Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grants Open
Each year, State Library Services opens a round of competitive grants using funds from the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). A new LSTA competitive grant round is open, with applications closing on July 12, 2024. For more information, please see the LSTA Grant Opportunities page.
Grant Reviewers Needed
Summer is here – the perfect time to settle down with a cool glass of lemonade and flip through some LSTA grant applications. If this is your dream, let us know! We are looking for people who have availability to review anywhere from three to five LSTA grant applications in mid-July. If you are interested, please fill out the Grant Reviewer form.
Events for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in Libraries
This summer, State Library Services is kicking off two initiatives to help retain Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) who work in Minnesota libraries.
- Starting July 18, in partnership with the Dendros Group, LLC, SLS will host a virtual luncheon series for BIPOC library staff. These monthly sessions – held on the third Thursday of the month – will feature both speaker-led presentations as well as group discussions on a variety of topics, including self-care, solidarity and connection, and job sustainability.
Register for the BIPOC Library Lunch-In Series
- On Wednesday, October 23, 2024, the day prior to the Minnesota Library Association's annual conference, SLS will host a daylong event in a hybrid format, with in-person participants gathered in the Rochester Civic Center and online participants attending via Zoom. Virtual attendance is free; State Library Services will cover the cost of in-person attendance. For more details, see the event overview. Registration will close August 22, 2024.
Register for the MN BIPOC Library Workers Pre-Conference Event
E-rate Cybersecurity Pilot Program
Minnesota's Office of Broadband Development notes that on June 6, the FCC voted to launch a new Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program to address the increasing frequency with which K-12 schools, public libraries, and tribal libraries are targets for cybersecurity attacks. The program provides up to $200M over three years for eligible schools/libraries to defray the cost of cybersecurity equipment and services.
This fall, applications will open for schools and libraries interested in participating in the first year of the pilot. More information is available through USAC.
Printable Crisis Resources Handout
Turtle Talk: Virtual Conversation Series
For libraries interested in engaging with Native families in their communities, the Brazelton Touchpoints Center is offering a unique opportunity in Fall 2024 with 2024 Turtle Talk: Collectively Raising Indige-babies, a free virtual conversation series.
This series explores the many ways in which families help their children grow their Native identities and connections with land while navigating diverse systems of care and learning. Episodes will be on Fridays, 2 to 3:30 p.m. Central. Each episode lasts one hour followed by a 30-minute Q&A session with parent panelists.
Register for Turtle Talk: Collectively Raising Indige-babies
The four-part series began on May 24, 2024; the remaining episodes all take place in Fall 2024.
Episode 2: September 13, 2024
Episode 3: September 27, 2024
Episode 4: October 18, 2024
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