Tag Archives: Minnesota

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

Minnesota Remembers…

Image by Joe Shlabotnik. Retrieved from FlickR. Used under Creative Common's licensing.
Image by Joe Shlabotnik. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.

This post is for our readers born and raised in the land of 10,000 (+) lakes and others that have merely migrated here from somewhere warmer. This week we look back at highlights from Minnesota’s eclectic and somewhat eccentric past.

Click here, just for fun, to see a list of the top 21 Things Minnesotans Are Too Nice To Brag About compiled by Buzzfeed.

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

Your Voice: More Great Things Happening in Your Libraries

Image by Wertheim. Retrieved from FlickR. Used under Creative Common's licensing.
Image by Wertheim. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Common’s licensing.

Welcome to Your Voice, a column that shares Quick Question Poll (QQP) results from libraries/school media centers in the twelve-county, CMLE region. Whether a statistical response or textual response to open ended questions, your voice matters. Invitations to engage in the polls arrive in your email; please participate! Most poll results will be shared in aggregate form unless stated otherwise in the poll or through additional approval arrangements.

Part 1 of this post happened last week. If you want to  catch last weeks’ column, feel free to read it first!
In answer to one of our recent poll questions: Which two or three things are going especially well for you in your library, school district or media center, we share the following quotes…..
  1. Many donations to keep the library up to date on newer books, very few lost books through the school year.
  2. Library remodel. Collection development.
  3. Circulation remains strong. Our district is supporting a movement toward a 1:1 laptop program. Our program continues to receive strong district support.
  4. We are extremely busy and the numbers for library use of all kinds look great and are rising. We are getting additional space when we move over to the new building the college has purchased to house the library. Our administration is very supportive of our library.
  5. The “library without walls” environment continues to be amazing—with all of the e-resources available to our students and staff, we can enhance learning in ways we dreamed of!
  6. Personal goal of using more technology in my lessons and student options for technology use. Implemented iPod touches.
Good things are happening…..it’s easy to focus on what is wrong or not getting done, but reflecting on what is right can enrich your work life. If you would like the full story on any poll results we share, let us know and maybe we can arrange to get more detail for a future blog post!
 
If you have suggestions for new polls, or have questions about existing polls, please feel free to contact me at papost@stcloudstate.edu or 320-308-4779.
Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

An Evening with Michael Gorman

St. Catherine University, St. Paul Campus, is hosting an evening with Michael Gorman.  Referred to as

The father of modern library science,” Michael will be talking about Enduring Values in LIS.

This event will be held on Monday, October 14th from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm with light refreshments at 6:45 pm.

Image of M. Gorman by St. Catherine University.
Image of M. Gorman by St. Catherine University.

Rauenhorst Ballroom
3rd Floor, Coeur de Catherine Bldg.

St. Catherine University St. Paul Campus

RSVP Deadline is October 7th. Click here to register.

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

Minnesota Authors On The Map

Image from MN Book Awards. Retrieved online. Some rights reserved.
Image from MN Book Awards. Retrieved online. Some rights reserved.

As a native to Minnesota, I love to learn about local authors. It’s heartwarming to hear stories from our member libraries about how they recognize authors. Some examples include; famous quotes, webcasts, book talks, celebrating birthdays, table displays, etc. As a result,  I wanted to share with you a resource from the MN Book Awards.  It is a literary map, From Main Street to Your Street: Minnesota Writers on the Map. Click here to find an author near you.

TIP: Kate DiCamillo, who is currently living in Minneapolis, MN,  is holding an exclusive webcast with Jon Scieszka on October 21st.  If you would like to attend, registration and additional information can be found online at http://tinyurl.com/kesjsml. 

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

Digital Literacy In Minnesota

Image by Kjell. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Common's licensing.
Image by Kjell. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Common’s licensing.

According to a study released this summer by Connect Minnesota, digital literacy can be defined as the ability to find, understand, evaluate, create, and communicate digital information using a computer, basic software programs and the Internet. It outlines digital literacy rates among Minnesota residents. In addition, it identifies potential barriers such as training, skills, technology and access to electronic resources.

Click here to read the white papers (6 pages).