TO: Minnesota Libraries
FROM: State Library Services
DATE: March 31, 2014
SUBJECT: State Library Services Update

New State Library Program Specialist, Edge Initiative

New Staff at State Library Services

I’m delighted to announce that Emily Kissane has accepted the position of State Library Program Specialist at State Library Services beginning April 16, 2014. Emily has a wealth of experience that will make a decided contribution to State Library Services. After a six-year stint as a reference and information technology librarian at Gustavus Adolphus College, she moved into the area of educational policy.

In addition to other roles, she served as a policy analyst at the Minnesota Office of Higher Education from 1999-2009, administering statewide technology and library programs, including Minitex, MnLINK and the Learning Network of Minnesota. She developed a depth of knowledge about the needs of greater Minnesota through an assignment as the interim executive director of Minnesota Rural Partners and as a policy analyst for rural school districts.

More recently, her work has focused on higher education policy with an emphasis on research, writing and communications. In addition to an MLS from the University of Iowa, Emily earned an MA in Public Policy from the Humphrey Institute where her thesis dealt with market structure and state funding of K-12 education in Minnesota.

In her role at State Library Services, Emily will administer regional public and multicounty multitype library aid programs, the Public Library Accessibility and Improvement Grant program and will serve as e-rate coordinator for public libraries.

The Edge Initiative

The Edge is a new initiative that offers public libraries an opportunity to assess public access technology services and the tools to make improvements to better serve communities. Read more about The Edge. The initiative launched in January with a randomly selected group of libraries from each state; randomly selected Minnesota libraries were notified of their selection in mid-January. In addition to the randomly selected libraries, State Library Services can offer free access to an additional 15 libraries in 2014, with assessment activities taking place between May and  August. Please let me know if you would like to be considered for participation and I will send you more detailed information.

For more information about State Library Services or this information, contact Jennifer Nelson at 651-582-8791 or jennifer.r.nelson@state.mn.us.