Financial awareness was one of the theme’s in this week’s CMLE posts. Obtaining technology and then training patrons and/or students how use these programs are common challenges facing many libraries today.
Sarah Houghton, San Rafael Public Library, shares her experience coordinating volunteers and overseeing a computer chat program to assist their patrons-filling the technology gap. Click here to read more=>
Tip: If you are interested in creating a volunteer program(s) or developing a training session(s) in your library consider whether it could be a viable grant opportunity.
April is a month long celebration of school librarians and their programs!
Use this list as a proactive way to share the merits of school library programming and staffing sometime this month. The list is taken from Standards for the 21st Century Learner by the American Association of School Librarians, suggestions from members of the American Association of School Librarians, and students in the school libraries of the United States. Released by Dr. Nancy Everhart President, American Association of School Librarians May 19, 2011.
Tip: This list would be good to keep on hand in case you need to defend the existence of the media center in the future too!
Linares Palace is in a privileged location in Madrid. Its façades are juxaposed to the Plaza de Cibeles Square, Recoletos Avenue and Alcalá Street. The building was constructed in 1873, by order of the Marquis of Linares. It is now home to the Casa de América, and its rooms serve as a venue for a range of cultural activities.
Last year, Spanish artist Alicia Martin created a unique sculpture incorporating recycled books. Marin’s eye-catching work features a cascade of more than 5,000 books falling from the second floor window and continue to spill onto the street below. This creative book sculpture looks like a waterfall frozen in time.
Just for fun, take a moment to peruse other work by this artists.
Like many industries, libraries look to grant writing to secure additional funds to grow their existing collections and/or enhance programming.
The CMLE website lists a series of grants available throughout the year specifically for libraries. You can find important details about the terms and conditions of each grant along with a contact name in case you have additional questions. In the upper right corner, click on the button to suggest a grant or share your grant writing experiences with our members. Also, for those who are new to the grant writing field, Scholastic lists 10 tips for you to consider when writing your next grant. Click here to learn more.
During National Financial Literacy Month this April, it is the perfect time for parents to begin talking to their children about finances and the value of making good choices. One excellent way to teach children about money is by reading books that instill these messages through storytelling.
As a resource for your library, click here for a list of books by MoneyAndStuff.info you can recommend to patrons of all ages. Also, to encourage libraries to promote financial literacy, the University of Minnesota Extension offers a free webinar (available anytime), titled, “Promote Financial Literacy Month @ Your Library.”
According to Kristen Mastel, Outreach & Instruction Librarian and Minnesota Library Association President 2013, “Reading young children stories with financial concepts and discussing money matters can help children learn about money and become responsible money managers. Reading books and talking with children about resource management topics during the early, formative years is ideal because this is when life habits and skills are developed. In addition, when parents are involved with helping their children learn wise use of financial resources, the parents typically increase their ability to manage their own financial resources.” For more information you can view Kristen Mastel’s blog the KLMLibrarian.
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