Category Archives: CMLE

CMLE, School Media Specialist, Visits

Touring Kimball Elementary school library

For someone who is not regularly around small kids, it’s always a treat to visit an elementary school library – you see just how much thought goes into making everything size-appropriate for the patrons! That kind of usability is important in all libraries, but in a library like this it is clearly on display and fun to see.

This library is a fun open-concept design! No walls cut them off from the rest of the school, so everything feels very open and flexible. They are recessed below the hallways around them, so there is privacy and a sense of specific place; and I love this feeling of being connected to the daily activities around them.

Continuing the idea of design making the library connect with the kid patrons, this art on the wall was just lovely. Kids could see this and be really inspired to read books – but also to just dream about great things!

Continue reading Touring Kimball Elementary school library →

Advocacy, CMLE

Minnesota Library Legislative Day 2017!

Minnesota’s Library Legislative Day was Wednesday, Feb 22; and it was a great event!! If you have not been to one, please consider attending next year – it is so great to be in a group of library people all talking about the wonderful things libraries do. And legislators generally want to hear from us, because they like to know money is being well spent in their communities. So, it’s fun for everyone!!

This is a brief report on some of the activities of the day, to give other newbies an idea of what is like to participate in this event. We had a LOT of CMLE library people and Board members attending this year!! It was great to see people there, talking about all the great things in their libraries and library service across the state.

Thank you so much to everyone who was able to attend. And if you were not – you can always email, call, or write to your legislator! And thank you to the organizers of this event, who worked so hard to get everything together for it to be such a positive experience!

The “day” started on Tuesday evening, as several of us gathered at the Rice Street library in St Paul. We had the first legislative briefing, and had time to ask questions, share ideas on strategies, and to meet library people in person. Continue reading Minnesota Library Legislative Day 2017! →

CMLE

CMLE Geocaching Travel Bugs are on the move!

One of our travel bugs has had an adventure, and was left in a geocache in the Myrtle Beach State Park!

Wanting to escape the Minnesota winters, it landed in this beautiful park. The cache gets a lot of traffic, as it is located in a very busy visitors center on the beach. There is a long pier into the ocean, filled with people fishing. They have a boardwalk to escort people through the dunes area, and several hiking trails through the Carolina pine woods. It is a lovely area!

The Library Travel Bug has already been picked up from this location, and is hopefully headed to some other great location!! We will keep you updated on its progress, as well as the progress of our other Travel Bugs!

CMLE, General, Public

Last chance! Join us Monday for a library tour!

 

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Ever wanted to get a private, behind-the-scenes tour at the St. Cloud Public Library?

This is your chance! 

On Monday, Feb. 27th at 9am (before the library is even open!) we will gather at the front door and enjoy a tour of the library!

Please let us know if you are going to join us! (RSVP at the bottom of the post – feel free to RSVP for our other events, too!) These events are flexible, so should you need to leave early, we understand.

These visits are a chance for us to get a glimpse into other libraries to learn about the differences and similarities that we all face in the library world!

Please let us know if you have any questions, and we hope to see you Monday! 🙂

CMLE

Want to hang out with CMLE members?

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At CMLE Headquarters, our mission is to serve our members. One of the biggest issues our members have talked about with us is the problem of being alone in their libraries, or feeling unconnected from the work other library people are doing.

We are on the job for you!

We have a variety of opportunities for all of us to gather in person to chat about libraries (or other topics – we are fascinating people after all!), and to visit libraries.

Continue reading Want to hang out with CMLE members? →