Category Archives: General

Recommended Ed Tech Tool: Capzles

capzlesAccording to the eLearning Site, Capzles can be used to gather various media such as videos, images and documents. it makes teaching in a modern classroom a lot easier. It is also good for online projects. This tool is free and available for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad too. According to user reviews on the site, it is incredibly intuitive, simple to understand, and easy to navigate. Give it a whirl and report back in the comments area please! Tip: Do a Google search on Capzles and get You Tube videos, PDF tutorials and of course, an iTunes Preview too!

Try Out Our Beta Learning Landing!

CMLE-Central_Minnesota_Libraries_Exchange_Here in CMLE we have been experimenting a bit with LibGuides, a subject guide sort of tool that is not new to many of you. The basic idea is to create “one stop shop areas” on specific topics. It is always difficult to know which topics to develop, so we just made a guess and got started!  We try to include a definition and an embedded video into our guides to assist librarians/paras/media specialists in easily getting basic information on a topic. The guides will usually also point you to gurus or experts on the topics so you are well armed in doing deeper research or connecting to the big names in the field!

We know that right now, there is more information available online than ever before, sometimes too much information! Many of you quietly share that you feel overwhelmed by it at times. It is not our intention to add to the problem. We think there may be value in pulling information together in an easy to use format, but yes, others have done the same! And we acknowledge that we are a small organization, two people to be exact! But we also know that we provide services to gifted information professionals in 319 library settings, professionals who see fantastically rich sites each day, and some of you could even  be subject experts (even if you are too humble to admit it). So, we are just getting started, are in Beta, but please take a look at our Learning Landing, a place to land to quickly get up to speed on various topics,  or use the Learning Landing as your jumping off point to other blogs or sites completely devoted to the topic. And yes, when you become a subject expert on any topic, please consider paying it forward to your colleagues by working with us on a guide to capture your expertise!

The guides will always be a work in progress, probably never perfect,  and we welcome your advice, input, or interest in working with us to embellish existing guides or in creating new guides. Send me any and all input at papost@stcloudstate.edu and thanks! Now, take a deep breath, bend your knees, and jump to the Learning Landing!

Welcome to New Board Members and Officers

January 22nd, marked the first CMLE Governing Board meeting for some new people, in addition to two new individuals rising into our officer ranks. Here is a snapshot of  our current Board. New Board members appear in blue. Heartfelt thanks to all who serve on our Board to help us fulfill our strategic focus areas, and meet our Mission: CMLE serves as the Central MN library hub, a clearinghouse of talent, materials, and expertise for all types of libraries. CMLE leads, supports, encourages, engages, and connects library personnel with the resources they need.

New CMLE Board Officers (annual appointments)

President: Gerry Ruda

Vice President: Dr. Lin Holder

Secretary: Joanne Kudrna

Treasurer: Kathy Parker

Librarian Seats on the CMLE Board

 Academic: Kathy Parker, Director of Libraries & Media, College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University

Public: Barbara Misselt, Director of East Central Regional Library System (ECRL)

School: Maria Burnham, Sauk Rapids-Rice High School

Special: Susan Schleper, St. Cloud Hospital – Health Service Library

Citizen Appointments

 GRRL Appointees                   ECRL Appointees

Seal Dwyer                                 Charlotte Kramersmeier

Lin Holder                                  Audrey Misiura

Joanne Kudrna

John Meyerhofer

Gerald Ruda

Ex-Officio (Non-Voting Seat) Interim Dean Keith Ewing, Miller Center Library (SCSU)

Board Alternates (to back up primary board members when needed) 

Academic:       Vi Bergquist, Library & Information Services Director, St. Cloud Technical & Community College

Public:             Kirsty Smith, Director of Great River Regional Library system (GRRL)

School:            Kari Erickson, Milaca High School

Special:           Teri Hams, MN Correctional Facility – St. Cloud

ECRL:            Tom Sauer & Commissioner Genny Reynolds, Citizen Appointees

Free WebJunction Webinars

WebJunction-logoDid you know that the WebJunction website contains a monthly list of  freely available training opportunities that are available to the library community? WebJunction Minnesota,  provides access to online, self-paced courses and other features, and  is available to all members of the Minnesota library community.

Your professional development has never been so convenient, easy, and affordable! It can feel overwhelming, but just pick one and give it a whirl!

Titles of Free January Programs

The list below will give you an idea of the rich offerings available to you. Interested in getting more detail or attending one of these events?

Go to http://www.webjunction.org/find-training/free-events.html and scroll down to get details on any of the webinars below. If the date has already passed, no worries, you can attend the archived content. I tried the second offering on Burnout, and all it required was a short download of Blackboard Collaborate! Pretty painless…..

  • Trustee Training Course: Planning, Policy Making, and Evaluation
  • Burnout: Avoiding the Flames
  • Better than Bullet Points
  • Keeping Your Library Safe: Black Belt Librarians
  • An Introduction to Facilitating Groups
  • Data Privacy Month: Are You Smarter Than Your Phone?
  • Louder, Faster, Funnier: Humor & Learning
  • Culture: Communications, Collaboration, and Creating Core Values
  • Strengthen the Influence of Your Leadership: Prepare for Success
  • Landing Your Ideal Library Job
  • Transforming Communities Through Apps: Part II
  • To Evaluation and Beyond: The Evolving Role of the Embedded Librarian
  • Database of the Month: Tools you can Use
  • Broadband Basics for Public Libraries
  • New Resources for the Common Core
  • The Impact of an Ice Cream Sundae
  • Real Influence: Persuade Without Pushing and Gain Without Giving In
  • Strengthen the Influence of Your Leadership: Leverage Your Knowledge of Communication Styles to Positively Influence Work and Personal Relationships
  • QR Codes: Bridging the print-to-digital divide
  • Basics of Information Literacy Assessment
  • Rockin’ the Virtual Classroom
  • Show Me the Money: Fundraising That Taps into The 90% of All Wealth That Is Not Cash
  • Reenergize Your Best Employees Before They Leave You
  • Creating a Culture of Innovation in your Library and Community
  • Listening Skills For Leaders: How To Conduct A One On One Conversation To Motivate Others
  • Strengthen the Influence of Your Leadership: Build Rapport and Motivate with The Language of Influence
  • Introduction to Fundraising Planning
  • Managing Team Conflict Effectively
  • Developing an Epic Facebook Strategy for Your Nonprofit
  • Strengthen the Influence of Your Leadership: So, What Do You Do? Talk Up Your Value in 30 to 60 Seconds
  • Your Board and Fundraising

See the WebJunction Minnesota website for more general information and an events calendar.

23rd Public Library Report is Out!

Check out this new blog post from UpNext: The IMLS Blog about New Report Shows Trends in U.S. Library Service! According to the report, circulation, public programs and digital services are on the rise. Now in its 23rd year, the Public Library Report provides the most comprehensive data from the nation’s 17,078 public library outlets.  It covers collection sizes, operating revenue and expenditures, and staffing, as well as performance indicators, such as public Internet computers, circulation, reference transactions and library visits. For the first time this year the report goes beyond the national level analysis to look at trends at the local, regional, and state levels.

Read the full post about the report  at http://blog.imls.gov/?p=2645

Go directly to the full report and state by state data at http://tinyurl.com/ac39ajc