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!
General, Public, School Media Specialist

Michigan State Board of Education supports school libraries

More fall leaves...I am pleased to report that the Michigan State Board of Education passed a resolution at its October 14, 2014 board meeting in support of school libraries. What I really like is the focus of the resolution, which reaches far beyond the dated stereotype of a school library. Indeed, the resolution specifically cites  certified school librarians as an important way to achieve 21st century learning and teaching goals, then elaborates about how they do so! Although there is no money tied to the resolution, it is believed to be a good step forward in advocating for strong media programs, and the educational civil rights of students.

The Resolution is short, to the point, worthy of a quick read.

But wait….there is more!

What is also interesting to me, is that the Library of Michigan, an office of the Michigan Department of Education, has developed benchmarks for school libraries. These benchmarks allow a school administrator and school librarian (working together)  to evaluate the school library program across the areas of :

  • Building the Learning Environment
  • Teaching for 21st Century Learning
  • Leading the Way to 21st Century Learning

What a breath of fresh air! Administrators can better visualize what is possible in a school library program if they have specific benchmarks to consider! And by working through the benchmarks together, there is an opportunity for much needed conversation too. Do you think a resolution or benchmarks could help with Minnesota school library staffing issues?

School Library 21 (SL21): Measurement Benchmarks for Michigan School Libraries for 21st Century Schools

Update 2/3/2015: Oregon adopts School Library Standards

Please send questions, comments or ideas to me, Patricia Post, Director of CMLE, one of the seven MN multitype library systems, at papost@cmle.org

 

 

Public, School Media Specialist

Make Noise: School Libraries are Critical

Last week, I did a blog post about the continued drop in the number of media specialists in Central MN schools. Quite honestly, there is no library issue that bothers me more. I became a librarian because I am passionate about equitable access to information.  I am sick about what I am seeing in our region around school libraries. In school year 2013-2014, 41% of Central MN schools had no licensed media center staff. And, here is a shocker, 69% of secondary schools have no licensed staff! Without well-stocked, well-staffed school libraries, how are the academic needs of students being met? Certainly, we can do better, we must do better!

Part of what bothers me is that I hear no outcry. Are parents, grandparents, and community members aware of this issue? Why do I only hear deafening silence? Every time the cuts happen with no outcry, it becomes more acceptable! I know for a fact that some of the  school media programs that were cut or eliminated, were the very best! So, the cuts did not happen as a result of a weak program. Take note media specialists, your great program could be cut too if you don’t engage in raising awareness of this issue. These cuts happened quietly, and even when a few people figured it out, there was only deafening silence.

A few years back, some districts would employ one media specialist to cover several schools, to at least put a good face on the situation. Not any more! In last week’s blog post, I listed the school districts who have become so bold as to not employ a single media specialist in any of their schools. People, they are counting on your silence. Certainly, in this information age, this is an atrocity. Yet, where is the noise? Public libraries and college libraries should be concerned, as they often have to pick up the work of remediation of students with no school media program.

What can we do?

We can roar, we can make noise, and help others make noise!  Find out how your county or school district fares on this issue (bullet 2 below). Show the research that demonstrates the impact that school libraries have on academic achievement (bullet 3 below). Consider who in your school can work with your PTO, to ask parents and grandparents to write letters to the editor or the school board (bullet 2 below). Worried about your job? Consider writing an anonymous letter to the editor.

Basically, we want kids to be readers. We need to have systems in place to help them find books that help them grow, think, and enjoy reading and learning. Minnesota is dedicated to ensuring that all children be proficient readers by third grade. With 37% of our elementary schools with no licensed staff, are we supporting that statewide goal?  As kids move along, we want them to be competent researchers by sixth grade, and fluent critical thinkers about information sources by high school. And don’t we all want high school graduates to feel equipped to be successful in either their college career or as information-literate, high functioning  members of society?  Effective school libraries are hubs of learning, they include great books but so much more! Now is the time to make noise! Are you with me?

Resources to Help You Take Action!

  1. Where have the Media Specialists Gone in 2014? (current staffing data for Central MN)
  2. Want help writing your letter or fact sheet? Contact us if you want a specific data set for your district or county to beef up your communications on this issue. We are ready to help!
  3. School Library Impact Studies (the research to support the need for licensed media staff)
  4. School Libraries Transform Learning (The American Library Association’s advocacy doc with different ideas for action)
  5. Los Angeles students need better libraries, not iPads (Read about how after a 19-month investigation, LA believes this school library situation is actually a violation of the educational civil rights of students!)

Send comments, ideas, or solutions to me, Patricia Post, Director of CMLE, at papost@cmle.org

Note: The CMLE region includes Aitkin, Benton, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd and Wright counties in Minnesota

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

MLA Conference Recap

better_together_-_smallAs the legion of librarians descended on Mankato, MN for the 2014 MLA conference, there was excitement in the air. Several commented on how they couldn’t quite believe that they had physically disengaged from their workplace, but having done so, felt excited about two days of learning.

The event began with keynote speakers Tiffany Eatman Allen and Susanne Markgren. They focused on simple and painless steps to add professional development into (and change up) library careers. They engaged the audience in live polling, and offered a rich resource list too.

  • Their presentation includes ten professional development action steps along with the results of the live polls.
  • While the presentation is good, they also shared a wonderful pdf authored by Educause titled, Creating a Professional Development Plan, which is enormously helpful in many ways. It includes skills and values assessment check lists, which can help you focus on the type of job you may thrive in! It also includes helpful exercises in forming an action plan for further developing yourself.
  • Got a question you want to ask about your library career? Tiffany and Susanne are part of the Library Career People team, so use their web form to get their advice!
  • Follow them on Twitter: @LibCareerPeople

Other Helpful Conference Links  and Takeaways:

 

Session participants were asked to sum up the 23 Mobile Things program in one word or phrase.

  • “Refreshing, invigorating!”
  • “Much better than a poke in the eye” (spoken by a possible luddite!)
  • “23 Mobile Things keep you 23 steps ahead of your patrons.” That’s the idea folks….

https://twitter.com/valeriehorton/status/519959132242472960

Are you sad that you were unable to register for, or finish the 23 Mobile Things program last year? No worries, due to popular demand, we will be doing a second round of the program beginning in mid-January 2015. Now is a great time to get a strategy for securing  a mobile device so you can easily do the program. Put that smart phone or tablet on your Christmas list soon!

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Updates & Reminders from State Library Services

MDE logo retrieved online 12/17/13..

TO: Minnesota Libraries
FROM: State Library Services
DATE: October 20, 2014
SUBJECT: MBTBL job opening, GCFLearnFree.org, LSTA Mini Grants due, MLA thanks and 90-Second Newbery

Position Opening at the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library
The Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library (MBTBL) is seeking qualified candidates for a full-time library technician. Located in Faribault, the MBTBL provides library services to individuals with a visual, physical or reading disability that prevents them from reading standard print materials. The vacancy announcement and application form may be found online at the My State Job Search website. The closing date for the position is October 23, 2014. For more information please contact Catherine Durivage at 507-384-6860 or catherine.durivage@state.mn.us.

Free 21st Century Skills Training Website: GCFLearnFree.org
Over the past decade, the Goodwill Community Foundation’s GCFLearnFree.org program has helped millions around the world learn the essential skills they need to live and work in the 21st century. From using Microsoft Office and email to reading, math, and more, the website offers more than 90 free, self-paced tutorials, including more than 1,000 lessons.

Please join us for an informational webinar on Wednesday, October 29, 2014 from 11 a.m. to noon. Get a virtual tour of the site and learn how other libraries have successfully used GCFLearnFree.org with their patrons. Preregistration is not required. View the webinar. If requested, enter your name and email address, then click “Join.”

For more information, please contact Jennifer Verbrugge at 651-582-8356 or jennifer.verbrugge@state.mn.us.

LSTA Mini Grant applications due November 5
State Library Services is pleased to offer two competitive mini grant opportunities — Playful Learning in Libraries and Expanded Learning through Libraries. With streamlined applications, mini grants are short term grant awards of up to $10,000 for projects taking place from approximately early January through September 30, 2015. Applications for both mini grant opportunities are due on November 5.

Playful Learning in Libraries mini grants are offered to bolster the capacity of public libraries to provide welcoming and engaging play-friendly spaces and experiences that engage children ages 0-8 and their parents/caregivers in play and learning. These projects will also ensure that early learners experience a variety of playful activities that support their growth across the six domains of Minnesota’s early childhood indicators of progress. For inspiration, see what was done at the Park Grove Library in Cottage Grove with a Playful Learning in Libraries mini grant. For more information about this opportunity, contact Jackie Blagsvedt at jacqueline.blagsvedt@state.mn.us or 651-582-8805.

Expanded Learning through Libraries mini grants are designed to support activity-based partnerships between schools and public libraries. The overarching goal is to increase organizational capacity to connect students with meaningful out-of-school time opportunities that improve literacy, academic achievement, college readiness and more. For more information about this opportunity, contact Jennifer Verbrugge at jennifer.verbrugge@state.mn.us or 651-582-8356.

Grant opportunity documents, including timelines, are available on MDE’s grants management site.

Great to See You at the MLA Conference!
State Library Services staff members Jen Nelson, Jackie Blagsvedt and Jen Verbrugge enjoyed connecting with you at the MLA Conference. Thanks to all who attended the programs we presented and chatted with us about your libraries. Please continue the conversation — feel free to contact any State Library Services staff member by email or phone. We love to hear from you!

Calling All Kid Filmmakers!
The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival is an annual video contest in which kid filmmakers make movies that creatively tell the entire stories of Newbery-winning books in ninety seconds or less. Making the film is a fun, creative and multi-faceted educational exercise. Kids write, storyboard, produce, act, frame and edit. James Kennedy, the founder and curator of the 90-Second Newbery, made his own 90-second movie about the 90-Second Newbery inviting you to take part.

Public librarians, school librarians, homeschool parents and teachers are encouraged to work with their kids to make movies. The deadline to submit films is December 20, 2014 (deadline extended to 1-16-2015 as of 12-11-2014). Inspiration and more information can be found on the 90-Second Newbery website. Want to make a 90-Second Newbery video, but are daunted by the project? Download this handy guide of tips, tricks, and strategies.

Mark your calendar for the first-ever Minnesota screening of the best local entries on Saturday, February 28, 2015, from 3:00-4:30 pm at Hennepin County Library – Minneapolis Central. Co-hosts of the event will be James Kennedy and Kelly Barnhill, Minneapolis author of The Witch’s Boy. For more details, please contact Jennifer Verbrugge at jennifer.verbrugge@state.mn.us or 651-582-8356.

General, Public, School Media Specialist

We've Learned

LightbulbWe’ve Learned….is designed to keep our readers informed about news concerning personnel in Central MN libraries/media centers. With 12 counties to monitor, we need your help! Please contact CMLE at any time you are aware of  staffing changes, job postings, awards, honors, accomplishments….you get the idea!

Awards/Honors

  • Zoma Olson, Elk River High School, received the Media Assistant of the Year Award at the ITEM Conference
  • Pam Beckermann, Dassel-Cokato Middle School, received the Media Specialist of the Year Award at the ITEM Conference
  • ECRL Resource Librarian Sarah Hawkins was elected as co-chair of the Reference and Adult Services Section (RASS) of the Minnesota Library Association at the MLA conference.
  • Barbara Misselt, ECRL Director,  is the new Legislative Committee Chair Elect.
  • Carla Lydon, ECRL Assistant Director, begins her second year as Member at Large of the MLA Board.

Job Opening

Mora Public Schools is seeking a district-wide technician to join their technology staff. See details below. If you know anyone who might be interested, please pass this information on to them.

Applications close October 23, 2014

Applitrack Posting: 

http://www.applitrack.com/mora/onlineapp/default.aspx?AppliTrackJobID=116&ref=

 

Further Documentation:

Posting​:  District Technician 2014 Posting

​Description ​​:  District Technician – Mora Public Schools

​

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