Category Archives: Communication

Communication

Linking to Library News!

Linking Number 2

There is a whole world of news happening across the profession. Below are a few links to get you started with some of the exciting things happening in the world of Library Science!

CMLE, Communication

CMLE Google Groups: A place to talk shop with your colleagues!

discussion
Let’s discuss library things!

One of the main things we hear from our members is that they work alone, and that they feel alone in a lot of the things they do in their libraries. As we found in the needs assessment, most of you are solos or working in a library with fewer than five people. And it can be tough to be alone!

At CMLE Headquarters, we want to help you connect to your colleagues. Having someone else to talk about ideas with you, to share in the issues you are all facing, and to ask questions from someone else who knows about the situations you are in can be really helpful!

So we have established a variety of online forums for you to talk, to share ideas, and to celebrate the assorted successes you have in your library! Need to ask for book recommendations? Do it here! Want an example of a useful lesson plan? Ask here! Have a charming story of an adorable patron? Share it here!

You can find all the groups below, our under our Services menu.

Groups available so far: (Feel free to join any group of interest to you)

  • Academic Libraries
  • Elementary School Libraries
  • High School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Special Libraries (this is the group to join for discussions of all types of special libraries, museums, and/or archives)
  • Diversity in Libraries As information professionals in libraries, we are all charged with creating diversity in the staff, materials, programs, and services we provide to our communities. It can be a challenge to do this well, so we will gather here to share ideas, ask questions, and get support from our colleagues!
  • Library Leadership Leading is hard, so let’s get together here and talk about skills we need, and issues we all face. We can trade suggestions, share training opportunities, and ask questions of other people who are also working to lead well in their libraries!
  • Library Planning All libraries make different kinds of plans: strategic, tactical, project. Trying to guess the future can be a challenge, and it works better when we work together! Discuss ideas, solicit templates from others, and ask questions about planning here.
  • Reference work Working in Reference – online or in person – can be a challenge to anyone! Here is the place to discuss issues you encounter, challenges you face, or just to ask questions of your colleagues. We work better when we work together!
  • General Library Discussion Do you have things you want to talk about from your library? Share them here! Ask oddball questions, share stories of triumphs and tragedies, and generally discuss all the things we see every day in the library!

We will periodically post messages to the groups with information we find that might be relevant only to a segment of our members, but for the most part these are just for you guys to discuss issues facing you and to network with colleagues!

Do you have other topics you would like to us to set up a discussion area?? Just let us know! We are here to help our libraries, and to provide some forums for communication and sharing across the system!

CMLE, Communication, Training

CMLE Resources: Architectural and Floorplan Design

CMLE is here for you with all kinds of resources and information. Each week we will share a look at another piece of that information, to help draw some attention to resources that may help you as you serve your community.


Architectural and Floorplan Design

This resource is still a work in progress, but we are assembling a series of materials you can use to help you design a library or to do some refurnishing.

We have some samples of library designs you can admire, because it’s always fun to see some possibilities out there! Even when your budget is much more limited, you can get some inspiration from seeing how other library choose to design their spaces.

We have a list of vendors you might check into for new furniture for your library.  One vendor ready to provide good quality library furniture is MINNCOR. “As the Minnesota Department of Corrections industry program, MINNCOR Industries maintains a delicate balance of providing works skills training to offenders and premium products to customers while maintaining financial self-sufficiency.  Receiving no state subsidies, taxpayer dollars or grants, MINNCOR runs a contemporary, cohesive, self-sufficient business operation, featuring 18 diverse product lines.” Some of our CMLE members have this furniture, and it is pretty impressive!

There are also some links to some design resources you might use for your library. We also give information from the Society of American Archivists to provide some useful information on safeguarding your collections.

Figuring out the best ways to design your library, and to provide great spaces for your community members, is an important part of any library’s work. If you have the opportunity to do some redesign; or if your community decides to redo your library, or even (shudder) to disassemble it – you can always call us to come help. We can go to meetings, we can provide expert opinions. We are always here to help our members! Being part of a multitype system is a great way to provide the best service to all our community members.

 

Communication

Linking to Library News!

Linking Number 2

There is a whole world of news happening across the profession. Below are a few links to get you started with some of the exciting things happening in the world of Library Science!

 

Communication, General

Learning About Library Associations: American Indian Library 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 American Indian Library Association (AILA), an affiliate of ALA. AILA began in 1979 due to “increasing awareness that library services for Native Americans were inadequate.”

The organization is a “membership action group that addresses the library-related needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives. Members are individuals and institutions interested in the development of programs to improve Indian library, cultural, and informational services in school, public, and research libraries on reservations. AILA is also committed to disseminating information about Indian cultures, languages, values, and information needs to the library community.”

AILA has an annual conference and publishes a twice yearly newsletter. Check out their list of FAQ’s here.

AILA offers travel grants and scholarships as well as the American Indian Youth Literature Award. This award is presented every two years in the categories of Picture Book, Middle School, and Young Adult. “The awards were established as a way to identify and honor the very best writing and illustrations by and about American Indians. Books selected to receive the award will present American Indians in the fullness of their humanity in the present and past contexts.”

Visit AILA’s website to learn more!