Tag Archives: eBooks Minnesota

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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.  

Tech, Training

ELM & Ebooks Minnesota Winter / Spring 2018 Webinars

New from Minitex – a whole bunch of training programs just for you!!

The Minitex Reference Outreach & Instruction unit is offering the following webinars on ELM, ELM resources, and Ebooks Minnesota.  Is there something specific in ELM you were hoping to learn about?  If so, please let us know as we begin planning for future training.  You can email us at mtxref@umn.edu.

 

Ebooks MN for Schools

Session Details: Ebooks MN for Schools
Session Type: Webinar
Date(s) & Time(s): Tuesday, February 13, 2018

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM (Central Time)
Open Seats:
16
Fee: No charge (All)
Register:

Electronic Library for Minnesota: An Overview and Refresher

Session Details: Electronic Library for Minnesota: An Overview and Refresher
Session Type: Webinar
Date(s) & Time(s): Thursday, February 15, 2018

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Central Time)
Open Seats:
13
Fee: No charge (All)
Register:

Helping Students Read Informational Texts

Session Details: Helping Students Read Informational Texts
Session Type: Webinar
Date(s) & Time(s): Tuesday, February 20, 2018

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Central Time)
Open Seats:
16
Fee: No charge (All)
Register:

Developing Inclusive Library Services to Adults with Disabilities

Session Details: Developing Inclusive Library Services to Adults with Disabilities
Session Type: Webinar
Date(s) & Time(s): Wednesday, February 21, 2018

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Central Time)
Open Seats:
64
Fee: No charge (All)
Register:

Job & Career Accelerator

Session Details: Job & Career Accelerator
Session Type: Webinar
Date(s) & Time(s): Thursday, February 22, 2018

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM (Central Time)
Open Seats:
18
Fee: No charge (All)
Register:

Electronic Library for Minnesota: An Overview and Refresher

Session Details: Electronic Library for Minnesota: An Overview and Refresher
Session Type: Webinar
Date(s) & Time(s): Tuesday, February 27, 2018

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM (Central Time)
Open Seats:
20
Fee: No charge (All)
Register:

LearningExpress Library

Session Details: LearningExpress Library
Session Type: Webinar
Date(s) & Time(s): Wednesday, February 28, 2018

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Central Time)
Open Seats:
15
Fee: No charge (All)
Register:

Helping Students Read Informational Texts

Session Details: Helping Students Read Informational Texts
Session Type: Webinar
Date(s) & Time(s): Thursday, March 01, 2018

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM (Central Time)
Open Seats:
19
Fee: No charge (All)
Register:

Ebooks MN for Schools

Session Details: Ebooks MN for Schools
Session Type: Webinar
Date(s) & Time(s): Thursday, March 08, 2018

12:00 PM – 12:30 PM (Central Time)
Open Seats:
19
Fee: No charge (All)
Register:

Test Prep for the MCAs, AP exams, ACT/SAT, and more with Learning Express

Session Details: Test Prep for the MCAs, AP exams, ACT/SAT, and more with Learning Express
Session Type: Webinar
Date(s) & Time(s): Thursday, March 08, 2018

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Central Time)
Open Seats:
20
Fee: No charge (All)
Register:

LearningExpress Library

Session Details: LearningExpress Library
Session Type: Webinar
Date(s) & Time(s): Tuesday, March 13, 2018

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Central Time)
Open Seats:
16
Fee: No charge (All)
Register:

Test Prep for the MCAs, AP exams, ACT/SAT, and more with Learning Express

Session Details: Test Prep for the MCAs, AP exams, ACT/SAT, and more with Learning Express
Session Type: Webinar
Date(s) & Time(s): Tuesday, March 20, 2018

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM (Central Time)
Open Seats:
19
Fee: No charge (All)
Register:

Job & Career Accelerator

Session Details: Job & Career Accelerator
Session Type: Webinar
Date(s) & Time(s): Thursday, March 22, 2018

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Central Time)
Open Seats:
20
Fee: No charge (All)
Register:

ELM Usage Statistics

Session Details: ELM Usage Statistics
Session Type: Webinar
Date(s) & Time(s): Tuesday, April 17, 2018

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Central Time)
Open Seats:
13
Fee: No charge (All)
Register:

CatExpress: Copy Cataloging with CatExpress

Session Details: CatExpress: Copy Cataloging with CatExpress
Session Type: Webinar
Date(s) & Time(s): Wednesday, May 09, 2018

1:00 PM – 2:30 PM (Central Time)
Location: OCLC / DIME Online Training Session
Open Seats:
50
Fee: No charge (All)
Register:
Academic, Check this out:, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Update from State Library Services

state-library-services

CMLE members: we are posting this info so you can keep up on library activities from around the state. As always, CMLE Headquarters wants to be your one-stop source for all kinds of library information!

TO: Minnesota Libraries
FROM: State Library Services
DATE: November 22, 2016
SUBJECT: Updates from State Library Services

Tax Season Is Slowly Approaching – Order Outreach Materials and Mark Your Calendars
Your library probably receives at least a few questions about taxes during the tax season. State Library Services is working again with Prepare + Prosper’s statewide outreach campaign, Claim it!, and the Department of Revenue to provide your library with free resources and a webinar in December.

Order outreach materials from Prepare + Prosper for your library to help individuals find out if they qualify for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit and to help them locate a free tax preparation site. Place your order today to receive these free materials in time for tax season.

Prepare + Prosper and the Department of Revenue will host a webinar for libraries with resources and information to help you during the 2017 tax season. The webinar will take place on Wednesday, December 14, at 11 a.m. Please register for the webinar today and join us in December. Please contact Emily Kissane (651-582-8508) with questions or to request a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event. Note: MDE requires a two-week advance notice in order to provide the requested accommodation and requires a 48-hour notice in order to cancel a requested accommodation.

Early Childhood Screening Informational Video and Webinar
Early Childhood Screening, offered by all school districts, is a way to determine if young children are on track for meeting developmental milestones. Some families do not take advantage of Early Childhood Screening because they don’t know about it or they have concerns about it. If parents knew more about what screening is and is not, they may be more likely to have their children screened and identify areas for additional focus before kindergarten.

Public librarians can help increase participation in screening by encouraging families to get their children screened between the ages of 3 and the start of kindergarten. The Minnesota Department of Education and community partners teamed up to create a five-minute informational video with basic information about screening for parents and caregivers, thanks to funding from The McKnight Foundation.

To learn how you can help increase families’ awareness of screening and comfort with the process, please join us for a webinar presented by MDE’s Early Childhood Screening Coordinator, Margo Chresand, on Thursday, December 8, Noon-12:30 p.m. (Add the webinar to your calendar.) Please contact Jen Verbrugge (651-582-8356) with questions or to request a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event. Note: MDE requires a two-week advance notice in order to provide the requested accommodation and requires a 48-hour notice in order to cancel a requested accommodation.

What’s New for the 2016 Minnesota Public Library Annual Report?
2016 will soon be history. It’s time to get ready to document your library’s performance measures in your annual report. Share your ideas and preferences about data elements for the 2016 report, by completing the 2016 Minnesota Public Library Report Proposed Data Element Changes survey.

You’re also invited to make suggestions, share issues, and learn about proposed new indicators and modifications to current definitions. Join your colleagues in a discussion on Thursday, December 15, 1:30-2:30 p.m. When it’s time, join the meeting via WebEx or join by phone at 1-888-742-5095. Registration is not required. Please contact Joe Manion (651-582-8640) with questions or to request a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event. Note: MDE requires a two-week advance notice in order to provide the requested accommodation and requires a 48-hour notice in order to cancel a requested accommodation.

Progress Update on Minnesota’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Plan
Thank you to the many members of our library community who took the time to participate in the recent ESSA regional meetings held across the state. Commissioner Cassellius and other MDE staff were impressed by the representation of libraries at each session. Approximately 25 school librarians attended the ESSA meeting held by Jen Nelson and Kevin McHenry at MDE on November 9. Thank you all for giving voice to the critical role that school librarians play in student success. Later this fall, there will be additional opportunities to discuss the plan as it takes shape, including a survey for parents, educators and community members. Visit MDE’s ESSA webpage for updates and information, and email MDE with questions or concerns.

Playdates for Educators (of All Sorts)
The Playful Learning Lab at the University of St. Thomas is hosting monthly, free playdates for educators, artists, and makers who want to discuss, share, and try out new ways of bringing joy and playful learning to students. Fall playdates will be held on Wednesday, November 30, and Wednesday, December 14, 7-9 p.m., in the makerspace on the first floor of the University of St. Thomas Anderson Student Center at 2115 Summit Avenue in Saint Paul. Each session will include a hands-on project led by Playful Learning Lab students, as well as ample time for discussion and networking. Please email Annmarie Thomas to RSVP.

Young Adult Books Added to Ebooks Minnesota Collection
Ebooks Minnesota has added more than 150 new titles from Flux Books, a YA imprint of North Star Editions. The newly added collection includes imaginative and compelling books written by authors such as Maggie Stiefvater, Laurie Stolarz, Simone Elkeles, and A.S. King. Visit Ebooks Minnesota today to start reading. Please contact Jen Verbrugge (651-582-8356) with questions.

Thank You for Your Feedback
State Library Services is working with Management Analysis and Development (MAD) to assess our progress toward meeting the goals of the 2013-2017 LSTA Five-Year Plan. We received hundreds of responses to our online survey and 25 library stakeholders participated in focus group discussions. We appreciate your time and thoughtful participation – and commitment to quality library services across Minnesota. Our evaluation report is due to IMLS at the end of March 2017. Please contact Jackie Blagsvedt (651-582-8805) with questions.

Exploring Early STEM Learning in Libraries
This fall, the Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM) offered early STEM training to more than 170 library and early childhood professionals. Thank you to all the attendees, and the workshop hosts and refreshment providers: Fergus Falls Public Library and Friends, Grand Rapids Public Library and Friends, Hennepin County Library – Brooklyn Park and MELSA, Dakota County Library – Wescott and MELSA, Waseca Public Library and Traverse des Sioux Library Cooperative. We couldn’t have been successful without your participation.

The Early STEM Learning in Libraries initiative is made possible by funding through a Library Services and Technology Act grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Please contact Jackie Blagsvedt (651-582-8805) with questions.

Registration for M3 Huddle Sessions Is Open
At the MLA Conference, MDE Learning Specialist Eric Billiet and State Library Services staffer Jen Verbrugge presented a session about Making Meaning with Multiple Data Sets (M3) – a method afterschool programs across the state use to collect and evaluate program data. Your library can use M3, too. Visit Ignite Afterschool’s website or listen to this introductory preparation webinar to learn more.

An M3 huddle is a six-hour session that brings program teams together to intentionally make meaning of their data and plan action steps. Your library can use this opportunity not only to consider data collection and evaluation, but also to connect with afterschool programs in your area. Follow the links below to register for a huddle session near you:

Register for January 20, Minneapolis Huddle Session.
Register for January 12, Greater Twin Cities Metro (Brooklyn Center) Huddle Session.
Register for December 16, St. Paul – Sprockets Huddle Session – 1st Option.
Register for January 13, St. Paul – Sprockets Huddle Session – 2nd Option.
Register for January 12, Southeast Huddle Session (Rochester).
Register for January 25, Southwest Huddle Session (Willmar).
Register for January 20, Northwest Huddle Session (Bemidji).
Register for January 27, Northeast Huddle Session (Duluth).

Please contact Matt Ramirez at Ignite Afterschool with any questions or concerns.

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Leap into the new "public" face of eBooks Minnesota!

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ebooks minnesotaMinitex is pleased to announce the official public launch of Ebooks Minnesota. Peruse 2,500 titles in the collection at EbooksMN.org.

Ebooks MN is now available at elm4you.org and MnKnows.org. It will be available through MnLINK later in the year. You are encouraged to add it to your web pages at this time, with helpful “how to” information at EbooksMN.org/about.

Get more information including videos, tutorials, poster and bookmark order information, a feedback form, and information about publishers here.

 

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Free webinar about eBooks Minnesota

ebooks minnesotaIn a recent post, we shared the good news about the current “preview mode” stage of the development of eBooks Minnesota. All Minnesota library staff are encouraged to test it out before it goes live to the public on February 29th. Missed this earlier post?  Click here to get up to speed.

Minitex is now offering library staff an opportunity to learn more….

“This webinar (Wednesday, February 17) will provide a detailed overview of Ebooks Minnesota and the BiblioBoard Library platform. Attendees will gain an understanding of the parameters and focus of the project and see a demonstration of the navigation and content on BiblioBoard, the PatronsFirst mobile library. Nick Banitt, head of the Ebooks Minnesota Working Group, will be there to answer your questions.”  Register for this webinar now!