Tag Archives: K-12 school

Check this out:, General, School Media Specialist

CMLE Featured Service: North Star Library Consortium

money and savingsAre you looking for discount pricing on Destiny software and its associated subscriptions? Budgets continue to be tight, and there is a need to find solutions to manage school library collections!

Destiny is a state-of-the-art software solution that supports K-12 students and staff in the classroom, media center, or from home. Its higher-end, school-specific functionality is typically priced outside of the reach of small districts, unless they have access to a consortial buy. The North Star Library Consortium is a statewide opportunity open to any school media centers.  Its “hosted solution pricing”  offers affordability and support to even the smallest school districts!

Why? Consider the following efficiencies…

  • It is not necessary, but we strongly encourage all schools in a district to join the Consortium at the same time. Do you have high schools students reading at a middle school level, or vice versa? Within the Consortium, media specialists within a district can see all parts of the district’s collections, work together to share materials or solve problems, or assist each other with software tweaks too.This elevates the role of the school media center and its staff.
  • Membership in the Consortium also provides access to over 200 other schools on a discussion list using the very same product, solving the same problems. For media specialists/paras who have been working in acute isolation, this can be energizing, and offers a huge layer of support in their daily work.
  • Lacking tech support? By having the software hosted and maintained at Region 1 in Moorhead, MN, media specialists no longer have to rely on assistance from over-burdened tech staff in their district. Region 1 staff backs up Consortium data every two hours and attends to software updates too.

The full Consortium is currently represented by 110 districts, with 240 individual sites.  Over 2.8 million library titles are managed through this system, with an estimated value of $58 million, serving 182,716 patrons. Seventeen CMLE school districts and 42 schools are part of the North Star Library Consortium and include: Sartell, Rocori, East Central, Melrose, Aitkin, Long Prairie/Grey Eagle, Cathedral-John XXIII, North Branch, Kimball, Monticello, Paynesville, Becker, Maple Lake, McGregor, Royalton, Eden Valley-Watkins, and Osakis.

Interest in getting a bid? Go to http://bit.ly/1GuHtyN to see all of the schools in the Consortium and to access the process for requesting a bid for joining. Note: Requesting a bid does not obligate you to join, but it can give you the information to do some possible tweaking on your budget!

This is one possible solution. Have you found other cost-effective solutions for managing your school library collections? Interested in other CMLE services? Additional information can be found on our website.

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/peod3sf, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Three Grant Opportunities

Are you looking for a way to boost the capacity of your library or school media center? That increase in capacity can revolve around books, technology, repairs, or reading programs to mention just a few. As with most grants, the strength of your application lies in paying attention to the details of each grant, and following instructions! Take a look at the three possibilities here. CMLE staff are happy to read your application from the draft stage to the completion stage and provide you with feedback. At times, when there is clear mutual benefit, CMLE has partnered on grants too! Please remember the other ongoing grant opportunities on our grants page too!

Author James Patterson pledges $1.25 million to school libraries!

In 300 words or less, can you name what your school library would do with $1,000 – $10,000? The money can be used for books, reading programs, technology, or repairs. This is one of the easiest opportunities I have seen yet to get some dollars for your school library!

“This is not a difficult approval process,” Patterson says. Librarians, teachers, administrators or anyone else can nominate a school library anywhere in the United States that serves students from pre-K through 12th grade. “Applicants just have to state what they would do with the money in 200-300 words. What could be easier? I try not to be arrogant in the sense that I know what’s good for everybody else: I simply ask the question: ‘How can I help?’” (Applications are due May 31, 2015.)  Scholastic Reading Club has pledged to match each grant with bonus points that can be used for books and classroom materials. Read all about why and how Patterson is making this offer, including his feelings about a trained librarian and a well-stocked school library! The application process could not get easier, so check it out here!

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Minnesota’s Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grants

State Library Services is pleased to announce the 2015 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) competitive grant opportunity. An estimated $650,000 is available to fund grant projects that help to achieve Minnesota’s LSTA Five-Year Plan (2013-2017).

The LSTA Five-Year Plan’s overarching goals are to expand services for learning and access to information and education resources, and to establish and provide a strong infrastructure that promotes equity of access to high-quality library services for all Minnesotans. State Library Services has identified Subgoal 1.2 as a Preferred Subgoal for this grant opportunity. At least $325,000 will be awarded to projects that provide educational opportunities for children and youth. The application and instructions are available at the Minnesota Department of Education’s Grants Management Site.  Awards of up to $100,000; Deadline is May 1, 2015.

For more information, please contact Jackie Blagsvedt at jacqueline.blagsvedt@state.mn.us or 651-582-8791.

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 Apply For A ProLiteracy National Book Fund Grant

For twenty years, the ProLiteracy National Book Fund (NBF) has been providing free textbooks and other complimentary educational resources to worthy organizations devoted to adult literacy and continuing education programs. Such materials are, as any librarian or teacher will tell you, expensive, and these NBF stipends have been a godsend to many nonprofits and libraries over the years.

If, like many public libraries, yours devotes considerable time, attention and money to adult education, consider applying for the 2015 awards cycle. ProLiteracy projects, based on previous years, that 65% of qualified applicants will receive aid.

Strongest applicants will have a demonstrated interest in one or more of the following subject areas: basic literacy, English language learning (ESL), and GED preparation. Funds will only be given towards initiatives directly linked to literary instruction. Other important terms and conditions apply.

Grants typically range from $500-$2000, depending on the needs of the applicant organization. All applications must be postmarked by April 15, 2015. Click here to read a detailed FAQ, and to put your name forward.

School Media Specialist

Minitex Needs K-12 Input

Shared at the request of Minitex staff….May 5, 2014

PrintPlease Participate in a Ten-Minute Technology Survey

This survey, http://z.umn.edu/elmipadsurvey, is for Minnesota K-12 school library and technology staff. Minitex Reference Outreach & Instruction would like to better understand technology you use or issues you may have with iPad implementation, ELM access, and more.

Please take 10-15 minutes to let us know about technology in your K-12 school. Thank you very much!
ELM is brought to you by your local library or school library, Minitex, and State Library Services, Minnesota’s state library agency, with state appropriations to Minnesota Office of Higher Education and the Minnesota Department of Education.©2014 by the Regents of the University of Minnesota, University Libraries. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Save the Date & Submit Session Proposals: MN eLearning Summit 2014

eLearningGreetings,It is a new year and time for another fantastic opportunity to be a part of Minnesota’s eLearning Summit 2014. Please join us on July 30-31 on the beautiful University of Northwestern campus (St. Paul) to hear keynote speakers Cable Green (Creative Commons) and Robbie Melton (Tennessee Board of Regents). Cable is an advocate for open policies that promote free and open education materials and Robbie is a mobile education innovator. You will want to hear and see these dynamic, engaging, and relevant keynoters first hand!

The Summit:

Our venue brings together K-12 and Higher Education practitioners to engage in presentations and conversations that promote the use of technology in teaching and learning. This affordable conference is in-state and focused on all things digital when it comes to learning – online learning, electronic portfolios, digital resources, you name it. Our Summit is designed specifically for K-12 and post-secondary educators, public and private sectors, to join together for meaningful interaction regarding effective uses of technology with teaching and learning.

Call for Proposals:

The Summit program committee is looking for good presenters from K-12 and post-secondary education.  We strongly encourage  those with a K-12 focus to contribute presentations at the Summit. We wish to provide a balanced set of offerings for our post-secondary and K-12 attendees. This year’s theme is Open. Online. Opportunity. This theme opens the doors and windows of our thinking and practice regarding education as we consider current realities and future possibilities. Through national leaders in education as keynote speakers, interactive breakout sessions, showcase sessions featuring innovative technologies, and various ways to network with colleagues, we will consider what we do and what we might do together.

We want your session proposals! If you have a presentation idea for the Summit, we ask that you follow this hyperlink to the Conference Call for Proposals.

If you have questions about Summit session proposals, please feel free to contact one of the conference program co-chairs.

Mary Mehsikomer
Co-Chair eLearning Summit 2014
Technology Integration Development & Outreach Facilitator
TIES
1667 Snelling Avenue North
St. Paul, MN 55108
(651) 999-6510
E-mail: mary.mehsikomer@ties.k12.mn.us
Skype: mary.mehsikomer2
Twitter: marytmm

Deborah W. Proctor, Ph.D.
Co-Chair eLearning Summit 2014
Online & Digital Learning Specialist
MDE-Center for Postsecondary Success
1500 Highway 36 West
Roseville, MN 55113-4266
eMail:  deborah.proctor@state.mn.us
Phone: 651-582-8328
Fax: 651-582-8876
WebEx: https://mde.webex.com/meet/DProctor

Registration:

Registration for the Summit will open in February. Early registration rates will be provided until March 31, 2014. The Summit provides scholarship discounts for students (undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral) as well as scholarship discounts for K-12 educators.

Group Rates: Because your institution will benefit most from Summit information when a team of colleagues attend the Summit together, we provide group discounts (teams of 5 or more.) Please plan now to register as an institution team for Summit 2014.

Conference registration includes access to all Summit events, materials, meals, and parking. Inexpensive on-campus lodging is also available on the host-university campus for those outside of the metro area.

Please request additional information on the conference and submit a session or workshop proposal.

Sincerely,

MN eLearning Summit Planning Committee

The Minnesota eLearning Summit is sponsored by the Minnesota Learning Commons: University of Minnesota, Minnesota Department of Education, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, TIES, Minitex, eFolioMinnesota and myeFolio. 

Summit Host site:  University of Northwestern – St. Paul.

 

Minnesota Learning Commons is a collaboration of Minnesota Department of Education, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and University of Minnesota.

Minnesota Learning Commons Online Support is located at 150 2nd Street SW, Perham, Minnesota 56573.
An Equal Opportunity employer/educator.

Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist

E-book Usage in K-12's is Rising

Image by nic519. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons' licensing.
Image by nic519. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.

The data is in! Download School Library Journal’s 4th annual survey of eBook Usage in U.S. K-12 Libraries. Usage of eBooks in school libraries, especially at the high school level, is expected to continue to rise incrementally.

The survey extrapolates that an estimated $73 million was spent on eBooks in U.S. schools is 2012-2013. And since last years survey, the percentage of LMC’s materials budgets spent on eBooks has nearly doubled, with that percentage expected to more than triple by 2018.

Download at 2013 Survey of Ebook Usage in U.S. School (K–12) Libraries.