Tag Archives: State Library Service

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

State Library Services Updates

MDE logo retrieved online 12/17/13..
MDE logo retrieved online 12/17/13..

TO: Minnesota Libraries
FROM: State Library Services
DATE: March 31, 2014
SUBJECT: State Library Services Update

New State Library Program Specialist, Edge Initiative

New Staff at State Library Services

I’m delighted to announce that Emily Kissane has accepted the position of State Library Program Specialist at State Library Services beginning April 16, 2014. Emily has a wealth of experience that will make a decided contribution to State Library Services. After a six-year stint as a reference and information technology librarian at Gustavus Adolphus College, she moved into the area of educational policy.

In addition to other roles, she served as a policy analyst at the Minnesota Office of Higher Education from 1999-2009, administering statewide technology and library programs, including Minitex, MnLINK and the Learning Network of Minnesota. She developed a depth of knowledge about the needs of greater Minnesota through an assignment as the interim executive director of Minnesota Rural Partners and as a policy analyst for rural school districts.

More recently, her work has focused on higher education policy with an emphasis on research, writing and communications. In addition to an MLS from the University of Iowa, Emily earned an MA in Public Policy from the Humphrey Institute where her thesis dealt with market structure and state funding of K-12 education in Minnesota.

In her role at State Library Services, Emily will administer regional public and multicounty multitype library aid programs, the Public Library Accessibility and Improvement Grant program and will serve as e-rate coordinator for public libraries.

The Edge Initiative

The Edge is a new initiative that offers public libraries an opportunity to assess public access technology services and the tools to make improvements to better serve communities. Read more about The Edge. The initiative launched in January with a randomly selected group of libraries from each state; randomly selected Minnesota libraries were notified of their selection in mid-January. In addition to the randomly selected libraries, State Library Services can offer free access to an additional 15 libraries in 2014, with assessment activities taking place between May and  August. Please let me know if you would like to be considered for participation and I will send you more detailed information.

For more information about State Library Services or this information, contact Jennifer Nelson at 651-582-8791 or jennifer.r.nelson@state.mn.us.

General, Public, School Media Specialist

Mini Grant Opportunities

MDE logo retrieved online 12/17/13..
MDE logo retrieved online 12/17/13..

TO: Minnesota Libraries
FROM: State Library Services
DATE: March 18, 2014
SUBJECT: Two New Mini Grant Opportunities Available

Mini Grant Opportunities for Early Learning Spaces and School Age Programs

State Library Services is pleased to announce two new competitive grant opportunities — Play and Learn Space Mini Grants and Expanded Learning Mini Grants. With streamlined applications, mini grants are short term grant awards of up to $5000 for projects taking place from approximately mid-May 2014 through September 30, 2014.

Play and Learn Space Mini Grants are offered to bolster the capacity of public libraries to create or enhance spaces that engage children ages 0-8 and their parents/caregivers in play and learning. A Play and Learn Space Mini Grant Application Guidance webinar will be held on March 25, 2014 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Expanded Learning Mini Grants are designed to support activity-based partnerships between schools and public libraries. The overarching goal is to connect students with meaningful out of school and summertime opportunities that improve literacy, academic achievement, college readiness and more. An Expanded Learning Mini Grant Application Guidance webinar will be held on March 25, 2014 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Grant opportunity documents, including timelines, are available at MDE’s grants management site.

For more information about these opportunities, please contact Jackie Blagsvedt, LSTA Coordinator at Jacqueline.blagsvedt@state.mn.us or 651-582-8805 or to request a reasonable accommodation. Note: The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) requires a two-week advance notice in order to provide the requested accommodation and requires a 48-hour notice to cancel a requested accommodation.

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

LSTA Grant Opportunity

MDE logo retrieved online 12/17/13..
MDE logo retrieved online 12/17/13..

TO: Minnesota Libraries
FROM: State Library Services
DATE: March 5, 2014
SUBJECT: LSTA Competitive Grant Round Open

Library Services and Technology Act Competitive Grant Opportunity Federal Fiscal Year 2014

State Library Services is pleased to announce the 2014 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) competitive grant opportunity. We welcome applications from any legally established public library, academic library, special library, school library, library cooperative or consortium in Minnesota or any Minnesota organization with tax exempt, non-profit status willing to serve as fiscal agent for a project that benefits a library.

An estimated $600,000 is available to fund grant projects that address the priorities identified in Minnesota’s Five Year LSTA Plan (2013-2017). We welcome proposals that expand programs and services that support Minnesotan’s needs for education, lifelong learning, continuing education, workforce development, 21st century and digital literacy skills; and/or establish a strong infrastructure and build capacity for improved coordination among eligible libraries to improve the quality of and access to library and information services.

Application forms and instructions are available at the Department of Education’s Grants Management Site. Scroll to Library Services and Technology grant opportunity. Please visit the State Library Services LSTA page for the 2014 competitive LSTA anticipated timeline, descriptions of Minnesota’s most recently funded LSTA grants, and Minnesota’s Five Year LSTA Plan (2013-2017).

Please contact Jackie Blagsvedt, State Library Services, with any questions or for more information:Jacqueline.Blagsvedt@state.mn.us or 651-582-8805

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Contract Job Opportunity with SLS

MDE logo retrieved online 12/17/13..
MDE logo retrieved online 12/17/13..

TO: Minnesota Libraries
FROM: State Library Services
DATE: February 20, 2014
SUBJECT: Every Child Ready to Read 2 Training

 Contract Opportunity

State Library Services welcomes contractors to submit proposals for Every Child Ready to Read 2 (ECRR2) workshops to take place in Minnesota in 2014.  We are seeking a qualified contractor to provide and/or develop ECRR2 training materials/lesson plans and deliver six training sessions during the initial contract period for Minnesota library staff. This training project is designed to bolster storytimes, passive programming, and outreach to parents and care providers with up-to-date early literacy research and findings. The initial contract period is anticipated to run from around April 7, 2014 through September 30, 2014.

Proposed ECRR2 training sessions will align with the Language and Literacy Development domain of the Early Childhood Indicators of Progress: Minnesota’s Early Learning Standards. Two full-day workshops will be offered in the Twin Cities metro area and will focus on expanding the practice of ECRR2 into librarian-led training for parents and child care providers. Four full-day workshops will be offered in greater Minnesota and will focus on incorporating the messages of curriculum into library storytimes and passive programming for families with children ages 0-6. The contractor will develop lesson plans, select appropriate handouts and deliver the training.

Questions related to this solicitation are due to jacqueline.blagsvedt@state.mn.us by February 25, 2014, 4:00 p.m., Central Time. A question and answer document will be disseminated to everyone who posed a question and everyone who received a copy of the solicitation document by February 27, 2014, 4:00 p.m., Central Time.

More information on ECRR2 solicitation is published on the State of Minnesota’s Contracting Opportunity website, The reference Number is PT1816. To receive a copy of the complete solicitation or for additional information, contact jacqueline.blagsvedt@state.mn.us or 651-582-8805.
Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Upcoming Library Trainings & Grants

MDELogoTO: Minnesota Library Staff
FROM: State Library Services
DATE: January 30, 2014
SUBJECT: Proquest Training, Public Library Annual Report Training, Department of Commerce Programs, Legal Information Training, Library Services and Technology Act and 21st Century Grants

Upcoming Library Training and Grant Opportunities

Proquest Digital Historical Minneapolis Tribune (1867-1922) Webinars

The Historical Minneapolis Tribune is a great resource for local history, genealogy and History Day research. Bi-monthly webinars will help you increase your skills and knowledge. One-hour sessions are currently scheduled through March 2014.  February and March sessions will be held:

  • Wednesday, February 5, 2014, 2–3 p.m.
  • Tuesday,  March 4, 2014, 12 noon–1 p.m.
  • Tuesday, March 11, 2014, 5–6 p.m.

Preregistration is not required. Login instructions and the full list of webinars are available on Proquest’s Training website. For more information, or to request a reasonable accommodation to participate in these events, contact Jennifer Verbrugge at 651-582-8356 or jennifer.verbrugge@state.mn.us.

Public Library Annual Report Training

Data collection for the 2013 Public Library Statistical Survey will get underway on February 3, 2014. The collection period will close on Tuesday, April 1, 2014. State Library Services and Counting Opinions are offering a webinar to provide an introduction to the process and offer instruction in data entry.  While this session is likely of most interest to individuals who have never used LibPAS, it may also serve as a good refresher. The training webinar  will be held on Thursday, February 6, 2014, 1–2 p.m., and pre-registration is not required.

Counting Opinions will also offer a special training session on using LibPAS to create reports.  Reports can document your libraries’ annual activity in any area reported on, as well as identify trends over time. The session is scheduled for Friday, February 7, 2014, 11 a.m. –12 noon. Pre-registration is not required. Please enter the webinar by typing in your name. E-mail Jennifer Nelson jennifer.r.nelson@state.mn.us to let her know if you or other staff at your library are interested but unable to attend, as other sessions may be scheduled.

Contact Mary Ann Van Cura maryann.vancura@state.mn.us to request a reasonable accomodation to participate. Note: The Minnesota Department of Education requires advance notice to provide the requested accomodation and a 48-hour notice to cancel requested accomodation.

Legal Information Training at Your Public Library

Do you dread getting asked legal questions? The State Law Library can help! State Law Librarian Liz Reppe can visit your library and talk to the librarians or the public about finding legal information. Classes can be tailored to a particular area of law, and Liz can provide recommendations related to your library’s collection. In the alternative, she can present a class on how to find people using free Web resources. The State Law Library serves the whole state.  Legal reference questions from librarians or patrons can be directed to the library via e-mail (askalibrarian@courts.state.mn.us) or by phone at 651-297-7651. To set up a library visit, contact Liz Reppe at 651-297-2089 or liz.reppe@courts.state.mn.us.

Department of Commerce Programming Opportunities

Bring the expertise of the Minnesota Department of Commerce to programming in your library. Commerce Department outreach staff will speak for free on topics ranging from avoiding scams and frauds to saving money through energy conservation. Sessions are available for all ages, preschoolers to seniors. Work with Commerce Department staff to customize presentations based on the specific interests and needs of your patrons. Sessions last one hour, which includes time for questions. There is no limit to attendance size. All you need to provide is a meeting room and a connection to the internet as well as assistance with publicizing the events. For more information about available programs and scheduling, contact Jennifer Verbrugge at 651-582-8356 or jennifer.verbrugge@state.mn.us.

Library Services and Technology Act Competitive Grant Round

Now’s the time to start thinking about how grant funds can help your library. State Library Services will open a Library Services and Technology Act competitive grant round by Tuesday March 4, 2014. We anticipate that applications will be due April 22, 2014, for projects taking place between July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015.

An informational webinar will be held on Friday, March 7, 1–2 p.m.; advance registration is not required. Access the webinar site. Please contact Jackie Blagsvedt at Jacqueline.blagsvedt@state.mn.us or 651-582-8805 for more information or to request a reseasonable accomodation.  Note: The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) requires a two-week advance notice in order to provide the requested accommodation and requires a 48-hour notice to cancel a requested accommodation.

21st Century Community Learning Grant Program

The Minnesota Department of Education is seeking applications from eligible applicants—Minnesota schools, school districts, non-profit agencies, city or county government agencies, faith-based organizations, institutions of higher education and for profit-corporations—who seek funding for establishing, sustaining and/or enhancing community learning centers statewide as part of the 21st Century Community Learning Grant Program. The resources are intended to be used to provide a wide range of high-quality enrichment opportunities that complement the regular academic program of students during times when school is not in session, including before and after school, evenings, school release days and summer.

The department estimates the initial grant period will be from August 1, 2014, until July 31, 2017, with anticipated extensions up to two additional years contingent upon progress and continued funding. Please visit the Grant Opportunity Web page and scroll down to this grant opportunity for the application documents. The application (cover sheet, assurances, narrative, forms and budget documents) must be received (not postmarked by) Monday, March 10, 2014, 4:30 p.m. CST.

For more information or to sign up for this listserve, please contact Jennifer R. Nelson at 651-582-8791 or jennifer.r.nelson@state.mn.us.