Category Archives: Services

Services

All kinds of news from Ebooks Minnesota

We are big, big fans of Ebooks Minnesota!! Surely, you are using it in your library and instructing all your members in the value available there. (We have all the info here!)

So we are collecting a few Minitex articles here, with updates to the great information available to libraries and library users. Share this widely!

  1. World languages curation available in Ebooks Minnesota
    You can now link directly to a curated collection of titles within Ebooks Minnesota through the World Languages collection.  This includes books in Ojibwe, Somali, Spanish and Karen languages.  Be sure to check it out at z.umn.edu/worldlanguages.
  2. Ojibwe language books added to Ebooks Minnesota
    “Thanks to Grassroots Indigenous Multimedia, Heid Erdrich, and Anton Treuer, Ebooks Minnesota now includes Ojibwe language books!
    Grassroots Indigenous Multimedia is a nonprofit organization founded in 2000 by Ojibwe community members Mary Hermes and Kevin Roach in hopes of revitalizing the Ojibwe language by creating and distributing high-quality language materials. They currently have several ongoing projects with the White Earth Ojibwe Tribal Education Department including the establishment of oral proficiency benchmarks, a family Ojibwe language class through ISD 196 and, with support from the Bush Foundation, they are “reaching out to and creating discussion spaces to engage White and non-native people of color in Minnesota in considering their responsibilities to the indigenous languages of this land.”
    Several of their books in the Ebooks Minnesota collection include both English and Ojibwe language copies. The books are based on Ojibwe conversational archives with elders and include gorgeous illustrations and very thoughtful stories. Heid Erdrich, author/editor Anton Treuer, and Wiigwaas Press serve urban and reservation communities of the Great Lakes – Great Plains region through publication and promotion of Native American language-centered writing.  They specialize in indigenous language literature and teaching materials. Both of these organizations offer stories that children and adults of all cultures can relate to, from dealing with everyday situations to unexpected adventures. “

  3. Ebooks Minnesota Turns Two!

    Happy Birthday to Ebooks Minnesota! We are celebrating its 2nd year this week. The collection continues to grow and currently contains approximately 5,000 titles. Since March 2017, titles in the collection have been accessed almost 57,000 times!

    The top 10 most accessed titles of this past year are:

    1. Southwest: It’s cool to learn about the United States
    2. West: It’s cool to learn about the United States
    3. Northeast: It’s cool to learn about the United States
    4. The Latehomecomer: A Hmong family memoir
    5. Sea Lamprey: Animal invaders
    6. The Oregon Trail
    7. 3D Printing
    8. Ariana Grande
    9. Taco El Gato #1
    10. I.Q.

    Have you, your patrons, or students, been using Ebooks Minnesota in class or for certain projects?  If so, drop us a line and share how this resource has been helpful in your community.  

Children's services, Services

Join the 2018 SELCO Camp Read-a-Lot!

“We’re happy to bring you the 10th Anniversary of the SELCO Camp Read-a-Lot!  A professional development opportunity for those who work with children’s literature, focusing on specifically on grades 2-5.  Campers have the chance to read from a set list of books prior to camp and then spend the day discussing the books with their peers.  They’ll also be able to hear from Minnesota children’s book author Margi Preus, and local expert and nonfiction booktalker Kathleen Baxter.

Wednesday, August 15, 2018  |  Check-in begins at 8:30a; Camp runs from 9:00a-4:30p  |  $40 Fee

How to Register

  1. Click HERE to register.  Registration for the 2018 SELCO Camp Read-a-Lot will be open from March 19 – August 1, 2018.
  2. Once submitted, you will receive an e-mail from SELCO (rthalacker@selco.info) which contains all of the registration information you submitted.
  3. Within 3-5 business days, you will then receive an e-mail from SELCO staff with your new username and password.

MARGI PREUS is the author of the Newbery Honor book Heart of a Samurai, the Minnesota Book Award winning West of the Moon, Shadow on the Mountain, a Notable Book for a Global Society and The Bamboo Sword, which Bookpage called “historical fiction at its best.”  Her newest, The Clue in the Trees, is the second in the Enchantment Lake mystery series.  Her books have won multiple awards, landed on many “best of” lists, including the New York Times Bestseller list, been honored as ALA/ALSC Notables, selected as an NPR Backseat Book Club pick, chosen for community reads, and translated into many languages.

When not writing, Margi enjoys traveling, speaking, and visiting schools all over the world.  At home in Duluth, Minnesota, she likes to hike, ski, paddle, or sit quietly with a book in her lap.  Find more about Margi on her website.

KATHLEEN BAXTER, a native of Walnut Grove, was head of children’s services at the Anoka County Library for more years than she cares to remember.  She wrote the Non-Fiction Booktalker column in School Library Journal magazine for over 17 years, resigning when she broke her hip and femur in Times Square and knew she would not make the deadline!  She wrote seven books on getting kids excited about reading for Libraries Unlimited/ Teacher Ideas Press, has presented at school and library conferences all over the USA and in Canada and Mexico, and presented workshops on The Best Children’s Books of the Decade and Connecting Boys with Books for BER, The Bureau of Education and Research.  She has done hundreds of programs in schools and libraries and believes that reading is one of the most joyful passions any human can pursue.  Her most recent book is My Betsy-Tacy Miracle, published by Minnesota Heritage Press.  She has been a member of the Newbery Committee and is in Who’s Who in America.  Find more about Kathleen on her website.

Services

Spotlight Program: Library Falcon Cam

Peregrine falcon (Australia)

This week we have a library program I just love, though it’s not one most of us can do.

The Evanston Public Library has had a few pairs of peregrine falcons nesting at the library! And, because they are extra cool, you can watch a livecam of the falcons right here!

This is the second year with the long-time male (Squawker) and his newest companion, F.A.Y.  Fay is a very young mom, and last year they did not end up with any babies. But this year she’s more experienced, and she has laid three eggs (so far!). Many baby falcons have come from the nesting pairs at the library, and it’s just an excellent way to connect with a different group of people to show off the coolness possible in libraries!!

There is a group of falcon fans in the community: the Evanston Peregrine Falcon Watch group. They pay close attention to the falcons, and help them out when they are in their dangerous time learning to fly. You can follow all their good stuff on a Yahoo discussion board.

The Chicago Tribune recently published a very nice article about the falcons, including an update on the former library fledgling, Gigi, named after an EPL employee. He turned out to be a male, and is happily sitting on a nest of his own now, helping to raise the next generation of falcons!

You may not be able to have falcons at your library, but a library is a great place for small animals, fish, insects. It can be a fun way to connect your patrons, who may not be able to have animals at home, with the fun of having pets!! (And know that we would love to come visit assorted pets in your libraries!)

Advocacy, Children's services, Services

Training Tips: A Librarian’s Open Letter to Jacqueline Laurita

Merrick-letter

This is an open letter from Blogger Renee Grassi, a children’s librarian. It’s a good reminder that it’s easy to be a busy library person, and to forget to be thoughtful to patrons who are challenging – but customer service is our brand. We do not “do” books, or computers, or anything else people check out of the library.  Libraries only exist to serve community members,  and the tools we use (books, computers, programs) will be ever-changing. Our only purpose is to serve our communities, to help them find information and entertainment.

It’s really hard some days, to keep focused on that mission; and there are patrons who will push your patience as far as you can go. Take some time to take a deep breath, to count to ten, and to remove personal feelings from situations as much as you can. It’s tough to be good at customer service!! But that’s no excuse for doing a bad job.

We are giving an excerpt below, and you can click here to read the whole article. There are other good resources for libraries in working with autistic people, and Renee is very interesting to read!

“When I read the story of you and your son’s experience getting kicked out of your public library my heart broke into a million pieces. For you. For your son. For your family members and friends. For other children and individuals with autism who read this story. For other parent advocates who, all too often, have had similar experiences.  For librarian parent advocates, who understand what it means to be a librarian and what it means to be a cheerleader for their child with autism.  My heart broke for the entire library community.

What you experienced does not uphold the core values of librarianship, nor does it speak to the core competencies that ALSC has developed for librarians serving children in public libraries. Time and time again, libraries are cited in research as one of the most valued and trusted institutions. But in this case, Jacqueline, the research doesn’t matter. In this case, libraries lost your trust. And for that, I am deeply sorry.

If there’s one thing I want you to know, it’s this: there are librarians who are dedicated to ensuring an experience like this does not happen at their libraries. I myself train librarians across the country how to make their library a more welcoming place to those with autism and other disabilities.  One of the things I say in these presentations is to validate people’s experiences and acknowledge their stories.  With open ears and an open heart, libraries can receive input to address positive change and make our libraries more welcoming for all.

But it’s not just me. There are many, many librarians whose hearts broke when they read your story.  These are librarians who have been working for years to make their library communities more inclusive. They would want you to know that there is admirable work happening across the country, so as to ensure that people with autism and other disabilities are authentically welcomed into their spaces.  Here are just a few of those libraries:

  • There’s Libraries and Autism: We’re Connected, which originally launched in Scotch Plains, New Jersey in 2008.  This project addresses best practices in libraries for people with autism by helping staff improve their ability to provide excellent, inclusive, universal customer service to everyone who uses the library.
  • Targeting Autism: A National Forum on Serving Patrons on the Spectrum is an IMLS grant funded program in Illinois dedicated to increasing the role of the library in supporting patrons and family members impacted by ASD. Phase II of the project is currently underway, which develops and delivers multi-faceted and replicable training programs designed to improve library services and programs for ASD communities in Illinois and across the country.
  • New York’s Project Enable provides professional development for library professionals from all types of libraries in order to build capacity for providing equitable access and services to students with disabilities.
  • The State Library of Ohio received an IMLS grant and launched a digital storytime for children with autism and their families.
  • Librarian and parent advocate Barbara Klipper has developed a grant for all types of libraries, funding innovative projects that promote inclusion of people with autism in libraries.
  • Sensory Storytime is a not-so-new program, making the storytime experience more accessible for families with children with autism.
  • Dakota County Library in Minnesota partners with the Autism Society of Minnesota offering an inclusive monthly book discussion program for young adults and adults with autism and other disabilities.
  • Iowa City Public Library offers Accessible Library Hour programming, so that families with children with autism can visit the library in a calm and welcoming environment.
  • There is even a longstanding networking group of Chicagoland youth and young adult librarians who support one another’s efforts to provide specialized services and programs to children and teens with disabilities in libraries through collaboration and training.

Librarians know that public libraries have not always been a welcoming place, and librarians themselves have not always had the best reputation. What we librarians can and should focus on is how to improve our service and do better going forward.  And there is no better person to advocate for a child’s right to access and be welcome at a public library than his or her own parent.

So, thank you, Jacqueline. Thank you for using your voice and sharing your family’s experience with your local public library, as difficult as it may have been.

I also want to thank you for leveraging your platform and sharing your family’s experience with the broader American public.  As John Cotton Dana once said, “The public library is a center of public happiness first; public education second.”  The only way for libraries to know if their community is satisfied is through authentic and regular feedback.  After all, we can only do better when we know better.”

Guest Blogger, Materials, Services

Report from CMLE Mini Grant: LittleBits

This is a guest post from Sarah Gerber, 4th grade teacher at Talahi Community School.  She worked with their Media Specialist Jenny McNew to receive this CMLE Mini Grant. Need a Mini Grant to purchase materials or try an interesting new program at your library? Apply today! 

As part of our Grade 4 standards my students worked on circuits. While working  to STEMify our curriculum the students began using LittleBits to understand how circuits work and how to use them in the design process to create a machine that utilizes electronics.

My students were thoroughly engaged as they learned about inputs, outputs, wires, and power sources. They needed to rely on their collaboration and problem solving skills while following a guide to design an art invention tool. From there students could choose to create a design of their own to solve a real world problem. From using the buzzer for an alarm, to having light sensors help us navigate the dark, the students amazed me with their curiosity and perseverance in completing a design. It was common to hear, “This is so cool!” and “Oh, now I get it!”

LittleBits are an excellent tool to create projects that are STEM and STEAM related. They helped my students understand the MN standards on Energy and Engineering regardless of their technical ability. The color coded electronic “Bits” snap together magnetically and can be used to create many different inventions for multiple skill levels. We purchased the STEAM Student Set and found that it worked best in groups of two to three.