Tag Archives: academic librarian

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

CMLE Featured Service: Shadowing

Walk alongside another librarian for a day to see how alike or different your worlds are!

Image by Pings and Needles. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons' licensing.
Image by Pings and Needles. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.

The CMLE shadowing  service is relatively new, but promises lots of potential in Central Minnesota.  CMLE staff pay attention to the details of academic, public, school and special libraries in 319 locations in 12 counties. Through our work in the field, our communications to library staff, and our use of  tools like our Quick Question Polls, we strive to have a good grasp on the library landscape in Central MN.  Then, by using that knowledge, our staff can play matchmaker and connect you to a library setting other than your own. We call this activity shadowing.

Who could benefit from a CMLE shadowing experience?

  •  Many librarians wonder wistfully whether they made the right decision back in library school about what type of librarian they wanted to become. Maybe shadowing can provide clarity without the professional risk of changing jobs!
  • Are you a para running a school media center, wondering if you should pursue a degree? Particularly in K-12 schools, the experience of media specialists can be quite different, depending on whether the school is moving into Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) or One-to-One Initiatives (1:1). CMLE staff  know which schools are in these stages of transition and can provide you with the right fit.
  • Are you an academic librarian trying to anticipate how the high school student coming out of a BYOD or 1:1 school might approach a college experience differently? Will there be impact on how you provide an academic library or teaching experience?
  • Are you a high school media specialist feeling beyond stretched as you single handedly run the media center and teach classes? Are you wondering if a public  or academic library might be a better fit for you?
  • Are you a special librarian, working fairly solo (often not feeling so special), and wondering if it might be time for a larger setting and a team of people with whom you can work?

If any of these scenarios sound like you, our  shadowing program may be a good option for you. Or, maybe you are simply a curious person, willing and anxious to understand a bigger library world….that is ok too.

If you are interested in setting up a shadowing experience, please make contact with me to sort out the details. I will help you with connections and logistics.

Academic, Check this out:, General, Special

Recommended EdTech Tool & Apps For Academics From MIT

This week, CMLE’s Recommended EdTech Tool and Recommended App(s) have been combined.  MIT Libraries has created an online site with a collection of apps hand selected for academic librarians.  This link will direct you to a page titled Apps for Academics: Mobile Websites and Apps.  The tabs long the top or the column on the left hand side can be used to navigate the site content. The information is categorized by the following areas of interest;

  • Productivity
  • Reading
  • Library Research
  • Taking Notes

    Apps DougBelshaw
    Some rights reserved by DougBelshaw
  • Writing
  • Presenting
  • Music
Academic, Check this out:, General, Public

2013 Outstanding Reference Sources!

RUSA LogoReference and User Services Association (RUSA) is an organization of reference and information professionals who strive to make the connections between people and the information sources, services, and collection materials.

RUSA has announced its selections for the 2013 Outstanding Reference Sources. This list of titles identifies the most important reference publications for small and medium-sized public and academic libraries published in a given year.

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

Do You Work With an Academic Trendsetter?

MLA LogoThere are only three weeks left to nominate someone you know with a proven track record in bringing creative and quality programs, projects and/or services to your library!  The Minnesota Library Association (MLA) is accepting nominations until Thursday February 28, 2013.  Click here for more information and nomination materials.

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

ALA Releases ‘2011 Academic Library Trends and Statistics’

Today’s Press Release from ALA announced that the 2011 Academic Library Trends and Statistics annual publication is now available. The three-volume publication highlights key data from 1,514 academic institutions regarding collections, available services, staffing trends, and overall expenditures. The press release reveals that library expenditures for e-books has increased dramatically from 2010 to 2011 — with baccalaureate colleges increasing their e-book spending by some 109%! Of course with e-book expenditures increasing, money has to come from somewhere, and the majority of institutions report a small decrease in serials spending.

Other interesting data… Salaries/wages have increased by just over .90% for most institutions. Additionally, in the next five years, 15.9% of academic libraries believe they will lose space, 20.4% expect to gain space, and 58.4% expect no change.

To learn more, check out the Press Release.