Category Archives: Academic

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Podcast recap of ALA Conference

In case you weren’t able to attend ALA’s 2016 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Orlando, Florida that took place in June, take a listen to this podcast!

Host Phil Morehart presents Episode Four of ALA’s Dewey Decibal podcast series that hopes to bring the convention to you. The podcast features interviews with a variety of staffers and speakers, including Peter Coyl and Michael Eric Dyson. Hosts also interview some of the 16,000 librarians and library professionals right from the conference floor, where they speak about their experience and the role they play in the world of libraries. Hearing the background noise and excitement in the voices of the attendees help to transport you to the energy of the conference.

Don’t miss Episode Five of the Dewey Decibal series, now available, with a focus on library architecture and design.

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Disaster Planning for Libraries

Disasters happen. Great River’s recent fire (St. Cloud) and flood (Belgrade) are scary reminders that all kinds of disasters can happen in libraries, and planning ahead for them can help make them less terrible.

Have you looked at your library’s disaster plan lately? Does your library even have a disaster plan? You can not assume your parent organization (school, college, city, corporation, or whoever) will include you, or that they will understand enough about what you are doing to include meaningful information. When disasters strike your library, you want to be ready with procedures that will quickly help you to cope.

Tsunami sign
This is one disaster we can avoid in Minnesota!

Think realistically about the kinds of disasters that might strike your library. In Minnesota, we do not need to worry about hurricanes; but tornadoes, power outages, and fires are all pretty likely. I have seen library policies dealing with bears in the parking lot and rattlesnakes in the stacks; if these are likely to occur in your library – set up a plan! Are you ready in case your library’s website falls victim to a ransomware demand for Bitcoin? (see Radiolab podcast: Darkrode) It is starting to be an issue for hospitals – libraries could be vulnerable without protection and backup. (Wired: Hospitals as targets).

As with so many things, we can just follow the procedures other libraries have created. If you look at your disaster plan (or the blank space where a plan should be), and see that it could use some updating, you have a few basic options:

  • call other libraries in your area to see what they are doing (we are great resources for each other!),
  • check in with your system to see what suggestions they have (see: this entry!),
  • look online at other libraries and their plans,
  • browse through plans for other types of organizations,
  • talk to your parent organization about their suggestions for updates, and ideas on how you will fit into their plans.

Here are a few resources you might look to as you prepare your own disaster planning:

This is definitely something we can work on together as a system. If you want some organized training, or a writing session where we all work together, or just someone to be a sounding board as you start your disaster plan work – let us know!

 

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Angie's recap of EdCamp MidMN 2016

empty swingsWritten Thursday, June 9, 2016
By Angie Gentile-Jordan, CMLE Office Administrator

This summer I got to be a part of EdCamp for the first time, and I’m still in awe of the positive energy from the event. Seriously, even just re-reading the notes from the sessions that I missed was fun! I’m so impressed with the amount of knowledge and enthusiasm from our local educators.

This event is what is referred to as an “unconference.” That means the agenda for the day is drawn up in real time by the people participating. A simple explanation is that one attendee names a topic they would like to learn more about, and the audience is asked if there is anyone in attendance that could teach on that topic. See here for more explanation. It was a new concept for me, but makes total sense. In the fast-paced world of K-12 education a schedule made ahead of time might not be relevant by the time the event rolls around.  You can check out the schedule from EdCamp MidMN 2016 here.

I had such a hard time choosing which sessions to go to! I was curious about all of them. But I narrowed it down to these four: Digital Organization, Digital Citizenship, Tech Integrationist Discussion, and Culture of Reading.

Digital Organization: I learned about the challenge of using technology in the most efficient way in regards to keeping students organized. Educators shared about their experiences using different platforms like Schoology, Skyward, Planbook, and even just regular paper planners. The age of the student plays a huge factor in deciding which platform to use. Parental involvement also makes a difference with how likely a student is to actually use their planning tools. There was also a discussion on how “in your face” these reminders and planners should be, and when students need to take responsibility for remembering their obligations.

Digital Citizenship: This conversation began with several attendees voicing their frustrations with using the Common Sense Media site to teach kids how to be smart online. There is also the challenge to find time within the school day to talk about digital citizenship. There was agreement that it needs to be an ongoing conversation, beginning right away in kindergarten, and that each age group needs to have it’s own tailored content. Since many schools have gone 1:1 with their devices, that presents another challenge of how to handle a situation in which a device is used inappropriately. Many in the discussion shared that taking the device away isn’t the best answer, since the student does need that device to complete schoolwork. Some suggestions were to close the App store, turn the device in at the end of the day, or just plain old detention. There was also a conversation about trying to teach students how to use social media in an appropriate way – the example was given from an instructor that created Facebook and Twitter accounts from the point of view of characters in a book that they were reading. The students then were able to use those accounts from the perspective of the characters, which gave them experience in how to create and react to content on social media and online.

Tech Integrationist Discussion: This session was a chance for tech integrationists to share the responsibilities they are tasked with at their schools, and also the challenges that go along with the position. Two challenges that were common were differentiating themselves from the IT or tech department, and getting teachers to allow them into their classrooms to help with incorporating technology into their lesson plans. Some solutions presented were sending out a Google Form to teachers asking about what they would like to learn, and then setting up an appointment, and following up afterwards. Another strategy that worked well for one attendee was trying to get “in” with at least one teacher per grade level, because people are more likely to listen to their peers.

Culture of Reading: This was by far the biggest session of the four that I attended. People were packed in the room, and some even had to stand in the doorway! It was so exciting to see people dedicated to encouraging kids to read! People shared some ways that had worked in their classrooms to help kids love to read: incorporate choice and have students select which books they actually want to read, make summer checkout available for reading over break, and featuring Book Talks so students share what they like to read with each other. Another option that sounded like fun was a “Book Tasting” where a teacher had selected books to be appetizers, main course, and then dessert, where kids were able to get five minutes to sample at each station. There was also discussion of the best ways to ensure comprehension and that the students are being challenged in their reading choices.

7407206_origThank you to all the educators that made EdCamp MidMN 2016 successful! You were all so welcoming, and I appreciated the chance to find out what content CMLE needs to feature in order to be a support to area educators.

Image credit: https://unsplash.com/(Aaron Burden), licensed under CC0 1.0

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Library Service in 3D: Let's Give A Kid A Hand!

You have probably seen the stories around the news: excited kid gets a 3D printed hand at the local library. In case you have not – or just want to see a great story about about public library service, check out this video from ABC News.

A few more details and photos from this success story are available here.

This is just another example of the state of library service: we are all using technology more often to connect our services to our patron’s needs. It may not look like a library from 50 years ago, or even 10 years ago, but we serve the needs of our patrons with all the tools at our disposal. And sometimes the results are fantastic!

Is someone in your library interested in learning more about 3D printed limbs?

Star_Wars_Bionic_hand
Cool kid with a Star Wars arm!
  • Disney is working with the organization Open Bionics to print Disney-themed arms! “Now kids can get excited about their prosthetics. They won’t have to do boring physical therapy, they’ll train to become heroes. They’re not just getting medical devices, they’re getting bionic hands inspired by their favorite characters.”
  • The organization e-NABLE is working to bring 3D printed hands and arms for people all around the world. Their site is filled with reference material, information, and stories to share. “The e-NABLE Community is made up of  teachers, students, engineers, scientists, medical professionals, tinkerers, designers, parents, children, scout troops, artists, philanthropists, dreamers, coders, makers and every day people who just want to make a difference and help to ‘Give The World A Helping Hand.'”

What other kinds of great things could your library do with a 3D printer? The possibilities are amazing! There are many websites filled with information about using your printer, and designs to follow. Thingiverse is one of the most popular, with all kinds of people sharing designs and learning from each other. “The Thingiverse community has uploaded over 606,640 3D models, and that number is growing every day. Check out all the incredible objects people have created, and get inspired to make your own!”

  • Maybe your cat needs armor? It’s here!
  • If the cat gets armor, your guinea pig needs some too, just to be fair.
  • A frog dissection kit? Comes with lesson plans!
  • You probably need a Pokeball with a button-release lid, when you can use a break from your Pokemon Go app.
  • A very cool T-Rex skull would brighten up any library!
  • Maybe a wall mounted hairdryer holder could help your morning routine, and keep your time management skills sharp?
  • Did you lose the buttons to your Toyota Yaris key fob? No worries – just print new ones!

We want to hear from our libraries about your use of 3D printers! Great successes? Share them! The time you printed a 3D pile of sludge – that was supposed to be a Legend of Zelda shield  key chain?  We want to hear that too!

Are you considering 3D printers for your library? This would be a great topic for us to discuss in a group, so we can share experiences and make plans for the future. Email us if you are interested in some training sessions, or group discussions!

Libraries are all about service; this is one tool we might use to provide outstanding service to our communities!

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

State Library Updates: 8/11/16

MDE logo retrieved online 12/17/13..TO: Minnesota Libraries
FROM: State Library Services
DATE: August 11, 2016
SUBJECT: Updates from State Library Services

LSTA Grant Awards Announcements – Coming Soon!
As a result of our most recent LSTA grant round, we are excited to award eleven grants for innovative projects with diverse beneficiaries. The grant-funded projects are wide-ranging and include the creation of programs and resources to strengthen families affected by incarceration, the expansion of a science fair initiative that connects third- and fourth-graders with area STEM professionals, and the development of creative in- and out-of-school-time digital learning opportunities. The grant awards will be posted on the refreshed MDE website next week. In the meantime, please contactJackie Blagsvedt (651-582-8805) for a complete list or for more information.

Get to Know Valuable Partners in Afterschool and Digital Literacy
In communities across Minnesota, organizations are working to build bridges between in-school learning and afterschool experiences for students of all ages. Key players in this effort are 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21CCLC), active partnerships between schools and community organizations that provide students with a broad array of academic supports, enrichment programs and engagement opportunities to help them achieve, connect and thrive. 21CCLCs are prime partners for a library’s afterschool and summer programs.

You’re invited to learn more about 21CCLCs at a special kick-off event at the St. Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN).Register today; space is limited. (The morning session is for 21CCLCs only.)

Tuesday, August 23, 1-3 p.m.
SPNN, 550 Vandalia Street Suite 170, Saint Paul, MN 55114

Connect with interesting colleagues and gain insights into the power of collaboration. Learn about the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival and how empowering kids to create their own films exercises their 21st century skills and creates community connections for your library. Tour the SPNN site and hear how they have worked for years with kids and the Saint Paul community to grow into something much more than a cable access studio. Discover how SPNN can guide you in more effective and efficient use of your library’s makerspace to support youth in their creation of digital media—and how they’re already doing that for the Saint Paul Public Library through their Createch studios. Please contact Jen Verbrugge (651-582-8356) for more information about the event.

NLS Authorized to Provide Braille E-readers
On July 20, 2016, President Obama signed a bill amending the Pratt-Smoot Act of 1931 that authorizes the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) to provide playback equipment in all formats to its users. This change will allow NLS to provide access to braille e-readers, which are devices capable of reading electronic braille. The Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library in Faribault serves about 10,000 people across the state, in collaboration with NLS and the State Services for the Blind, which manages and distributes the federally provided equipment for the NLS program.

For more information about the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library, please contact Catherine Durivage (1-800-722-0550).

Prepare to Celebrate Lights On Afterschool
Launched in October 2000, Lights On Afterschool (LoA) is the only nationwide event celebrating afterschool programs and their important role in the lives of children, families and communities. It’s time to plan your Lights on Afterschool 2016 event for the week of Oct 17- 21! Ignite Afterschool, Minnesota’s statewide network dedicated to advancing high-quality afterschool and summer programs for all youth, is excited to announce the statewide theme: Hats Off to Afterschool!

Check out Minnesota’s online LoA Toolkit and attend the webinar on September 9, 10-11:30 a.m., to learn more about planning your LoA event. Once your plans are made, register your event with the Afterschool Alliance, the national coordinator of LoA. Ignite Afterschool has 500 free light-up hat activity kits available courtesy of the Bakken Museum. You can order up to 30 for your event, while supplies last. Email Matt at Ignite Afterschool to request your kits.

For more information about LoA 2016, check out the Afterschool Alliance’s LoA Event Planning Guide, or visit theAfterschool Alliance website.

Get Ready for the Celestial Event of the Century
In just over a year, on August 21, 2017, the shadow of the moon will sweep across the United States in a spectacle that hasn’t occurred in 99 years. So jump on the eclipse train! Register your library with the National Center for Interactive Learning (NCIL) at the Space Science Institute. Once you’re registered, you’ll have access to NCIL resources to help you plan and promote your eclipse event. Share your event’s press release, flyer or website link to receive 50 free eclipse viewing glasses for your patrons, available while supplies last. Visit the NCIL website for more information.