|
|
Welcome, Emma De Vera!
Emma De Vera (she/her) has joined State Library Services as the State Library Aid and Grant Program Administrator. In this position, Emma will work closely with regional public library systems, multi-county multi-type library systems, and public libraries across Minnesota to administer state aid and grants.
Emma came to State Library Services from The Friends of Saint Paul Public Library. Prior to working for The Friends, she graduated from the University of Michigan’s School of Information with an MSI and has experience in academic and public libraries.
Join Our Team
State Library Services has an opening for a Library Services and Technology Act Coordinator. The person in this position administers federal funds to Minnesota's libraries through the Library Services and Technology Act Grants to State program. In addition, this person focuses on youth services in public libraries and school library media centers.
Apply for the LSTA Coordinator position. The application closes on March 20, 2023.
|
Storytimes Focused on Inclusion and Intentionality
Looking for ways to improve your ability to provide quality, learner-focused early childhood experiences?
Join State Library Services for a new four-week class on making storytimes more inclusive, welcoming, and intentional. The class is led by Katelyn Martens-Rodriguez, children’s librarian at Washington County Library and former Continuing Education Instructor with the University of Wisconsin iSchool.
With fellow librarians, you will have honest discussions and learn creative ways to approach our storytime spaces (in-person or virtual). Grown-ups will be more knowledgeable, children will still be having fun, and stronger collaborations will happen in and outside of the library.
Dates: Mondays (March 27, April 3, 10, 17)
Time: 1–2:30 p.m.
Location: Online – register to receive Zoom link
Register by March 21
There will be readings and/or videos to complete before meeting each week in order to ensure participants have the space for quality conversation and learning to occur.
|
Coming Up: Libraries Serving Youth Meetup
 |
|
Save the date for the 9th annual Libraries Serving Youth Meetup!
When: April 27, 4:30–6:30 p.m.
Where: Online (details to come)
This year's event will focus on school libraries, featuring K.C. Boyd, who works as a library media specialist in Washington D.C. Public Schools and was named the 2022 School Librarian of the Year by School Library Journal.
|
Step Up for Broadband
The Governor's Broadband Task Force is accepting applications – will you consider stepping up to represent libraries?
The 15-member Task Force advises the "executive and legislative branches on broadband policy, including strategies for successfully achieving the state broadband goals, comprehensive assessment of digital inclusion issues and gaps, and strategies for unlocking the benefits of universal access to broadband for all communities in Minnesota.”
Find out more and apply by March 23.
|
Who Makes Minnesota?
Free book alert! Full of information and activities for kids of all ages, Making Minnesota highlights the people we live with, the parks and waterways we play in, the animals we observe, the places we love to visit—and the history that made it all possible. The book offers activities to help readers aged 7 and up engage with Minnesota’s history, people, and places—by making their own illustrations and drawings, maps, lists of favorite places, and other ways to make Minnesota great!
You can order multiple copies, for free, from the Minnesota Historical Society shop. Shipping is also free within Minnesota.
The book is produced with funding from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, passed in 2008 by Minnesota voters. Making Minnesota helps readers to better understand the state’s natural and human history and the importance of the Legacy Amendment in preserving those aspects of our communities.
|
|
|
Updates From Our Partners
Flying Solo?
Are you the only librarian in your building? You don't have to fly alone! Come meet other solos, share your ideas, and ask your questions, at the Solo Library Group. The group meets online the first Thursday of each month at 3:30 p.m.
Register for Solo Library Group
This group was founded by Lynn Delesha, media specialist at Twin Cities Academy. The group is supported by Metronet, the Twin Cities multicounty, multitype library system.
|
Rural Libraries Connecting
Through the American Library Association's (ALA) Community Connect: Fostering Digital Access grant opportunity, 11 public libraries in rural areas will receive resources and support to assist patrons in establishing affordable and high-speed home internet connections.
Rural public libraries from the following states are eligible: Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia.
Libraries selected to participate in Community Connect will receive:
- Five Verizon Wi-Fi hotspots with one-year contracts and service for lending to patrons.
- Five HP laptops for lending to patrons.
- A $2,000 stipend to support educational programs.
- Professional development and support including a practitioner’s guide and webinars.
- Expenses paid for a library staff member to attend a one-day orientation workshop at ALA’s Annual Conference in Chicago in June 2023.
Grantees must meet minimum programming and reporting requirements. For more details, and to apply, see the project guidelines. Applications will be accepted online through April 3, 2023.
|
The Fish Librarian
The Debra S. Fish Early Childhood Resource Library is looking for library partners throughout Greater Minnesota who want to be resource hubs through Child Care Away Wayfinder to support early childhood educators in their community.
If you would like to learn more about this project or how the Debra S. Fish Library can support your library in its work with early childhood educators, Jennie Walker Knoot, the Fish librarian, would be happy to meet one-on-one or attend a staff meeting to share more information. She can be reached at librarian@thinksmall.org or (651) 641-3544.
Funding for the Fish library and Wayfinders, including this joint project, is provided by Think Small and the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
|
Back to Top
Photo/illustration credits: Boris Smokrovic
|
|
|
State Library Services, a division of the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), partners with libraries to achieve equity and excellence in our collective work for Minnesotans. Division staff are consultants who help libraries plan, develop and implement high-quality services that address community needs. State Library Services administers federal grant, state aid, and state grant programs that benefit all types of libraries.
|
|
|
|
