Category Archives: Communication

Communication, General

Learning About Library Associations: Association of Research Libraries

Library science is an enormous field, home to every interest you could imagine! This means that there are many organizations out there for you to join, in order to connect with other people who share your professional interests.

So even if you work alone in your library, there are other people out there doing work similar to yours! Each week we will highlight a different library association for you to learn more about, and depending on your work, potentially join! You can also check out our page dedicated to Library Associations.

This week let’s take a look at the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). ARL is an “organization of 125 research libraries at comprehensive, research institutions in Canada and the US that share similar research missions, aspirations, and achievements.” You can check out a cool map of all their member institutions here.

ARL has several different focus areas that come from their Strategic Framework that works to support their mission and the current needs of members. Some of these focus areas include: Accessibility, Open Scholarship, and Telecommunications Policies.

Stay up-to-date with ARL News, check out some Advocacy and Public Policy Updates, browse a few of ARL’s blogs, or look ahead with ARL’s future projects. Or take a look at their Upcoming Events page!

There are tons of benefits that come with becoming a member of ARL. Read about them all here! Want your institution to join? Learn about membership procedures here.

 

 

Communication, General

Learning About Library Associations: Utah Educational Library Media Association

Library science is an enormous field, home to every interest you could imagine! This means that there are many organizations out there for you to join, in order to connect with other people who share your professional interests.

So even if you work alone in your library, there are other people out there doing work similar to yours! Each week we will highlight a different library association for you to learn more about, and depending on your work, potentially join! You can also check out our page dedicated to Library Associations.

This week we will learn about the  Utah Educational Library Media Association (UELMA). Even though they are located in Utah, this organization has a lot in common with many of our members, since they focus on school libraries and media centers!

UELMA’s mission is “to provide professional support, leadership, and enrichment for school library media personnel and those who support library programs.”

UELMA does have an annual conference, held this year in March. Each year the conference features a Service Project, and this year they raised money to help the Delta North Elementary School with their shelving and storage issues. Read more about this great project here!

Their website has lots of great resources. You can download their newsletter to stay on top of current events. They have this list of UELMA approved vendors. Learn about the Utah Core Standards. Or check out their book review site especially for school librarians!

Learn more about membership to UELMA here.

 

Communication, General, Programs

Notable Dates For Your Noggin: June 2018

Each month we’ll bring you a compiled list of fun national holidays, birthdays of authors, and publication dates of favorite books. You can use these for your own personal use or for some library inspiration! Share what inspired you in the comments.

 

June is National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month! Other things to celebrate in June:

 

 

Communication, General

Learning about Library Associations: US Agricultural Information Network

Library science is an enormous field, home to every interest you could imagine! This means that there are many organizations out there for you to join, in order to connect with other people who share your professional interests.

So even if you work alone in your library, there are other people out there doing work similar to yours! Each week we will highlight a different library association for you to learn more about, and depending on your work, potentially join! You can also check out our page dedicated to Library Associations.

This week we will look at the United States Agricultural Information Network (USAIN). This purpose of this organization is to connect librarians and other information professionals working in agriculture.

USAIN provides members with a conference every other year (it’s actually taking place right now, in Pullman, Washington!), committees, interest groups, professional development, publication digitization, and access to research information and data.

Their website features current organization news stories, a page that describes their Action Plan, links that are useful for agricultural librarians, and resources for librarians in developing countries.

Learn more about becoming a member of the United States Agricultural Information Network on their membership page. Subscribe to their listserv here.

Advocacy, Communication

LGBTQ outreach helps Rochester library win national award

https://www.imls.gov/

Wow!! The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) recognized ten libraries across the entire country for the work they are doing in connecting services to their communities. And the Rochester Public Library was one of those libraries!! It’s pretty exciting to have a winning library right here in Minnesota – we are clearly a cool library state!

This is the nation’s highest honor given to libraries and museums that make significant and exceptional contributions to their communities. Over the past 24 years, the award has celebrated 182 institutions that are making a difference for individuals, families, and communities. The award will be presented at an event at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., on May 24.

Selected from 29 national finalists, the 2018 National Medal for Museum and Library Service winners represent institutions that provide dynamic programming and services that exceed expected levels of service. Through their community outreach, these institutions bring about change that touches the lives of individuals and helps communities thrive.

From a children’s museum in the Mile High City to a small public library in Texas, from a natural history museum in the Pacific Northwest to a Florida library system with a growing urban population, all are meeting the unique needs of their communities in innovative ways.

“It is a pleasure to recognize the 10 distinctive recipients of the National Medal of Museum and Library Service,” said IMLS Director Dr. Kathryn K. Matthew. “Through their programs, services, and partnerships, these institutions exemplify the many ways that libraries and museums are positively transforming communities across the nation.”

Following the ceremony, StoryCorps (link is external)—a national nonprofit dedicated to recording, preserving, and sharing the stories of Americans—will visit each recipient and provide an opportunity for community members to share stories of how the institution has affected their lives. These stories are preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

The next deadline for nominating a museum or library for the 2019 National Medal is October 1, 2018. Learn more about the National Medal on the IMLS website.

Check out this article from Minnesota Public Radio, and click here to hear their article.

“A child and adult literacy program and support for LGBTQ youth helped the Rochester Public Library win a National Medal of Museum and Library Service, the highest honor a library can earn.

The library is one of 10 in the country to get the 2018 award from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services.

“It’s really about being a safe, welcoming space and really living our core value, which is that we care. And we really do care about our community,” Rochester Library spokesperson Karen Lemke said Tuesday.

The library noted that community member James Arnold will travel to Washington, D.C., with library director Audrey Betcher to accept the award.

Arnold, 17, “has used the library as a safe space to develop his passion for writing and has helped plan programs for teens and younger children, “and when Arnold first identified as transgender, the library provided him a safe space to explore his identity,” the library said in a statement.

“The best thing about the library is its commitment to serving the entire community even if it’s part of the community that typically doesn’t have a voice. And I think that is a very beautiful thing,” Arnold said in the statement.

“The Rochester Public Library has a range of programming that’s really impressive from our standpoint,” said Teri DeVoe, associate deputy director for the Office of Library Services for the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

She pointed to a long-term reading program for kids and adults as an example. “Many libraries do reading programs, but this is really an example of an intervention that can have an impact on the community at large.”

The Rochester library is one of four Minnesota libraries recognized over the award’s 24-year history. The others are the University of Minnesota Libraries, Hill Museum & Manuscript Library and St. Paul Public Library.”