Category Archives: CMLE

CMLE, Visits

Visiting the Anoka-Ramsey Community College Library!

Visiting our CMLE member libraries is always fun! I have never been in a library that did not have some interesting things to see – and this one was no exception! This is the Cambridge campus of Anoka-Ramsey Community College, with another library at the Coon Rapids campus.

Usability in libraries means making things usable for their patrons, and providing this kind of comfortable seating near popular periodicals is a great way to do this. And the view outside that window is lovely; it would be hard to focus on school work, but I’m sure the students persevere!

Although not in the library, this lovely patio area is just outside the library entrance. Look at that view! There are all kinds of trails here, for lunchtime hiking or trail running practice. It is always so nice to see a school that is thinking about the interests of their students this way.

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Advocacy, CMLE, Communication

Celebrate First Annual CMLE Library Snapshot Day!

Geraldine Fain, daughter of Harry Fain, coal loader, browses in free library supported by the company. Librarian... - NARA - 541514You do a lot of neat things in your library . We love to see them.

It’s just that great combination of ideas that helped to create Library Snapshot Day! This is a national program, but without a specific Minnesota date – so we have set April 27 as our day.

“Snapshot Day Library Snapshot Day provides a way for libraries of all types across a state, region, system or community to show what happens in a single day in their libraries. How many books are checked out? How many people receive help finding a job? Doing their taxes? Doing their homework? This initiative provides an easy means to collect statistics, photos and stories that will enable library advocates to prove the value of their libraries to decision-makers and increase public awareness.”
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CMLE, Programs

Coming Up: National Library Week

Just a quick reminder that next week is National Library Week!

At CMLE Headquarters, we support all our 300+ libraries, and want to be sure you guys are ready to tell the world how wonderful you are!! Call someone (legislator, stakeholder, potential fan) and tell them about your work. Take some photos and share them on social media, or send them to us and we can share them. Video an interview with a patron who gushes about your great things – or interview yourself on video gushing about your great things!

Libraries are just wonderful, and this is your chance to bask in that!

From the ALA:

“Libraries Transform” is the theme for National Library Week in 2017.

First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support. All types of libraries – school, public, academic and special – participate.

Celebrations during National Library Week include:

  • Monday, April 10: State of America’s Libraries Report released, including Top Ten Frequently Challenged Books of 2016.
  • Tuesday, April 11: National Library Workers Day, a day for library staff, users, administrators and Friends groups to recognize the valuable contributions made by all library workers.
  • Wednesday, April 12: National Bookmobile Day, a day to recognize the contributions of our nation’s bookmobiles and the dedicated professionals who make quality bookmobile outreach possible in their communities.
  • Thursday, April 13, has just been designated Take Action for Libraries Day.  Read the press release. Details will be posted here as soon as they’re available.
CMLE, School Media Specialist, Visits

Visiting the BBE schools!

It is always so fun to visit our member libraries – and the BBE schools were no exception! On this trip I visited both the high school and the elementary school. It really had a lot of impact to talk with the people who work together to bring library services to their community, during the entire K-12 system! That kind of partnership can be so valuable in making libraries stronger, and in ensuring students have a consistent experience.

Visiting the high school first was fun! They are getting ready to do some interior work, so things were pushed around somewhat – but they are clearly still open for business, and actively used by students.

You can see how they have thought about providing comfortable seating for students – those beanbag chairs looked great! Students were sitting in them most of the time I was there. (I bravely kept moving instead of plopping down to relax there also!)

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Books, CMLE

Read with us in April!

We think spring is a great time to read, especially because it can sometimes be done outside in the sunshine. If you are looking for books to join you outdoors as the weather warms up, we’ve got a few great choices for you with our Goodreads groups.

This month in our Librarians Enjoying Books group we are reading The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

“A most untraditional love story, this is the celebrated tale of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who inadvertently travels through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare’s passionate affair endures across a sea of time and captures them in an impossibly romantic trap that tests the strength of fate and basks in the bonds of love.”

Plus, the author has a great love and appreciation for libraries! From her Acknowledgements: “I would also like to thank
the librarians of the Reference Desk at the Evanston Public Library,
for their patient assistance with all sorts of wack queries.”

The Evanston Public Library was our Spotlight Library during Episode 4 of our CMLE podcast, check it out here.

In our CMLE Librarian Professionals group, we will be reading Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing your Humanity by Kim Malone Scott.

“Radical Candor offers a guide to those bewildered or exhausted by management, written for bosses and those who manage bosses. Taken from years of the author’s experience, and distilled clearly giving actionable lessons to the reader; it shows managers how to be successful while retaining their humanity, finding meaning in their job, and creating an environment where people both love their work and their colleagues.”

In fact, author Gretchen Rubin (who wrote our December book The Happiness Project!) recommends this book: “I’ve known Kim Scott for many years. She and I worked at the Federal Communications Commission together. After that job, I switched to being a full-time writer, and she worked in a bunch of different places, including three failed start-ups, Google, and Apple. I love talking to Kim about workplace issues. She has such interesting things to say about how to be a terrific boss or colleague who has high standards, and who can help people grow and improve, but also be kind. It can be a tough balance.”

Join us this month and let’s read together!