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The past month has been one of big changes for us. The Montana State Library released a new logo, which you will see present on all of our online properties. We announced a change to our program name, the Montana History Portal. We've saved one of the most exciting changes for last. This week, we deployed a complete redesign of our website. This big change includes both aesthetic and functional improvements which we have been planning and working on for some time. One thing we are NOT changing is our URL, so your bookmarks and favorites will continue to operate as they have. We hope that our users will reap the benefits of these changes, which we have detailed in part below. Please visit the site and check out these changes for yourself!
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Totally New Look
The biggest thing you will notice is that the site looks different. We've left behind our old logo and colors. The new design reflects the changes to the Montana State Library logo, using colors from the Montana state flag.
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Improved Persistent Menus
It was important to us to help users reach the content they want quickly and easily. We have added two new persistent menu areas in the top banner. The first is just below the logo at top left. This will allow you to quickly navigate to Collections, Contributors, and Exhibits pages, from anywhere on the site. In the top upper right you will also see links to get to helpful information such as Get Involved, About, and Help. These menus will follow you everywhere you go throughout the site.
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Quick Access to Featured Items
We have a LOT of content on the Montana History Portal, and we needed a way to make people aware of new and important content on the site. On our home page you will see big and bold Featured Item tiles. These will guide you to new collections we upload, and new digital exhibits as they are released.
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For those of you who are new to the state, or are just looking for a refresher, there is a Ready 2 Read Overview webinar happening on Tuesday, March 7th, from 10 - 11 am. Any and all are welcome, and the webinar will be recorded and posted to MSL's YouTube channel for later viewing. You can find the Zoom link and CE registration at in ASPeN: Ready 2 Read Overview ASPeN Event Listing
Webinar Description: Ready 2 Read is the Montana State Library's early literacy initiative, focused on providing early literacy and early childhood support to families and caregivers so they can be their children's first and best teachers. If you work with children and families in Montana, come learn about how Ready 2 Read can help support your work. Attendees will:
- Learn about the history and origins onf the Ready 2 Read initiative
- Understand the different programs under the Ready 2 Read umbrella
- Understand the resources, trainings, and opportunities available to public library staff and partners
- Know how they can participate in Ready 2 Read and apply available resources to their work
If your library is interested in using an online reading tracker for your patrons, please email Amelea Kim at akim@mt.gov and let her know! We currently have a small group contract with READSquared, and are curious to know if other libraries are interested in joining.
Online reading trackers help you provide a digital option for tracking reading programs, like summer reading, 1000 Books Before Kindergarten, winter reading, community reads, etc. You can use them in addition to your paper logging systems, or you can switch entirely to the digital option. READSquared and Beanstack are two examples of online reading trackers.
This is only a gauge of interest - MSL is currently discussing budget prioritization, and it is unclear if we will be able to continue funding for the current READSquared contract. However, information about potential expansion and library interest in online reading trackers can help us in discussing the future of this contract.
As part of the Ready 2 Read early literacy initiative, MSL has an early literacy tip texting service that anyone can sign up for! It's particularly great for families and caregivers with young children, and it will send early literacy tips directly to a subscriber's cell phone 3 times a week for 8 months. These tips are fun, simple, and easy, and can be seamlessly incorporated into everyday life. We encourage families, parents, caregivers, grandparents, aunts/uncles, anyone with young children in their lives to sign up!
Signing up for the program is FREE and EASY. Text the word "SIGNUP" to 406-204-3583. Even if you have received the tips before, you can sign up again using the same number, and the tips will start over.
Please help share this program with your patrons! We have over 900 subscribers, and we'd love to see this usage increased. To help with outreach, I've created a Social Media Outreach Template that you can use in Canva. You will need to create a Canva account to access this, but Canva is free and also incredibly useful for publicity and outreach material design in general.
Here is a suggested caption you can use when you post these images:
Check out our #earlyliteracytip for the day! You can always help your child learn, wherever you are. This tip is from Ready 2 Read Texting program - you can sign up and get 3 fun, easy tips a week for 8 months to use with your young children! Sign up by texting "SIGNUP" to 406-204-3583. You can also get more early literacy information from our website, ready2readmontana.org or by contacting your local public library.#ready2readmt #montanalibrary #r2rtexting
For those of you attending the 2023 MLA Conference in Billings, please consider attending the session on Friday, April 14th from 11:15 - 12:15 with Diane Sun, the National Student Poet for the West. Diane will share her journey to poetry and exercises that will engage other youth in the form. This is a great session for anyone looking to engage more with teens in their community, especially through poetry and creative activities.
Diane Sun is a senior at Interlake High School in Bellevue, Washington, but she was born and raised in Houston, Texas. She is the president and founder of her school’s art and literary publication, The Interlake Review, as well as the philosophy club. When she’s not writing, she’s debating, either for her school or as a member of the national team. When she’s not debating, she’s writing, merging the (terrifying) passage of time, the intersection of femininity and nature, and her love of her Chinese culture and community in a blend of tea leaves and late nights.
This is a reminder to share this virtual program event information with your patrons! Anyone and everyone is welcome to attend, and the program is entirely free. You will need to register in advance with an email address so you can receive the Zoom link to join. If you can't attend live, we still recommend people to register, as you will receive a link to the recording after it is uploaded!
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is providing facts, science, and information about drugs to teens a new exhibit has been developed by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Museum for use in public libraries around the country. The exhibit addresses teens and younger children by asking “So what’s the big deal about drugs?” The exhibit entitled, Drugs and You: Use your Head, provides information about specific drugs but goes on to encourage teens to develop dreams for their future and create opportunities to engage in healthy activities and positive friendships.
The DEA is looking for libraries to host the exhibit, which is in an easy, transportable "pop-up" format. Please see the Drugs and You: Use Your Head Information Brochure for more details, and reach out to the contact below with any questions.
- Jan McKay Wrzesinski
- DEA Museum Director
- janice.l.wrzesinski@dea.gov
- (202)307-3463
CSLP has announced a new partnership with SciStarter for the 2023 SRP! They have a summer programming themed webinar coming up on March 29th that people are welcome to attend. Please see below for more details:
- Date: March 29th, 12 - 1 pm Mountain Time
- Online - See Webinar Webpage for Zoom link
- Description: Jumpstart your summer reading preparation! This year’s theme All in Together Now ties in perfectly with Citizen Science and the resources developed by the National Citizen and Community Science Library. Join us to learn more about preparing for the 2023 Summer Reading.
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