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Image of the Montana State Library Logo
This biweekly digest consolidates and archives events and news from various library directed outreach from the Montana Library Network within the Montana State Library.
- Courier Updates!
- FY2027 Shared Services Cost Estimate
- Montana Library2Go - Libby Quick Training
- The Montana Meme Contest Returns!
- Level All - New Resource for Libraries and Communities
- Final Summer Reading Brainstorming Session - Thurs. May 7th
- Montana Sapphires - Formation, Identification, and Discovery with Crystel Thompson Tuesday May 26th at 6:30 PM
- Library Foundational Training (LiFT) Through Webjunction
- National Volunteer Surveys
- Montana Reads: The Treasure State's Book Club
- Other News
- Upcoming Events
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New Crates:
We have sent out two batches and have two more batches to go! All crates should be out to Partner Libraries by early next week. We will send out crates to 4- Rivers, Bozeman, Butte, and Helena in early June. We made a couple minor adjustments based on feed back, so some libraries might be short 5 or 10 crates from the original estimate, but most should receive all.
Please start using the new crates right away!
Securing a Crate: Please secure the crate on one side with the bungee ball or zip tie. This will leave one side for the label. Please continue to use bags inside crates.
Labels: We will order some more labels. It sounds like the new sticky labels and the black border testing labels are a favorite thus far. We will order more of both of these. Please replace them as needed!
Old Crates Excel Sheet:
Please fill out the to indicate your ideal number of old crates your library would like and how many crates you currently have. Please update this spreadsheet as you receive/lose crates. If you have more old crates than needed, please use this excel sheet to see who is in need and send them via the courier. Please use the reference section on the order sheet to indicate “Name of Library- old crates”- since not everyone is directly on the courier.
Invoice:
MSL will pay for the month of April for Libraries! With the new system we are not able to pay a % or set portion of each order on a monthly basis. We will instead need to pay for a whole month. When the final budget is approved for next fiscal year, we will notify libraries on which months MSL will contribute towards.
Individual invoices will go out for the month of May.
OCLC Group Services:
FY2027 cost will increase by 3% compared to prior year.
Courier:
FY2027 cost will increase by 3% compared to prior year.
MontanaLibrary2Go:
FY2027 cost will increase by 6% compared to prior year.
The invoices for FY2027 will be sent out starting July 1st, 2026. These are for OCLC and MontanaLibrary2Go only. If your library requires an invoice to be created prior to July 1st, please create a support request with Statewide Projects/Montana Library Network, here:
Submit a Library Services support Request.
Common Libby Trainings:
Highlighted Training - Filter and sort results
Learn how to filter your searches in the Libby app.
More Libby/OverDrive trainings can be found on MSL's MontanaLibrary2Go website under Help Guides and Support.
 Choose and caption any photo from the Montana History Portal for your chance to become the top meme in 2026.
HOW TO WIN!
DEADLINE: Submit your entry by Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
FINALISTS SELECTION: Library staff members will review entries and publish the finalists.
On Friday, May 15, 2026, the finalists’ entries will be posted to a collection on the Portal site and opened for voting.
VOTING: The voting period will run from Friday, May 15 – Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. (MST). The winning memes will be the top two entries in each age group with the most “likes” at the time the voting period ends. Voting is open to all.
To ENTER and for more information visit the Montana History Portal Website here.
After receiving the same feedback from so many of you about the need for programming for emerging adults in the form of career planning and building life skills as well as a need for something to offer community members facing mid-life career changes The Montana State Library is partnering with Level All, a free, lifelong college, career, and life-planning platform available to all Montanans.
This is the last one before go time! 5/7 at 11:00
Topics:
- What events do you have planned?
- Who are you partnering with?
- What are you doing for prizes this year?
- Discuss MSL's plans for Beanstack
- See what other libraries are going to do with their Beanstack accounts for SRP
- Leverage Beanstack challenges and bingo in your program
- Review and expand on some of the ideas from previous brainstorming sessions
Thursday May 7th at 11AM on Zoom. Find the event link here:
https://mslservices.mt.gov/ASPeN/Events/Event_Detail.aspx?Event_ID=30599
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Join us for the final MLN virtual program of the season and learn about the unique geologic history of Montana Sapphires.
Crystel Thompson will explain how Montana Sapphires form, what makes them so unique and how to find them in the wild. Her approachable and engaging way of explaining complex processes will garner appreciation of these remarkable gemstones among rockhounds, collectors and curious minds.
Topics will include:
- How Sapphires Form
- Hard Rock Mining vs. Alluvial Deposits
- How to Identify Sapphires in the Field
- Where and how to mine Sapphires in Montana
, and/or for marketing materials to cohost this event in your library
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Strengthen your catalog knowledge with LiFT: Enroll in a new WebJunction course series
Understanding how library materials are organized is essential to providing core library services. The Library Catalog Series is the latest in WebJunction’s Library Foundational Training (LiFT) program and is designed to build confidence and practical knowledge around the library catalog and cataloging fundamentals.
This four-part series includes:
1. Introduction to the Library Catalog
2. Subject Headings
3. Classification and Call Numbers
4. Copy Cataloging
Explore the series or read this article to learn more.
Reimagining Service 2035 is a bold effort to reinvigorate volunteering in America. Aiming to bring the benefits of volunteering—stronger connections, increased empathy and trust, and bridge building—to individuals, communities and societies, we’ll double the number of people who volunteer by the year 2035.
Points of Light is conducting two national surveys to understand how people and organizations engage in service. These surveys will increase understanding in how individuals serve communities, how organizations recruit and support volunteers, what drives participation, and what barriers stand in the way.
Ultimately, they will influence the National Volunteer Strategy.
Please take the survey that fits you best and share it with your networks. Broad participation ensures the strategy reflects the realities of people and organizations nationwide.
- One survey is for individuals who volunteer, formally or informally. The other is for organizations or practitioners who manage volunteers.
To learn more about Points of Light, and the Reimagining Service Project which includes this survey visit,
 Montana library community, please let your communities know about the following ongoing book discussion/book club - Montana Reads: The Treasure State's Book Club, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence next year.
The Montana 250th Commission recently launched a year-long series of virtual events designed to build excitement around the United States’ 250th birthday in 2026. “Montana Reads: The Treasure State's Book Club” is a monthly online book discussion that will cover exciting topics and figures from United States, Montana, and Tribal history.
Each month, a member of the Montana 250th Commission will lead a presentation and discussion on books that explore myriad aspects of our shared history - from the Founding Fathers to Montana statesmen and women, cultural traditions to amazing innovation. These monthly discussions will feature conversations around the books’ central themes, seeking applications to current challenges and initiatives facing our state and nation. Montanans are encouraged to participate in any and all of these events that they find interesting, and where possible to read the book in advance.
All “Montana Reads” events will be held by Zoom on the second Thursday of each month, from 6:30 – 7:30pm MT. The Montana 250th Commission is excited to share these stories with all Montanans and will be bringing in special guests where possible to further bring this history to life.
Thurs., May 14 – One Vast Winter Count: The Native American West before Lewis and Clark, by Colin G. Calloway
Thurs., June 11 - The Minutemen and Their World, by Robert A. Gross
Sign up here on the Montana Historical Society webpage.
For further information on the Montana 250th Commission, please visit Montana 250 or email mt250@mt.gov.
Ideas on how to get involved, visit the Get Involved page here.
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