Ready 2 Read Texting Program Changes
Important Announcement: The Ready 2 Read Texting Program will be changing their sign-up phone number to a 1-800 number. MSL will be working on creating new publicity materials to reflect this change. Things to know:
- The new sign up number is now 844-213-2697, and is currently active.
- For current enrollees in the texting program, there is no change - if they want, they can update their phone contact when they start receiving messages from the new number, but they do not have to sign up again.
- For staff: It's a good idea to start using the 844 number to sign people up for the texting program. Similar to the previous process, they will just need to text "signup" to the 844 number
Please let me know if you have any questions - I will be sending out more information regarding these changes as I learn more!
MLN Virtual Programs for September, October, and November
The MLN Virtual Programming Series is starting back up in September, and we are looking for library co-hosts to help share out the event information and/or host a watch party! Please contact Amelea Kim at akim@mt.gov if your library is interested in co-hosting any of the virtual programs below. As a reminder, co-hosting involves the following:
- Sharing the event with your community through posters, bookmarks, social media, and other outreach channels. Attendees join individually using their own devices at home
- Helping patrons troubleshoot Zoom registration questions, and/or connect them directly with Amelea
- Optional: Hosting a watch party at your library.
Bison Archaeology in Glacier National Park with Kyle Langley
Hauntings of Montana with Ellen Baumler
Logic and Magic with Jon Turk
There are publicity templates for bookmarks, social media posts, and flyers that you are welcome to use. Please contact Amelea Kim at akim@mt.gov for more information!
New MSL Learn Course: Youth Services - Early Childhood
MSL Learn now has a new course available: Youth Services Basics - Early Childhood! This course is designed to build upon the Youth Services Overview course, and give more information on how to specifically support young children and their families. This course will help you understand why library service to young children is important, how to collect appropriate materials, the types of services and programs you can provide to your patrons, and the importance of outreach services
In this course, participants will:
- Understand the major physical, emotional, and mental developmental milestones of children from birth to age six and reflect on how that might influence library services, space, and policy;
- Learn about library services for young children and consider how your library’s services best support their needs;
- Learn about different kinds of library programming for young children.
Course Information:
- Estimated Course Length: 1 hour
- Continuing Education Credits: 1 for Library Services to the Public
- Self-paced
Check out the course and enroll at MSL Learn!
The United States has two upcoming solar eclipses happening, in October 2023 and April 2024! Montana hosted two STEM Workshops focused on Solar Eclipse Activities for Libraries in May, and now have 4 copies of two SEAL STEM Trunks available for Montana libraries to use! The available trunks are:
- SEAL STEM Sun Spotter Trunk (2 copies) - good for all ages, but slight focus on younger children
- SEAL STEM Telescope Trunk (2 copies) - good for all ages, but slight focus on older children/teens/adults
These trunks are part of the MSL Trunk Program and are available to your library for FREE (all shipping costs covered by MSL). You can find out more about how to reserve a trunk by visiting the Lifelong Learning Page on the MSL Website, and scrolling down to the "MSL Trunk Program" section.
Some additional resources for Solar Eclipse Activities in Libraries:
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SEAL Main Project Page: Tons of great information about the upcoming eclipses, eclipses in general, and where you can also request solar eclipse glasses!
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Solar Eclipse Activity Collection: Browse here for a bunch of great ideas for solar eclipse-related activities to do with all ages!
For those of you who are interested in providing legal information resources to your patrons, feel free to print and share this brochure about the Montana Supreme Court Help Program. This program is designed to assist patrons with civil (non-criminal) legal problems. Please see the PDF below for details:
You can also reach out to Grace Loveless at grace.loveless@mt.gov with any questions that you have, or visit the Court Help Program Webpage.
2026 CSLP Slogan and 2027 CSLP Theme Listening Sessions
CSLP has created a survey so they can better assess the usefulness of the materials offered by the program on a national level to better serve you, the CSLP membership!
The survey can be found here: https://forms.gle/5N2agGJmmeqWodJh6 [forms.gle]
FAQs
Who should complete this survey?
The audience for the survey is public library staff who played an active role in administering or running 2023 summer library programming. One person per library could fill it out, or multiple library staff from the same library could complete the sections of the survey most relevant to their work; e.g. children, teen, or adult programs.
- Please coordinate with your colleagues on who will fill it out, especially if you are in a multi-branch system.
- This does NOT need to be filled out by Directors. (Adult/YA/Children program overseers can complete their own portions.)
- EVEN IF YOU DID NOT USE "ALL TOGETHER NOW" AS YOUR THEME, we invite you to complete the survey!
Is this survey required?
No, it is not required, but we would appreciate your input. Every library that responds helps us get a more accurate picture of overall satisfaction with the program.
I want to be prepared. What info will I need to provide?
- General feedback on using (or not) the 2023 program theme and materials
- Feedback and info about how/whether you tracked participation, as well as stats for participation and programming for children (ages 0-11), teens (12-18) and adults.
You may skip any questions for which you don't have the answers. I suggest you wait until your summer program has ended to complete the survey.
When does the survey close?
The survey is open from now until Friday, September 8, 2023.
Talk up your favorite 2026 Slogan and 2027 Theme from the vetted and translated voting slate.
How are the Listening Sessions different from the previous Wordsmithing sessions? The longer list of possible slogans has now been reviewed for copyright, trademark and translated into Spanish. We will not be tweaking verbiage or revising the options at this stage. These sessions are YOUR opportunity to build support for your favorites.
State Reps will be listening and then casting their votes at the CSLP Virtual Annual Meeting. Make sure to reach out to your state rep [cslpreads.org] by September 13 and let them know your favorites too!
Please join us for 1 of the listening sessions:
CSLP 2026 Slogan and 2027 Theme Listening Sessions
Thursday, August 24 ~ (10am PDT, 11am MDT, 12pm CDT, 1pm EDT)
Friday, September 08 ~ (12pm PDT, 1pm MDT, 2pm CDT, 3pm EDT)
Need a reminder? Register here to receive a reminder [docs.google.com].
Voting Slate
2026 Potential Slogans for theme: Dinosaur
- Big and Small Adventures for All / Grandes y pequeñas aventuras para todos
- Explore with a Roar! / ¡Explora con un rugido!
- Romp, Stomp, Read / Corre, pisa, lee
- Unearth a Story / Desenterrar una historia
2027 Potential Themes
- Cooking/Food
- Games/Play
- Engineering/Invention/Technology
- Mystery/Detective/Suspense
- Outdoors/Nature/Camping
- Plants/Flowers/Gardening
- Time Travel/History
- Travel
- Vehicles/Transportation
- Weather
Free Caregiving Programs from AARP Montana – Looking for Library Hosts!
If your library is interested in providing support to caregivers to your community, AARP is looking to provide free caregiving programs across the state! LaDawn Whiteside is a Caregiving Consultant with AARP Montana and would love to give a presentation at your library on a variety of caregiving topics. Here are the details:
- 90-minute time slot preferred, for presentation and questions,
- No request or requirement for AARP membership,
- Can do in-person or virtual,
- Free training for library staff and community,
- Libraries provide meeting space and technology required,
- Available topics:
- Preparing to Care
- Caregivers in the Workplace
- Caregiver Support Groups
- Long Distance Caregiving
If you are interested in this, please reach out to Amelea Kim at akim@mt.gov, and I can connect you with LaDawn to chat over scheduling and options!
This is an update to let you know that the main Lifelong Learning page on the MSL website has been reorganized. Instead of publishing all Lifelong Learning programs in one long list, each program has been separated out into an individual webpage. You can access all webpages from the main Lifelong Learning page, which is still at this web address: https://msl.mt.gov/libraries/lifelonglearning/
Please let me know if you have any questions, or if you encounter any broken links!
For those of you who are looking for more early childhood development training, please consider signing up for the Reimagining School Readiness Training in November 2023!
What is the Reimagining School Readiness Program?
The Reimagining School Readiness Train-the-Trainer program is a professional development program designed to train library staff to use the Reimagining School Readiness Toolkit. The Toolkit, originally developed by the Bay Area Discovery Museum (BADM) in collaboration with the California State Library (CSL), is a set of free resources which includes tips and strategies for librarians, and activities for children and caregivers that prepare children for success in school. Montana first did a training with librarians back in 2022, and are excited to offer it again!
The learning outcomes for this training are:
- Learn and understand the six key findings of school readiness research, and how that fits in with early childhood development environments and opportunities
- Experience four hands-on school readiness activities that can be used in library programming
- Brainstorm, discuss, and share ideas on how to implement the school readiness toolkit and ideas in their current library work, and in future programs
When is the Reimagining School Readiness Training?
The Reimagining School Readiness trainings will be happening VIRTUALLY in November 2023 on the following dates:
- 11/2, Thursday from 9:30 - 11:30 am (Reimagining School Readiness Part 1)
- 11/9, Thursday from 9:30 - 11:30 am (Reimagining School Readiness Part 2)
- 11/16, Thursday from 9:30 - 10:30 am (Project Design and Goal Setting)
All trainings will happen through Zoom.
Who can attend the Reimagining School Readiness trainings?
Any Montana library staff member/trustee is welcome to attend these trainings! Trainings are free, and you are also welcome to invite any of your community partners to these events as well. These trainings would be most interesting and applicable to people who work directly with young children (0-5) and their families, but we are happy to have anyone with interest in this topic. Community partners are also welcome to attend!
Please note that all training participants will be expected to apply the knowledge they learn in a long-term project. MSL will provide support and resources over the course of at least a year to support librarians in their project work.
How do I apply?
Please fill out the 2023 Reimagining School Readiness Training Application by July 31st, and please pass this along to anyone who might be interested!
Ready 2 Read Brochures - Request a Package
 We just did another print order for the Ready 2 Read Brochures, and we would love to share them out with anyone and everyone! There are three brochures available:
- Babies
- Toddlers
- Preschoolers
You can request a package of all of them up to 100 brochures of each type! Additional materials available include:
- Bookmarks
- Magnets
- Large Cards
Please fill out the 2023 - 2024 Ready 2 Read Package Request form to submit your request, and Amelea will follow up with more information!
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