Tag Archives: Minnesota State Library Service

Communication

Updates from State Library Services

Updates from State Library Services

grant

Grant reviewers needed

  State Library Services is looking for LSTA grant reviewers. Reviewers read and score approximately six applications and participate in a half-day review discussion. Sometimes the review discussion is not needed. Some experience with grant writing, administration or review is preferred. Please contact Leah Larson or 651-582-8604 to learn more.

 Library staff discover next generation writers

Since 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers have recognized the vision, ingenuity, and talent of our nation’s youth, and provided opportunities for creative teens to be celebrated.  Through the Awards, students receive opportunities for recognition, publication and scholarships. Alumni include writers Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Bernard Malamud, Marc Brown, Myla Goldberg and Joyce Carol Oates.

State Library Services, a division of the Minnesota Department of Education, developed a 15-member Minnesota Region-at-Large team of librarians to read and rate writing submissions from creative teens in grades 7-12. Writing categories included critical essay, dramatic script, flash fiction, humor, journalism, novel writing, personal essay and memoir, poetry, science fiction and fantasy, and short story. Criteria included originality, technical skill and emergence of a personal voice with an authentic and unique point of view and style.

One hundred eighty-nine Minnesota students received a Scholastic 2018 Writing Award. Twenty-six received Gold; 83, silver; and 80 Honorable Mention. Five of the gold award winners are American Voices Nominees—the highest honor. American Voices Nominees include: Ben Lee, Blake School; Tre’ Warner, Breck School; Clara McMillan, Providence Academy; Peyton Resner, St. Michael-Albertville High School (for poetry); and Ebba Safverblad-Nelson, Perpich Center (for science fiction/fantasy). Scholastic lists all of the Minnesota Writing Award recipients on their website.

Data rules!

Data rules because taxpayers and purse-string holders have always demanded accountability, and public libraries have always employed data analysis to help make their case. As quality control and continuous improvement guru William Edwards Deming said, “Without data you’re just another person with an opinion.“

Public libraries are mandated by statute to submit annual reports to the Department of Education each year. A portion of this annual data is also submitted to the Institute of Museums and Library Services for the Public Libraries in the United States Survey. Statistics include input and output measures related to facilities, services, programs, collections, staffing, hours of operation, and income and expenditures. Survey results contribute to a national file of public library data that is available to the library research community, local, state and federal policy makers, and the public. All 12 regional library systems and 140 public libraries in the state complete the survey. The 2018 online survey is now open through April 1. We greatly appreciate the time and expertise library directors and filers contribute to the success of the report.

You can access individual public library reports and statewide data summaries on the Library Statistics webpage of the MDE website. Please contact Joe Manion 651-582-8640 with questions or data requests.

Updates from MDE

Kids need food all year long

During the school year, many Minnesota families depend on the free or reduced-price meals their children get at school.

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) is looking for eligible schools and libraries to sponsor the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) or become a site.

If you are interested in being a new sponsor or becoming a SFSP site under an existing sponsor, contact MDE’s Food and Nutrition Service at 651-582-8526, 1-800-366-8922 (MN Toll-free), or mde.fns@state.mn.us.  More information about the summer food program is available on the MDE and USDA Summer Food Service Program websites.

Updates from our Partners

Anoka County Library wins awards for innovative teen volunteer program

Anoka County Library transformed its teen volunteer program. The re-imagined program allows teens to utilize their skills and create great learning experiences for themselves and library users. The program was recognized with two innovation awards—the County Achievement Award from the Association of Minnesota Counties and the Minnesota Local Government Innovation Award from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs.

Stacy Hendren, Crooked Lake Library manager; Katlin Heidgerken-Greene, Northtown Library librarian; and Jennifer Gerbig, Northtown Library library associate, wanted to make teen’s volunteer experiences more meaningful for them. The group shifted their perspective from “what can teens do for the library” to “what can the library do for teens.” Rather than just assign tasks, they developed relationships with volunteers and created opportunities for teens to use their individual talents and interests to build job skills and improve the library experience for patrons.

This shift in focus resulted in a new VolunTeen program. Staff now interview teens to determine their interests and needs. Volunteers attend an orientation and participate in weekly work sessions to collaborate with staff and other volunteers. A project notebook gathers program information, assignments and schedules in a single resource. At the end of summer, VolunTeens showcase their work in a display and receive an official evaluation and customized button. Results included more volunteers, increased retention, greater engagement with other volunteers and library staff members, and improved library services. One teen created a book-themed diorama for the children’s area. Another organized a creative scavenger hunt and Storywalk. Others led STEM projects for elementary students and advised staff on how to fill collection gaps.

The success of Anoka County Library’s VolunTeen program is based on staff training using The Youth Program Quality Assessment tool and Believe It. Build It: Minnesota’s Guide to Effective Afterschool Practices from the University of Minnesota’s Extension services and Center for Youth Development and Ignite AfterSchool. The program is replicable and can be shared widely with other libraries.

To learn more, read Hendren and Heidgerken-Greene’s article, “VolunTeen Summers: The Experience,” In the October 2017 issue of VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates).
door with paint falling off

How cold was it?

It was so cold in Mountain Iron when the polar vortex descended that the paint fell off the delivery door at the Arrowhead Library System headquarters!

Did the paint head south?

About State Library Services

State Library Services staff cropped

State Library Services, a division of the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), partners with libraries to achieve equity and excellence in our collective work for Minnesotans. Division staff are consultants who help libraries plan, develop and implement high-quality services that address community needs. State Library Services administers federal grant, state aid, and state grant programs that benefit all types of libraries.
Communication

Updates from State Library Services

We are sharing the current newsletter from the State Library Services. You can subscribe to this yourself, or for your library, so you don’t miss any of the news!


Work Confidently with Homeless Patrons

The Minnesota Department of Education is committed to supporting the state’s Heading Home Together plan, and library staff training is one of our goals. All library administrators, staff, board members, and volunteers now have free year-long access to “Practical Tips for Homeless Patrons,” an online, self-paced tutorial presented by Ryan Dowd, the author of The Librarian’s Guide to Homelessness. Through the course, participants will gain insights into the mind of a person experiencing homelessness—how they communicate, likely experiences that color their worldview, and possible triggers to behavior escalation. Through an empathy lens, library staff and volunteers will also gain tips and tricks for welcoming, serving, and supporting homeless patrons.

To take the training, follow the enrollment steps on the Niche Academy website. Contact Jen Verbrugge (651-582-8356) if you have access issues or other questions.
Under construction

Apply for a Library Construction Grant

The Library Construction Grant program is accepting applications for competitive grants. The program provides public libraries with funding for renovation, construction, and improvement projects that result in more accessible library facilities. Projects may:

  • Remove architectural barriers from a library building or site.
  • Remediate conditions hazardous to health or safety.
  • Renovate or expand an existing building for use as a library.
  • Construct a new library.

The 2018 Minnesota Legislature allocated a total of $1,000,000 to the program. In addition, approximately $400,000 of the allocation from the 2017 bonding bill is available to award as grants, for an estimated total of $1,400,000.

Application forms and instructions are available on the Minnesota Department of Education’s Grants Management site. Scroll to Library Construction Grant opportunity. Completed applications are due via email by Friday, October 26, 2018, at 3:30 p.m.

A webinar with program information and opportunities to ask questions will be held on Thursday, August 30, 2018, at 11 a.m. To attend the webinar, please follow this link. To join by phone, dial 1-888-742-5095, and enter conference code 492 064 9083 at the prompt.

For more information, please contact Emily Kissane (651-582-8508).
Girls Who Code

Join Girls Who Code Partnership and Launch a FREE Club

State Library Services is partnering with Girls Who Code to bring free computer science opportunities to elementary, middle, and high school girls (and boys) across Minnesota. We would love for your school or library to host a club!

Girls Who Code Clubs are no-cost afterschool programs for girls in grades 3-5 or grades 6-12 to join a fellowship of supportive peers and use computer science to change the world. The program targets girls, but no one is excluded from participating, so boys are welcome too. Clubs are led by facilitators who can be teachers, librarians, parents, or volunteers from any background or field. No prior knowledge is required; many facilitators have no technical experience and learn to code alongside their club members. Read through an overview of the curriculum for both age groups, and then attend a Girls Who Code webinar to help you learn more. You can also contact Leah Larson (651-582-8604) if you have questions about how to get started.

*Important Note: To receive partnership benefits when you register your club, it is important that you indicate that State Library Services is your partner. Please list “Minnesota State Library Services” as your partner affiliation on the application’s page titled “About Your Club” for the following question: Is your Club affiliated with a Girls Who Code Community Partner (school districts, library systems, nonprofit organization, afterschool networks, etc.)?

Updates from our Partners

Minnesota Children and Nature Connection

View the Results of the Libraries and Nature Survey

The Minnesota Children and Nature Connection (MCNC) worked with libraries statewide last year to learn more about how they are incorporating nature into their spaces and services. The intention was to gather baseline data on the breadth and depth of connection libraries help families make with nature. MCNC was also interested in identifying needs, interests, and barriers to libraries’ abilities to offer nature programming and services. There were 75 total respondents to the survey, and you can view the results through a summary infographic or informational slides on the MCNC website. Contact Jen Verbrugge (651-582-8356) if you have questions.
Library Journal

Submit Your Library Construction Project to LJ

The 2018 Library Journal (LJ) architectural feature will be published in the November 15, 2018, issue. LJ is now collecting data for finished public and academic library projects—new builds and renovations/additions—completed between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2018, only. Share the information about your public library construction project by Wednesday, September 12. Additionally, if you had or are having referenda for capital improvements, operating funds, or both between December 1, 2017, and November 30, 2018, share the results with research manager Laura Girmscheid.

News to Know

Percent of Minnesota public libraries by locale

Get to Know Rural Libraries

Most of Minnesota’s public libraries are in towns and rural areas. Rural and town libraries welcomed about a third of the state’s 3.7 million library users and hosted approximately 23.3 million visits in 2017.

Sixty-three public libraries are located in rural areas—territory that is five or more miles from an urbanized area. Most rural libraries are small serving areas with populations under 5,000.

On average, a rural public library in Minnesota employed two staff members, was open 2,164 hours and welcomed 25,100 visitors in 2017. Those visitors borrowed or downloaded 35,024 items and asked 2,352 reference questions. Each library attracted 1,788 individuals of all ages to 97 library-sponsored programs. Of course, actual performance measures vary among individual libraries.

In rural areas, public libraries are often the only place where internet access is free. People use library computers or bring their own mobile devices to the library to complete schoolwork, file taxes, bank online, and search for jobs. Minnesota’s rural libraries provide 519 internet computers and devices for public use—an average of eight computers per library. Ninety-seven percent of rural libraries offer free wireless internet service. In 2017, rural library users logged-on to computers or wireless service for nearly 356,000 internet sessions—an average of 5,680 annual sessions per library.

Most rural public library locations have Internet speeds over 20 megabits per second (Mbps). The largest number of libraries have speeds ranging from 50 to 100 Mbps. Benchmarks set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for U.S. home access is 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload speeds. 100 Mbps is the FCC goal for all libraries serving 50,000 people or less.

The public library has become a hub with a mission to help solve community problems. Fifty-nine percent of Minnesota’s rural public libraries partner with other organizations in their communities to address social issues.

Rural public libraries contribute significantly to the cultural, educational and digital lives of the populations they serve. For information about public libraries by locale, contact Joe Manion (651-582-8640).

Number of rural public libraries by internet speed

Number of rural public libraries by internet speed; Source: Minnesota Public Library Report, 2017

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About State Library Services

State Library Services staff cropped

State Library Services, a division of the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), partners with libraries to achieve equity and excellence in our collective work for Minnesotans. Division staff are consultants who help libraries plan, develop and implement high-quality services that address community needs. State Library Services administers federal grant, state aid, and state grant programs that benefit all types of libraries.
Communication

Updates from State Library Services

Here is the info from the latest  newsletter from our very own State Library Services!!! (You can subscribe yourself, and get it in your very own email!)

Updates from State Library Services

Summer Eats MN

Public Libraries Feed Hungry Bellies and Minds

We were excited to learn of two libraries that are serving free meals to kids for the first time this summer! With the addition of the Dakota County Wentworth (West St. Paul) Library and the Redwood Falls Public Library, we now know of at least 17 libraries serving summer meals across the state!

Visit our Making Summer Meals Work webpage to find resources to support your own library’s efforts in offering summer meals. Please contact Jen Verbrugge (651-582-8356) for more information.

If your library doesn’t offer summer meals, and you would still like to help, please consider sharing information about how families can find their closest summer food sites (out of the approximately 700 locations across Minnesota). Visit Summer Eats MN to learn about the new app, find resources, or print posters and bookmarks. MDE has a limited supply of pre-printed bookmarks available. Please contact Jenny Butcher, MDE Summer Food Service Program coordinator, to request some to distribute at your library.
IMLS

Now Open – Two 2018 LSTA Grant Opportunities

State Library Services is pleased to announce two 2018 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) competitive grant opportunities.

2018 LSTA Competitive Grant 
An estimated $545,000 is available to fund grant proposals ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 that help to achieve Minnesota’s LSTA Five-Year Plan (2018-2022). Grant awards will support projects that address LSTA Sub-goals A2, C3, and E2. The overarching goals are to reduce barriers to access, promote equity, and advance digital literacy.

2018 LSTA Mini Grant
An estimated $50,000 is available to fund grant proposals ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 to help libraries offer programs and services that address Goal B2 in the Minnesota LSTA Five-Year Plan (2018-2022) and the World’s Best Workforce legislation by preparing all children for school and ensuring all third-graders can read at grade level.

Both grant periods are estimated to start on September 15, 2018, and end September 30, 2019.

Please contact Leah Larson (651-582-8604) for more information or to request the recent grant guidance webinar slides.

Updates from Our Partners

Minnesota Department of Health

Limited Funding Available to Provide Water Cooler/Water Bottle Filling Stations

The Minnesota Department of Health is accepting applications for funding to provide water cooler/water bottle filling stations to qualifying applicants. Local public health organizations, schools and community entities are encouraged to apply for this limited-funding opportunity.

Filtered water bottle filling stations:

  • Remove lead from drinking water.
  • Provide a healthy alternative to sugary drinks, especially in communities with limited access to healthy, affordable beverage choices.
  • And do not remove fluoride from the drinking water; therefore providing and sustaining public access to fluoridated water which helps protect teeth from tooth decay.

Application deadline is June 30, 2018. An application form and additional details are available from Clare Larkin (651-201-4230), MDH Oral Health Program, Prevention coordinator.
Minnesota Youth Council

Youth Education Leadership Summit–Save the Date

The Minnesota Youth Council will host the very first Youth in Education Leadership Summit (YELS) this September. Students across Minnesota grades 8-12 are invited to attend this exciting day full of trainings and workshops designed and facilitated by their peers. They will learn from one another on critical topics such as working with local school boards, writing bills, and the creation of a Student Bill of Rights. Parents, teachers, and community members are also invited to participate in the Adult Partner sessions track, where they will be able to learn directly from students how to best support them as they work to shape their experience in education. Lastly, a student-moderated Governor’s Forum on education hosted in partnership with EdAllies will close the day.

For more information, please contact the Minnesota Youth Council.
STAR Net

Reach Out, Engage, and Learn from Your Community

STAR Net has recently launched an online resource that provides information for public libraries on how to host and conduct Community Dialogues. This online guide is a tested and vetted resource for all public libraries to begin the conversations that can lead to building strong, durable relationships with their community. Visit the STAR Net website to find out how opening your doors can open new doors.
Lilead

Lilead Project Launching Leadership Courses

The Lilead Project will launch four Lilead Leaders courses for school library professionals at any level who are looking to hone their leadership skills and work toward lasting transformational change for their students, schools, and districts during the 2018-2019 school year.

The Lilead Leaders courses will focus on four topics:

  1. Preparing for Transformational Change (Aug. 15-Oct. 9, 2018)
  2. Implementing Evidence-Based Practice (Oct. 24-Dec. 18, 2018)
  3. Communicating and Coalition-Building for Change (Jan. 9-Feb. 12, 2019)
  4. Cultivating Individual and Team Leadership (Feb. 27-Apr. 9, 2019)

The Lilead Leaders courses were developed from themes that emerged from professional development in the Lilead Fellows Program. Register now for the first Leaders course, “Preparing for Transformational Change.” Whether starting with the first course in August 2018 or with a later course, the first course a student takes is $349; subsequent courses come at a reduced price of $279. Groups of 10 or more students registering concurrently may receive a discount by contacting the Lilead Project.

About State Library Services

State Library Services, a division of the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), partners with libraries to achieve equity and excellence in our collective work for Minnesotans. Division staff are consultants who help libraries plan, develop and implement high-quality services that address community needs. State Library Services administers federal grant, state aid, and state grant programs that benefit all types of libraries.
Communication

Updates from State Library Services

Check out all the news from the State Library Services! (You can also subscribe to receive this in your very own email if you wish!!)

Updates from State Library Services

Fix-a-Leak Exhibit

Host an Eco Exhibit at Your Library

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency created a second tabletop exhibit, and we are again partnering with them to lend the exhibit to libraries. Fix-a-Leak raises awareness about water conservation at home. Toilets are the number one source of home water loss, with the toilet tank flapper the most common place that leaks. The good news is replacement parts are inexpensive and easy to install yourself. The exhibit features a cross-section of a toilet sitting on a table. People can move the flush handle to see how the flapper works. State Library Services will supply a reproducible booklist related to water conservation along with the exhibit.

The first table top exhibit is still available for loan. Your Resilient Community is an interactive display that comes with a portable table, eco-themed booklist, and button maker with templates for a fun, hands-on activity. We’re working with Minitex to deliver both exhibits, so all you need to do is set them up in your library – instructions are provided.

Libraries may have each exhibit for four to six weeks, and we’ll try to work around your schedule. Please contact Emily Kissane (651-582-8508) if you are interested in hosting Fix-a-Leak or Your Resilient Community at your library.
Summer Eats Minnesota

Making Summer Meals Work at Your Library

Public libraries can help make sure hungry kids have access to nutritious food when school is not in session. Begin planning your summer 2018 participation by viewing this informational Making Summer Meals Work webinar. In it, Jenny Butcher, USDA Summer Food Service Program Coordinator at MDE, shares how your library can get involved. State Library Services has also created a new Making Summer Meals Work webpage with resources to support your library’s efforts in offering summer meals. Please contact Jen Verbrugge (651-582-8356) with feedback, questions, or concerns.
Lexile

Lexile Framework® for Reading Webinar

The Lexile Framework® for Reading is an innovative way of connecting children with books and other reading materials that meet and challenge their unique abilities. Matt Copeland of MetaMetrics recorded an Introduction to The Lexile Framework® for Reading webinar for librarians to help you learn how the Framework and Lexile measures can be used, discover free tools and research-based resources for utilizing Lexile measures, and get up to date on new and noteworthy research about Lexiles. The webinar runs about 50 minutes, and can be viewed on demand.

Updates from Our Partners

YALSA

YALSA Seeking Feedback: Transforming Teen Services through Continuing Education

The American Library Association’s Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) received an IMLS grant for their project “Transforming Teen Services through Continuing Education.” Through April 30, 2018, YALSA is seeking feedback from the library community on its draft report about the teen services-focused continuing education needs of all library staff. If you have a few moments, please read through the YALSA report and submit your feedback. The input you provide will be used to refine the draft, and a final report will be published on May 31, 2018.

Future Ready with the Library Now Accepting Participant Applications

YALSA, in partnership with the ARSL, is implementing an innovative project to build the capacity of small, rural and tribal libraries to provide college and career readiness services for and with middle schoolers. YALSA and ARSL will work with library staff to build needed skills while also developing, testing and refining turn-key resources, which other libraries can adapt for their own use. The project is aimed at staff in libraries with a service population of 15,000 or fewer, as well as libraries that are 25 miles or more from an urbanized area. If this sounds like your library, you can apply to be part of this pioneering project.

The application process for cohort 3 is now open, and closes on May 15, 2018. Reserve your seat for an informational webinar for interested potential applicants on May 1, 2018 at 6 p.m. Those selected to participate in the third cohort of the Future Ready with the Library project will meet face-to-face for a two-day orientation in Salt Lake City, UT on November 1 and 2, 2018. Read through the Future Ready with the Library FAQ for more information about the project.

Federal Grant Opportunity Supports School Library Programs

Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) is a federal grant that supports high-quality programs designed to develop and improve literacy skills for children and students from birth through 12th grade in high-need local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools. The U.S. Department of Education intends to promote innovative literacy programs that support the development of literacy skills in low-income communities. IAL supports the implementation of high-quality plans for childhood literacy activities and book distribution efforts that demonstrate a rationale. IAL also includes grants to develop and enhance effective school library programs, which may include providing professional development to librarians in high-need schools or books and other up-to-date library materials to such schools. Applications are now available, and the deadline for submissions is May 18, 2018. For more information, contact Beth Yeh (202-205-5798) at the U.S. Department of Education.

Book-Rich Environments

Three Anishinaabe Reservations Participate in National Book Foundation Initiative

Across the country, many people live in book deserts: vast geographic areas lacking libraries and bookstores. Without books within easy reach, children living in these regions often experience lower test scores and literacy skills. The Book Rich Environments (BRE) initiative aims to combat book deserts by connecting marginalized communities with books. To make the initiative possible, the National Book Foundation partners with like-minded organizations and book publishers to give free, high-quality, diverse books to children and families in HUD-assisted communities. This year, three northern Minnesota Anishinaabe reservations—Leech Lake, Red Lake, and White Earth—are included among the 37 participating sites across 19 states, and the initiative aims to put 422,000 books in the hands of those children who need them the most. Each local partner pledges to hold at least three book-distribution events held at public housing buildings, community centers, and/or libraries. With a focus on providing free books, programming, and vital connections to local resources, BRE seeks to make a long-lasting impact, helping to create sustainable book-rich environments where literature is accessible and celebrated within the community. Visit the National Book Foundation website for more information.

About Us

State Library Services, a division of the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), partners with libraries to achieve equity and excellence in our collective work for Minnesotans. Division staff are consultants who help libraries plan, develop and implement high-quality services that address community needs. State Library Services administers federal grant, state aid, and state grant programs that benefit all types of libraries.
department of education

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Communication

Updates from State Library Services

Updates from State Library Services

Young child with apple

To Be Well Read, Kids Must Be Well Fed

During the school year, more than 40 percent of Minnesota’s K-12 kids are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Fewer than 15 percent of those kids have the same access to food programs in the summer. This leaves many little bellies hungry. Bring summer nutrition to a community hub where kids learn and play in the summer: your public library.

Begin planning your summer 2018 participation by attending an informational webinar on Wednesday, March 14, at 11 a.m. Jenny Butcher, USDA Summer Food Service Program coordinator at MDE, will share how you can get involved. Add the webinar to your calendar. There is no need to pre-register; just please join the Summer and Afterschool Food Service Programs in Libraries WebEx meeting online (meeting number 599 928 018) or call in at 1-888-742-5095 (conference code 874 403 3672). Please contact Jen Verbrugge (651-582-8356) with questions or to request a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event. Note: MDE requires a two-week advance notice in order to provide the requested accommodation and requires a 48-hour notice in order to cancel a requested accommodation.

If you need more inspiration for serving summer meals at your library, check out this Food for Every Child video from Hunger Impact Partners. Grant funding may be available to support your library as a summer food site. Second Harvest Heartland serves the 7-county metro and surrounding counties. Their summer food grant opportunity opens in March, as long as funding is available. Additionally, libraries are eligible to apply for a Summer Meals Initiative grant from Hunger Impact Partners. We’ll share information about more grant opportunities as we learn about them.

Volunteer Recording Program Making Strides at the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library

The Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library (MBTBL) is in the process of making its older analog recordings available in a digital format. These books of Minnesota interest were initially recorded on cassette. Each of the approximately 60 titles recorded by volunteers at the library’s recording studio in Faribault has been digitized and they are now undergoing the process of being made navigable. Working with volunteers, staff index the book by adding markers that function like links within a website, helping MBTBL patrons navigate the book by its component elements such as chapters.

Thus far, seven cassette titles have been made accessible in the digital format—with more to come. Check out our most popular title, A Country Doctor’s Casebook by Dr. Roger A. MacDonald, sharing his experiences in small vignettes as a country doctor in rural northeastern Minnesota from 1948-1980. A Country Doctor’s Casebook (DBC09984) is now available to eligible MBTBL patrons statewide on cartridge by mail or nationally via download through Minnesota BARD.

For more information about the library or its recording program, please contact Catherine Durivage (507-384-6860) or if you or someone you know is interested in volunteer recording opportunities, contact Etta Thornburg (507-684-6865).

2018 90-Second Newbery Film Festival Minneapolis screening

Thanks for Another Great 90-Second Newbery Film Festival!

The fourth annual Minnesota 90-Second Newbery Film Festival screening played to a full house on February 10 at Hennepin County Library – Minneapolis Central’s Pohlad Hall. Co-hosted by 90-Second Newbery founder/curator James Kennedy and middle grade author Pete Hautman, the best student-made films from Minnesota and across the country were highlighted at the event. Each film told the story of a Newbery-winning book in 90 seconds or less (give or take) and was written, directed, acted, filmed, and edited by kid filmmakers. Check out the recap of the screening to see snapshots from the day, as well as the dozen or so prize-winning Minnesota-made videos that were featured.

This year, nearly 100 films were submitted by more than 230 Minnesota kid filmmakers from across the state. If you’re inspired by this year’s movies, find out how you can participate next year by visiting the 90-Second Newbery website. Now’s a perfect time to get your students and community partners thinking about filming for next year. It’s a great project to promote media and digital literacy for kids in a creative, collaborative setting. If you started a movie but missed the entry deadline for this year’s festival screening, don’t give up. Finish your masterpiece and send it in. Mr. Kennedy accepts 90-Second Newbery films all year round. For more information, please contact Jen Verbrugge (651-582-8356).

Library Construction Grant Applications Available

The Library Construction Grant program is accepting applications for 2017 round two competitive grants. The program provides public libraries with funding for renovation, construction, and improvement projects that result in more accessible library facilities. Projects may:

  • Remove architectural barriers from a library building or site.
  • Remediate conditions hazardous to health or safety.
  • Renovate or expand an existing building for use as a library.
  • Construct a new library.

The 2017 Minnesota Legislature allocated a total of $2,000,000 to the program. Approximately $838,000 of the state allocation is available to award as grants.

Application forms and instructions are available on the Minnesota Department of Education’s Grants Management site. Scroll to Library Construction Grant opportunity. Completed applications are due via email by Wednesday, March 14, 2018, 3:30 p.m.

Please contact Emily Kissane (651-582-8508) for more information.

Updates from Our Partners

University of Minnesota-Extension

Webinar for Your Patrons: Understanding and Estimating Health Care Costs

The University of Minnesota-Extension is leading a webinar—geared at reaching your patrons—about how they can make the best use of their health coverage.

In the webinar, Understanding and Estimating Health Care Costs, UM-Extension staff will help anyone enrolled in a health plan better understand potential costs and benefits.

The webinar will be offered on Wednesday, March 28, 2018, 1-2:30 p.m. If your library would like to set up a viewing for its patrons—or for more information—please contact Lori Hendrickson, Extension educator and Extension professor, Family Resiliency (218-327-5958 ext. 3007).

About Us

State Library Services, a division of the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), partners with libraries to achieve equity and excellence in our collective work for Minnesotans. Division staff are consultants who help libraries plan, develop and implement high-quality services that address community needs. State Library Services administers federal grant, state aid, and state grant programs that benefit all types of libraries.