Category Archives: General

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

MLA Conference Registration

The 2012 Annual Conference of the Minnesota Library Association will be held October 3-5, 2012, in St. Paul, Minnesota. This premier educational event attracts more than 400 library professionals, Friends of the Library, and library trustees from across Minnesota.

The three-day conference features high-quality continuing education opportunities with more than 70 sessions across nine simultaneous tracks (Administration & Leadership; Authors, Literature, and Programming; Children & Young Adults; Collection Management & Technical Services; Digital Information & Technologies; Diversity; Library Trustees & Friends; Professional Development; Public Services), a silent auction fundraiser, countless networking opportunities, and an exhibit hall with vendors you want to talk to showcasing library products and services.

The conference will feature Killer Cocktails, Dinner with Colleagues, MLA division and subunit meetings, online handouts, and a lineup of informative and thought-provoking keynote presentations:

  • “Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians but Were Afraid to Ask” by Ojibwe scholar and cultural preservationist Dr. Anton Treuer
  • “10 Quick and Painless Steps to Effective Advocacy for Libraries” by advocacy guru Stephanie Vance
  • “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know” by library consultant and futurist Joan Frye Williams

The conference will also include breakout sessions by featured speakers:

  • Saroj Ghoting – Sharon Lerner Early Literacy Lecture series (three sessions)
  • Stephanie Vance – secrets for effective communication with elected officials
  • Erin Walsh – what happens to the adolescent brain on the path from childhood into adulthood
  • Joan Frye Williams – the importance of middle management

New features this year include the one-day MonstrosiTEEN mini-conference focusing on teen services, an Appy Hour breakfast showcasing must-have apps for your handheld device, an eReader petting zoo, tweet-ups, and sessions and activities focused on first-time attendees.

Complete details about sessions, speakers, and registration are now available at www.mnlibraryassociation.org/mlaconference2012.

About MLA: The Minnesota Library Association is an association of library supporters, representing all types of libraries by helping them accomplish together what none can do alone. MLA provides opportunities to meet library peers and associates, and meets the interests of its more than 625 members by facilitating educational opportunities, supporting strong ethical standards, and fostering connections between the library community and various constituencies. In addition to the annual three-day conference, programs are planned and sponsored year-round by MLA divisions, sections, roundtables, and committees. Find out more at www.mnlibraryassociation.org.

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

New Minitex Director

ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE MINITEX COMMUNITY

I am pleased to share the exciting news about the successful search for a new director of Minitex.  Valerie Horton, Executive Director of the Colorado Library Consortium (CLiC), will assume the role in early December.

Ms. Horton brings an extraordinary portfolio to the Minitex leadership position.  As the founding director of CLiC, she has developed robust programs of resource sharing, as well as open source library systems and continuing education.  Earlier appointments as a library director (Mesa State College), systems and budget officer (New Mexico State University), ALA International Library Fellow,  and systems librarian (Brown University) round out her rich record. Her commitment to collaboration is evidenced in her lead roles in the open access journal Collaborative Librarianship and in conferences around the challenging topic of delivery and in her extensive contributions to our profession.

The search process has been expansive.  The search committee, with representatives across the various sectors of the Minitex community, did a stellar job, bringing us an exceptional pool of finalists.  The engagement of our communities was significant, with well over 150 individuals online watching the public presentations.  Feedback from participants was equally strong, with abundant commentary from individuals across the region. I want to thank the search committee, particularly the chair Linda DeBeau-Melting, for managing this inclusive process. And thank you to all who contributed to this important search.

Valerie hopes to visit Minnesota in the months before her official start, and looks forward to working with the fabulous Minitex staff and deeply committed library communities across Minnesota and the Dakotas.

Wendy Pradt Lougee, University Librarian, University of Minnesota

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

CMLE Scholarship Program – Apply Today!

Did you know?! CMLE offers scholarships of up to $200 per fiscal year per individual for staff affiliated with our member libraries to attend workshops, conferences, and other library-related activities to promote professional development. For all of the details and to apply for a scholarship, go to www.cmle.org/scholarships.asp.

Past recipients of the CMLE scholarship were able to attend national conferences such as ISTE. Locally, members received scholarships for attending the Children’s Literature Workshop in St. Cloud, the TIES conference, the Library Technology Conference at Macalaster College, and for annual MEMO and MLA conferences.

Funds are limited! Apply soon!

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Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Language Learning Courses for 60 Languages Now Available at GRRL Libraries

Pronunciator, the world’s largest language learning service, is now available free of charge at Great River Regional Library (GRRL). Through the library’s subscription, cardholders have access to Pronunciator at all 32 library locations and also from home.

Learners can choose from 60 languages in the Pronunciator database, including European languages, Arabic, Chinese, Croatian and Hebrew. Language learning through Pronunciator is self-guided and interactive with options for both written and spoken language. Users simply enter their native language, choose a language they want to learn, then select a unit and lesson. Three thousand courses are available with three million online lessons and a range of learning levels. The service also has 45,000 hours of MP3 files that users can download for learning on the go.

•             Pronunciator’s first level provides important vocabulary

•             the second provides important verbs in conjugation

•             the third combines them into simple sentences

•             the fourth includes phrases for tourists and travelers

•             the fifth is a virtual conversation mode.

A library card is required in order to establish an online account with Pronunciator. Computers are available at all GRRL locations. Please contact your local library to obtain a library card and determine local procedures for reserving computer time.

Great River Regional Library (GRRL) provides library services at 32 public libraries in Benton, Morrison, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd and Wright Counties. It provides Central Minnesota residents with nearly 1 million books, CDs and DVDs, 250 public computers, programming and information services.

Contact: Karen Pundsack

Patron Services Coordinator

320-650-2516

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

WebJunction News

As the new academic year approaches, WebJunction has provided new “Office of Mac” courses plus an interesting list of Webinars.

New Office for Mac Courses
WebJunction has added five new Outlook and four new PowerPoint for Mac courses. You’ll find these listed under Microsoft Office for Mac 2011.

Outlook for Mac 2011:

  • Getting Started
  • Managing Contacts
  • Managing Conversations and E-mail
  • Mastering E-mail
  • Scheduling with the Calendar

PowerPoint for Mac 2011:

Getting Started

Adding Simple Presentation Enhancements

  • Animations and Presentation Tools
  • Using Media Files in a Presentation

New Digital Inclusion Resources
The Digital Inclusion section is growing! Here’s what’s new:

§  The most recent addition comes from Mary Ann Van Cura, Minnesota State Library Sevices — a case study of efforts in Minneapolis to conquer the digital divide: Everyone Connected, Everyone Informed in Minneapolis.

§  Digital Communities Leadership Summit in St. Paul is an overview of the summit that was a key part of our IMLS-funded project.

§  The Twitter feed for #digitalinclusion is always new. Just today, WebJunction staff noticed a tweet about the new Internet Essentials Learning Center—check it out.

And, August-October WebJunction Webinars

Telling the Library Story

Thursday, Aug. 23, noon Central, 60 min

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

Learn how to tell a succinct, powerful story about the value of libraries. Based on OCLC’s “From Awareness to Funding” and the latest findings of brain research, this session focuses on turning the evidence of our daily patron encounters into short, compelling, and memorable messages that build support.

Presented by: Jamie LaRue, director, Douglas County Libraries (CO), blogger, and chair of committee who created The Big Hairy Audacious Goal, a public library advocacy initiative.

Engaging Your Whole Community: Principles and Practice to Influence Policy

Thursday, Sept. 6, 1 p.m. Central,60 min

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

AmericaSpeaks is a U.S. nonprofit that wants to increase citizen engagement and participation in government decision-making by bringing together diverse participant groups to represent broader community interests. Learn how to create community engagement around library-led initiatives such as digital inclusion and gain facilitation skills to help build healthy, prosperous and cohesive communities. The presentation will provide examples of effective tactics for reaching even those who often do not participate because of limited access to and familiarity with new technologies.

Presented by: Steve Brigham, President, and David Stern, Director of Online Engagement, AmericaSpeaks

Best Small Library in America 2012

Tuesday, Sept.11, 1 p.m. Central, 60 min

Registration: http://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction/Best_Small_Library_in_America_2012.html

Library Journal’s annual Best Small Library in America Award, cosponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, was created in 2005 to encourage and showcase the exemplary work of libraries serving populations under 25,000. In collaboration with the Association for Rural and Small Libraries and Library Journal, we are pleased to host this webinar featuring the 2012 Best Small Library in America: Independence Public Library. The multi-award-winning library’s staff of eight serves a population of 13,420 through innovative programs and partnerships, leveraging social media and the Geek the Library campaign for sustained marketing and advocacy efforts. Using a participatory management style and collaborating with other Kansas libraries, along with others in their community, IPL has reached out to individuals and partners to deliver programs and services that bring the community into the library. The session will include an overview of the nomination process and details for next year’s award.

Presented by: Julie Hildebrand, IPL director; Lily Morgan, director, Learning Resource Center at Independence Community College; and Francine Fialkoff, editor-in-chief, Library Journal.

Incubate leadership @ your library

Tuesday, Oct. 16, 1 p.m. Central, 60 min

Registration: www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction/incubate_leadership_at_your_library.html

Effective leadership in a library community is not performed by any one person. Instead, it is a collective act of many players contributing their toolset of complementary and evolving skills. Leadership “incubates” best in an environment nurtured by collaborative and continuous learning; it often grows accidentally, sometimes unbeknownst to the leader-to-be. Through peer mentoring and other methods, explore ways to create a generative space that nourishes the infectious qualities of leadership. Develop a network of seasoned learners who will incubate leadership, both within your library and in support of the broader community, collaboratively building and leading a rich and fulfilling learning organization.

Presented by: Jennifer Peterson, Community Manager, WebJunction|OCLC, Board Member, ARSL, and 2011 LJ Mover & Shaker

Freedom Rings in Philadelphia: community technology adoption

Thursday, Oct. 25, 1 p.m. Central, 60 min Registration:

 Early registration:  http://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction/Freedom_Rings_in_Philadelphia_webinar.html

The Freedom Rings Partnership is a digital inclusion initiative funded by Federal stimulus monies. We are bringing Internet access, computer assistance and digital opportunities to Philadelphians with the least access to broadband. Comprised of a coalition of grassroots organizations, government, and universities, we proudly count People’s Emergency Center and the Free Library of Philadelphia as Managing Partners in this city-wide effort. Extending beyond the library and traditional organizational walls, our public-computing centers—KEYSPOTS—are located in community organizations that have the trust of their constituents; technology access is a complimentary asset to their diverse missions. Learn how to develop sustainable partnerships and adapt this model to meet your community technology adoption needs.

Presented by: Jennifer Donsky, Public Services Technology Library Coordinator, The Free Library of Philadelphia; and Lorelei Shingledecker, Program Manager, Broadband Technology Opportunities Program at People’s Emergency Center

Sincerely,
WJMN Team

Cecelia Boone, Minitex

Mary Ann Van Cura, State Library Services

Explore: http://webjunction.org/partners/minnesota!Follow Us: 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!

The Institute of Museum and Library Services, a Federal Agency that fosters innovation, leadership and a lifetime of learning, in conjunction with State Library services, a division of the Minnesota Department of Education, which administers federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grants, supports the WebJunction Minnesota project.