There’s been a lot happening over the summer with the Minnesota State Library Services. Below you will find 3 updates from them. CMLE encourages you to frequent their website or even subscribe to updates yourself.

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DATE: August 25, 2015

Apply for a Public Library Construction Grant State Library Services is pleased to announce that applications for round two of the 2014 Library Construction Grant program are now available. The program provides public libraries with funding for renovation, construction, and improvement projects that result in more accessible library facilities. Projects may:

• Remove architectural barriers from a library building or site.
• Remediate conditions hazardous to health or safety.
• Renovate or expand an existing building for use as a library.
• Construct a new library.

The 2014 Minnesota Legislature allocated a total of $2,000,000 to the program, with $857,000 of those funds earmarked for specific projects and the remaining funds for competitive grant awards. An estimated $848,000 in state funding is available to award approximately three grants in the second round.

Application forms and instructions are available on the Minnesota Department of Education’s Grants Management site. Scroll to Library Construction Grant opportunity. Completed applications are due November 10, 2015.

An informational webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, September 9, 2015, from 3-4 p.m. Call-in via phone at 1-888-742-5095 (using conference code 492 064 9083 / meeting number 598 116 941) or participate via WebEx. Pre-registration is not required.

Please contact Emily Kissane at emily.kissane@state.mn.us or 651-582-8508 for more information, or to request a reasonable accommodation to attend the online meeting. Note: The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) requires a two-week advance notice in order to provide the requested accommodation and requires a 48-hour notice to cancel a requested accommodation.

Supercharge Your Storytimes Minnesota is one of five states selected to participate in a new IMLS-supported OCLC initiative, Supercharged Storytimes, an empowering approach to storytime planning and delivery established in Washington state. Minnesota public library staff members are invited to join the Supercharged Storytimes community.

If you are passionate about early literacy at public libraries, interested in enhancing your storytimes for children five and under, and eager to work collaboratively online with your peers from other libraries, please review the Participant Overview and consider submitting a Statement of Interest for this opportunity by Friday, September 11, 2015 at 5 p.m.

Approximately 100 staff members, professionals and paraprofessionals, from Minnesota’s libraries will be selected by OCLC to participate this fall in the free multi-week training opportunity. Participants will build a learning community designed to boost the impact of library storytimes and demonstrate how libraries provide high-quality early literacy experiences that get kids ready for kindergarten. Please contact Jackie Blagsvedt at jacqueline.blagsvedt@state.mn.us with questions.

Discover the Five Practices Essential for Pre-Readers Renowned early literacy educator Saroj Ghoting is returning to Minnesota for a series of workshops that give librarians and early childhood educators tools to provide high-quality storytimes and early literacy interactions with pre-readers. The workshops are rooted in the Every Child Ready to Read 2nd Edition (ECRR2) research-based curriculum released by the Public Library Association in 2011. Follow the links below to register for the workshop of your choice.

Storytimes for Everyone sessions include an overview of the five early literacy practices (sing, talk, read, write, play) and real-world techniques for designing literacy-rich storytimes that engage children and adults.

• Blue Earth County Library – Mankato / Tues., Sept. 22, 2015, 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
• East Central Regional Library – North Branch Area Library / Fri., Sept. 25, 2015, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

At the Training of Trainers session, learn how to incorporate the five early literacy practices and six early literacy skills into your outreach to childcare providers of children ages birth to six.

• Ramsey County Library – White Bear Lake Library / Thurs., Sept. 24, 2015, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Please contact Jackie Blagsvedt at 651-582-8805 or jacqueline.blagsvedt@state.mn.us for more information.

Celebrate Afterschool at Your Library On October 22, share with your community the importance of the afterschool learning opportunities your library provides. Launched in October 2000, Lights On Afterschool (LoA) is the only nationwide event celebrating afterschool programs and their importance to children, families and communities. Ignite Afterschool, Minnesota’s afterschool network, provides supports to all libraries holding Lights On Afterschool celebrations. Subscribe to Ignite Afterschool’s email updates to get more information right in your inbox.

In the meantime, here are some ways to jumpstart your LoA event planning:

• Check out the online Afterschool Alliance LoA event planning toolkit or download the LoA Event Planning Guide. They both have tons of resources, from sample templates to fun activity ideas.
• View this on-demand webinar, “Planning a Lights On Afterschool Event: How to Engage Your Policymakers and the Media.”
• Register your event with the Afterschool Alliance, the national coordinator of LoA. They’ll also share the info with Ignite so that it can give you the support you need to have a great event.

Be on the lookout for more Lights On Afterschool updates soon. Contact Jen Verbrugge at jennifer.verbrugge@state.mn.us for more information.

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DATE: July 31, 2015

Announcing the 2015 LSTA Competitive Grant Awards State Library Services uses LSTA funds to expand access to learning services, information tools and educational resources in all types of libraries. We help libraries provide educational and civic engagement opportunities, lifelong learning, workforce development and digital literacy skill-building activities. To achieve this, we competitively award LSTA grants, which fund projects that help Minnesotans in new and innovative ways. We are pleased to announce the 2015 LSTA competitive grant-awarded projects.

To learn more, visit the State Library Services LSTA page. For more information about LSTA, please contact Jackie Blagsvedt at jacqueline.blagsvedt@state.mn.us or 651-582-8805.

Supercharge Your Storytimes Minnesota is one of five states selected to participate in a new IMLS-supported OCLC initiative, Supercharged Storytimes, an empowering approach to storytime planning and delivery established in Washington. Up to 100 staff from partnering Minnesota libraries will be invited to participate this fall in a free multi-week training opportunity. Participants will build a learning community designed to boost the impact of library storytimes and demonstrate how libraries provide high-quality early literacy experiences that get kids ready for kindergarten. In the coming weeks, State Library Services will reach out to public libraries to share more information about the project and identify library staff interested in embracing this exciting professional development opportunity. In the meantime, please send Jackie Blagsvedt a note at jacqueline.blagsvedt@state.mn.us if you are interested in participating.

Discover the Five Practices Essential for Pre-Readers The Minnesota Department of Education, with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, is excited to bring renowned early literacy educator Saroj Ghoting back to Minnesota for a series of workshops that will give librarians and early childhood educators tools to provide high-quality storytimes and early literacy interactions with pre-readers. The workshops are rooted in the Every Child Ready to Read 2nd Edition (ECRR2) research-based curriculum released by the Public Library Association in 2011. Please visit our Supporting Libraries Serving Youth webpage to learn more about the training options and register for a workshop near you. Please contact Jackie Blagsvedt at 651-582-8805 or jacqueline.blagsvedt@state.mn.us for more information.

Get Outside the Lines Outside the Lines is a week-long celebration, September 13-19, 2015, that demonstrates the creativity and innovation happening in today’s libraries. Whether your library is large or small—school, academic, special or public—you can participate in this international celebration by hosting an event that:

· Gets people thinking and talking about libraries in a different way.
· Showcases your library in the community.
· Represents your local community.
· Highlights how your library is relevant to people’s lives.
· Is active and gets people engaged.
· Is fun!

Learn more about Outside the Lines and register as a participating location on the campaign’s website.

Welcome Nat to State Library Services We’re excited to welcome Emily (Nat) Bauer as an Early Literacy AmeriCorps VISTA member on August 3. A recent Carleton College graduate, she will work with State Library Services on developing resources, tools and strategies that help libraries develop, deliver and assess high-quality, outcome-driven early childhood programs for at-risk children. Nat will be working most closely with Jackie Blagsvedt, and can be reached at emily.bauer@state.mn.us.

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DATE: July 9, 2015

Shine a Light on Your Storytime Planning Skills The continued desire for statewide storytime resource-sharing led State Library Services to create the Minnesota Storytime Hub (MSH) working group as part of the Minnesota OER Commons network hub, a project of Minnesota Learning Commons. OER Commons is an award-winning library of open educational resources (OER), teaching and learning materials that are freely available online for everyone to use. MSH houses an easily accessible set of high-quality resources that streamline storytime planning, increase awareness of materials used successfully in storytime practice, and allow professionals to share quality early literacy practices.

We are ready to expand the collection of MSH resources, and now seek experienced children’s librarians who are willing to upload their favorite storytime lesson plans, tied into Every Child Ready to Read and Minnesota’s Early Childhood Indicators of Progress. Please contact Jen Verbrugge at jennifer.verbrugge@state.mn.us by July 31, 2015 if you’re interested in learning more about how to contribute.

Make Innovative Collaborative Projects Possible with LSTA Grant Funding Schools and public libraries are doing amazing things with LSTA grant funding. The Cloquet Public Library, in collaboration with the Cloquet Area Alternative Education Program, just wrapped up a ten-week STEAM course for a dozen at-risk students. The class seamlessly combined eco-awareness and art. Participants came away from the experience not only with an introduction to photography, but also an increased appreciation for the St. Louis River watershed and understanding of the ecological impact humans can have on water resources. Visit the Cloquet Public Library’s Facebook page to see the photography created by the students. Of her participation in the class, one student said afterward, “I’ve learned that the first step in solving a problem is to bring awareness to the situation. It can be done in many ways…through pictures, songs, paintings, books, movies, poetry, and expression.” Another student noted, “I learned quite a bit about the water around us and how much water we use. I am really interested in this. It was exciting to go to the river and take pictures.” The grant-funded course materials and cameras mean this course will be available to students for years to come. The participating photographer expressed interest in continuing her affiliation with the project, and members of the public inquired about opportunities to also participate in future classes. Read more about LSTA grants and get inspired by the cool and creative projects put together by other schools and libraries.

Help MBTBL Users Download Talking Books to Mobile Devices Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library (MBTBL) patrons who use Android devices can now download talking books to their phone or tablet. The Minnesota Braille and Audio Reading Download (MN BARD) mobile app is now available through Google Play for devices running Android OS 4.1 or later. It’s also available for devices running iOS 4.3 or later through the iTunes App Store.The free app allows patrons to download talking books from their MN BARD accounts. BARD contains nearly 65,000 books, magazines, and music scores in audio and braille formats, with new selections added daily. For more information about the BARD mobile app or other MBTBL services, please visit www.mnbtbl.org or call 1-800-722-0550.

Connect with Information and Technology Educators Early bird registration for the 2015 Information and Technology Educators of Minnesota (ITEM) fall conference is open now until July 31. Join media specialists, technology integrationists and more at the St. Cloud River Center in St. Cloud on October 1-3, 2015. The conference includes exciting keynotes by Brad Gustafson, Jennifer LaGarde and James Kennedy, great breakout and poster sessions, a packed exhibit hall and unparalleled networking opportunities. Visit the ITEM website for details—including registration, breakout and poster session proposal forms, and more.

Find Free Online Resources for Trustees and New Public Library Directors The Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) announce the free and openly available Continuing Education Connector Project. Participate in online webinars and classes put together by continuing education coordinators, library development directors, chief officers and other state library agency staff from across the United States. Library trustees looking to hire a new library director can find free step-by step assistance and communication templates. New and future public library directors can build their knowledge through brief training modules about outreach and marketing, managing projects and improving community relations. Learn more.

Reintroduce Your Library to Your Community Libraries have transformed into dynamic centers for engagement, and it’s time to reintroduce them to our local communities. Register to attend this free ALA webinar that will connect librarians, library support staff and library supporters with select participants in last year’s Outside the Lines program, a global initiative demonstrating the creativity and innovation happening in libraries. The interactive webinar on Monday, July 13 from 1-2 p.m. will cover a variety of topics from how to engage your community to how to rally your staff.

Registration is mandatory, and limited to the first 100 participants who arrive in the virtual room. This webinar will be archived and accessible to ALA members. To learn more about Outside the Lines, visit getoutsidethelines.org and follow #getOTL on Twitter.