Updates from State Library Services
 Survey: How Can
We Better Help You?
We are seeking
input about how best to support public and school librarians through
professional development and other resources. Please consider taking this brief
five-question Professional Development for School and Public Librarians survey to help with that effort. Please
contact Leah Larson
(651-582-8604) with other questions or comments. Thanks for your time!
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 To Be Well Read, Kids
Must Be Well Fed
During the school year, more than 40 percent of Minnesota’s K-12
kids are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Fewer than 15 percent of
those kids have the same access to food programs in the summer. This leaves
many little bellies hungry. Bring summer nutrition to a community hub where
kids learn and play in the summer: your public library.
Begin planning your summer 2018 participation by attending an
informational webinar on Wednesday,
March 14, at 11 a.m. Jenny Butcher, USDA Summer Food Service
Program coordinator at MDE, will share how you can get involved. Add the March 14 webinar
to your calendar. There is no need to pre-register; just please join the Summer
and Afterschool Food Service Programs in Libraries WebEx meeting online
(meeting number 599 928 018) or call in at 1-888-742-5095 (conference code 874
403 3672). Please contact Jen Verbrugge (651-582-8356)
with questions or to request a reasonable accommodation to participate in this
event. Note: MDE requires a two-week advance notice in order to provide the
requested accommodation and requires a 48-hour notice in order to cancel a
requested accommodation.
If you need more inspiration for serving
summer meals at your library, check out this
Food for Every Child video from Hunger Impact Partners. Grant funding may be available to support your library as a
summer food site. Second Harvest Heartland serves the 7-county metro and surrounding counties. Their summer food grant opportunity
opens in March, as long as funding is available. Additionally, libraries are
eligible to apply for a Summer Meals
Initiative grant
from Hunger Impact Partners. We’ll share information about more grant opportunities
as we learn about them.
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Save the Date:
Libraries Serving Youth Meetup
The Libraries Serving Youth Meetup is an annual opportunity
for school librarians and public librarians to meet, network, and share ideas. This
year’s theme for the Meetup is School and
Public Library Partnerships: Working Together Works!
Save the date for the Meetup on Monday, April 30, 2018, at Wellstone
Center, 179 Robie St. E., St. Paul. The planned schedule includes a Brown Bag
(BYO) Lunch, 12:30-1 p.m., the program from 1 to 4 p.m., and time for
networking from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Registration information will be available soon. Mileage
reimbursement is available for attendees from Greater Minnesota. Please contact
Leah Larson (651-582-8604) if you have
questions or would like more information.
Library Construction Grant Applications Available
The Library Construction Grant program is
accepting applications for 2017 round two competitive grants. 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. Approximately
$838,000 of the state allocation is available to award as grants.
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 via email by Wednesday, March 14, 2018, 3:30 p.m.
Please contact Emily Kissane
(651-582-8508) for more information.
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