TO: Minnesota Libraries
FROM: State Library Services
DATE: April 27, 2015
SUBJECT: Updates from State Library Services: Financial Capability Roundtable, VISTA Opening at State Library Services and more
Financial Capability Roundtable
Governor Mark Dayton proclaimed April as Financial Capability Month, an opportunity to demonstrate how financial education and empowerment can positively impact all Minnesotans. A Financial Capability Roundtable, featuring keynote speaker Richard Cordray, Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, will bring stakeholders and advocates together to connect and identify opportunities for enhancing every Minnesotan’s financial future. The Roundtable will be held on Tuesday, April 28 from 1-4:30 p.m. at the Minnesota History Center in Saint Paul. Register to attend. Please contact Julia Miller at julia.miller@state.mn.us or 651-539-1467 with questions about the event.
Early Literacy VISTA Opening at State Library Services
Interested in making a difference in the ability of public libraries to deliver high-quality early literacy services? State Library Services is recruiting a full-time VISTA member to work with us on connecting libraries with childcare providers and to develop, deliver and assess early childhood services that improve school readiness in at-risk populations. Apply at the Americorps website. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Please contact Jackie Blagsvedt for more information at 651-582-8805 or jacqueline.blagsvedt@state.mn.us.
ITEM Twitter Chat about Summer Reading
With the end of the school year and the start of summer reading programs just around the corner, ITEM is hosting a Twitter chat to engage librarians of all types in a summer reading discussion. You can join in the conversation on Monday, May 18, 2015 at 7 p.m. Share your knowledge about how schools can promote summer reading and the ways schools and public libraries can collaborate to reduce summer slide. It’s easy to take part, just follow the hashtag #mnitem on Twitter starting at 7 p.m. on May 18.
The Meetup Met Up
The first annual Libraries Serving Youth Meetup was held on April 18, 2015 at the Minnesota Department of Education in Roseville. Nearly fifty enthusiastic school media specialists and public librarians came together to learn about stand-out Minnesota school and public library collaborations, share ideas and network. Attendees overwhelmingly expressed their appreciation for this singular opportunity to mix and mingle with colleagues from both schools and public libraries. While State Library Services will host another Meetup next spring, we encourage you to coordinate a meetup between schools and libraries in your region. Please contact Jennifer Verbrugge at jennifer.verbrugge@state.mn.us or 651-582-8356 to request slides from the presentations or for tips and tricks in planning your own meetup.
What happens when educators in a state can be part of a larger conversation about education? From NewsOK.com the benefits seem to only be positive. In an effort to tie together education-related posts, two superintendents started using the #OklaEd hashtag on Twitter. Soon after, during a breakout session at a local EdCamp, the idea of a weekly chat caught on. Now held every Sunday evening, the Twitter chat “has allowed educators to collaborate and share information in real time.” Kimberly Blodgett, a 5th grade Oklahoma teacher, said “it’s great every Sunday evening to watch everyone share their ideas back and forth. It’s inspiring to me. It makes you excited about what you do.” Read the whole article now!
