Category Archives: General

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 →

General, School Media Specialist

AASL Recommended Apps: STEM: Attributes by Math Doodles

attributes by math doodlesIn June 2016, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced their 25 Best Apps for Teaching and Learning. The apps encourage qualities such as innovation and active participation, and are user-friendly.

The app Attributes by Math Doodles shows students that math is more than just numbers. The app uses seven illustrated games to help students understand patterns, combinations, and more. Some of the engaging games involve comparing using Venn diagrams, sorting, and using if/else logic. Students are able to adjust the challenge level as well.

To learn more about the app, check out this Educational App Review. The app is also included in this article from School Library Journal that lists of helpful apps for learning math concepts and skills.

Cost: $2.99
Level: Upper Elementary
Platforms: iOS

Watch the video here:

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!

Communication, General

Everyday Advocacy continues!

Advocacy Logo
From the ALA’s Everyday Advocacy program!

It’s Take Action Tuesday and Week Two of the Winter 2017 Everyday Advocacy Challenge!

Deliver your introductory elevator speech to a local elected official or staff person.

Last week, you wrote a brief elevator speech (http://www.ala.org/everyday-advocacy/speak-out/write-elevator-speech) to help you introduce yourself to your library community’s alderman, the town mayor, or local government staff member.

This week, your challenge is to try it out! Continue reading Everyday Advocacy continues! →

General, Public, School Media Specialist

ELL students learn literacy with help from photography

Use photos to help students learning English

At CMLE, we know for our member libraries (and for most libraries) assisting those who are learning English can be an important part of their job! Check out our previous post about the great work taking place at the Long Prairie branch.

This article from Edutopia discusses how photography can help students with their literacy. It includes reference to Wendy Ewald who has done extensive work on the subject. By learning to verbally reflect on and analyze photos, students get used to organizing their thoughts, a skill which translates well to writing.

There are five strategies that use photography to help develop literacy skills:

  • Focus – students notice details and describe what they are seeing
  • Portraits – the article shares several different exercises that utilize portraits, like learning about camera angle and the intention of the photographer in taking the portrait
  • Building Vocabulary and Using Evidence – using a photograph from a past time period, have students list the things they notice, and use this evidence to draw conclusions about when the photo was taken, who the people were, how they were feeling
  • Perspective Taking – students photograph an object from several different angles and notice the effect that the angle has on the tone of the photograph.
  • Telling a Story – students each take a picture they feel tells a story, then trade photos with a partner, who then interpret for themselves the story being told. Students can discuss their interpretations, and eventually, write them out.