Tag Archives: Libraries

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

Feature Libraries: National Library Week April 14-20th!

Some rights reserved by Gerry Dincher
Some rights reserved by Gerry Dincher

National Library Week was first established in 1958. Over the last 55 years, every April, libraries and librarians are celebrated across the country.

During National Library Week, held this year on April 14-20th, CMLE would like to recognize our members, representing multiple library types, who continue to foster information literacy, support communities and champion access to valuable resources.

This Week’s Events

Additional information about the history of National Library Week can be found here.
If you would like additional resources to help promote your library-try this link which includes a short public service announcement (PSA) video featuring Caroline Kennedy.

Click here for a map of libraries across the United States-searchable by state and categorized by library type.

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

MNLibLeg: Legislative Update

**This update was written by Elaine Keefe, MLA/MEMO Library Legislative Lobbyist**

House Omnibus Education Bill:  The House omnibus education bill was posted online this afternoon.  It maintains current funding for all library appropriations — Regional Library Basic System Support (RLBSS), Regional Library Telecommunication Aid (RLTA), Multi-type funding, the Electronic Library for Minnesota (ELM) and Telecommunication Equity Aid (TEA).  The bill also increases the general education formula from the current $5,224 per pupil to $5,328 in FY 2014 and $5,433 in FY 2015.  It also repays the education funding shift to the 90/10 payment schedule.

Senate Omnibus Education Bill:  The Senate bill will be released Thursday morning.

Senate Higher Education Funding Bill:   Great news! The Senate higher education bill increases funding for Minitex and MnLINK by $300,000 per year.  Please send thanks to our chief author, Senator Kent Eken sen.kent.eken@senate.mn and the committee chair, Senator Terri Bonoff sen.terri.bonoff@senate.mn

House Higher Education Funding Bill:  As expected, the House higher education bill maintains current funding for Minitex and MnLINK.  Once the higher ed bill gets to conference committee, we will need to press the conferees to go with the higher funding level in the Senate bill.

Bonding:  We had not planned to pursue funding for Library Accessibility and Improvement Grants this year, but were encouraged to introduce a bill by House leaders.  We did have a bill introduced to provide $3 million, but today the House bonding bill was unveiled and it does not include any funding for libraries.  We will pursue it next year.

Legacy:  As previously reported, the House Legacy bill includes $3 million per year for regional public libraries and $300,00 per year for the Minnesota Digital Library.  The Senate has just announced the process it will follow.  Our Legacy request for regional public libraries will originate in the Senate E-12 Education Division before going to the Senate Legacy Subcommittee.

Elaine Keefe
Capitol Hill Associates
525 Park Street, Suite 310
St. Paul, MN 55103
office 651-293-0229
fax 651-293-1709
cell 612-590-1244
elaine@capitolhillassoc.com

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

CMLE Interview: Book Trailers in the Making

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Deb Disher, Media Specialist
Deb Disher, Media Specialist

Last week QR Codes were CMLE’s featured Recommended Ed. Tech Tool & App. This week we interviewed Debbie Disher, Media Specialist at Holdingford Area Public Schools. Debbie is incorporating these little black boxes in a very unique way!

Book Trailers: Take one and ACTION!

Q: How are you using QR codes?
A: At Holdingford Public Schools we are creating QR Codes that hold book trailers so students will be able to access additional information about a book using their iTouch or iPad. We are currently focusing on content appropriate for 5-6th graders. In the high school we are thinking about using QR codes to create short how-to videos for students using their Edline account or certain databases.

Q: What sparked the idea?
A: I had been reading articles. I also heard about QR codes at a couple of conferences I had recently attended.

Q: Your goal was to…
A: Get students excited about books (new and old titles) that they might not check out otherwise.

Q: What resources have you been using?
A: For the trailers, we use Google search and YouTube in which the bulk of the trailers have been done by other students. The QR Codes themselves are generated using a free site made available by QR Stuff.

Q: Any challenges?
A: Finding quality book trailers.
A: The process from start to finish is more time consuming then we anticipated.
A: Finding unique ways to display the QR Codes themselves. We are planning on placing them on the back of the books by the check-out bar code and designing a display for the wall that can be posted in the library.

Debbie’s question(s) for other CMLE Members?
Submit your responses in the comment section below.
Q: How have others incorporated QR codes in their libraries and/or teaching?
Q: Are kids really using them?

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

Volunteers Fill Technology Gaps!

Financial awareness was one of the theme’s in this week’s CMLE posts.  Obtaining technology and then training patrons and/or students how use these programs are common challenges facing many libraries today.

Sarah Houghton, San Rafael Public Library, shares her experience coordinating volunteers and overseeing a computer chat program to assist their patrons-filling the technology gap. Click here to read more=>

Tip: If you are interested in creating a volunteer program(s) or developing a training session(s) in your library consider whether it could be a viable grant opportunity.

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Some rights reserved by izzymuchted
Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

100 Things Kids Will Miss (if they don’t have a Teacher Librarian in their School)!

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Some rights reserved by eyllom
Some rights reserved by eyllom

April is a month long celebration of school librarians and their programs!

Use this list as a proactive way to share the merits of school library programming and staffing sometime this month. The list is taken from Standards for the 21st Century Learner by the American Association of School Librarians, suggestions from members of the American Association of School Librarians, and students in the school libraries of the United States. Released by Dr. Nancy Everhart President, American Association of School Librarians May 19, 2011.

Tip: This list would be good to keep on hand in case you need to defend the existence of the media center in the future too!