Category Archives: School Media Specialist

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

We’ve Learned…

We’ve Learned… is designed to keep our readers informed about news concerning personnel in CMLE libraries/media centers. Please keep us informed of any “happenings” regarding staff members in your area so that we can include them in the next write-up! Happenings can include: changes in staffing, awards, honors… you get the idea!

  • Mic Golden, Collection Development Coordinator at Great River Regional Library is currently on phased retirement.
  • Jake Grussing has been hired as the new Collection Development Coordinator at Great River Regional Library.
  • Morgan Hewitt, former Media Specialist at North Elementary in Princeton is now working at two media centers in Anoka.
  • Terri Kerwin will be serving both the Princeton Middle School and the North Elementary media centers in the Princeton School District this year.
  • Jeanne Skaj, Medical Librarian from the St. Cloud VA Health Care System – Medical Library retired from her position this summer after 36 years of government service.
  • Dana Woods, former Media Specialist at Maple Lake High School is now working at the Middle School and High School media centers in Cass Lake-Bena.
  • Ruth Zietlow, former Interim Dean of Learning Resources Services and Associate Dean for Library Services at St. Cloud State University, is now working at Metropolitan State University as an Associate Professor and Librarian.
  • Keith Ewing is now the Interim Dean of Learning Resources Services at St. Cloud State University.
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!

Money Plant Image
flickr.com/photos/76657755@N04/
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