Tag Archives: State Library Service

State Library Updates: 6/9/16

MDE logo retrieved online 12/17/13..TO: Minnesota Libraries
FROM: State Library Services
DATE: June 9, 2016
SUBJECT: Updates from State Library Services

Engaging the Community through Public Libraries
State Library Services was a capstone client for the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota this spring. Staff worked with graduate student Pamela Foster to complete her Master’s professional paper. Public Libraries and Community Outreach: Program Assessment for Serving Homeless Patrons examines how libraries across the U.S. and Canada, including Hennepin County Library, are using public outreach to engage staff, the community, and homeless patrons. The paper also discusses tools and methods libraries could use to measure the impact of their community engagement efforts. You can request a copy of the paper from Joe Manion (651-582-8640).

Make Ebooks Minnesota Part of Your Summer Reading Program
As you gear up for summer programs to keep kids engaged in learning while school’s out for the long break, remember Ebooks Minnesota offers another way to make reading part of the summer fun.

Ebooks Minnesota features Minnesota’s independent publishers and books about Minnesota. With an array of fiction and nonfiction titles, the collection has something for everyone. Check out some of the series for young readers:

The collection is free to use, there is no limit to the number of titles that can be checked out at any time, and readers can keep titles as long as they wish. Visit the website or download an app for your device via the App Store, Google Play, or Kindle Fire HD.

Ebooks Minnesota is a two-year pilot project brought to you by Minitex and the Minnesota Department of Education, made possible in part by funding from through a Library Services and Technology Act grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. For more information, please contact Emily Kissane (651-582-8508).

Turn Around, Bright Eyes: Library Programming for the Total Eclipse of 2017
Too busy with summer reading to even THINK about attending a webinar? The Space Science Institute has got you covered. Take a 20-minute breather from summer reading madness on Wednesday, June 15 at 2:00 pm to attend a 20-minute “mini webinar.” You’ll get great information about the 2017 total solar eclipse, and be able to ask questions about promoting the event in your library. Here are a couple fun facts to get you started: 1) On August 21, 2017, a total eclipse of the sun will be visible in the continental U.S. for the first time in almost 40 years; 2) The total eclipse will ONLY be visible in the U.S. and no other country. Download an eclipse FAQ sheet.

Register for the mini webinar. Password is “star1”. This webinar will be VoiP only, so you will need to use a laptop, or a desktop computer with a microphone and headset (there will be no call-in option.) If you have any problems with your registration, please contact Anne Holland for assistance.

Celebrate Summer Learning Day Every Day This Summer
The nation may celebrate 2016 Summer Learning Day on July 14, but public libraries celebrate learning all summer long. Across the state this summer, we know that hundreds of educational and entertaining events will take place in Minnesota’s public libraries. Share what you’re doing with the rest of the state—and the country—by posting events on the National Summer Learning Association’s website.

Bring Financial Empowerment to Your Community
Interested in learning more about promoting financial well-being in your community? The University of Minnesota Extension service will host Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Your Money, Your Goals workshops throughout the state for community organizations and agencies. Participants will become well-versed in using a toolkit designed to increase people’s financial literacy and skills.

The sessions cover key financial literacy topics, many of which are important for teens—emotions, values, culture, and money decisions; savings for emergencies, bills, and goals; and credit and debt, just to name a few.

Learn more about the program. Trainings begin in June and run through August, so register today for the session nearest you. Please contact Emily Kissane (651-582-8508) for more information.

Reintroduce Your Library to Your Community
Outside the Lines is a week-long celebration, September 11-17, 2016, that demonstrates the creativity and innovation happening in today’s libraries. Whether your library is large or small—school, academic, special or public—you can participate in this international celebration by hosting an event that:

– Gets people thinking and talking about libraries in a different way.
– Showcases your library in the community. 
– Represents your local community.
– Highlights how your library is relevant to people’s lives.
– Is active and gets people engaged.
– Is fun!

Learn more about Outside the Lines and how to participate through an informational webinar on Thursday, June 30 from11:00 a.m. to noon. No registration is necessary, but virtual space may be limited. Learn more about Outside the Lines and register as a participating location on the campaign’s website.

State Library Updates: 5/26/16

MDE logo retrieved online 12/17/13..

TO: Minnesota Libraries
FROM: State Library Services
DATE: May 26, 2016
SUBJECT: Updates from State Library Services

Better Together: Strengthening Adult Learning Communities
At three Better Together workshops this spring, 180 participants learned creative approaches to leveraging their expertise to serve adult learners and to improve Minnesota’s workforce. The workshops offered library, adult basic education and workforce center professionals a chance to team up to address the needs of students, workers, job seekers, and employers.

Better Together attendees also learned more about online resources including the Northstar Digital Literacy Assessment, the Minnesota Literacy Council’s digital literacy curriculum, and the Electronic Library for Minnesota’s computer skills center.

With Workforce Innovation Act incentive funds earned by Adult Basic Education, the Minnesota Department of Education is able to offer up to ten competitive grants of up to $5,000 for projects designed to increase collaboration between the three partners and improve adult literacy and/or workforce outcomes, especially in the area of digital literacy. Grants must be submitted by Adult Basic Education and at least one partner had to attend a Better Together session. For information, please contact Julie Dincau (651-582-8681) or Emily Kissane (651-582-8508).

Steps Toward a Minnesota Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Plan Continue
In April and May, MDE hosted ten public meetings to explore ESSA with large, diverse groups of stakeholders. Comments and presentations from most of the feedback sessions are now available on MDE’s website.

In July and August, work groups will be convened with the goal of informing the framework for Minnesota’s plan. Next steps are listed on this tentative timeline, and MDE anticipates submitting its plan in early 2017. Please send questions and comments to mde.essa@state.mn.us.

MDE and MetaMetrics® Help Combat Summer Learning Loss for Your Students
Summer is upon us–and with it, the end of formal classroom time for many children. Leaving behind a structured learning environment often results in summer learning loss. Instead of progressing in their reading and mathematics skills, students may flatline or slip in their abilities. Low-income children are especially susceptible to loss, since they often lack access to books at home.

To combat this trend, MDE is teaming up with MetaMetrics® this year to provide opportunities for summer reading and math learning. The Summer Reading and the Summer Math Challenge engage families and students in summer learning. Find out more about Metametrics® summer learning opportunities, including materials you can use to promote these programs, on the MDE website.

Welcoming New Staff at MBTBL
Etta Thornburg joined the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library as Audio Visual Education Specialist in early May. Ms. Thornburg will be helping to re-launch the volunteer recording program that will create digital audio recordings of locally selected materials. Prior to joining MDE, Ms. Thornburg was employed at Planned Parenthood in Des Moines, Iowa as their Education and Health Services Program Manager and brings a great deal of volunteer management and library experience to this position. For more information, contact Catherine Durivage (1-800-722-0550).

Study Released on the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
A division of the Library of Congress, the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), provides free audio and braille materials for U.S. residents who cannot read standard print due to visual and other disabilities. The NLS program uses federal funds to provide these materials through a national network of libraries, including our own Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library in Faribault which serves about 10,000 people across the state.

The NLS is always looking for new ways to better serve its clients, and the answer is often found in new technologies. A recent study conducted by the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) confirmed the importance of NLS’s ongoing quest for improved services, and even went so far as to recommend that Congress consider authorizing NLS to provide its users wireless devices for reading electronic braille files. This could mean a big change from the cartridges and talking book players many customers are currently using.

For more information about the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library, please contact Catherine Durivage (1-800-722-0550).

School Librarians, You’re 2 Cool 2 Be 4-gotten–Stay in Touch This Summer
School is nearly out for the summer. If you’re looking at a work break for the next few months, please consider staying connected with State Library Services. We promise to keep you updated about workshops, programming and more. Sign up with your summer email address today! Please contact Jen Verbrugge (651-582-8356) with questions.

Register Today for the Hormel Foundation Gifted and Talented Education Symposium
The eighth annual Hormel Foundation Gifted and Talented Education Symposium provides an opportunity for educators, librarians, administrators, counselors, psychologists, school board members and parents to gain a greater understanding of the unique needs of gifted and high potential learners. Invited speakers include many of the field’s finest regionally, nationally and internationally known presenters.

All are welcome to register and attend the symposium, June 13-16, 2016 at Austin High School, 301 3rd Street NW in Austin. Sessions will address best practices for the assessment of students for services, program models, social and emotional needs, instructional strategies, under-represented populations, under-achievement, integration of STEM and technology, and specific content in the areas of science, mathematics, language arts and social studies. The symposium fee is $200 and attendance is limited. Registration closes on June 1, so sign up today. Please contact Wendy Behrens (651-582-8786) for more information.

State Library Updates: 5/3/2016

MDE logo retrieved online 12/17/13..TO: Minnesota Libraries
FROM: State Library Services
DATE: May 3, 2016
SUBJECT: Updates from State Library Services

Team Up with Workforce and ABE Colleagues
Thank you to the more than 100 people who attended the first Better Together workshop last Friday! We were excited to see connections being made across organizations, and plans beginning for partnerships among libraries, adult basic education, and workforce organizations in the metro area.

There is still time to register for the Mankato and Grand Rapids workshops.

Monday, May 9, 2016 – Mankato at Country Inn and Suites (Registrations received after April 29 are not guaranteed a lunch)
Monday, May 16, 2016 – Grand Rapids at Saw Mill Inn (Register by Friday, May 6 to make sure lunch will be available for you)

At Better Together, you’ll learn about promising practices for collaboration across organizations and learn about free resources that promote digital literacy and workforce skills. To help put your own ideas for collaboration into action, we are offering a competitive grant opportunity that will award up to ten grants with a maximum of $5,000/applicant. At least one of your project partners must attend a Better Together workshop and proposed projects must show promise for sustainability. Applications and more information will be available at Better Together sessions. For more information, to request an accommodation, or to be included on a mailing list for future announcements, please contact Emily Kissane (651-582-8508).

Submit Your LSTA Grant Application Soon
Apply for a mini grant or a larger competitive grant today! Applications are due Tuesday, May 17 for our two 2016 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) competitive grant opportunities. Mini grants (up to $10,000) are available to help libraries offer programs and services to improve learning opportunities for children and young adults. The larger competitive grant opportunity will fund grant projects from $10,000-$100,000 with an overarching goal to expand library services for learning and increase access to high-quality information resources for all Minnesotans. Applications and further information for both opportunities are available on the Minnesota Department of Education’s Grants Management site. To learn more, visit the LSTA webpage and view the 2016 grant opportunities timeline. Please contact Jackie Blagsvedt (651-582-8805) for additional information.

Take a Look at the Supercharged Library
Supercharge your storytimes, collections, family engagement, and more through the OCLC-created Supercharged Library. Resulting from last fall’s Supercharged Storytimes project, the Supercharged Library is a compilation of resources generated by public library storytime providers from around the country and intended to invigorate your ongoing early literacy and learning work with kids and families. Please contact Jackie Blagsvedt (651-582-8805) for more information.

Go a Little North of Normal – ARSL Conference 2016
Take advantage of this unique close-to-home opportunity to connect, learn and share with your rural and small library allies from across the country. The 2016 Association for Rural and Small Libraries Conference is in Fargo, ND from Oct. 27-29, and early bird registration is now open.

State Library Update: 4/14/2016

MDE logo retrieved online 12/17/13..

TO: Minnesota Libraries
FROM: State Library Services
DATE: April 14, 2016
SUBJECT: Updates from State Library Services

Register Today to Attend Better Together
Better Together: Strengthening Adult Learning Opportunities is an educational and networking event designed to foster local partnerships among libraries, adult basic education, and workforce organizations to collaboratively build a stronger, more highly skilled workforce. At each session, you’ll hear promising practices for collaboration across organizations and learn about free resources that promote digital literacy and workforce skills.

You’ll also have a chance to work with your local partners to develop a cooperative project. To help put your ideas for collaboration into action, we are able to offer a competitive grant opportunity that will award up to ten grants with a maximum of $5,000/applicant. At least one of your project partners must attend a Better Together workshop and proposed projects must show promise for sustainability. More information, including an application, will be available at Better Together sessions.

Register today for the workshop nearest you:

April 29, 2016 – Roseville at Minnesota Department of Education
May 9, 2016 – Mankato at Country Inn and Suites
May 16, 2016 – Grand Rapids at Saw Mill Inn

For more information, to request an accommodation, or to be included on a mailing list for future announcements, please contact Emily Kissane (651-582-8508).

Rant or Rave–Rate Our Reporting Process
Thanks to all the library directors and other report filers for collecting and reporting your library’s performance measures for Minnesota’s 2015 Public Library Report. State Library Services values your contribution in creating an accurate and useful statistical tool for decision-making. We understand the work involved and want to improve the process for you. We would greatly appreciate your feedback for this reporting period. The results will inform us about how we could improve the 2016 annual report. Please complete this brief, anonymous 2015 Annual Public Library Report feedback survey by May 2. Answer any or all of the nine questions. The next steps for State Library Services will be to upload the federally-required data to the IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services) database for review and vetting. If you have questions, feel free to contact Joe Manion (651-582-8640).

Your Library Can Feed Hungry Minds and Bodies This Summer
Fewer than 15 percent of Minnesota kids who benefit from the free or reduced-price school lunch program have access to summer and afterschool food programs. Limited access to free food programs, particularly during the summer, leaves many children with empty bellies. Public libraries are key community locations for kids to find access to nutritious food when school is not in session. Begin planning your summer 2016 participation in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) by viewing this archived webinar presented by Jenny Butcher, SFSP Coordinator at MDE. If you’re a public library in the metro area, you might consider Youthprise as a food service sponsor. Check out this new video that highlights some of the good work their nutrition program is already doing in the Twin Cities. Please contact Jen Verbrugge (651-582-8356) for more information.

Congratulations to Thorson Memorial Library!
Thorson Memorial Library in Elbow Lake was awarded a $41,500 Library Construction Grant for improvements to lighting, air circulation, air quality, and flooring. The project will reverse a mid-70s lowering of the ceiling and open up the building to its original 17 foot height.

Project Manager John Kreft is an industrial technology teacher for West Central Area Schools, and students in his Community Projects class will help with and learn from the construction project.

Thorson Memorial Library’s grant is from an allocation made by the 2014 Minnesota Legislature. The Library Construction Grant is a competitive dollar-for-dollar matching grant program funded by state bonds. The program provides public libraries with funding for renovation, construction, and improvement projects that result in more accessible library facilities. Please contact Emily Kissane (651-582-8508) for more information.

Free GED Testing
Earlier this week, Governor Mark Dayton announced that any Minnesotan can take the GED test, for free, through June 30, 2016. Interested people can register online at the GED website or contact their local Adult Basic Education program. Staff at each program will help with the registration process and provide resources and classes to prepare for taking the test. LearningExpress Library, available through the state-funded Electronic Library for Minnesota (ELM), offers free GED assessment, interactive skill-building and online test preparation. Visit the ELM website for hands-on activities and fact sheets to learn more about how LearningExpress Library can help prepare students to take the GED.

Wow! Northstar Reaches 1 Million Mark
As of early April, 1,000,000 online digital literacy assessments have been completed through the Northstar public website. The Northstar Digital Literacy Assessment tool has grown rapidly since its creation in 2011. It is an online tool that quickly assesses and quantifies the digital literacy knowledge of lower-skilled computer users. Job-seekers can earn a Northstar certificate to demonstrate to potential employers their technology competencies. The Northstar Standards have been adopted as content standards for Adult Basic Education by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), are used in 136 Minnesota program sites, and are integrated into the new Minnesota Adult Diploma. Northstar is housed at the Minnesota Literacy Council and was partially funded by Library Services and Technology grants through MDE.

Investigate the Frontiers of STEM Learning — High-Tech vs Low-Tech STEM Programming, What’s Right for Your Library?
From high-tech Maker Spaces with 3-D printers, recording studios, and drill presses to low-tech paper coding activities, libraries across the country are re-examining what it means to “do STEM.”

On Wednesday, April 20 at Noon (CST), join Ashley Kazyaka (Library Development Project Manager at the Colorado State Library) along with Keliann Laconte (Professional Development Manager at the National Center for Interactive Learning at the Space Science Institute) and Anne Holland (Public Engagement Manager, also at NCIL) for a webinar that will give a brief overview of current practice in public libraries. Then, stick around for an open conversation among webinar participants about implementing STEM programming in their libraries as well as barriers they may face. There’s no right answer, so join in and share your way!

Register for the webinar here. The password to register is “star1”. This interactive webinar will be VoiP only, so you will need to use a laptop, or a desktop computer with a microphone and headset (there will be no call-in option). If you have any problems with your registration, please contact Anne Holland for assistance.

Need a LSTA grant? Instructions and sample ideas here…

MoneyTimeline and How-To
To learn more about the two current LSTA grant opportunities, please attend an upcoming grant guidance webinar–Thursday, March 31, 2016, 1:30-2:30 p.m. or Tuesday, April 12, 2016, 4:00-5:00 p.m. There is no need to pre-register; just click on the link for the webinar you’d like to attend. Grant applications and instructions are also available on the Minnesota Department of Education’s Grants Management site. Visit the LSTA webpage, view the 2016 grant opportunities timeline or contact Jackie Blagsvedt (651-582-8805) for more information.

Need sample grant ideas? Read the following short snippets about grants awarded in 2015, and if something looks like it could work, contact Jackie to see if you can get a copy of the grant application. Good luck!

 Bloomington Public Schools (BPS) – $80,084 “Middle School Makerspaces: A Community of Creators” Middle School Makerspaces will ignite the exploration of 21st century digital literacy skills for middle school students and the surrounding community. The BPS middle school media specialists, in cooperation with district and community partners, will launch the design, implementation and facilitation of makerspaces in all three BPS middle school media centers. The school community will engage with the new makerspaces and learn from the student facilitators at open houses designed to inspire “A Community of Creators” and held in collaboration with Hennepin County Library.

Farmington Public Schools – $43,233 “Bridging Literacy through Targeted Instruction” In Bridging Literacy through Targeted Instruction, North Trail Elementary school’s media center will engage and connect English Learners, low-income and at-risk students and their families with library services developed to meet their unique literacy needs. An expanded after school program, new library collections and innovative outreach efforts are all designed to help at-risk students improve reading proficiency, engage families in school and increase school readiness.

Friends of Hennepin County Library – $96,912 “Cedar Riverside Library Outreach Project” The Cedar Riverside Library Outreach Project will connect Somali residents in Minneapolis’ Cedar Riverside neighborhood to library services. Trusted community-library liaisons will bring Hennepin County Library’s vibrant culture of lifelong learning to accessible community spaces in the neighborhood. The liaisons will build a targeted community outreach program, develop organizational partnerships, connect residents to library resources, and bring customized services into the neighborhood using a mobile computer lab and Wi-Fi hotspot.

Hmong Cultural Center – $12,020 “Hmong Resource Center Library Expansion Project” The Hmong Resource Center Library Expansion Project will increase the availability of Hmong cultural and historical resources to people in the Twin Cities, throughout Minnesota and across the United States. The project will expand access to the Hmong Cultural Center’s library collection, including the Hmong Studies Virtual Library, which includes books, professional journal articles, dissertations, theses and research reports concerning Hmong Americans and Hmong history and culture.

Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA) – $100,000 “Identifying Access Needs for E-Government Services”  Led by MELSA, this project will survey metropolitan area residents on their skills, use of, and access to technology. The data collected will help to determine a) how local governments and education institutions can improve access to e-government and e-learning so it is available to all; and b) how library governing bodies and administrators can best deploy services, utilize technology and train staff to support e-government and e-learning.  MELSA and its member libraries will synthesize collected data to develop general and local best practices. The recommendations will be shared with local governments, educational organizations, and community agencies in an effort to increase the effectiveness of and access to e-government resources and services through public libraries.

Robbinsdale Area Schools – $64,228 “Creating a Culture of Literacy among AVID High School Students” AVID’s mission is to close the achievement gap by preparing all students for college readiness and success in a global society. Robbinsdale media specialists will help to prepare AVID students at Cooper and Armstrong high schools for their transitions to college and careers by creating a culture of literacy in new collaborative spaces with targeted instruction and book collections. Students will participate in book discussion groups, present book talks and select titles for the media center collections. Media specialists will measure reading inventory scores, interest in writing and fiction circulation among the participants to determine the impact of new spaces, collections and services.

Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) – $99,866 “Building Research-Ready Students in SPPS” SPPS will create a district-wide framework to build student research skills in grades 6-12. Librarian-teacher pairs will complete the Metronet Information Literacy Initiative—boosting their abilities to teach students how to conduct research and use their findings ethically. They will embed common research strategies and language into the curriculum, ensuring the research process is taught in context and not in isolation. Four high-quality digital resources will be made available district-wide to further support SPPS in building research-ready students.

Waconia Public Schools – $49,473 “Waconia Digital Navigators: Students at the Helm” “Waconia Digital Navigators: Students at the Helm” will empower 3rd and 4th grade students at Bayview and Southview elementary schools to be “captains of innovation” who can successfully navigate the chaotic waters of the digital world. Grant activities will include curriculum development and professional coaching for staff, which will help the district to integrate resources from ISTE, AASL, CommonSense Media and the “Big 6” to provide authentic learning opportunities for students, staff and families. Targeted areas of improvement are 1) digital and print research skills; 2) e-portfolios of digital artifacts; 3) student engagement through collaborative use of Google Apps and interactive digital and face-to-face communication; and 4) student leadership opportunities through the creation of the Waconia Tech and Library squads.

Waseca-Le Sueur Regional Library System – $20,466 “Romp and Rhyme” Romp and Rhyme will create a standard of excellence for early literacy education at Waseca-Le Sueur libraries. The libraries will integrate reading, writing, talking, singing and playing into highquality programming to improve early literacy skills in pre-readers and get them ready to learn to read in Kindergarten. Librarians will create storytime resources and kits that teach the early literacy skills recognized as the strongest and most consistent predictors of later literacy proficiency. In an effort to extend early literacy education beyond library walls, high-quality early literacy activities, modeling and mentoring will be integrated into storytimes, outreach and workshops for families and care providers.