Category Archives: General

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Central MN Referendum Success!

Yesterday’s election was a chance for forty school districts in the state to put an operating referendum on the ballot. Statewide, 37 referendum questions passed, with 18 fails. According to MPR News, about half of the districts are asking voters to continue levies that are already in place, the other half are asking voters for an increase. Last year, 130 districts came to voters with levies. This fall, it appears that school districts are avoiding asking voters during busy election years for fear their pleas for taxpayer help will be lost amid the rest of the campaign activity.

The variety in levy requests statewide is surprising. The districts in Barnum, Milaca, McGregor and Peqout Lakes are asking for $1 per student. Meanwhile the Red Lake Falls, Fosston, Red Wing and Clearbrook-Gonvick districts are asking for more than $1,000 per student per year. The Hendricks Public School District levy is $2,000 per student.

We are happy to report that schools in Central Minnesota did pretty well with their operating referendums, with only the Royalton district failing. The following schools  may be celebrating a bit today due to passed referendums, and we offer hearty congratulations!

Becker, Delano, Elk River, McGregor, Milaca,  Paynesville, Rocori, Sauk Rapids Rice,

To see the statewide details of the levies, go to http://tinyurl.com/aakn2ko

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

AASL Filtering Report is Now Available

According to results of a survey conducted by the American Association of School Libraries (AASL), the filtering of legitimate, educational websites and academically useful social networking tools continues to be an issue in most schools across the country.  An executive summary of the supplemental questions on filtering are included as a part of AASL’s longitudinal survey, School Libraries Count!    Read the four-page summary report on the AASL website and  consider taking a look at the banned websites part of the site too. Banned Websites Awareness Day seeks to promote an awareness of how overly restrictive filtering affects student learning at the very time that schools are encouraging the learning of 21st Century Learning Skills!                                                                       

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Staying Connected with CMLE via Email

CMLE wants to stay connected with you! One of the ways we do this is by sending specific and targeted emails to five distinct listservs. We do our best to keep the messages basic so that the email isn’t blocked or marked as spam by your email service; however, we have found that some of our library personnel struggle with this quite a bit. Below we’ve provided some key information about staying connected with CMLE – feel free to apply some of these techniques to other contacts you wish to stay in touch with as well!

Have you noticed that many important emails are showing up in junk folders or on spam reports?   This problem can easily be fixed in five (maybe more) ways.

  1. The best way of preventing  important emails from going into your spam report or junk folder is to add the sender(s) to your safe senders list. See the section below for CMLE addresses to add to your safe sender list. In Outlook software, go into the junk folder, right click on a spam message, and add the sender to your safe sender list.
  2. Add important senders to your Contacts list. If you use Outlook, each time you add a person to your Contacts list, that person is automatically added to your safe sender list.
  3. The last way is by taking people off of your blocked senders list.  Once a sender ends up in your spam folder, that sender’s emails may (or may not) continue going there. This is because in some email  programs, some contacts in the spam folder are automatically added to the blocked senders list.  You will want to go into your blocked senders list. Remove the important people from this list so you will still get their messages.
  4. Have you tried the three options above and still haven’t gotten anywhere? Or, are you just not sure about this whole process? Print out this blog post, take it to your tech person, and ask for their assistance in putting the addresses in the next section on your Safe Senders list (sometimes also referred to as a whitelist).
  5. Have you tried the options above and aren’t able to work with your tech support? Contact Kate Bessey at kmbessey@stcloudstate.edu for help!

CMLE Addresses to Add to your Safe Sender or Contacts List

Most of our members can easily spot which listserv below that they would be included on. Board members or those not necessarily affiliated directly with a specific library type, may fall into Other. Consider your work setting, then select which of following five selections below as the most probable list you would reside on.  Please add it to your safe senders list (some email services also call it a whitelist).

  1. Academic Library Listserv: cmle-list-academic-bounces@lists.stcloudstate.edu
  2. K-12 Library Media Center Listserv: cmle-list-k-12-bounces@lists.stcloudstate.edu
  3. Public Library Listserv: cmle-list-public-bounces@lists.stcloudstate.edu
  4. Special Library Listserv: cmle-list-special-bounces@lists.stcloudstate.edu
  5. Other Listserv: cmle-list-other-bounces@lists.stcloudstate.edu

In addition, it is important to make sure you can receive email from the following three email addresses by adding these to your Contacts or safe senders list.

papost@stcloudstate.edu (Patricia Post)

kmbessey@stcloudstate.edu (Kate Bessey)

cmle@stcloudstate.edu (This email sends you overdue and cancellation letters on your CMLE interlibrary loan items, and it is also used by our ILL Assistant, Danielle.)

Final Important Tip

Please remember to check your Junk folder or spam report at least once a week. Sometimes, a subject line on a message will send an email to your Junk folder, even if messages from that person don’t typically go there, and even if they are included on your safe senders list and on your Contacts list.

CMLE cannot guarantee that all of our 319 member libraries receive all pertinent emails sent from our office. Your diligence in checking your spam folder and addressing problems as outlined in this communication are very much appreciated and will go a long way towards ensuring that you will receive emails about promotions, discounts, and free offers. Thank you.

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Recommended App: Word Lens

Word Lens lets you see the world in your language! Instantly translate printed words from one language to another with your built-in video camera, in real time! No network is required to operate the app; results appear immediately on your screen when you need it. It is best used on clearly printed large texts like signs or menus. Translated languages include: English, Spanish, Italian, and French. This app is available for most iOS devices 4.3 and later, and is optimized for iPhone 5. Additionally, the app is available for Android 2.3.3 (and up). It usually costs around $4.99. Want to learn more? Check out http://questvisual.com/us/ or watch this YouTube video.

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

November – January WebJunction Webinars

Here’s the list of November-January webinars available through WebJunction.  Click on the links to register for these upcoming sessions.

November Webinars:

The Power of Image: presenting with the brain in mind

Tues., Nov.  6, 1 p.m. Central,  60 min

Registration: http://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction/The_Power_of_Image.html

The human brain is wired to respond to images. Scientific studies of the brain are providing powerful insights for designing and delivering presentations that grab the attention of the learner. Once you understand the key concepts of strong visual communication, you can get unstuck from the stale text-and-bullet format of presentation. You don’t need to be a designer to learn some simple tips and tricks that will punch up your presentations and wake up your audience.

Presented by: Betha Gutsche, program manager, WebJunction OCLC, and visual communications advocate.

Energize your base: Tips and tools to raise awareness and build support for library services

Wed., Nov. 14,  noon Central,  90 min

Registration: http://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction/energize_your_base.html

We know that libraries are a good investment but with tight budgets, we need to energize our base – to take action to connect more strongly with community members, to find out what excites them, and to let them know how libraries are changing lives – one connection at a time. Our panel will explore three vehicles that can help you increase awareness of library services:

Library Videos – New videos from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that showcase work done in libraries that are transforming lives by changing the way we connect.
Geek the Library – A community awareness campaign offered free to libraries to help strengthen community connections and library support.
Data Visualization – We collect lots of data. Learn how the Colorado State Library is helping local libraries use their data to tell a story about impact.

Presented by: Karen Perry, Senior Program Officer, Global Libraries, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Jennifer Pearson, OCLC Senior Manager for Advocacy Programs; Jamie Hollier, Project Manager with PLA and Library Consultant; and Linda Hofschire, Research Analyst, Library Research Service, Colorado State Library.

 

December Webinars:

Outreach Programs in Rural Communities: Simple Steps for Surprising Results

Thurs., Dec. 6, 1 pm Central,  60 min

Registration: http://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction/Outreach_Programs_in_Rural_Communities.html

The PEARL (Promoting and Enhancing the Advancement of Rural Libraries)Project has been successful in helping Texas rural librarians reach out to groups and organizations in their communities and to raise visibility of and appreciation for their libraries. Community outreach plans, designed to identify and fill a need in the community, are at the heart of this unique model. The process is supported by an actionable template which leads participants from community assessment, through strategic planning, to implementation, and concludes with evaluating outcomes. This webinar, co-sponsored with WebJunction and the Association for Rural & Small Libraries, will explore the outstanding results achieved by participants in the PEARL project and share how community outreach plans have led to unexpected outcomes and some surprising results.

 Presented by:  Barbara Blake, Outreach Coordinator for the PEARL Project, University of North Texas; and Louise W. Greene, Association for Rural and Small Libraries and PEARL Mentor.

What Would Walt Do?: Quality Customer Service for Libraries

Wed., Dec. 12, 2012, noon Central, 60 min

Registration: http://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction/What_Would_Walt_Do.html

Looking for some magic to improve customer service in your library? The Disney Institute on Quality Service has set high standards for creating a quality customer experience and their ideas can be applied at your library. Our panel of Colorado librarians attended the Disney Institute Quality Service preconference sponsored by ALA’s LearnRT at the annual conference in Anaheim in 2012. Since then, they’ve been waving their magic wands to improve customer service in Colorado libraries and they’d like to share their discoveries with you. Learn how to define quality service, set a common purpose for all library staff, and better understand your customers. You’ll walk away with ideas to make your library’s customer service sparkle.

This WebJunction webinar is presented in collaboration with ALA’s LearnRT. Did you attend the Disney Institute? Join this conversation and share your ideas and successes.

Presented by: Crystal Schimpf, Trainer, Colorado State Library; Elena Rosenfeld, Associate Director of Public Service, High Plains Library District; and Suzanne McGowan, Branch Manager, Anythink Wright Farms.

January Webinars: – WJMN members may register now for the following January sessions.

The Impact of an Ice Cream Sundae

Tuesday, January 15, 2013 ♦ 1 pm Central, 60 min

Early Registration: http://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction/The_Impact_of_an_Ice_Cream_Sundae.html

What does an ice cream sundae have to do with library partnerships? Let’s pretend that your community organizations (school, academic, public and special libraries, and other local organizations) are your favorite kind of ice cream. Now let’s ladle your favorite toppings over the ice cream to represent  the organizations’ resources, programs, personnel and funding.  How can the ice cream “mix” with the toppings to be the most luscious dessert possible for the most people?  When community organizations collaborate to share their resources with one another, they make the biggest possible impact on the most lives. Learn easy, understandable and powerful strategies that will give you renewed energy to create bold and imaginative collaborations among all types of community organizations.

Presented by: Kathy Jacobs, Director, Yankton (SD) Community Library

Creating a Culture of Innovation in your Library and Community

Wednesday, January 23, 2013 ♦ noon, Central, 60 min

Early Registration:  http://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction/Creating_a_Culture_of_Innovation.html

We hear about libraries that are leaders in innovation, implementing ideas that keep the library growing and vital. Perhaps you have watched from the sidelines and wished you could kickstart some innovation at your library, but you’re not sure where to start. Come to this webinar for an active and lively discussion on how to find innovative ideas, how to connect with the people to help make them happen, and how to get buy-in and support for your ideas. There is a lot to be learned from other libraries’ examples and experiences.

Presented by: Heather Braum, Digital & Technical Services Librarian at the Northeast Kansas Library System, blogger at www.heatherbraum.info, and 2010 Kansas Library Association’s New Professional of the Year.

The WJMN Team –

Cecelia Boone, Minitex

Mary Ann Van Cura, State Library Services

Explore: http://www.webjunction.org/partners/minnesota.html .  Twitter :http://twitter.com/webjunctionmn! Contact Us: mnwebjunction@gmail.com!

Affiliation with WebJunction Minnesota is free and available to members of the Minnesota library community. Tell your colleagues!