In response to member requests, CMLE is going to set up a regular monthly gathering. This will be an opportunity for members from all types of libraries and from across the system to get together casually, to chat, to have lunch or dinner, and to just get a chance to talk to each other in person. (And if you want to talk about non-library things, that’s fine too! This is your chance to just hang out with library colleagues; so discuss whatever you want!)
Click to tell us what time (lunch/dinner) and day (Monday – Friday) would work best for you. Right now Wednesday dinner time is leading the voting, so be sure to chime in if that is not a good day/time for you! We anticipate these will happen monthly, and will create a schedule for the first six months of 2017 to share with you.
While you can not know your schedule in detail for the next six months, we ask that you make some predictions about days and times that you think you would be most likely to be able to join colleagues for an hour or two. We will move the location around, so people from across the system can all have a chance at a shorter drive!
Pick your day and time. And if you have suggestions on some public places to meet – think coffee, food, possibly adult beverages, and space for us to spread out – leave them below, or email them to us at admin@cmle.org!
At CMLE, we want to provide our members with information on all kinds of issues that they may encounter in their library workplaces. And we want to be sure we have a wide variety of voices here to pass on information, experiences (good and bad!), suggestions, tips, and just general information that others could find helpful. Everyone has a story to share, experience to pass on, and ideas to contribute to make us all stronger!
We are actively soliciting for members to share their stories with us! We want to get all our CMLE members to share with each other here on our blog.
What could you write about?
a program that was fantastic, everything went smoothly, and you think other libraries could adopt
a program that was a disaster from start to finish, and you have a cautionary tale to terrify other libraries (Halloween is coming up, after all)
a program that fell somewhere between these two extremes
a database your users really like
a new technology you tried
some collection development or cataloging strategies you have developed over the years, that could make things easier/faster/more efficient for other people
a problem you are facing, where you could really use some advice from other people who have also been there
your library’s garden
your library’s pet
your library’s pet rock
quick tips to make scheduling easier
the cutest thing that happened last week
the scariest think that happened last week
the marketing plan you just wrote
your special, patented, never-fail strategy for ensuring your printers never jam! (okay – if you have this one, we DEFINITELY want it!)
Are we worried about perfection in writing up these stories? Nope!
Are we looking only for people who are amazing, perfect writers? No way!
Are we available to brainstorm with you, help with writing, and do the formatting and such to get your work posted and shared with CMLE? You bet!!
You can contribute a paragraph, a page, or longer! Not all information to be shared needs the same amount of discussion, so things are flexible here for you.
In addition to being open to almost anything you guys want to share and discuss, we are putting out a call for some specific topics. CMLE will be offering Monthly Topic themes, with blog posts and training focused all in an area that should be helpful to our members. We really want to hear from you and to share your stories, ideas, suggestions, and whatever else you have to share on our monthly topics. You can get your material ready any time, and we will hold onto it until the topical month comes up.
Image by U of Fraser Valley. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.
Hopefully, you haven’t already gotten tired of reading messages of thankfulness. Maybe you have had a great year, and you have not been tested emotionally, physically or professionally. Maybe your year was humdrum, and your things to include on your thankful list are much like they always have been. Or perhaps 2013 has been filled with challenges.
For me, by far, this has been the most difficult year both professionally and personally. However, I choose to think about it differently, especially as I approach Thanksgiving. As I look back, I am amazed at what has been accomplished despite the enormous amount of adversity that has occurred this year. I remind myself that I/we have control over how we choose to think about the hard things…. and I have learned a few things this year for which I give thanks:
I have an incredibly caring, supportive group of people on the CMLE Board
It was my good fortune to hire an exceptional temporary employee who convinced me in ten minutes that she was hungry, humble, and helpful (the 3 h’s)! I could not have gotten through the year without her.
I have wonderful family and friends who were there for me through thick and thin. Most memorable was the occasional lunch with the grandkids; a cherished memory.
I am very thankful that my other knee is healthy, and that I only have two hips and two knees!
I am thankful for my strength in handling adversity and bouncing back!
And, I am especially thankful that I will never have to repeat 2013!
Coming back to work has been challenging, exhausting and invigorating, but reminds me of what I am passionate about, and what makes me feel alive. With that in mind, professionally, I am also thankful for:
Engaged library staff (like you) who continue to use our services and engage in our programming. Whether you are commenting on our weekly blog posts or Facebook page, writing book reviews or other blog posts, suggesting ideas for programming, participating in our Quick Question Polls, or attending our events, you are the heart of what we define as resource sharing!
CMLE staff are thankful for the opportunity to serve your needs, and to work with you to increase the capacity of all types of libraries in Central Minnesota! It is our privilege to work with talented and engaged library staff and we thank you.
What about you? Although your year may have also included challenges, what are you most thankful for? Were there life changing moments as a result of a student or community member coming through the door to your library? Have your learned valuable lessons as a result of those interactions or others?
Tip: Use a whiteboard in the library with a “What are you thankful for?” heading, then sit back, and observe a showplace of thanks not just for this week, but consider continuing this through the new year.
Welcome to a new fiscal year with CMLE. Fall signals new beginnings for most people. And whether we work in a K-12 school or college or somewhere else, we are all part of the educational process. The life of library staff varies during the summer. Most K-12 staff are off duty as are some college librarians. In contrast, public libraries are extremely busy with reading programs in the summer. Most special librarians see no change in their work life in summer except often taking a much needed vacation. CMLE staff fit in this last category, and rather than a vacation this year, I had my knee replaced the first week in June. Prior to that, I had my hip replaced in February (yes, the same leg). Not a great summer for me!
We are a small office of two, so if things seemed a bit quiet last year on the CMLE front, you now understand why! The knee produced complications and setbacks that have made this the hardest year of my life. I take comfort in knowing I am almost back to fulltime, and hope to have much of my energy back by the October MEMO and MLA conferences in October.
Last year marked our gradual transition out of the interlibrary loan (ILL) service. Our staff consulted one-on-one with the small remaining group of ILL users who needed new solutions. In all cases, we found ILL alternatives that served their specific needs. Now, we are able to focus on our many other services, some of which are brand new. The question has come up, “If CMLE no longer does ILL, what does it do?” If we had a tagline, it would probably be: Providing support services to library staff in Central Minnesota. The needs for support are defined largely by people like you. Therefore, at any time feel free to communicate with our staff about your needs. Our services change as the needs of our twelve-county region change.
The services of CMLE are planned by the Director, an eleven-member Governing Board, and with member feedback. Four members of the Board are practicing librarians in the Central Minnesota region, and are selected by their representative caucus of academic, public, K-12 or special libraries.
CMLE has three strategic focus areas to guide services in FY13 through FY15
Refined Focus on K-12 Media Center Needs
Convening and Bridging Libraries Around Issues (all library types)
Stretching Dollars: Strategies and Services (all library types)
Some ways in which CMLE currently fulfills these focus areas is by engaging in the following activities;
Functions as a current awareness service to library professionals for national, statewide, and regional library news: To reach people where they are, CMLE utilizes email, a website, a WordPress blog, Facebook, Twitter and other online collaboration tools or Web 2.0 tools.
Provides scholarships to attend professional development events.
Negotiates discounts from various companies for both print and eBooks.
Maintains a collaborative role in the North Star Library Consortium in order to extend discounts on Follett’s Destiny software and additional library manager subscriptions.
Facilitates a succession of trainings, workshops, or “convened conversations” as needs dictate, which are typically offered at low or no cost to attendees.
Conducts various library advocacy activities in the work setting, statewide and national: The CMLE Director serves as a voice for libraries when there is no voice.
Manages a library shadowing program: CMLE staff gather and maintain valuable site-specific data to assist them in pairing librarians from the region to experience different library settings.
Identifies and develops subject guides on professional topics including library best practices.
Supports, engages, and collaborates with professional library organizations such as MEMO, MLA, ISTE, ALA, AASL: Includes conference support activities (Internet Cafes, networking activities, conference presentations, etc.)
We hope to have a fantastic year building relationships and gathering program ideas from our membership. Please know that your ideas and goals do matter and our staff is here to serve your professional needs. My “door” is always open, so please feel free to make direct contact with me via email or phone when that makes the most sense. Otherwise, I will “see” you online, at the MLA or MEMO conferences, or at one of our events. All the best as you move into a year of making a difference with the important work you do!
Patricia-
Patricia Post, Director
Central MN Libraries Exchange (CMLE) A Minnesota Multitype Library System
St. Cloud State University, Miller Center 130-D
720 4th Ave. So., St. Cloud, MN 56301-4498
Phone: 320-308-4779 Fax: 320-308-5131 E-mail: papost@stcloudstate.edu
Partnering with libraries for visioning, advocating, and educating
