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September 21, 2017
Library Construction Grant Applications Available
The 2017 Library Construction Grant program is accepting applications. The program provides public libraries with funding for renovation, construction, and improvement projects that result in more accessible library facilities. Projects may:
- Remove architectural barriers from a library building or site.
- Remediate conditions hazardous to health or safety.
- Renovate or expand an existing building for use as a library.
- Construct a new library.
The 2017 Minnesota Legislature allocated a total of $2,000,000 to the program, and those funds are available for competitive grant awards.
Application forms and instructions are available on the Minnesota Department of Education’s Grants Management site. Scroll to Library Construction Grant opportunity. Completed applications are due Friday, September 29, 2017.
Please contact Emily Kissane (651-582-8508) for more information.
Updates from MDE
ESSA Public Comment ‒ Thank you!
The Every Student Succeeds Act public comment period closed on August 31 and we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who participated! We received nearly 200 responses to our public input survey, had over 300 public meeting participants, and received nearly 100 letters and emails outlining the thoughts of students, families, teachers, administrators, student support staff, civil rights organizations, advocacy groups, Tribal Nations and more.
A brief overview of themes from the comment period is available on our website, where you can also read all of the comments. The full state plan as submitted is now available on the ESSA page of our website.
Call for Reviewers
The Minnesota Department of Education disseminates federal and state funding using competitive processes throughout the year. Reviewers are needed throughout the year to evaluate applications received from eligible applicants such as Minnesota public school districts, charter schools, education cooperatives, colleges and universities, libraries, education and early learning nonprofit organizations, advocacy organizations and other non-profit community organizations. If you are interested in reviewing applications for competitive grant initiatives, please read the cover letter and complete and submit the Interested Reviewer Form. Some grant initiatives may fit your experience or background better than others and we will consider that before inviting you to participate in a review. If you have questions, contact Pamela Jones (651-582-8651).
Updates from Our Partners
Summer Reading Program Resource Fair
Great River Regional Library (GRRL) is hosting a Summer Reading Program Resource Fair on Friday, Nov. 17, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the St. Cloud Public Library, 1300 West Saint Germain Street. GRRL staff will share programming ideas you can use in your library for next summer’s reading/learning program. Register for the Summer Reading Program Resource Fair. Contact Chris Mallo with your own ideas you’d like to share or to get more information.
Keep the Lights On Afterschool for Minnesota's Youth
October 26 is the 18th annual Lights On Afterschool (LoA), a day for afterschool programs across the country and Minnesota to celebrate the role afterschool programs play in the lives of youth, families, and communities. Ignite Afterschool is partnering with the Weisman Art Museum for a special event in the Twin Cities on Thursday, October 26, 3:30-6 p.m. Register today for the Lights On Afterschool Weisman Art Museum event.
If your community is planning an LoA event, register your event today to receive 10 free posters. Visit the LoA website to get more information and learn how to get involved.
Scholarships Available to Attend RIPL Conference
The Research Institute for Public Libraries (RIPL) is hosting a conference July 29-August 1, 2018, at the Emory Conference Center Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. Up to 20 scholarships, funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, are available to staff working in rural and small public libraries in the United States. To be eligible for a scholarship, you must be employed by a U.S. public library that is located in a rural area AND serves a population of less than 25,000. Visit the Library Research Service website to determine whether your library meets these criteria. In addition, you must be a first-time participant of RIPL. For more information and to apply for a scholarship, visit the RIPL website. Scholarship applications are due on Friday, October 27, 2017.
Good to Know
Public Library Ancestry
According to the First Biennial Report of the State Public Library Commission of Minnesota issued in 1899, the oldest tax-supported, free-libraries in Minnesota were in Sauk Center (1878), Fairmont (1879) and Zumbrota (1879). Before public libraries, there were subscription libraries. Those predating the oldest public libraries are Taylor’s Falls Library Association (1864), Austin Library Association (1869), Wabasha Ladies Library Association (1871), and Rochester’s German Library Association (1872). For historical information about Minnesota’s public libraries, contact Joe Manion (651-582-8640).
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