The final results are in for the 2015 CMLE Needs Assessment. Staff in CMLE member libraries had almost one month to respond and we sincerely thank the 152 people (20%) who took the time to share their thoughts, feedback, and dreams for library support services in Central Minnesota.
CMLE serves 320 libraries in 12 counties, and one of the biggest challenges is understanding your specific needs while also trying to spot opportunities to convene academic, public, special and school librarians when a topic cuts across library type.
For those of you also wondering, the 4 Amazon gift cards were awarded and winners were notified. Thanks again to those that spent the time to complete the survey.
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.
Last year, we did a number of very short online Quick Question Polls, to gather input from the region. The last one we did was titled Year in Review. In that QQP we asked you to reflect on the academic year, and share the high points and/or struggles too. We were delighted that a dedicated group of people still possessed enough energy to engage in the poll! Eighty-two percent of respondents were from K-12 school media centers in Central Minnesota, which isn’t a huge surprise; it is the largest member group that CMLE serves. So, drum roll please……on to the positivity!
In answer to one of the questions: Which two or three things are going especially well for you in your library, school district or media center?Given the gift of time, I would categorize all responses. Lacking that at the moment, I thought it might be refreshing to hear a smattering of positivity from peers in the region. A few colleague responses were…
I have two good media assistants that help me run two libraries. We are getting some Chromebooks for our students to use because our labs are tied up so often with testing.
Adult book discussions are popular and going well as is story time for preschoolers.
Rearranged collection to a more “store” model rather than using the traditional library arrangement. Also redecorated the media center to remove the 90’s look and to create a more inviting teen reading environment. Also worked with grade level teams in our Phase 1 of the DC Digital Learning Initiative.
Connecting with students and helping them connect with books.
Supportive Administration—A very busy Media Center!
Every building has a full time media specialist in the district and our process for making tech decisions is fluid which means we’ve made a lot of progress regarding technology this year (keep in mind we don’t have a technology administrator OR a district tech integrationists). I’m pretty proud of my fiction collection in my library as well!
The way we have classes scheduled to come into the library. We use shelf markers with their names on them and that helps when they are looking for a book because they put the shelf marker in the bookshelf where they take the book out. Then, if they look at it and decide it isn’t the book for them, they know where it should go back. It also helps for checking out materials as the barcode is on the shelf markers. All barcode numbers are the same as their lunch numbers.
Technology is moving forward at a good pace. I’ve been able to reach most of my students with research skills, and am part of the Digital Citizenship class (grade 9).
I like to think of the contents of this post as a spoonful of positivity in Central Minnesota! At a time of the year when energy could have been low, I found creativity, value, and optimism in all responses. Everyone felt positive about some aspect of their work! Taking the time to review and reflect on accomplishments and lessons learned, can enrich our practice and improve satisfaction levels in our jobs too. Stay tuned for more results soon.
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.
Last year respondents to the QQP’s were entered into a drawing for a $50 Amazon gift ! Who won? It was Kyle Breitkreutz, media specialist at Sartell Middle School. According to Kyle, he never wins anything, so we are glad we could break that trend for him! Watch your email for Quick Question Polls again this year! And remember, your voice matters!
Recently, CMLE posed three quick question polls to better inform programming and to assist in providing better networking opportunities in the region. All library staff in Aitkin, Benton, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd and Wright counties in Minnesota received an email containing the link to the 2-3 question polls, as they are the people CMLE is funded to serve. The polls have different goals, but they all have a few things in common. One very quick poll per week, requiring only two to three minutes to complete, within one week. In May, if participants include their name while completing the poll, they are entered into a drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card. The polls we have done so far include:
Summer Engagement and How You Use CMLE Communication Streams
One-to-One Initiative Plans in Central Minnesota
Your Professional Development Needs
We highly encourage all staff in Central Minnesota libraries to participate in the polls, as we will be making decisions on programming based in large part on data from the polls. Please make your voice heard, get your needs met, and get your name in the drawing too! There is no fee to be a CMLE member, and almost all of our services are available at no charge. If you work in a library or media center in any of the mentioned counties, consider yourself a CMLE member!
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