All posts by John

General, School Media Specialist

New Washington State study makes case for school librarians

GraduateWith the school year winding down and administrators thinking about and planning for next year, some school librarians may be worrying about their jobs. CMLE has covered this topic before! From the ALA President’s statement on school librarians, to CMLE wondering “Where have the Media Specialist Gone in 2014,” we know some of you may need some resources during this challenging time.

Just in time is a recent Washington State study that makes the case for school librarians even stronger. They found high schools with a certified teaching librarian (CTL) on staff had a 9 percent higher graduation rate. Standardized reading scores and year 1 math scores were also significantly higher in schools with CTLs.

School librarians go beyond just books and access. The study reports that information technology has a large role too, since school librarians “carry a heavy load of teaching responsibilities focused on information technology; skills that are necessary for success in higher education as well as virtually any profession in today’s world.”

Some of the major findings include:

  • Students who attend schools with certified teacher-librarians and quality library facilities perform better on standardized tests and are more likely to graduate, even after controlling for school size and student income level.
  • Students who attend schools with on-staff certified teacher-librarians (CTLs) have more equitable access to technologically advanced and accessible library facilities.
  • Students who attend schools with certified teacher-librarians are more likely to be taught information technology skills and technology fluency skills.

Read the article now or jump to the full report.

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/o9gpyt6, licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

CMLE Scholarships: Apply Now!

MoonriseCMLE’s scholarship program has been popular but we want even more of you to take advantage! We’ve written about the service before, but based on our recent needs assessment,  we now know the application process is easy: 100% of scholarship users found the process easy!

CMLE offers scholarships of up to $200 per fiscal year per individual for staff affiliated with  any type of  library in Aitkin, Benton, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd and Wright counties in Central Minnesota. The scholarships can be used to attend workshops, conferences, library meetings or task forces, and other library-related activities to promote engagement and/or professional development. All expenses mentioned earlier are appropriate and we encourage you to use the scholarships even if it can’t cover all of the costs. And, if you use our scholarship to help with costs, feel free to mention to your administrator that you have used our program!

Need help paying for that  sub? CMLE scholarships come in very handy in settings that require your employer to pay for a “sub” while you are off enhancing your library skill sets. When you fill out the form, just indicate the amount you need to cover that expense.

So check it out and feel free to apply now or sometime in the future.

Need an excuse to apply? Check out this long list of opportunities from MN EdTech.

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/qx9hwk6, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Library of the future: 7 technologies at libraries

Some are new and some are old but Ebook Friendly recently wrote about 7 technologies they would love to see in libraries. From print on demand machines (which some libraries already use), to concepts for an advanced library augmented reality tool, the list has it all!

Plus, who wouldn’t want to get their library books via a book delivery drone!

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Minnesota Legislative Update

Capital SunsetThe following legislative update was written by Elaine Keefe, library lobbyist for the Minnesota Library Association (MLA) and Information Technology Educators of MN (ITEM).

Update: Friday, May 1, 2015 at 9:38 AM

The multi-type funding request was not included in either the House or Senate bill, so it is not moving forward.

The House has proposed a 0.56% increase in each year of the biennium for the general education formula, while the Senate and governor have proposed a 1% per year increase.

There will be a press conference on Monday organized by the major school groups to push for a higher education target than either the House or Senate have in their bills.  See the attached poster.

Recieved: Thursday, April 30, 2015 at 5:34 PM

Legacy Bill:   This afternoon the House passed its omnibus Legacy bill, HF 303, on the floor by a vote of 97-31 .   No amendments were proposed to the Arts and Cultural Heritage article of the bill.  When Rep. Dean Urdahl described the bill at the beginning of the debate he once again emphasized that there were no cuts in the bill because there is no such thing in Legacy.   The Senate Legacy bill is expected to be released next week.

Omnibus Education Finance and Policy Bills:  Yesterday the Senate passed its omnibus education finance bill and its omnibus education policy bill on the floor.  Last Saturday the House passed its omnibus education finance and policy bill (finance and policy are combined in a single bill).

The House appointed its conferees this afternoon.  They are Rep. Jenifer Loon (R – Eden Prairie), Rep. Sondra Erickson (R – Princeton), Rep. Ron Kresha (R – Little Falls), Rep. Bob Dettmer (R- Forest Lake) and Rep. Roz Peterson (R – Lakeville).  Senate conferees are expected to be named tomorrow.  I will send out an alert with contact information for the conferees once they have all been named.

Here is a rundown of the key issues for libraries in these bills:

Regional Library Basic System Support (RLBSS):  The Senate provides an increase of $1.5 million per year.  Because of the 90%/10% payment schedule, the actual amount of the increase will be $1.35 million in FY 16 and $1.5 million in FY 17 and beyond.  The Senate also changes the RLBSS formula by reducing the ANTC portion from 25% to 17% and by increasing the base amount from 5% to 13%.  The funding increase ensures that every regional library system receives an increase under the new formula.  The House has no increase and no formula change.

Regional Library Telecommunications Aid (RLTA):  Both the House and Senate bills include nearly identical language to more closely align RLTA with the federal e-rate program.

Telecommunications Equity Aid (TEA): The Senate increases funding for TEA by $1.5 million per year for the 16-17 biennium only.  The House provides no increase.

School Technology: The Senate requires school districts to reserve future increases in revenue from the School Endowment Fund for technology and telecommunications infrastructure, programs and training.

After School: The Senate provides $500,000 per year in the 16-17 biennium only for after school programs.  The House provides no funding.

Omnibus Tax Bills:  The House passed its omnibus tax bill on the floor yesterday.  The provisions I reported on in my April 22 update remained unchanged.   The Senate released its omnibus tax bill on Monday and passed it out of committee yesterday.  It will be brought up on the Senate floor on Monday.  Here are the provisions in the bill of interest to libraries:

Local Government Aid is increased by $21.5 million in FY 17 (payable in calendar year 2016) and by $45.6 million per year in FY 2018 and beyond.   LGA will be paid to cities in four installments rather than in two.  The new payments dates are March 15, July 15, September 15 and November 15.

County Program Aid is increased by $25 million in FY 17 (payable in calendar year 2016) and by $29.7 million per year in FY 2018 and beyond.

Elaine Keefe
Capitol Hill Associates
525 Park Street, Suite 310
St. Paul, MN 55103
(office)651-293-0229
(cell) 612-590-1244
elaine@capitolhillassoc.com

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/p4m2ool, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

MN State Library Updates

state_mn

 

 

 

TO: Minnesota Libraries
FROM: State Library Services
DATE: April 27, 2015
SUBJECT: Updates from State Library Services: Financial Capability Roundtable, VISTA Opening at State Library Services and more

Financial Capability Roundtable
Governor Mark Dayton proclaimed April as Financial Capability Month, an opportunity to demonstrate how financial education and empowerment can positively impact all Minnesotans. A Financial Capability Roundtable, featuring keynote speaker Richard Cordray, Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, will bring stakeholders and advocates together to connect and identify opportunities for enhancing every Minnesotan’s financial future. The Roundtable will be held on Tuesday, April 28 from 1-4:30 p.m. at the Minnesota History Center in Saint Paul. Register to attend. Please contact Julia Miller at julia.miller@state.mn.us or 651-539-1467 with questions about the event.

Early Literacy VISTA Opening at State Library Services
Interested in making a difference in the ability of public libraries to deliver high-quality early literacy services? State Library Services is recruiting a full-time VISTA member to work with us on connecting libraries with childcare providers and to develop, deliver and assess early childhood services that improve school readiness in at-risk populations. Apply at the Americorps website. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Please contact Jackie Blagsvedt for more information at 651-582-8805 or jacqueline.blagsvedt@state.mn.us.

ITEM Twitter Chat about Summer Reading
With the end of the school year and the start of summer reading programs just around the corner, ITEM is hosting a Twitter chat to engage librarians of all types in a summer reading discussion. You can join in the conversation on Monday, May 18, 2015 at 7 p.m. Share your knowledge about how schools can promote summer reading and the ways schools and public libraries can collaborate to reduce summer slide. It’s easy to take part, just follow the hashtag #mnitem on Twitter starting at 7 p.m. on May 18.

The Meetup Met Up
The first annual Libraries Serving Youth Meetup was held on April 18, 2015 at the Minnesota Department of Education in Roseville. Nearly fifty enthusiastic school media specialists and public librarians came together to learn about stand-out Minnesota school and public library collaborations, share ideas and network. Attendees overwhelmingly expressed their appreciation for this singular opportunity to mix and mingle with colleagues from both schools and public libraries. While State Library Services will host another Meetup next spring, we encourage you to coordinate a meetup between schools and libraries in your region. Please contact Jennifer Verbrugge at jennifer.verbrugge@state.mn.us or 651-582-8356 to request slides from the presentations or for tips and tricks in planning your own meetup.