Tag Archives: Special Library

CMLE Mini Grant Report: Stearns History Museum


This is a guest post written by Jessie Storlien, Archivist at the Stearns History Museum. Need a mini-grant to help purchase new materials or help fund a program? Apply now!

Collections that are benefiting from the new boxes.

As a result of purchasing these materials, can you identify and explain a few things you can use/apply to your work or practice?

The Research Center in the Stearns History Museum is currently processing a large influx of archival materials that have arrived within the last year.

The items include documents, photos, audio-visual materials, ephemera, and other archival materials. The collections range from the St. Cloud Herberger’s department store and the Rausch family of Cold Spring to Kollmann Monumental Works and the Herbrandson family of Brooten, among many other documents that have been collected or donated to the Archives.

The shipment arrives! A finished box in front.

Acid-free, lignin-free archival boxes allow us to properly store and preserve these materials. Since purchasing the boxes we have begun organizing and processing the new materials. The boxes help us continue to preserve and store 2D archival materials in a publicly accessible retrieval system.

This grant supports Stearns History Museum’s mission to connect people to the power of history and culture by collecting, preserving, and interpreting its historical and cultural resources. The storage boxes allow for improved access to our collections by staff and the audiences we serve.

Box tops, flattened boxes, and a finished box.

What were your favorite takeaways or new things learned?
There are many factors in creating accessibility in a library. Space, shelving, and storage containers all play an important part in processing and organizing new materials and collections.

The storage boxes Stearns History Museum ordered using the money we received from CMLE will allow us to continue making accessibility and conservation a priority at our organization by giving us a place to properly store processed collections. When stored in an ideal environment, collections are preserved for future generations of families and researchers.

Learning About Library Associations: Special Libraries Association MN Chapter

Library science is an enormous field, home to every interest you could imagine! This means that there are many organizations out there for you to join, in order to connect with other people who share your professional interests.

So even if you work alone in your library, there are other people out there doing work similar to yours! Each week we will highlight a different library association for you to learn more about, and depending on your work, potentially join! You can also check out our page dedicated to Library Associations.

At CMLE we have some special libraries in our membership, and this organization is for them! (One of our special members is the Stearns History Museum and their archive. Read about our visit here!) Special libraries are an important part of our membership, and if you work in one, definitely check out the Special Libraries Association Minnesota Chapter!

From their site: “The Special Libraries Association Minnesota Chapter (SLA-MN) was founded in 1943 to share expertise and interests and to build a community to support the special librarians of Minnesota and the surrounding area. The chapter exists to provide these same opportunities and services to our members and partners.”

The SLA MN Chapter offers many programs, including several awards, professional development opportunities, and a mentorship program to encourage students and early-career professionals.

For information on membership, to read their Strategic Plan, or learn about the organization’s history, visit the SLA MN Chapter’s website.

 

SALIS Conference report

We are passing on a conference report from Barbara Weiner, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation Library. If you are attending a conference, or any type of training, we would be interested in hearing from you!

Beautiful Worcester, MA was the setting for the 39th annual conference of SALIS (Substance Abuse Librarians and Information Specialists), May 3-6, 2017.  SALIS is an international network of information professionals working in or interested in the alcohol/drug/addictions field.  SALIS (www.salis.org) and AMHL (Association of Mental Health Librarians) joined forces for continued learning and networking.  Held in the invigorating UMass Medical School teaching hospital, 25 information professionals from four countries had two and one-half days of presentations, with business and committee meetings to round out the busy days.

Barbara Weiner (librarian for Hazelden Betty Ford, Center City, MN) and Sonja Mertz (librarian for MPRC, North Branch, MN) were in attendance.  Sonja also did a fantastic job of planning and co-hosting the conference. Continue reading SALIS Conference report

American Alpine Club Library

 Use our catalog to find books, maps, films and archives collections. 
American Alpine Club Library

Libraries are indeed the coolest places, in all senses of that word! Check out this article from Atlas Obscura, to discover just another interesting library. We have so many fantastic things across this profession, it’s always amazing to see the information people have to share!

“The club is chock full of historic archives, gear, and books from the 1500s to the present, all about the history and culture of humans going out into the mountains for adventure, exploration, science and fun.

The American Alpine Club Library and Archive has supported and documented the activities of the club and its members since 1916, and continues to serve as a resource to members, scholars, authors, journalists and the public, as well as a premier repository of the cultural record of climbing.

The library was established by a gift from Henry Montagnier, an American mountaineer living in Europe. It houses Mr. Montagnier’s collection of over 4,000 volumes focused on the Alps, with a particular interest in Mont Blanc, and includes many volumes which are quite rare today.

In an effort to improve accessibility for its growing membership, the AAC headquarters and library were moved to Golden, Colorado in 1993. A 1922 Beaux Arts building was purchased and renovated by the AAC, the Colorado Mountain Club and Outward Bound West. The 3rd floor of the building features a mural by noted Santa Fe artist Gerald R. Cassidy entitled Dawn of the West. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.”

(read the rest of this article on their website!)

Libraries really cover everything: Wine Libraries exist!

Glass of White Wine shot with a bottle of white wine - Evan Swigart
At CMLE Headquarters we are fans of all types of libraries. Being a multi-library system, we know the value of the work that all libraries – regardless of focus – do for their communities. But even we are surprised by the breadth of information available in some libraries!

Check out this article from the ALA about wine libraries! Hands up – who wants to organize a CMLE trip to Napa and visit these libraries?? Continue reading Libraries really cover everything: Wine Libraries exist!