Tag Archives: ECRL

General, Public

In rural Minnesota, libraries can be only source for high speed internet access

MN broadband coverageIn too many places, libraries are the only reliable high speed access point. And no other place is this more apparent than in rural Minnesota. Taking a look at the Minnesota Office of Broadband Development’s website, we see map after map where broadband coverage is lacking.

Fox 9 in Princeton recently talked about this issue and even spoke to East Central Regional Library Director Barbara Misselt. “It’s not uncommon to see cars pulled up when the library is closed,” she said, “people using their devices from their car.” The need is there but as Fox 9 points out, it seems cost is the factor keeping companies out. There is hope, Governor Dayton is asking for more funds to expand broadband and the task force is working hard too. Let’s hope a change to broadband availability happens soon so that rural Minnesota is on equal footing with the rest of the state.

Read the article or watch the Fox 9 video now.

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Cambridge Community-Wide Read

A-Man-Called-Ove-261x400What if your whole community read the same book at the same time? What if you had the opportunity to meet the author who wrote it and were able to engage in conversation with others about it?  Sounds almost too good to be true, doesn’t it? Well, many communities across the country have begun similar community-wide reads, including this one in Cambridge, MN.

2016 is the 9th year for the Cambridge Community Read.  It is hosted by the Cambridge Friends of the Library and supports and strengthens literacy and the community.  Community residents (or anyone who is interested) will be reading, A Man Called Ove by international bestselling author Fredrik Backman. Book events and discussions will be held all over town including Scout & Morgan Books, the Cambridge Public Library, North Folk Winery, and Anoka-Ramsey Community College – Cambridge Campus.  What may be the most exciting news of all is that the publisher, Simon & Schuster, will be flying the author in from Sweden for the grand finale events on May 16!

Press Release – Community-wide Read (pdf)

 

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

We've Learned: Staffing updates & job openings

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 time_alone2_hiresthe idea!
New East Central Regional Library (ECRL) staff:
  • Aitkin – Mary Johnson, Library Assistant
  • Mora – Patty Thompson, Library Assistant (formerly Cambridge Library Assistant); Mackenzie Lucking, Library Assistant
  • Pine City – Heidi Anderson-Ferdinand, Branch Librarian
  • Outreach at Isanti – Tim Olson, Outreach Librarian (former part-time Outreach and Interlibrary Loan assistant)
  • Wyoming – Melody Baker, Library Assistant

ECRL vacancies for Branch Assistants* still remain in Aitkin, Mille Lacs Lake Community Library in Isle, Princeton, and Cambridge. Get more detail about these positions here.  *Position was formerly titled “Branch Library Aide” (prior to July 2015)

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Great River Regional Library (GRRL) Personnel Updates

  • Lisa Pelkey, former Library Services Coordinator of Albany, has joined the Upsala staff as a Library Assistant
    Substitute.
  • Kara Gibford-Markman joined the Sauk Centre library staff in November as a library aide.

Over the summer GRRL had a few resignations in the St. Cloud Circulation department. These openings
allowed for adjustments to be made to existing staff schedules which resulted in five (5) Circulation
Assistants and two (2) Circulation Aides receiving additional hours. The remaining hours were posted as job
openings that have been filled, and the St. Cloud Circulation department is now fully staffed. Welcome to
all of our new Great River Regional Library staff, and congratulations to our recently promoted staff! Below
is a list of St. Cloud Circulation staff with their new role and effective date:

  • Heather Peterson, Circulation Aide – September
  • Margie Nalezny, Circulation Aide – October
  • Sara Kirk, Circulation Assistant – October
  • Jan Juetten, Circulation Assistant Substitute – October
  • Kelly Groth, Circulation Aide – October
  • Joe Godfrey, Circulation Assistant – October
  • Victoria Welle, Circulation Assistant – October
  • Susan Vail, Circulation Aide – November
  • Maxim Kroll, Circulation Aide Substitute – November

GRRL Retirements

  • Karen Zeug, Delano Branch Services,  8/14/2015
  • Debra Micah Sc – Patron Services, 9/26/2015

GRRL vacancies include Library Aide in Royalton and Buffalo.  More information on these openings here.

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We’ve Learned

photo-1423666639041-f56000c27a9aNew on the job

  • ECRL welcomes Welcome Steve Karlson as the new Princeton Branch Librarian. Steve is replacing Robin Suhsen who retired at the beginning of the summer.
  • ECRL also welcomes Barb Los as a new Branch Assistant in Aitkin.

Events

  • Book Lovers Night will be held Tuesday, October 27, 2015 at the Gorecki Conference Center, Room 204 on the College of Saint Benedict campus. The book and author will be Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse by Faith Sullivan.
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