Tag Archives: Program

Communication, Guest Blogger, Public

Bridging the Language Gap

 

This post was written by a CMLE Guest Blogger: Connie Laing is a Patron Services Librarian with Great River Regional Library.

A few weeks ago at the Long Prairie Public Library, I was part of a unique collaboration of teachers, students and librarians. We had a common goal of sharing information about using Great River Regional Library services with a class of English language learners, but we spoke three different languages. How did this work, you ask? Here are the highlights:

  • The environment was noisy and chaotic.
  • Many voices were talking at once.
  • My agenda did not go according to plan.
  • I did not cover all the material I brought.
  • It was about the most inspiring class I have been a part of!

Background: The Library Services Coordinator in Long Prairie, Nancy Potter, has developed a relationship with the local instructor of Adult Basic Education classes in her area, which includes this class of English Language Learners. Amy, the instructor, is determined to get her students out of the classroom and into the community, and the first place she thought of to visit was the local library! After she contacted Nancy Potter in Long Prairie, Nancy contacted me for reinforcement, since one of the duties of the three Patron Services Librarians at GRRL is to assist at any of our 32 branches with class visits and information presentations. I was charged with creating a presentation on GRRL services for the adult ELL students.

Continue reading Bridging the Language Gap →

Public, School Media Specialist

Apollo’s Book Talk Program

This shiny little success story was written by Susan Hoffman, media specialist at Apollo High School. Susan is also part of the CMLE Outreach Panel, which meets monthly in a Google Hangout to talk shop. During a recent hangout, this little programming gem sparked the interest of others!

susan14
Susan Hoffman, Apollo H.S.

Drop ‘N Talk

This book talk experience is designed to quickly connect students with books. Here is what I did: I sent an e-mail to the teachers in my school asking if I could “Drop ‘N Talk” for five minutes at the beginning of their classroom hour. I set up a schedule and got assurance from each participating teacher that the agreed upon date and time would work.

Then, I just showed up with three to five works of fiction that, if possible, correlated with the subject matter of the course, or the general reading level of the class. By the time the teacher had attendance taken, my tempting talk was finished.

I created a “Drop ‘N Talk” display in the library. That way, students could easily spot the books I had introduced and check them out.“Drop ‘N Talks” were performed during “I Love to Read Month,” but they would also be fun to do during National Library Week, Banned Book Week, Teen Literature Day, or during any other celebration of reading.

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

23 Mobile Things Preview Notes

23MobileThings_Banner_Green23 Mobile Things is a new program that allows library personnel to learn about apps and to stay up to-date with the latest devices.  Content will be arranged under 23 basic categories including; Thing 5: Note Taking, Thing 7; Content Saving and Sharing, Thing 11: Library Reference and much more. Each of these categories will be comprised of a list of apps for program participants to select from.

On December 5th, Minitex hosted a webinar by LeAnn Suchy from Metronet; the Twin Cities multitype library system. If you missed the 23 Mobile Things Program Preview, you can still obtain the information. Click on the link to listen to the recorded session and access the program PowerPoint =>http://tinyurl.com/mwtnugs.

Registration for this event will open on January 15th. Check back to our site for additional updates next month.

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

New Version of 23 Things is Coming!

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

Over five years ago, the seven regional Minnesota multitype  library systems brought you 23 Things on a Stick, a self-paced learning program about Web 2.0 tools. Over 300 people in our Central Minnesota region engaged in the self-paced online learning fun, and we had a large group of people who finished the program too!

When it comes to technology, five years is a long time and there have been a lot of changes. A big change is the shift to mobile devices. We know that PCs are on the decline and mobile devices are skyrocketing. Therefore, we think it only makes sense to continue the learning with a focus on “mobile.” This version of the program  will  also be a self-paced learning program that will identify 23 types of apps for you to explore or take to a whole new level. As we did in the original program, we will be asking participants to blog about their progress through the program. As noted by a participant from the past program, “the blog posts are where the real sharing happens. By reading the blogs of others in the program, I can easily see how others in the field are using the tools in their work setting, and sometimes in their personal lives too. This application piece is what creates the ‘stickiness’ I need to retain new information”

The program will be open to all staff in any Minnesota library – public, academic, school, or special – as well as members of their Governing Boards, their Friends groups, or Advisory Groups. Experienced users as well as novices and everyone in between are invited to join. Although this is a self-paced and self-directed program, CMLE staffers and additional coaches will be monitoring, coaching, and encouraging bloggers from Aitkin, Benton, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd and Wright counties in Minnesota.

CMLE may offer some workshops to support this program, but not for every Thing. This is a self-paced program, and participants are encouraged to work together in their libraries or region and share their discoveries and techniques. Sharing can happen in person or through participant blogs. Registration happens as part of Thing 1 (projected for January), so be thinking about which mobile device you might use, and stay tuned for future updates!

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

Webinar: Outside The Box

OTB Logo. Retrieved from OCLC website.
OTB Logo. Retrieved from OCLC website.

Do you use Redbox?

With over 36,000 locations nationwide, this company is becoming a leader in DVD, Blu-ray Disc® and video game rentals.  Partnering with OCLC and Projects for Public Spaces, they are sponsoring an initiative, Outside the Box. This  programs aims to reinforce libraries as community centers and gathering spaces.

If you would like to learn more about this initiative, WebJunction is offering a free, 1-hour webinar on October 23rd at 1 pm (central time.) Click here to learn more.