Category Archives: Public

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Library Service in 3D: Let's Give A Kid A Hand!

You have probably seen the stories around the news: excited kid gets a 3D printed hand at the local library. In case you have not – or just want to see a great story about about public library service, check out this video from ABC News.

A few more details and photos from this success story are available here.

This is just another example of the state of library service: we are all using technology more often to connect our services to our patron’s needs. It may not look like a library from 50 years ago, or even 10 years ago, but we serve the needs of our patrons with all the tools at our disposal. And sometimes the results are fantastic!

Is someone in your library interested in learning more about 3D printed limbs?

Star_Wars_Bionic_hand
Cool kid with a Star Wars arm!
  • Disney is working with the organization Open Bionics to print Disney-themed arms! “Now kids can get excited about their prosthetics. They won’t have to do boring physical therapy, they’ll train to become heroes. They’re not just getting medical devices, they’re getting bionic hands inspired by their favorite characters.”
  • The organization e-NABLE is working to bring 3D printed hands and arms for people all around the world. Their site is filled with reference material, information, and stories to share. “The e-NABLE Community is made up of  teachers, students, engineers, scientists, medical professionals, tinkerers, designers, parents, children, scout troops, artists, philanthropists, dreamers, coders, makers and every day people who just want to make a difference and help to ‘Give The World A Helping Hand.'”

What other kinds of great things could your library do with a 3D printer? The possibilities are amazing! There are many websites filled with information about using your printer, and designs to follow. Thingiverse is one of the most popular, with all kinds of people sharing designs and learning from each other. “The Thingiverse community has uploaded over 606,640 3D models, and that number is growing every day. Check out all the incredible objects people have created, and get inspired to make your own!”

  • Maybe your cat needs armor? It’s here!
  • If the cat gets armor, your guinea pig needs some too, just to be fair.
  • A frog dissection kit? Comes with lesson plans!
  • You probably need a Pokeball with a button-release lid, when you can use a break from your Pokemon Go app.
  • A very cool T-Rex skull would brighten up any library!
  • Maybe a wall mounted hairdryer holder could help your morning routine, and keep your time management skills sharp?
  • Did you lose the buttons to your Toyota Yaris key fob? No worries – just print new ones!

We want to hear from our libraries about your use of 3D printers! Great successes? Share them! The time you printed a 3D pile of sludge – that was supposed to be a Legend of Zelda shield  key chain?  We want to hear that too!

Are you considering 3D printers for your library? This would be a great topic for us to discuss in a group, so we can share experiences and make plans for the future. Email us if you are interested in some training sessions, or group discussions!

Libraries are all about service; this is one tool we might use to provide outstanding service to our communities!

General, Public, School Media Specialist

Pokeman Go and Libraries

Gameplay_of_Pokemon_Go
By Sadie Hernandez [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
The odds are pretty good that this past summer you witnessed (or participated in!) the craze of Pokemon Go. The free app took off with incredible popularity, and had people of all ages wandering their communities in search of Pokemon. (Personally, I’ve never played, but while visiting a friend, I heard all about Pokestops, the frustration of running out of Pokeballs, and the excitement of catching a water Pokemon). Luckily, while people were out and about in search of Pokemon, their quest often brought them to their local library!

In this blog post from ALSC, librarian Sarah Bean Thompson does a great job of explaining the logical partnership of libraries with Pokemon Go. The author shares how libraries can use the popularity of the game to get more people to come to the library, especially since so many libraries are already Pokestops. Her library offered a “life size game day” and featured activities like decorating Pokeballs and having players share on wall displays what Pokemons they have caught at the library. Library staff also used that time to promote their summer reading program.

Thompson has written another article that mentions several other libraries that have incorporated programs like “Pokemon Go Safaris” and activities like Pokemon trail walks, all taking place under adult supervision. Within this same article, she describes an additional advantage of the collaboration between Pokemon Go and libraries, which is the opportunity it offers to  families to learn about digital citizenship and online safety.

 

 

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

State Library Updates: 8/11/16

MDE logo retrieved online 12/17/13..TO: Minnesota Libraries
FROM: State Library Services
DATE: August 11, 2016
SUBJECT: Updates from State Library Services

LSTA Grant Awards Announcements – Coming Soon!
As a result of our most recent LSTA grant round, we are excited to award eleven grants for innovative projects with diverse beneficiaries. The grant-funded projects are wide-ranging and include the creation of programs and resources to strengthen families affected by incarceration, the expansion of a science fair initiative that connects third- and fourth-graders with area STEM professionals, and the development of creative in- and out-of-school-time digital learning opportunities. The grant awards will be posted on the refreshed MDE website next week. In the meantime, please contactJackie Blagsvedt (651-582-8805) for a complete list or for more information.

Get to Know Valuable Partners in Afterschool and Digital Literacy
In communities across Minnesota, organizations are working to build bridges between in-school learning and afterschool experiences for students of all ages. Key players in this effort are 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21CCLC), active partnerships between schools and community organizations that provide students with a broad array of academic supports, enrichment programs and engagement opportunities to help them achieve, connect and thrive. 21CCLCs are prime partners for a library’s afterschool and summer programs.

You’re invited to learn more about 21CCLCs at a special kick-off event at the St. Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN).Register today; space is limited. (The morning session is for 21CCLCs only.)

Tuesday, August 23, 1-3 p.m.
SPNN, 550 Vandalia Street Suite 170, Saint Paul, MN 55114

Connect with interesting colleagues and gain insights into the power of collaboration. Learn about the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival and how empowering kids to create their own films exercises their 21st century skills and creates community connections for your library. Tour the SPNN site and hear how they have worked for years with kids and the Saint Paul community to grow into something much more than a cable access studio. Discover how SPNN can guide you in more effective and efficient use of your library’s makerspace to support youth in their creation of digital media—and how they’re already doing that for the Saint Paul Public Library through their Createch studios. Please contact Jen Verbrugge (651-582-8356) for more information about the event.

NLS Authorized to Provide Braille E-readers
On July 20, 2016, President Obama signed a bill amending the Pratt-Smoot Act of 1931 that authorizes the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) to provide playback equipment in all formats to its users. This change will allow NLS to provide access to braille e-readers, which are devices capable of reading electronic braille. The Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library in Faribault serves about 10,000 people across the state, in collaboration with NLS and the State Services for the Blind, which manages and distributes the federally provided equipment for the NLS program.

For more information about the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library, please contact Catherine Durivage (1-800-722-0550).

Prepare to Celebrate Lights On Afterschool
Launched in October 2000, Lights On Afterschool (LoA) is the only nationwide event celebrating afterschool programs and their important role in the lives of children, families and communities. It’s time to plan your Lights on Afterschool 2016 event for the week of Oct 17- 21! Ignite Afterschool, Minnesota’s statewide network dedicated to advancing high-quality afterschool and summer programs for all youth, is excited to announce the statewide theme: Hats Off to Afterschool!

Check out Minnesota’s online LoA Toolkit and attend the webinar on September 9, 10-11:30 a.m., to learn more about planning your LoA event. Once your plans are made, register your event with the Afterschool Alliance, the national coordinator of LoA. Ignite Afterschool has 500 free light-up hat activity kits available courtesy of the Bakken Museum. You can order up to 30 for your event, while supplies last. Email Matt at Ignite Afterschool to request your kits.

For more information about LoA 2016, check out the Afterschool Alliance’s LoA Event Planning Guide, or visit theAfterschool Alliance website.

Get Ready for the Celestial Event of the Century
In just over a year, on August 21, 2017, the shadow of the moon will sweep across the United States in a spectacle that hasn’t occurred in 99 years. So jump on the eclipse train! Register your library with the National Center for Interactive Learning (NCIL) at the Space Science Institute. Once you’re registered, you’ll have access to NCIL resources to help you plan and promote your eclipse event. Share your event’s press release, flyer or website link to receive 50 free eclipse viewing glasses for your patrons, available while supplies last. Visit the NCIL website for more information.

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

CMLE has found a new Executive Director!

Mary JordanWe are pleased to announce that Dr. Mary Wilkins-Jordan will soon be joining CMLE. She looks forward to working with CMLE members, the other six MN Multitype Library Directors, and the MN library community. She is also thrilled to return to the Midwest.

I want to personally thank the Search Committee for their careful attention to detail and process, and for including me as an ex-officio member of the Committee. Our overall goal from the beginning was focused on our CMLE members. We want to ensure that this change in CMLE leadership doesn’t disrupt the services you have come to rely on! Mary will begin on August 15th. She will work with me for two weeks to transition accounts and get the high points of being a multitype director. My last day at CMLE is August 26th.

Mary’s most recent experience has been as a library and information science professor at Simmons College in Boston. Although Mary has been an academic, her heart is in helping people in the library field. She was most attracted to this job because it will allow her to do just that! Mary also has experience as a public library director and exhibited a great sense of humor, which certainly helps in challenging times. Don’t let that doctorate worry you. Mary is knowledgeable yet grounded, and sincere in identifying herself as a librarian, first and foremost!

As some of our “seasoned” CMLE members have witnessed over the years, our services are dynamic and sometimes change based on member needs. There are always plenty of things that can be done differently and with a new perspective. Take every opportunity you get to weigh in on services that are important to you. I believe CMLE is in capable hands going forward and wish Mary and all of you the very best!

Patricia Post
Outgoing CMLE Executive Director

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

State Library Updates: 6/28/16

MDELogoTO: Minnesota Libraries
FROM: State Library Services
DATE: June 28, 2016
SUBJECT: Updates from State Library Services

Get Supercharged with Storytime Colleagues Nationwide
OCLC recently announced that the Supercharged Storytimes orientation archive is available for free to all public library staff. Now in addition to connecting with fellow Minnesota storytimers, you can learn from and share with storytime presenters across the country.

Public library staff are invited to create a free account and enroll to:
• Learn how to incorporate research-based early literacy concepts into storytimes;
• Recognize the role early literacy plays in early childhood development;
• Gain insight for articulating the relevance of storytimes to parents, caregivers, and other library stakeholders;
• Learn more about the Supercharged Storytimes online orientation pilot, originally offered to more than 500 library staff members in six states (including Minnesota) in 2015; and
• Access archived webinars and resources, and share thoughts with other enrollees in discussion forums.

If you’re simply looking for fresh ways to amp up your storytimes, visit the Supercharged Library, a compilation of resources generated by public library storytime providers from around the country. Contact Jackie Blagsvedt (651-582-8805) for more information about Supercharged Storytimes.

Measuring What Matters
We all have an interest in promoting increased awareness of the value of public libraries in the United States. In order to do this, effective data is indispensable. Concerns about the explosion of surveys in recent years have led directors of state library agencies across the country to think more deeply about what data really is essential to collect. Through a proposed cooperative agreement with IMLS, COSLA (Chief Officers of State Library Agencies) has outlined a process for creating a National Public Library Data and Outcomes Action Plan. Measures that Matter seeks to develop a plan that will allow for the timely collection of reliable, comparable and meaningful data on public libraries while reducing the burden of data collection on local libraries. Read more about the project or contact Jen Nelson (651-582-8791) for more information.

Reintroduce Your Library to Your Community
Outside the Lines is a week-long celebration, September 11-17, 2016, that demonstrates the creativity and innovation happening in today’s libraries. Libraries from 41 states participated in 2015. Whether your library is large or small—school, academic, special or public—you can participate in this international celebration by hosting an event that:
• Gets people thinking and talking about libraries in a different way.
• Showcases your library in the community.
• Represents your local community.
• Highlights how your library is relevant to people’s lives.
• Is active and gets people engaged.
• Is fun!

Learn more about Outside the Lines and how to participate through an informational webinar on Thursday, June 30 from11:00 a.m. to noon. No registration is necessary, but virtual space may be limited. Discover more about Outside the Lines and register as a participating location on the campaign’s website.