 TO: Minnesota LibrariesFROM: State Library Services DATE: February 4, 2016 SUBJECT: Updates from State Library ServicesWe’re Hiring! Position Open at the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library State Library Services is excited to announce that the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library is now hiring an Audio Visual Education Specialist. Based in Faribault, this new position will run the library’s volunteer-driven recording program, creating digital audio recordings for library patrons. Applications will be accepted through February 16. To access the job posting and apply online, visit Minnesota’s Online Job Application website and search for job opening ID #2799. For more information, please contact Catherine Durivage (507-384-6860).Learn How Your Library Can Feed Hungry Kids Fewer than 15 percent of Minnesota kids who benefit from the free or reduced-price school lunch program have access to summer and afterschool food programs. Limited access to free food programs, particularly during the summer, leaves many children hungry. Public libraries can help make sure kids have access to nutritious food when school is not in session. Begin planning your summer 2016 participation by attending an informational webinar on February 24, 2016 at 11 a.m. Jenny Butcher, USDA Summer Food Service Program Coordinator at MDE, will share how you can get involved. There is no need to pre-register. Please join the WebEx meeting online (meeting number 594 625 833) or call in at 1-888-742-5095 (conference code 874 403 3672). 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.Introducing Ebooks Minnesota! Dozens of librarians contributed valuable input throughout the 2014 Explore eBooks MN project. Taking to heart the primary interests identified by participants in the ebook summit, State Library Services and Minitex partnered to build a statewide ebook collection that complements the resources already available through most Minnesota libraries. Ebooks Minnesota is now available for you to explore at www.ebooksmn.org.With a focus on providing access to quality books from Minnesota’s many independent publishers, Ebooks Minnesota’s opening day collection includes about 3,000 titles from publishers such as ABDO, Lerner Publishing Group, Cherry Lake Publishing, University of Minnesota Press, Milkweed Press, and Coffeehouse Press. These independent presses publish ebooks on a wide variety of topics from sharks to ethnic cooking and in an assortment of genres from graphic novels to literary fiction. There is no limit to the number of titles that can be checked out at any time and readers can keep titles as long as they wish. Access the collection online or download an app for your device via the App Store, Google Play, or Kindle Fire HD. Ebooks Minnesota was made possible in part by funding from the Minnesota Department of Education through a Library Services and Technology Act grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Please contact Jen Nelson (651-582-8791) with questions or for more information. In response to the expressed need for more ebook device training, two Minnesota librarians—Stephanie Langer (Kitchigami Regional Library System) and Emily Kissane (MDE, State Library Services)—joined colleagues from North and South Dakota for ILEAD North Dakota. The program, a continuing education program designed to cultivate technology and leadership skills, was part of ILEAD USA (Innovative Librarians Explore, Apply and Discover), an initiative funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Stephanie and Emily worked with their team to develop a website that consolidates help and information about popular ebook platforms. Go to the eContent website. The site will continue to grow with new eContent initiatives in the three states, and with contributions from you. To submit content or for more information about ILEAD North Dakota, please contact Emily Kissane (651-582-8508). Supporting Creative Solutions to Service Gaps Extending Library Services through a Pilot Project Serving Underserved Youth We’re excited to support these efforts to improve access to high-quality library services that address local needs. Please contact Jen Nelson (651-582-8791) with questions or for more information about the projects.
This service is provided to you at no charge by Minnesota Department of Education 1500 Highway 36 West, Roseville, Minnesota 55113 – 651.582.8200. |
Tag Archives: eBooks Minnesota
eBooks MN now available in preview mode!
Valerie Horton, Minitex Director invites you to “kick the tires” on eBooks MN and offer constructive feedback before the “go live” date of February 29. Enjoy!
EBOOKS MINNESOTA WILL GO PUBLIC ON LEAP DAY (February 29th)
We are giving library staff a unique chance to preview Ebooks Minnesota (Ebooks MN) before our public launch on Leap Day 2016. The system is now available for you to explore at www.ebooksmn.org.
Ebooks MN is a collection featuring content from Minnesota’s independent publishers. The opening-day collection includes about 2,500 titles, and we plan to add more soon. Ebooks from ABDO, Lerner Publishing Group, and Cherry Lake Publishing make up a significant part of the school-age collection. Ebooks MN also includes scholarly and literary titles from the University of Minnesota Press, Milkweed Editions, Coffee House Press, and Arcadia Publishing/The History Press. These independent presses publish ebooks on a wide variety of topics and genres from sharks to the black death and from graphic novels to literary fiction. Ebooks MN also includes titles about Minnesota, such as Twins Baseball and Legendary Locals of Crookston, that were published outside the state. A selection of popular titles that are in the public domain, such as The Origin of Species and Dracula, rounds out the collection
Minitex will manage access to Ebooks MN using the familiar IP-range method we use for the Electronic Library for Minnesota. No digital rights management (DRM) is required. We have permanent access to these titles, there is no limit to the number that can be checked out at a time, and readers can keep them as long as they wish. As with ELM, there is no additional cost for libraries to use the collection. Be sure to watch and share our introductory video, and download the app from iTunes, Google Play, or for your Kindle Fire.
On February 29, we will add Ebooks MN to www.elm4you.org and www.mnknows.org. Take the leap and add this collection to your website on Leap Day as well. Instructions for linking are included on our project page at www.ebooksmn.org/about. School libraries may wish to link directly to content appropriate for younger readers. Libraries will be able to add the collection to their catalogs through MARC records, which will be available in March. An API for SirsiDynix will also be available soon.
Promotional bookmarks and posters will be available upon request. The Ebooks MN logo is available at www.ebooksmn.org/about for you to download. We encourage you to share your comments and suggestions using the form you’ll also find on the project page.
Ebooks MN is a two-year pilot project of the Minnesota Department of Education, State Library Services and Minitex. The collection was made possible in part by funding from the Minnesota Department of Education through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and by Minitex. The initiative originated from the 2014 Explore eBooks MN Summit and from the contributions of librarians across the state.
We hope you will enjoy leaping into Ebooks MN as we prepare the collection for your patrons!
Valerie Horton
Director Minitex
University of Minnesota
15 Andersen Library
222 21st Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Update on eBooks Minnesota
Ebooks Minnesota will offer every resident of our state an easy-to-access collection of children’s, young adult, and adult ebooks on a wide variety of subjects. We are proud to say this collection will be Minnesota-made, with books from our state’s thriving independent publishers. The collection will highlight some of the best of Minnesota’s literary and non-fiction works and provide a strong and diverse set of ebooks to support school and public libraries as they work with readers of all ages.
State Library Services is using LSTA funds to co-fund the project with Minitex.
For more information, please contact Emily Kissane at emily.kissane@state.mn.us
Excerpt from SLSY Update, November 30, 2015