3rd Annual Montana Meme-ory Contest
It is time to start preparing - the third annual Montana Meme-ory Contest is coming in April! How does it work? Pick a photo from our website, think of a catchy meme format for it, and send it in to us. That’s all! You can start preparing now by browsing images on the Montana Memory Project website – we have over 35,000 available, covering every era of Montana history. We have cowboys, animals, miners, politicians – plus embarrassing high school yearbook photos, and much, much more.
We will have more information available on the Montana Memory Project when the contest launches in April. Watch this page for more details: Montana Memory Project (mtmemory.org)
The MMP has some new content, learn more about it in the 4/1/22 bulletin. While our driving purpose is documenting the history of Montana, our content can be used in a variety of ways - school projects, classroom decorations, and of course natural history research. Learn more about these great resources in the 3/25/22 MMP Bulletin
While on the topic of education Take a look at the 3/18/22 announcement about the upcoming MMP Teacher Workshops!
MSL Orientation Series - Getting2KnowU
For those of you who are new to Montana, or new to the Montana library world, please consider getting to know your Montana State Library staff through the Getting2KnowU MSL Orientation Series. These are short, 30-minute webinars where MSL staff each talk about their responsibilities and positions at the State Library, and each webinar you watch qualifies for 0.5 CE in Library Services to the Public.
PCI Webinars for March and April
Montana State Library has contracted with PCI Webinars for access to all live webinars and their recordings from January 2022 - April 2022. You can find a list of webinars, along with the descriptions and speaker bios in ASPeN, as well as in the MSL Moodle Space. You need to register ahead of time to attend the PCI Webinars live. Please read the directions below for steps on how to access the registration link:
- Registration links for the PCI Webinars are only available to Montana library staff, trustees, and volunteers. Please do not share the registration link with anyone who does not fall into those categories.
- All Registration Links are in the MSL Moodle Space, in the "PCI Webinars 2022" course. Please visit the MSL Moodle Space and log in with your account. If you don't have an account, you can create one here.
- Once you have logged into Moodle, click on the "PCI Webinars 2022" course on the homepage. You may have to scroll down a bit to find it. You will then be enrolled in the course and can view the content.
- Navigate to your desired webinar topic, and click on the registration link, and add your information.
If you aren't able to attend the PCI Webinars live, you can access the recording links in Moodle as well a few days after the webinar is finished. If you are having any issues, or have questions, please contact Amelea Kim (akim@mt.gov) or Bobbi deMontigny (bdemontigny@mt.gov).
Here is a list of the webinar topics/dates for March and April:
- 4/6/22 from 12 - 1 pm: Cataloging Graphic Novels
- 4/13/22 from 12 - 1 pm: Power Team - Grow Your Library with Your Circle of Influence
- 4/20/22 from 12 - 1 pm: How Do We Do It? Practical Classification with the Dewey Decimal Classification
- 4/27/22 from 12 - 1 pm: Meditation in the 21st Century - Why Meditation Matters Even More
What is the Democracy Project?
Humanities Montana and the Montana State Library will offer an Informational Webinar
The Democracy Project engages teens in civic action through partnerships with local libraries, community organizers, and Humanities Montana. This program gives teens the resources to effect change and know their role in an evolving democracy through direct participation. Students work for six months on projects they feel are vital to their community, ending with a public showcase. They start by brainstorming questions like, “What makes you angry? What do you love that you want to protect or grow? What would you do with the power and resources to make change?” and then they work together, with the support of the librarian and Humanities Montana to figure out solutions.
This year the Democracy Project is being piloted in three libraries: Billings, Missoula, and Whitehall. Since the projects are teen-led they are each very different and specific to each location and group. We have funding in place for next year and are seeking interested libraries to participate. The program was inspired by the Los Angeles Public Library program which you can view here: Teens Leading Change. and generously funded by the Charles Englehard Foundation.
Beginning in September 2022, the program will offer a new cohort of teens hands-on experience working with local government, business and nonprofit leaders, and other people affected by the issue their group chooses to tackle. Would you like to lead this initiative at your library? Humanities Montana will support you in building your teen audience by engaging speakers from our roster to help with outreach.
Librarians receive a $5000 budget to facilitate the project.
Please contact Jenny Bevill, Democracy Project Coordinator, with any questions:
jennifer.bevill@humanitiesmontana.org
MLN Virtual Programming Series: Montana's Poet Laureate Mark Gibbons on 4/20/22
The Montana Library Network is sponsoring a virtual programming series for 2022 that anyone is welcome to attend. This programming series is not only for the benefit of Montanans all around the state to learn about topics of interest, but also for public libraries to gain experience with virtual programming facilitation in their communities.
The first MLN Virtual Program is with Montana's Poet Laureate, Mark Gibbons, on April 20th, 2022, from 6:30 - 8:00 pm. We are looking for public libraries to commit to participating in this event, and publicizing this opportunity to their communities. Participating libraries will be expected to:
- Share and publicize the event on social media, if your library has social media accounts. We will list your library page as a co-host of the Facebook event as well.
- You can host a viewing party at your library, where all of you join through one computer, or you can invite your patrons to join individually from the comfort of their homes.
- Publicize the event using Poster Templates, with your library's logo on the materials
- Have at least one staff members from your library attend the event live
If you are interested in participating in this event, please contact Amelea Kim at akim@mt.gov, and I will send you more information!
Ready 2 Read Goes Wild Bear Trunk - Host Library Wanted!
The Ready 2 Read Goes Wild program, a joint project between the Montana State Library and Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, uses nature and Montana animals to spark kids' interest in language and literacy, math and science, and the natural world that surrounds them. You can read more about the Ready 2 Read Goes Wild Program on the MSL Ready 2 Read Goes Wild webpage.
We currently have a Bear Trunk that is hosted at 5 libraries in Montana. One trunk has been returned to MSL, so we are looking for another public library to host it and use it with library programming and outreach!
Please email Amelea Kim at akim@mt.gov with the following information:
- Your name, library, and official mailing address
- Your tentative plans for using the trunk, if you were to host it
- Your tentative plans for publicizing the trunk to your community for check out
MSU Extension Training Opportunity: Using Storybooks to Teach Children and Adults about Alzheimer's
Intended Audience:
Extension Agents, Childcare Providers, Teachers, Librarians, and Activity Directors at nursing care facilities, assisted living and memory care centers, or anyone interested in using storybooks to help children and families understand Alzheimer’s disease.
Speakers:
- Vicki Schmall, Professor Emeritus in Gerontology, Oregon State University Extension will present an overview of Alzheimer’s disease and how it affects children and families.
- Jennifer Munter, MSU Graduate Student in Health and Human Develop will explain how using storybooks depicting children’s experiences with Alzheimer’s disease can help children and families cope with the changing symptoms of the disease. She will also provide information to help participants teach, model, and implement recommended practices when reading stories about Alzheimer’s to children.
- Marsha Goetting, MSU Extension Family Economics Specialist will focus on Resources from the ADEAR Center, National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association.
Participants will:
- Be eligible to receive up to one free storybooks written about Alzheimer’s disease if they register and attend the training.
- Receive educational resources about Alzheimer’s disease to distribute in your community.
- Learn how they can be eligible to receive additional free storybooks about Alzheimer’s Disease
Librarians & Teachers:
This training qualifies for 3 hours of library certification credits through the Montana State Library, as well as 3 hours of OPI credit.
Childcare providers:
This training qualifies for 3 licensing credits through Child Care Connections.
Library 2.0 - Service, Safety, and Security Podcast with Dr. Steve Albrecht, "Thought Stopping and Patron De-escalation"
Here is a free podcast from Library 2.0 and Dr. Steve Albrecht on "Thought Stopping and Patron De-escalation":
From Dr. Albrecht: "My topic for this half hour, is kind of a fun one, it is a concept called thought stopping, which I'll explain in some detail. And some de-escalation tools for your toolkit with patrons that are a little bit of a lighter touch, and may be connected to the thought stopping idea which sort of throws them off guard and gets them back down to a grounded reality with you, especially when they're ranting or especially when they're out of control in their conversation or behavior. So let's get started..."
You can find this episode, as well as the rest of the Service, Safety, and Security Podcast, on the Library 2.0 website.
Town Pump Foundation: Keep Kids Reading - Summer Reading Grants for Public Libraries
The Town Pump Charitable Foundation will be providing $1,000 grants to Montana public libraries to support summer reading programs across the state! Any public library is eligible to apply. Please see the links below for a press release, as well as the application link. Applications are due by April 30th, 2022. Thank you Town Pump for all your support!
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Montana Library Resources
This section is a list of resources that may be of interest to the general Montana library audience. Feel free to contribute to this section of the newsletter by sending things to Amelea Kim at akim@mt.gov.
General Library Resources
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Citizen Science Month at SciStarter: April is Citizen Science Month, and there are an abundance of resources from SciStarter that you can dip your toes into!
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State Library of North Carolina Racial Equity in Libraries Toolkit: If you are looking for training on racial equity and how it pertains to library work, you can now access this free training from the State Library of North Carolina. While the materials are geared towards public library work, much of the information can also be applied more broadly to other types of library work as well.
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Link to SLNC's Niche Academy Space - You can also check out some of SLNC's other trainings as well! Be aware that you will need to create a free account with SLNC's Niche space to access the materials.
- Montana Library Association April FOCUS Newsletter
Summer Reading Resources
Children and Youth Services Resources
Economic Development Resources
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MSU Extension Remote Work Certificate Program News: The MSU Extension Remote Work Certificate Course was first offered in May 2021 Montana, and has grown since then. The program is a one-month course that teaches participants how to find remote work, how to use tools used by remote workers, and how to find long-term success as a remote worker. Please share this opportunity with your patrons, and feel free to subscribe directly for updates as this program grows.
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