We all know its coming, and we can’t do anything to stop it… WINTER! With days getting shorter and nights getting longer, the Library at St. Cloud State University decided to do something about it. Partnering with the Counseling and Psychological Services, they recently announced the addition of full spectrum lighting in a beach-like area of the Library. The video below shows you the area and has interviews with happy SCSU students who are excited about using the lights this winter.
Many people in the library world are looking for more partnering and collaborative opportunities. The Dean of the Library, Mark Vargas, and his staff show us that sometimes those partnerships may come from areas not typically used. Do you have examples of great or different partnerships you’ve found for your library? Share them in the comments!
Does your library’s website use Library jargon? How about tabs? A recent post by Emily Singley, a Systems Librarian at Harvard University, listed the top 5 problems with library websites. She reviews some recent usability studies that showed, among other things, that students had difficulty understanding the relationship between “articles” and “journals.” Other studies showed “users did not understand what was included in search tools.” All of the cited articles point to an increased awareness of UX, or user experience, for libraries and library websites. How are you designing your website for improved user experience?
We all know that ELM gives Minnesota residents online access to magazine, journal, newspaper, eBooks, and more! And now with the addition of the LearningExpress Library, users have access to educational and career-focused resources too. Now you can make sure you’re getting everything out of these resources with the ELM Information and Learning Commons.
From Minitex: “In the new ELM Information & Learning Commons learn to navigate and master the content in the Electronic Library for Minnesota databases at your own pace. The eCommons includes seven modules for which you may earn a certificate of completion or jump in wherever you need a refresher. Use the ELM Information & Learning Commons to discover all things ELM:
setting up links on your library webpage
gathering usage statistics
exploring content included in ELM resources
reviewing basic and advanced searching tips
practicing scenarios with a live database
joining a discussion with your colleagues
learning about the upcoming webinar schedule
finding links to additional learning materials created by Reference Outreach & Instruction librarians and more!”
Are you searching for some great, and FREE, webinars? Look no further than AASL’s complimentary content. The webinars cover topics like developing library programming to coteaching where school librarians and teachers work together. Check out the current list of 23 FREE webinars to see if there’s something that interests you!
What do you do for professional development? Attend conferences? Read professional literature? Linda Braun on the YALSA blog would argue that you’re not doing enough! She points to a discussion that recently took place over Twitter related to going beyond just the library world and also learning at other education forums.
“If you think about it, getting out of the library silo for professional development is really another way of learning about the community.” – Linda Braun
Braun tells us to “seek out opportunities to connect digitally and face-to-face with those outside of your library community. Read about educational trends that go beyond Common Core. Try a conference that is not sponsored by a library organization.” All these are great ideas but you could also set aside time to learn a new technology. The Minnesota Multitype’s 23 Mobile Thing program is still available for self-paced learning so take a moment and step outside the library silo.
We all know its coming, and we can’t do anything to stop it… WINTER! With days getting shorter and nights getting longer, the Library at St. Cloud State University decided to do something about it. Partnering with the Counseling and Psychological Services, they recently announced the addition of full spectrum lighting in a beach-like area of the Library. The video below shows you the area and has interviews with happy SCSU students who are excited about using the lights this winter.
We all know that 
