Crunch the Data

Data rules because taxpayers and purse-string holders have always demanded accountability, and public libraries have always employed data analysis to help make their case. As quality control and continuous improvement guru William Edwards Deming said, “Without data you’re just another person with an opinion.”

Public libraries are mandated by statute to submit annual reports to the Department of Education each year. A portion of the annual data is also submitted to the Institute of Museums and Library Services for the Public Libraries in the United States Survey. Thanks to all the library directors and filers who submitted their 2017 Public Library Reports. State Library Services greatly appreciates your time and expertise.

Seventy percent or nearly seven out of every 10 Minnesotans has a public library card. In 2017, library users made over 23 million visits to Minnesota’s 355 public library locations. They borrowed or downloaded 49 million library materials, asked 3.4 million reference questions and connected to the Internet during 10.9 million sessions. Over 1.6 million visitors attended library programs. Reports include other data for services, staffing, facilities, and community engagement as well as detailed financial information.

Individual reports for each of Minnesota’s 141 libraries are available from Public Library Reports on the Minnesota Department of Education website. Select the first letter of the library’s name to view an alphabetical list of libraries. The directory includes annual reports from 2010 to 2017. For historical or custom reports, please contact Joe Manion (651-582-8640).

Work on this Cool, Creative Technology Project with Kids

The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival is an annual video contest in which kid filmmakers make movies that creatively tell the entire stories of Newbery-winning books in 90 seconds or less. Making a film is a fun, creative and multi-faceted educational exercise that builds 21st century skills. Entries are accepted year-round, so this is an ideal project to keep kids engaged with learning in a fun, creative way.

Mark your calendar for the Minnesota screening of the 2018-19 season’s best films. 90-Second Newbery founder and curator James Kennedy co-hosts the fun alongside a special literary guest on Saturday, February 23, 2019, at Hennepin County Library–Minneapolis Central. For more information about the 90-Second Newbery, please contact Leah Larson (651-582-8604).

Engage the Growing 55+ Population with Arts Education Workshops

There are many active Americans aged 55+ who are in search of enriching, fulfilling, and social experiences. Research has shown that arts education for older adults improves health and well-being, combats isolation, and reconnects people to each other and their communities.

A webinar will be presented by Lifetime Arts on Thursday, August 16, at noon. Register for Engaging the Growing 55+ Population with Arts Education Workshops, a one-hour discussion of your library’s goals for this population and how professional development, consultation, and online learning offerings from Lifetime Arts could help you move forward.

Be a Minnesota Book Awards Judge

The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library is now accepting applications to serve as a judge for the 31st Annual Minnesota Book Awards. Apply today and play an important role in the state’s literary community. Qualified individuals—both experienced in judging and those new to the judging process—are encouraged to apply.

• Preliminary Round: Finalist selection beginning in mid-September and culminating with a panel meeting on January 26, 2019.
• Final Round: Category winner selection beginning in early February and culminating with a panel meeting on March 9, 2019.

The deadline to apply is September 7, 2018. Learn more about the Minnesota Book Awards on the Friends of SPPL website.

Team Up with American’s ToothFairy

Childhood tooth decay is the #1 chronic childhood illness in the United States. One in five U.S. children go without dental care, and more than 40 percent of children have dental cavities by the time they begin kindergarten. Your library can help raise awareness of this extremely preventable disease with support from the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation. Download, print, and reproduce educational materials such as teeth brushing charts, coloring pages, and other activity sheets. Your library could be eligible for a ToothFairy 101 Community Education Kit you can use in storytimes and other programming to educate children and their caregivers about the importance of good oral home care. Contact Minnesota’s Oral Health Zone Manager, Mary Vanderwert, to request a community education kit and/or informational brochures you can make available at your library.

Participate in Lights on Afterschool – October 25

Lights On Afterschool (LOA) is the only nationwide event celebrating afterschool programs and their important role in the lives of children, families, and communities. This year, afterschool-library partnerships are celebrated as an official theme for LOA 2018, which takes place on October 25. This is a great opportunity to showcase an afterschool or summer program that you run out of your library, highlight a partnership you already have, or embark on a new partnership with an afterschool program in your community. The Space Science Institute’s National Center for Interactive Learning (NCIL) provides interactive STEM exhibits, programming, and training to public libraries nationwide through its Science‐Technology Activities and Resources Library Network (STAR Net), and is a sponsor of LOA this year. Register and join them for an LOA webinar on Thursday, August 16, at 2 p.m., to learn more about LOA, and how your library can participate.

Learn to Implement Transformational Change through Lilead Leaders Courses

Register now for the first of four Lilead Leaders courses for school library professionals at any level. The first course, beginning August 15, focuses on preparing for transformational change to benefit your students, school, district, and community. Whether starting with the first course in August 2018 or with a later course, the first course a student takes is $349; subsequent courses come at a reduced price of $279. Visit the Lilead Project’s website for more information.

Mark Your Calendars for Afterschool Advocacy

Ignite Afterschool, Minnesota’s afterschool network, is planning an advocacy kick-off event, Afterschool for All MN, for Thursday, November 29, 2018. All are welcome to attend. They will release more information about the event soon. In the meantime, sign up for Ignite event announcements and be among the first to know.

Attend LJ and SLJ National Events Held Locally

The Library Journal Design Institute on Friday, September 21, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. is a hands-on, small group library design event at Minneapolis Central Library, hosted by LJ and Hennepin County Library Director Lois Langer Thompson. This think tank provides expert panel discussions with architects and librarians, as well as hands-on, architect-led breakout sessions dealing with real-life design challenges. Speed-sessions with architects will address your own library-specific questions. Register soon for the LJ Design Institute using the promotional code MIN30 for a special rate. Register before August 10 for the opportunity to have your library’s design challenges (such as one-room fixes, building-wide renovation, or new construction) workshopped by participating architects.

The School Library Journal Day of Dialog event in Minneapolis on Saturday, September 22, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.  at Elmer L. Andersen Library is packed with author talks, editor panels, ARC giveaways, and other topics about the latest trends in school librarianship and children’s and young adult nonfiction literature. Tickets are $69 each. Learn more and register on the SLJ website.

Share Feedback about Children and Technology

The Association for Library Service to Children, University of Washington, and Kent State University are conducting a survey, “Young Children, New Media and Libraries, 2018.” They are seeking information about the changing landscape of technology work with children and families in libraries. The survey will take about 30 minutes to complete, and will remain open until August 31. If you have any questions about this survey, please contact Alena Rivers, Deputy Director, ALSC. For more information, visit the Young Children, New Media, and Libraries, 2018 project webpage.

Get Ready for the 2017 Minnesota Public Library Annual Report

Library directors and annual report filers are invited to participate in a webinar on Wednesday, January 10, 1:30-2:30 p.m., to learn about proposed indicators and modifications to current indicators and definitions and how to enter data into the online survey tool. This webinar will be useful for both experienced and new report filers. When it’s time, join the 2017 Minnesota Public Library Annual Report meeting via WebEx. Registration is not required.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Joe Manion (651-582-8640).

Connect Your Community with Affordable PCs and Internet Access

You can connect members of your community with affordable personal computers, computer repair, and internet access. Learn how your library can partner with PCs for People, an organization that works with businesses, government agencies, and residents to recycle and refurbish computers. Those computers are provided to low-income people, along with support for getting online.

Madeline Tate, PCs for People’s director of Partnerships and Programming, will give an overview of the organization, then describe how you can partner with them to benefit residents of your community. She also will tell us about an exciting pilot program with several rural libraries in Oklahoma. We’ll have plenty of time for your questions, too.

The webinar will be on Tuesday, January 30, from 11 a.m. to noon. You may join the webinar without registering, however if you do register, we can provide follow-up information and continue the conversation.

For further information, please contact Emily Kissane (651-582-8508).

Start Planning for Teen Tech Week

Find resources on the American Library Association website to plan great Teen Tech Week activities for March 4-10. Celebrate the many ways teens can leverage technology to effect positive change in their lives and communities with the “Libraries are for Creating” theme. Please share with State Library Services what you plan to do or what you did. We love to collect and share your stories! Send your anecdotes (and photos if you have them) to Leah Larson.

Minnesota’s Star Libraries

Congratulations to the state’s top-rated public libraries. Five Minnesota libraries are among the 259 Star Libraries on the Library Journal Index of Public Library Services. Ramsey County, Grand Marais, and Edgerton public libraries are repeat Star Libraries for 2017. Baudette and Ely public libraries are new to the index this year. Grand Marais received the highest rating of five stars. The other libraries earned three stars each.

The index compares U.S. public libraries with their spending peers based on per capita loans, visits, program attendance, and public computer use. The scores are based on data reported annually by public libraries to their state library agencies. The 2017 ratings are based on 2015 data compiled nationally by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. To be eligible for Star status, be sure to complete the Minnesota Public Library Survey which opens in February.