Category Archives: CMLE

CMLE, General, Resources

Books in the Spotlight: January

Each month CMLE will highlight three books that have some factor in common. We hope they will give you ideas for your collection, or influence an activity, lesson plan, or display. 

This month, we are thinking about camping – and that includes camping in the winter (we’re not scared of a little cold in Minnesota)! It’s always fun to take outdoor adventures, and why not pack a good book or two along with your gear? Read on for some reading suggestions both about camping and also to take along on your adventures:

Continue reading Books in the Spotlight: January →

CMLE, General, Public

Alternative ways to include cats in your library

Cats and libraries – a legendary duo! CMLE has even included a book about a library cat in one of our monthly book groups. But Dewey the Library Cat was adopted by the Spencer Public Library back in 1988, and today, the attitude towards resident library cats is changing.

This article from American Libraries Magazine discusses the large decline in the number of library cats of the past several years. The main reason for this seems to be the problem of allergies among patrons.

However, many library cats remain in their libraries, and the library workers have taken steps to accommodate visitors that suffer from allergies. Some libraries offer to walk books out to patrons’ cars if their allergies are too bad to allow them into the library, or they wipe down each book with a Clorox wipe. Good air circulation and regular vacuuming help too.

But if having a cat in the library is just not going to be possible, there are other ways to incorporate them into library PR. The article talks about one library worker in PA who features her own cats on the library social media on weekends – often in costumes.

Does your library have a real cat, or even stuffed cat, as a mascot? Maybe you incorporate animals in a different way? We’d love to hear about it!

Academic, CMLE, Public, Resources, School Media Specialist, Special

We want to give you money!!

Exchange Money Conversion to Foreign CurrencyYou heard that right! Here in January, with the Monthly Topic of Grants, we want to be sure you are able to explore all your options.

We all know that working in a library is a fast-paced, ever-changing, and exciting job! It does not matter what you are doing there, libraries are there to serve their communities and patrons and that takes all kinds of service and skills that most people would not suspect.

Keeping on top of all the new services, materials, and possibilities available in a library is hard; but CMLE wants to help you in your own professional development!

We have scholarship money available to all our members, no matter where you work and what you are doing in your library. When you find a class, a seminar, a conference, or any other kind of professional opportunity – apply to us for money! We can help you defray up to $200 in costs of your event, so be sure you take advantage of this money. Continue reading We want to give you money!! →

Academic, CMLE, Communication, Public, Special

Let’s share information at a conference: Create a Poster!

Ala logo
CMLE members – we passed this information on to you earlier, but want to be sure you know the deadline is approaching!!

Do you have a program that was successful? A neat new material? A process that you started? A huge disaster that you were able to fix? Any of these would be interesting to share with your library colleagues!

If you have not done a poster before, no problem! At CMLE Headquarters, we are available to help you with your application now, and with the poster itself before the conference. Just email, call, or drop by to talk with us about

The ALA Annual Conference, where these will be presented, is in Chicago this summer. Having a poster to present is a great way to advocate with your boss for time to go! You can have a great time, meet up with all kinds of library people doing amazing things!

Just over 2 weeks left to submit your proposal for the 2017 ALA Annual Poster Session!

Continue reading Let’s share information at a conference: Create a Poster! →

CMLE, Communication

Library talk! (And food – so it’s all the best things in one place!)

Meetup home
let’s chat!

 

Are you ready for some food and library talk?

We are!

One of the most frequent requests we have received from members is to have more opportunities to gather and talk informally. Many of you are alone in your libraries, and everyone likes to make connections across the system.

So we are setting up regular monthly gatherings for anyone in a CMLE library to meet, eat, and chat!

If you can join us Jan 30, click for more information and an RSVP form. We would love to talk with you! Continue reading Library talk! (And food – so it’s all the best things in one place!) →