  • Seven techniques to calm and focus the mind. Give it a try, you might be surprised.

 

ECRL and GRRL highlighted by MN Digital Library

mdl-logoRecently, the Minnesota Digital Library (MDL) announced recent exciting contributions by both East Central Regional Library and Great River Regional Library. Congratulations to both in this noteworthy accomplishment!

ECRL: New contribution to Minnesota Reflections

According to Minnesota Digital Library News, The Kids Design Glass project was funded by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Fund and began with a summer reading program art contest. The contest was open to kids ages 5 to 10. One drawing was chosen from each of East Central Library’s 14 branches. The winning drawings were transformed into three-dimensional blown-glass sculptures by Anthony Michaud-Scorza of Cambridge, Minnesota. This project is fully documented in Minnesota Reflections with scans of the original 14 drawings, the artist statements, photographs of the sculpture, and a short video of each sculpture rotating on a turntable. View the collection here

GRRL: New MDL contributor

The Great River Regional Library (GRRL) was one of the participants in the recently completed MDL/DPLA Public Library Partnerships Project. According to Minnesota Digital Library News, “…we were looking for content on the history of libraries in Minnesota and GRRL came through with a project that included exterior and interior images of the St. Cloud Public Library’s original Carnegie building, built in 1902 and torn down in 1981. It was great to preserve these pictures of a “Lost Minnesota” structure. GRRL also contributed images of St. Cloud’s second library building, in use from 1979 to 2009, the Great River Regional Library Bookmobile, the Little Falls Public Library, and the Royalton Community Library. View the images here.

Two of the images were used in the DPLA’s online exhibition, “A History of US Public Libraries,” in the section on Carnegie libraries.”

 

 

 

Fireside Reading Series & Podcast

fireside-thumbStarting January 20th thru February 24th, there will be six weeks of free fireside readings by some of Minnesota’s finest writers. At 7 pm each Wednesday, people are invited to come and sit by the fire in the Hamline Midway Library in St. Paul.

Now in its 22nd season, the Fireside Reading Series is one of The Friends’ oldest and most popular events. The series annually highlights the work of some of Minnesota’s finest writers who have published a new work in the previous year. This year’s lineup includes: Faith Sullivan, Rick Shefchik, Beth Dooley, Erika Lee, Anton Treuer, and Catherine Madison.

Continuing last year’s efforts, The Friends will offer the entire season as a free podcast, available on the website  and on iTunes.

Credit image: Logo promoting Fireside Reading Series & Podcast

 

 

Libraries in review 2015

Think bigIf you are typical, you may be unsure about whether you have “kept up” with your reading and awareness about the state of the nations’ libraries this year . Fear not, the American Library Association (ALA) has put together an easy to skim compilation of 2015 items that affected libraries. Everything from library tech consolidation to an account of the last library catalog card are yours in this short synopsis.

Looking for something with a more local focus? Check out our Minitex year in review post too!

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/px4ssu3, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0