2012 Spotlight on Books Conference

News from Ruth Solie of Northern Lights Library Network:

Want to let you know that the Spotlight webpage for 2012 is up and complete; it has links to the registration form and a form for lodging reservations. We’re open for business for anyone who wants to begin registering or promoting! I hope you’ll share a link to the website to friends and colleagues everywhere!

Anything you want to know about Spotlight should be at the link.

Free Infopeople Webinars

The month of December has four free webinar offerings in the first half of the month:

When the Clock Strikes 50: Planning for Retirement - Tuesday, Dec. 6 - 1:00PM Central

Building Digital Communities through Blogs and Social Networking - Wednesday, Dec. 7 - 1:00PM Central

Digital Preservation: Fundamentals - Thursday, Dec. 8 - 1:00PM Central

What Will Happen When I'm Gone: Ensuring Knowledge Transfer to Your Successor - Tuesday, Dec. 13 - 1:00PM Central

You register for these webinars the day of the event unless you have a special need for accommodation in which case you need to contact them 72 hours in advance for arrangements. The registration link is in the upper right hand corner and is straight forward. Be sure you go to the bottom of the page to the link for testing to make sure your browser is compatible and ready for the WebEx interface that the presentations use.

The Infopeople webinars I have attended have been uniformly worthwhile. You can click on the title of the webinar above to go the description of each webinar to see if it is something you might find useful.

Salem Press Announces Library Grants Center

Salem Press has announced the launch of a Library Grants Center, a free web tool designed to help librarians everywhere—whatever their level of experience—navigate the world of library grants.

Check out Tech Tools for the Classroom

If you are not familiar with edweb.net you really should check them out. It's a professional social network for the education community and it's free. All you need to do is sign up. Check out their various groups and join those that might be of interest to you. Edweb.net allows you to:

Connect with Colleagues in Education, Create Professional Learning Communities, Collaborate on Goals and Initiatives, Provide Support for New Teachers, Practice 21st Century Skills

I've found their programming to be very beneficial..free webinars at your desktop on topics relevant to you as a librarian and/or teacher.

Take advantage of edWeb.net's TechTools for the Classroom webinar this month!

Making Podcasts

Tuesday, November 15th - 5PM Eastern Time

In this session

Giving students the opportunity to create a podcast gives teachers a chance to learn from their students. When teachers create podcasts it gives them 24/7 access to their students ears. In this webinar we'll discuss how to make podcasts using FREE web-based resources, what sites will host your podcasts for free, and how to download the podcasts onto iPods or MP3 players.

About the presenter

Shannon Holden has been a high school and middle school teacher and administrator in North Dakota, Texas, and Missouri for 20 years. Holden built a website, www.newteacherhelp.com in 2009 to help reduce the 50% five-year attrition rate for new teachers in the educational profession.

To participate, follow this link at the scheduled time:

http://www.instantpresenter.com/edweb12

About TechTools for the Classroom: Easy Ideas to Engage Students

In this community and series of free webinars you'll gain new resources, free technology, and learn ways to integrate technology into the classroom in order to engage your students. In our series of free webinars, live chats, and online discussions, you'll collaborate with other teachers to share techniques that engage students by using technology.

Converse with others who are using technology in classrooms across the country, even in districts where access is limited. CE Certificate provided for webinar participation.

Visit TechTools for the Classroom at www.edweb.net/techtools.

MLA Report # 17

From Nancy Maxwell of the Virginia Public Library:

Thank you to the NCLC Board for funding to help make going to MLA this year possible for me.

Sharon Lerner Lecture: Everything I need to know I learned from a children's book

Author Anita Silvey contacted many noted celebrities to talk about what children's book influence their lives and compiled a book of their essays. In this workshop, Ms. Silvey explained how she did it and how public libraries could do the same with local community "celebrities" for a One Book, One Community event that models reading at all ages. This is a program we could very easily do at Virginia Public Library.

Trustee Subunit Meeting

It was nice to see the number of interested community members that participated in this business meeting. Also interesting were the success stories shared by various Friends groups when the Friends subunit joined the Trustees group.

E-books: What's all the EXCITEMENT About?

It was interesting to learn how other libraries around the state are handling e-books, what types of readers the libraries are providing (or not providing) to patrons and what types of formats they offer and their take on e-book collection development.

Things in a Flash: The Latest Web 2.0 Tools

This was a fun, fast paced overview of marketing tools for libraries and personal use. I was most impressed with the ease of making and using QR codes using Bitly. Get Glue, a social network for entertainment and Wunderlist, a tool for note-taking were of less interest to me. A number of other tools presented were just not anything that I would probably use.

50 in 60 Book Blast

Always my favorite workshop at any MLA conference. It's fun to hear what other people like to read and to get new leads on books in genres I don't usually consider such as Nordic mysteries, contemporary women's fiction, fantasy and science fiction and horror.

Overall, I thought it was a nice conference. the sessions and speakers were of quality. There were not as many exhibitors as there are when the conference in in the Cities. There were a lot of sessions that I would have like to attend but it seemed they were all scheduled in big blocks of time. I thought there was too much time in between sessions. I guess you just can't get to everything. I enjoyed networking with colleagues.

MLA Conference Report #16

From Eileen Anselment of the Silver Bay Public Library:

The theme of the 2011 MLA Conference in Duluth was "Libraries: Superior Values for Life". Just glancing at the schedule, anyone could see that libraries truly are a life-long value. From infants to elders, students to leaders, readers to authors and others, libraries are free and open to all...from past, present and hopefully, well into the future.

With so many offerings at this year's conference, my two coworkers and I were planning and re-planning our selections right up until we walked into our respective conference rooms.

Having a renewed interest in children and young adult books because of changes in my own family, I wanted to know how many of the forty titles presented in 60 minutes I would find interesting and exciting enough to want to include in my personal library or in the public library of the small town where I work. I noted the titles I found most interesting and exciting for young readers. Titles like: Terezin: Voices from the Holocaust; How to Survive Anything; Please Ignore Vera Dietz. Of the 40 titles , there were less than 5 I could resist either reading or purchasing. Maybe it was the enthusiasm and joy in the reviews provided by hosts Heidi Hammond, Joni Kruesner and Gail Nordstrom. I know I'll be checking out more than a few of these titles and finding out for myself what make these selections great books for kids.

After the morning's first session I regrouped with my two co-workers. We decided to check out the exhibit hall. It was great to see the Edmund Fitzgerald hall packed with all of the agencies and organizations that lend support to libraries and meet some of the people behind the scenes. (Minnesota Historical Society, Lerner Publishing, Minitex, Baker and Taylor, and many, many more.) Some I had not even known of before today. We easily spent an hour perusing the exhibit's wares. And what's not to love about leaving an exhibit fully armed with a year's supply of pens, post-it notes, a little dental floss and candy? Unfortunately, we missed out on the coveted cat bags.

Dessert always makes life's little disappointments a bit more palatable so onward we went, minus our cat bags, to the dessert keynote with Dr. Scott Nicholson, Associate Profession and Program Director for the Masters of Science in Library and Information Science, Syracuse University. I liked his ideas. Let's have a little fun in libraries with gaming! We're not talking about back-room gambling or exclusive intellectual games, but fun, creative play. Imagine creating stories between a toddler and a senior citizen. Maybe you and a group of friends can create an entirely new board game. Sure, you may not get rich but you'll have fun conjuring new worlds with friends or people you might not even know. Imagine that, it could be fun,. I think it's a wonderful idea.

Some might argue that technology is robbing us of our imaginations. it was quite obvious- as seen by the numbers of participants quickly filling the room for my next session- that people are excited. By the time the session was scheduled to begin (E-books: What's All the Excitement About?) there was standing room only. More chairs were brought in and still there were people pressed towards the door. The panelists held a broad view of technology, E-books specifically. Some absolutely love them, other, not so much. What will become of the beloved physical book? How do we handle the ever growing number of devices and the technological questions that come with them? There were possibly more questions than answers but it is a thought provoking topic by its very nature. I thought the panelists were excellent and a perfect balance of those who proceed cautiously and those who go boldly. I'm still not sure which way I'm going.

That is why, though I hadn't considered it at the time, I was very glad that my last session of the day was Growing Readers: Bringing Libraries, Nature, and Families Together. Nature takes the edge off. Nicole Brinkman and Jennifer Dietrich are children's librarians at Ramsey County. They are mothers of young children who love sharing the natural world with their children and others. Sadly, they have also witnessed the increasing difficulties that children who are not exposed to nature experience. From stress, lack of creativity, difficulty with social skills, nature deficit is an increasing social ill. By creating a garden oasis in an urban area on the grounds of Ramsey County Library, they have provided a place where children can fully engage with nature. At the same time, they can utilize and integrate the the resources of the library with this garden space. As they demonstrated, the two work together beautifully. The children can explore the garden they helped design. Books and resources inside the library help them identify what's happening in 'their' world outside. Whether it is bugs, plants or vegetables they can turn into food, flowers they can draw and color, stones they can turn with their parents or grandparents, it is an experience outside of themselves. That the library is a place where they are finding this place seems perfectly natural.

As we go forward, keeping simple values integrated with the complexities of future demands might be what keeps libraries thriving well into the future.

Nominations Sought for NE MN Book Awards (NEMBA)

The University of Minnesota Duluth Library and the Friends of the Duluth Public Library are seeking nominations for the Twenty-fourth Annual Northeast Minnesota Book Awards (NEMBA).

Category nominations are : General Nonfiction, Fiction, Art, Photography, Children's Literature, Poetry, and Memoir and Creative Nonfiction. A non-refundable $25 entry fee is required for each nominated title.

The awards recognize books that are substantially representative of northeastern Minnesota in the areas of history, culture, heritage or lifestyle. For the purposes of the awards, northeastern Minnesota includes these counties: Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Kanabec, Koochiching, Lake, Pine and St. Louis.

Nominated books must have been originally released in 2011.

To nominate a book, visit the NEMBA web site. Each nomination should be sent with a copy of the nominated book and the non-refundable $25 entry fee.

An awards reception honoring all nominated authors will be held on Thursday, May 17, 2012 in the Kirby Ballroom on the University of Minnesota- Duluth campus and is open to the public. For more information, visit the NEMBA web site.

A Report on AASL in Minneapolis

From Susan Solin, Morgan Park Middle School, Duluth, MN:

On October 27-29, I had the unique opportunity to attend the AASL (American Association of School Librarians) National Convention in Minneapolis. This was an amazing conference, filled with people whose main goal is to instill a love of reading in others. Thursday night I attended the keynote address by Nicholas Carr. He is the author of the book The Shallows. His talk, "The Mind in the Net" had the premise that our mind behaves differently because we are now trained to multi-task. He believes that when we emphasis one way of thinking, we de-emphasis another. The Internet gives us an "information rich, interruption-rich" environment which encourages quick shifts in focus. This change actually discourages sustained attention.

I was fortunate to attend six concurrent sessions with a variety of topics. "Book Clubbing without Boundaries" gave me ideas and insights into conducting Book Clubs as an after-school program. Information was shared regarding how to choose the novel, advertise the event, type of groups (groups for at-risk students, grade level, etc.), and "Skyping" with authors after a novel has been read.

"Recommending Reading: Letting Technology Lend a Hand" gave a wealth of information pertaining to websites that suggest books to read based on patron's interest and books that they have enjoyed in the past. I aslo attended a session called "Kids Tell It Write", which was pesented by Sue Black, who is a storyteller who uses her skills to encourage students to write. This session allowed participants to practice her techniques in activities that can easily be used in the classroom. "Plagiarism and All That Comes with It " gave case studies of celebrities who were take to court over copyright infringements, as a way to share copyright, plagiarism and fair use information. Another session was "Turning the Page from the Past: Purposeful Programming for Your Patrons". This session gave fabulous ideas for after-school programming such as : "Teen Read" weeks, poetry slams, movie nights and many more. Excellent information was given regarding time management, fund raising and grant writing, and how to get teachers and staff on your side. My favorite session was "Knock 'em Dead: Using Book Trailers to Get Students Reading and Researching". This session gave websites and software options to create (and have students create) book trailers. I have already created a book trailer to use with my classes during book checkout weeks because of this session!

This conference was, perhaps, the best one I have ever attended, simply because the whole focus was the promotion of reading. The ideas and suggestions that I gathered will certainly be put to use.

My Experience at the MLA Conference in Duluth, October 12-14, 2011

From Mark J. King of the Cloquet Public Library:

I attended my first Minnesota Library Association conference from October 12 through 14 in Duluth. I knew little about what to expect, other than that it might be a nice break from work as well as an opportunity to meet other librarians and attend some informational sessions. The array of sessions, breakouts, and other unfamiliar offerings looked daunting from the conference website. I knew there would be opportunities to learn, but I did not realize that the conference could well qualify as continuing education. In fact, I was unprepared for the information overload I was to experience over the next three days.

Things began promisingly with Anita Silvey's luncheon keynote address. Her topic—the books that have most influenced children who became leaders in their fields—was one that I've thought a great deal about myself, and I've made lists of those works that made a memorable impression on me. So I immediately related to what Ms. Silvey had to say, and pulled out my notepad (the old-fashioned paper kind) to take notes. Several of the books mentioned were among those on my own personal lists. This was one of the best talks I have ever enjoyed, and I sought out her book as soon as I returned to my library.

The honeymoon was soon over, however, as I began attending the information-laden mini-classes. I took notes on all of them. The "New to the Game" session was dynamic but also overwhelming—it felt more like a test about what I didn't know than an introduction offering explanations that would help guide me through the conference. This first session was certainly challenging.

I felt a little more comfortable in the second session I chose, "Professional Social Media." I knew the basics of Facebook although I don't use it. The session did not overestimate one's familiarity with Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and struck just the right balance. I came away with many helpful ideas.

My first day came to an end with the cocktail reception at Fitger's. There, I met two librarians from Canada and was most interesting to compare notes on our libraries and communities.

The first session I attended on Thursday was St. Catherine's professor Joyce Yukawa's excellent presentation on "Empowering Older Adults. I was surprised to learn that her focus was specifically on adults age 84 and older. It is at that age that motor and cognitive skills begin to decline precipitously, she explained. Significantly for libraries, this population will double in the next 20 years. Practical tips were given regarding web design, and a link to her professional website provides access to her handout and PowerPoint presentation.

Being something of a traditionalist, I have been a skeptic when it comes to "gaming" activities in the library. My mind was opened to an extent at the dessert keynote address on "Engagement Through Games" by Scott Nicholson of Syracuse. I especially took notice when he said that a chess club was welcomed in the San Francisco Public Library in 1855. I haven't investigated the websites yet that he referred to but plan to do so. Our library now has X-Box Kinnect, which surprisingly seems to be a plus when it comes to some of the "problem" teens who hang out here. I do plan on looking into further gaming possibilities.

I next attended "Libraries Supporting Job Seekers." We have many unemployed people using our library, and I agree that we need to provide services meeting their needs. One of my responsibilities at the Cloquet Public Library has been to offer beginning computer classes. Judging by the response to these classes, I know how important it is for libraries to step up to the plate with practical offerings.

The presenters spoke of the resistance that they have encountered from the Jobs & Training/Workforce department. I could understand the concerns of Jobs & Training, because it seemed like libraries were trying to do their job. For example, it was recommended that the librarian meet one-on-one with patrons to assess their needs, review their resumes, determine their interviewing skills, etc. It's one thing to be able to provide resources and assist people, and it's another to try to be, not only librarians, but social service workers, job counselors, and the like. The demands being placed on librarians to be all things is a little unsettling. However, I think a balance can be reached, and most of what was presented was indeed something I could see being implemented in a library.

I still have many handout materials to go through before I'll be able to figure out what aspects of the job seekers session I may be able to bring to use here. Some suggestions were as simple as adding links on the library webpage to job-hunting resources and bookmarking job search websites on public computers.

An afternoon session on "The Latest Web 2.0 Tools" was fun and informative. I liked the way many new web technology topics were covered by different librarians. I was excited to find out how easy it is to create a QR Code, and I have already placed one that links to our library's events blog on some of my events posters.

Friday morning brought my final session that I attended, "50 in 60 Book Blast." This was an informative session, especially since I haven't had time to keep up with all of the latest titles (and I'm not involved inordering books).

Finally, the closing luncheon address with writer William Kent Krueger was the most enjoyable moment of the conference to me, along with Anita Silvey's opening address. It occurred to me that what resonated with me with these two speakers is that they are writers and creative people. My own background and aspirations have been along similar lines, whereas the role of librarian is more of a nuts-and-bolts, practical, technically savvy manager. I am learning to become those things and am beginning to see that it is possible to be both. The MLA conference showed me that I don't have to forget my liberal arts and humanities education and interests even as I continue learning new skills and developing in my career as a librarian.

All in all, the three-day conference was very valuable in my professional development. Should I have the opportunity to attend future conferences, I will feel better prepared and more comfortable with the challenging nature of the conference.

MLA Conference Report #14

From Julie Meyers of Silver Bay Public Library:

The following is my report/review of my experience attending my first MCLA Conference:

I attended on Thursday October 13, 2011.

Session C3- Empowering Older Adults: I enjoyed this session and the speakers. Since I work in a small rural library and we have a number of older adults without computer skills this session was helpful to me. I could relate to the inhibition and frustration older adults feel when first confronted with a computer. I learned that older adults just want/need basic computer skills than include email, internet and social network use. I liked the idea of creating a "senior friendly" atmosphere and a special area in the library with a larger keyboard, ergo mouse, pointers, better seating etc. for them to feel more comfortable and lessen stress. I also like the idea of a "Senior Day" where seniors could come in specially to address their needs and learn to use computers more efficiently. Finding out a persons needs is also important; they just may need help finding something on the Internet and not a whole explanation of DOS!! These are all good ideas that can be used in our library.

LUNCH: The lunch speaker was interesting until we played the game he had designated. Many people at my table did not want to participate and it was rather a flop. I thought maybe this game, for such a large audience, was just too complicated. Maybe something "lighter" would go over better. I really enjoyed his enthusiasm for his subject tho---., and games at the library are a wonderful way to bring young, old, and families together.

Session D5- EBOOKS: WHAT'S ALL THE EXCITEMENT ABOUT?: This was a panel session with great panelists!! They all had much to contribute and I learned a lot about how larger libraries are handling E-book issues. It was interesting to learn how they are incorporating this new technology and what the future will bring our way on this subject.

Session E10 - THINGS IN A FLASH: THE LATEST WEB 2.0 TOOLS: This is an area where I have basically no skills, knowledge!! so this was a great session for me. I learned about QR codes, Instagram, Get Glue, Wunderlist and Evernote! The last two will come in handy in my personal life for organization. QR Codes are everywhere and I never really knew the purpose. I now understand them and can see how we could use them to draw the younger crowd (teens and young adults) to more library use by incorporating this technology- maybe in the reading programs??. I also heard about Google API's, Cloud Collaboration and Geo location. All in all a lot of information. I would like to delve deeper into each one now. A teen geo location program might be a neat idea. I know that they have similar programs at the state parks and they are very popular.

I felt my day spent at the MLA conference was very informative and I was glad to have the opportunity to attend.

MLA Conference Report #13

From Carla Powers of Duluth Public Library:

This year's MLA conference was, as usual, full of information and ideas. Below are a few particularly useful gems That I took away from it.

We are advocates for citizens. In a session titled "Everyone is a Library Advocate!" one of the speakers encouraged us to reframe the idea from being advocates for libraries to being advocates for the citizens whose lives are changed by libraries. I think this slight shift in approach could have a powerful impact on the way we tell our stories as public libraries. I am going to encourage my board, Friends group and foundation to focus less on the importance of the library as an institution in their advocacy efforts, and to focus on collecting and sharing the stories of the individuals who use and depend upon our services.

Libraries are about services, not stuff. This was shared in Thursday's "Engagement through Games" keynote luncheon. To me it's a gem because it points to the new way that libraries are approaching their mission. We're still in the business of loaning "stuff," but as collections and access points change we are realizing that the most important thing libraries provide is a connection between people and ideas. We accomplish this through the services we offer. As remote access to "stuff" continues to grow, I think that libraries need to emphasize their role as the Great Good Place - a place where all people are welcome and can come to spend quality time, learn something new, and interact in person with others in the community.

Get off the dance floor and onto the balcony. This phrase came from a session called "Performance Management: Theory and Practice," which featured three speakers from the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits Performance Management Institute. The speaker was referring to the importance of periodically stepping back from day-to-day operations to take a big-picture view. It's a good reminder than even though library directors and managers get very busy with the day-to-day operations of their library, we need to remember that it's our job to focus on the big picture of library service for our community.

Thank you, NCLC board, for providing this scholarship to cover my attendance at the MLA Conference. The library's travel and training funds are very limited these days, and by covering my registration you made it possible for another library staff member to attend.

MLA Conference Report #12

From Debby Bocnuk of Babbitt Public Library:

The MLA Conference offered a wide variety of practical sessions, an array of vendors, and time to mix, mingle, and discuss library related issues with others. In all, it was a good opportunity to learn, locate resources, and network. A brief summary follows.

Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children's Book with Anita Silvey, the Wednesday Luncheon Keynote was excellent and inspiring. Anita interviewed Kirk Douglas, Maurice Sendak, Robert Kennedy Jr., Steve Wozniak, Steve Forbes and a host of other notable people who linked their career choices and accomplishments to specific children's books. Their interviews spoke to the significant power and influence of children's books and how lives were impacted. Dr. Scott Nicholson, Thursday's Dessert Keynote, presented Engagement Through Games: Reaching Library Users through Playful Ways. His goals included attracting teens and adults, establishing the Library as a Community Hub and source for Entertainment. Gaming improved the library's reputation, gamers used other services while in the library and returned for non-gaming services, and social connections were made.

Among the sessions I attended were Nick Lavely's History of Copyright (fast paced and info packed covering copyright from 1790 to present with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998), Organizing Your Ordering: Buying Materials for Children's Collections (an interactive exchange of useful info), Empowering Older Adults (research findings, best practices, and resources), Board@Your Library (hot board games to develop community with teens and families), and Growing Readers: Bringing Libraries, Nature, and Families Together (incorporating early literacy principles with nature play and creating family connections).

Benefits of attending the conference go beyond just the sessions. An evening was shared with several attendees, one, a presenter, shared a wealth of fascinating information during our dinner conversation. Also, vendors included architectural firms that deal with libraries. This was a great find as our Library Board has been looking for a person knowledgeable of lighting needs specific to libraries.

I will be revisiting my notes as there are great ideas and useful information to be put into practice.

Again, thank you for granting me the privilege of attending this conference.

MLA Conference Report #11

From Laurie Slattengren of Duluth Public Library:

I attended the Minnesota Library Association conference on Thursday, October 13, 2011. During the day I was able to attend three workshop sessions, one keynote address and spend time looking at the vendors. The first session I attended was “Empowering Older Adults: Research-based Training for Web Information and Access.” I chose this topic because I currently teach computer classes for an audience that is largely comprised of older adults or seniors. I was hoping to get tips to use in my work with older adults but the presentation focused more on research the presenters had done on the topic than on practical advice.

While I did find some of the information interesting and helpful in my work with older adults, I have been able to find the most value from the resources that are available online through the presenter’s presentation. These include outlines for teaching classes on computer basics, email and Internet, which are three topics I currently teach to the public. These resources will be helpful in further developing the classes I teach.

Next, I attended the panel session on the popular topic of ebooks. I also teach sessions at our library on this topic and I was interested in hearing about how other libraries in Minnesota are dealing with this trend. The panel consisted of several library professionals from around the state giving their opinions and experiences with ebooks in libraries.

The last session I attended was called “Things in a Flash: The Latest web 2.0 Tools.” I found this presentation to be the most interesting and I have already started using some of the featured programs in my life. Some of the programs we learned about are good for productivity (Evernote) while others are just fun (Get Glue). I found it interesting to see how library’s can have a presence on Foursquare (a location application where people can check in to a place on a website) and I now have a better idea of how a library can take advantage of a program like this.

MLA Conference Report #10

From Linda Rau of Duluth Public Library:

Libraries at the Front Lines of Workforce Recovery
Presenters: Chad Lubbers, Washington County Library
Jennifer Peterson, Community Manager, WebJunction

Jennifer explained the program that has been developed by WebJunction to help libraries serve patrons who are unemployed and looking for jobs. She cited a couple of websites where webinars can be watched at no cost to train Minnesota library staff. WebJunction provides tools for libraries to understand basic needs of job seekers.

Chad Lubbers talked about Washington County Library’s program and stressed that collaboration and partnership with businesses and agencies made their program successful. Their target audience was job seekers and people who want to start small businesses. They also developed a program that provided legal resources for people who were going into foreclosure on their homes.


Engagement through Games: Reaching Library Users through Playful Ways Presenter: Dr. Scott Nicholson

Scott explained how games can be used to connect people across generations & cultures and create shared experiences. He talked about games that are free or do not cost a lot of money for libraries. Games at libraries can attract people who are not currently users.


E-books: What’s All the Excitement About?

Presenters: Rita Baladad, Melissa Gray, Brian Kraft, Michele McGraw, Amy Springer

This session on E-Books was very interesting as it included discussion on e-books in both public and academic libraries. This is still a new format to most libraries, and how it will fit into the collection, and how statistics will be collected is still a topic for discussion. Most of the talk centered on Overdrive.

MLA Conference Report #9

From Kim Lindberg of Duluth Public Library:

I attended the Thursday October 13th session of the 2011 Minnesota Library Association Conference. I took advantage of four programs: 40 in 60, Engagement through Games, Children of Incarcerated Parents, and The Customer is Always Right. The programs were informative, insightful, and fun.

I was looking forward to the 8:00 AM seminar, Merchandising Matters, but unfortunately the presenter was unable to attend and the session was canceled. Instead I choose 40 in 60: Great Books for Kids and Teens, another early session. This session featured 40 youth and young adult recommended titles in 60 minutes. The presenters were both enthusiastic and well informed. We were given nice handouts with plenty of room for notes and comments. The books covered a broad spectrum from book club suggestions to gritty young adult novels and lavish non-fiction books. I found that our library has most of the titles and I will be sure to recommend these books to our patrons.

The dessert keynote, Engagement through Games, followed an informal lunch. The desserts were fantastic and the presentation was fascinating. We learned how games have been used in libraries for years to attract patrons. Especially interesting to me was the fact that circulating toy collections began in the Great Depression. We collectively played a game that involved imaginative storytelling. It was a relaxing and regenerative way to kick off the afternoon sessions.

I was going to attend the E-book session at 1:00 PM, but since most of my colleagues were already going to that session we decided to split up and then share information. Instead I went to Children of Incarcerated Parents. This was a very informative but somewhat somber presentation. Prison populations have risen dramatically in recent years and the children of incarcerated parents face many obstacles, for example, increased risk for school failure, substance abuse, and adult incarceration themselves. Libraries can provide a valuable community service on both a public and personal level with programming for children and their parents and caregivers. The presenter shared some suggested titles and encouraged collaboration between libraries and corrective facilities.

The last session I attended was The Customer is Always Right. This session examined new trends in library design and showcased the Roseville Library. Recent library design trends encourage flexibility; furniture and shelves that can be rearranged, electrical outlets built into the floor, and neutral color schemes. Additionally, new library designs favor environmentally friendly multi-use facilities. Library patrons are also changing. These patrons want library services that are “now/fast/personalized”. The renovated Roseville Library really tried to balance the needs of the community, patron suggestions, and the changing library customer. The Roseville library has an open first floor plan with plenty of computers, a convenient grab-your-hold and go, and a spacious children’s area. The first floor is “where the action is”. The second floor holds the adult fiction and non-fiction books and study rooms and is a quieter space for patrons. Interestingly, this session had quite a few more men in attendance than the other two presentations. This session had a sophisticated vibe and was a lovely end to a thought-provoking day.

In conclusion, I just had a great time. Additionally, I learned many new things and connected with a wide variety of colleagues. I have already shared the booklist from the first session with a patron and talked to my co-workers about the Roseville Library. I am very grateful for the opportunity to attend the MLA conference.

MLA Conference Report #8

From Julie Levang of Duluth Public Library:


I was able to attend MLA all three days, thanks to the NCLC scholarship. These are the sessions that I went to:

Why Should We Use Social Media to Promote the Library? - Presentation by Rochester Public Library about different ways they use social media tools in their library. Lots of good tips about ways we could be using free social media tools at DPL.

Libraries in the Cloud - Another presentation by Rochester Public Library staff, that provided a good introduction to what cloud technology means, and ideas about how libraries can make use of it. Some cloud-based technologies discussed included Google Docs, Office 365, Zoho, Gliffy, Dropbox, Spotify, Pandora, Picassa, Flickr, and ChiliFresh.

Libraries at the Front Lines of Workforce Recovery – Presenters from WebJunction and Washington County Library talked about libraries that have successfully implemented programs and services that target patron’s workforce recovery needs, and how they went about it. They discussed ways that library staff can utilize existing resources, and also how to develop beneficial partnerships. A copy of the publication Project Compass Workforce Recovery Workshops, was given to everyone attending the session.

E-Books : What’s all the EXCITEMENT About? – An overview of the growing role e-books are playing in libraries, given by librarians from a mix of libraries from around the state. Each presenter talked about e-books in their library, including how usage has grown, problems, and tips and recommendations. It was interesting to learn that we made Overdrive available to our patrons ahead of many libraries in the cities.

Things in a Flash : The Latest Web 2.0 Tools – A quick overview of new Web 2.0 tools, presented by staff members from a variety of libraries. Each talked about their favorites, and ways that they can be used in libraries. Topics included QR Codes, Get Glue, WunderList, Everynote, Google API’s, PB Works, Google Groups, and FourSquare,

Minnesota Library Futures Initiative – Background information about the formation of the Minnesota Library Futures in October 2010, and a report on their progress thus far. We broke up into small groups, and brainstormed about what the future of libraries might look like, and ways that libraries might want to respond to the changes.

MLA Scholarship Report #7

From Cynthia Gronroos Of Duluth Public Library:

I attended three sessions at the MLA Conference on Oct. 13, 2011. I also attended the Dessert Keynote Session. The sessions I attended were informative and educational.. I attended 40 in 60: Great Books for Kids and Teens, Children of Incarcerated Parents: Who’s Counting and Why We Care?, and One Book, One Conference: The Stormchasers.

40 Books in 60: Great Books for Kids and Teens

The three booktalkers were well informed about their materials. They kept the interest of the audience with their enthusiasm, even the “just for fun” non-fiction books. They were entertaining as well being educational. I enjoyed the session because of the light-hearted way the booktalkers presented themselves. If the youth Librarians can be this enthusiast doing their job, they could inspire many young readers to enjoy most books, even the ones that they have no interest in. Now I understand why story time is so important, because different type of books are presented opening children’s minds to new types of books. I was pleased to find our library carries most of the books discussed in this session. I was going to attend another, but it was cancelled, I was glad I went to this one.


Children of Incarcerated Parents: Who’s Counting and Why We Should Care?

Rebecca Shlafer informed the audience with the shocking news of the number of children who have parents who are incarcerated in Minnesota totals 10,000 to 15, 000. The number of fathers who are prisoners total 4604, and the mothers who are prisoners total 374. The children of these prisoners are at risk of poor academics, internal behavior problems, external behavior problems, substance abuse and chance of adult incarceration themselves. These children face a difference of housing, 10% are homeless. Parents who are at home have financial difficulties, most make less that $2000 a month.

Ms Shlafer did comment on the education of the prisoners. She claimed that 68% of the population did not graduate from high school. I would have liked if she would have talked more on the subject. I researched the illiteracy of prisoners and it showed that 70% of the prisoners do not read above the fourth grade level. Illiteracy is one source of why some of these prisoners are there. I would have liked that she stressed the children of the incarcerated need to have access to books and education or they could follow in their parents footsteps. Without an education the children’s future looks dim.

She did inform us of two books that she thought were good for the children to read about the family and the parent when the other parent is incarcerated. The books were “Visiting Day” and “Nine Candles”.

Because of confidentially it is very difficult to reach out to these children. She had no clear way to find these children and to get these children to the library and to storytime.

The best advice she gave was “give a child a book and they will read”. I left the session feeling frustrated and helpless. I feel the Librarians and the staff should encourage children to read, suggest to join a children’s book club and maybe with luck one the children who joins the group will be a child of a incarcerated parent wanting to read and educate themselves.


One Book, One Conference: The Stormchasers

Jenna Blum, the author of The Stormchasers was the presenter of this session. As a child she would watch her father at work. He was a writer for numerous television stations and celebrities. She learned by watching him that she would like to write also.

At age four she was staying with her grandparents in Southern Minnesota when she witnessed her first tornado. She loved the excitement that surrounded the storm. She watched the television show The Stormchasers and loved it. She began working with the program and follows the storms whenever she gets a chance. Her writing skills and the love of the storms lead her to write her second book The Stormchasers. She talked of the pressure of meeting a deadline, of having to locked herself in her own house and do nothing but write. She said you either love or hate your agent and publisher. She would have to rewrite parts of her book because of her agents’ or publisher’s input. She expressed to write a book your have to know your subject, research it and enjoy it.

I was happy to know our library has both of her books, Those Who Save Us and The Stormchasers.

I enjoyed going to the MLA Conference. The sessions were interesting and educational. Even though I was feeling helpless after the one session, I still learned a lesson. To be a friendly face and be patient with others may encourage someone to come back to the library.

MLA Scholarship Report #6

From Kathy Bushey of the Duluth Public Library:

I attended six of the sessions offered at MLA this year:
-If You Encourage Them They Will Come – Strategies for Building eBook circulation
-Summer Reading Programs: Rethink, Retool, Refresh
-To Boldly Go: Fantastical Journeys through Science Fiction Advisory
-Ebooks: What’s All the Excitement About?
-The Customer is Always Right: Trends in Library Design
-50 in 60 Book Blast

I attended sessions that I thought would be useful to me at DPL. I work in Fiction and Media and I thought they dealt with a lot of topics that libraries, including DPL, are confronting. The two sessions on eBooks had some really good information about this format, including who uses it and what they read, and its impact on libraries – from staff time to budget issues. The session on Trends in Library Design was also helpful since DPL may be undergoing future renovation. The impact of all the new technology (including ebooks) and what patrons expect from the library are greatly influencing designs. It all forces you to think about the library in a different way. If we want to be relevant and useful to the public, we need to be aware of what’s going on in technology – since it’s becoming more and more a part of people’s lives. We need to be able to change and adapt in ways that, for some, could be difficult. It all makes it an interesting time to be a librarian.

I also found the Summer Reading Program useful since DPL is about to start working on its summer program. Since I’m involved with preparing ours, I was hoping to get some good ideas about better promoting it and hearing how other libraries get funding. Even though it was geared for Youth Services, many of the ideas could easily by translated to Adult programs.

The Science Fiction Advisory session was great! The presenter was funny and knowledgeable about the genre (she’s a trekie) and even though I’m familiar with science fiction, she really broke down the genre and discussed all the different types of sci-fi - I think it will prove useful for future science fiction questions.

MLA Scholarship Report #5

From Dan Buckanaga of Duluth Public Library:

MLA 2011

I’ve attended the Minnesota Library Association conference the previous two years, and I knew I didn’t want to miss MLA when I learned it was being hosted in my home city of Duluth, Minnesota. I’ve always enjoyed myself in years past, and this year was no exception. Winning a silent auction for an autographed picture of Minnesota Viking, Percy Harvin didn’t hurt either.

I was only able to attend the conference on Thursday, October 13th. The first session I attended was “C3. Empowering Older Adults” with Chris Anning and Joyce Yukawa presenting. This class was particularly interesting to me, as I have taught many computer classes in the past and will likely be doing so at some point in the future. As a majority of our students that signup for the class are older adults, I thought this would be a natural fit. I was interested to learn that their idea of an older adult was 85+, though most of our students range from 40-70, however much of what they said can still be potentially applied towards helping our current classes. For instance, senior volunteers can be a big help, because many older adults feel more comfortable being instructed by someone older.

My second session I attended was “D5. Ebooks: What’s all the EXCITEMENT about?”. This was definitely the most packed session I attended, with every seat taken and people standing in the aisles. It was more of a question and answer panel, with the presenters debating and discussion questions that seemed to be predetermined ahead of time, as well as questions from the audience. No one took a strong stance one way or the other about the future of print media, and I would of liked to hear more about the 3M library e-readers and software. Overall it was still interesting to hear library professionals opinions.


My final session that I attended was “E10. Things in Flash: The latest Web 2.0 tools”. I enjoyed this session last year as well in Rochester. I always find it interesting to see what new technology other library workers are using, and how they find ways to fit it into libraries. Some of the tools presented were more of a stretch for actual use in libraries, and some had some interesting possibilities. One of the presenters talked about QR codes, and they were actually able to get QR codes into their library catalog, so when a patron pulls up a record, they can scan the QR code on their smart phone and have the call number pulled up right on the phone.


All in all I had a great time attending the sessions, and the conference in general. I will look into seeing if our library can find a senior volunteer to help with computer classes and keep everything else I learned in the back of my head. I look forward to attending MLA conferences in the future, and seeing what new sessions are available.

MLA Scholarship Report # 4

From Becky Norlien of Two Harbors Public Library:

Thank you for the opportunity to attend the MLA conference in Duluth.
I went Thursday, October 13. It was overall a good chance to pick up inspiration from all the other librarians and library staff. My plan to go also helped the current chair of our Friends of the Library make the decision to go and we carpooled, an extra chance for discussion.

The sessions I attended:

Libraries at the Front Lines of Workforce Recovery (with a great handout booklet from Project Compass)

Small and Rural Libraries Subunit Meeting (focus on getting more workshops of particular relevance in future conferences and working with the Regional Library Systems.)

Dessert Keynote, Engagement through Games: Reaching Library Users throught Playful Ways (a variety of ways to use games; I liked that many of the ideas did not involve electronic games.)

E-books: What's all the EXCITEMENT about (a panel on potential and integration in libraries: I was particularly impressed by Rita Baladad from MINITEX.)

The customer is Always Right: Top Trends in Library Design (Roseville Library's recent project--the variety of input they sought before deciding on the design was especially interesting.)

And of course a tour of the vendors was interesting.

Our Friends and I also went to the dinner group for Friends and Trustees. (At our own expense, not in the NCLC funding request.) This added chance for discussion and social time was interesting but made for a very long day.

The City of Two Harbors made the initial payment on my behalf after learning I had been approved for NCLC reimbursement; I believe a copy of that record is coming to you from Michele Monson. Unfortunately I did not remember to save my DECC parking stub to send you.

Thank you again for the chance to go to a day at MLA!

MLA Scholarship Report #3

From Michele C. Monson, Director - Two Harbors Public Library:

I am writing to say thank you! I am so grateful that I was chosen for an NCLC scholarship to attend the Minnesota Library Association's annual conference in Duluth. Thanks to your generous support, I was able to attend the entire conference, and my three Library Assistants were each able to attend for a day. NCLC provided an opportunity that we would not have otherwise had.

I've been working in Minnesota Libraries for the past five years, but am new to being a Library Director (I just completed my second month on the job...still learning!) I found the conference to be extremely valuable: I attended sessions on library design, board gaming in the library (something that we hope to implement in the next year or so), and many others. I enjoyed the keynote speakers and chatting with other library staff from around the state. I also had a chance to meet some of the other Arrowhead Directors and staff - people that, without the conference, I would have just known by name.

MLA was a great experience for me. It came at the perfect time - a few months into my new position, when I've got the day-to-day operations of the library down and can start thinking about the "big picture". Thank you again for your generosity.

MLA Scholarship Report #2

From Shannon Haveri, Children's Services, Two Harbors Public Library:

As a recipient of the Continuing Education Scholarship I would like to express my sincere appreciation for your support of ALS libraries and their staff.

Through the support of NCLC, several members of our library's staff were able to attend the 2011 Minnesota Library Association Annual Conference. Because it was held nearby in Duluth, it was a great opportunity for the director and all the library assistants to attend at least one day with a minimum of scheduling changes or conflicts.

I attended MLA on Friday, October 14. The session I originally planned to attend Summer Reading Programs: Rethink, Retool, Refresh
was moved to Wednesday. Another staff member went to that one for me and took handouts and notes, which I can use when planning next year's program. My second choice was one of the featured presentations: Trend Tracking: A Tool to Help Your Library Better Serve the Needs of Your Community. It sounded interesting and relevant. Unfortunately, it was cancelled at the last minute due to illness. Instead I attended Transition...then What: Faculty Perception of IL Skills of Undergraduates. I felt it would be useful to know what information literacy skills students have when entering college, and which they are lacking. There is a huge gap between what students are expected to know and what they actually do. Learning vital information literacy skills in high school or early college would make research and learning much more effective during the college years. The five most important information literacy skills for undergraduates are: 1) Determine nature and extent of information needed, 2) Assess needed information effectively and efficiently, 3) Evaluate information and its sources critically, 4) Use information effectively to accomplish a purpose, and 5) Information accessible and usable. I also attended the luncheon with keynote speaker William Kent Krueger. Krueger's mysteries are extremely popular in our library. It was fun to listen to him talk about how books and libraries influenced his life. He also spoke of the internet, and how our fast-paced society might lose the ability to contemplate. Being able to read, think, and imagine has been the driving force to mankind's advancements. If we lose the ability to slow down and ponder, what does that mean for us as a society?

MLA is a great way to grow and learn -- it's a chance to expand my knowledge, get new skills and ideas, and meet other library professionals. Thank you for giving me the opportunity.

School Libraries

A blog post by Buffy Hamilton, also known as The Unquiet Librarian, announces the publication by Smashwords of a free ebook about trends in school libraries, written by librarians, teachers, publishers, and library vendors. This crowd-sourced publication is free to download in a variety of formats for reading on the device of your choice.

Here's the brief description of the publication right from the Smashwords site.

"School Libraries: What's Now, What's Next, What's Yet to Come
Ebook By Kristin Fontichiaro
Rating: Not yet rated.
Published: Oct. 15, 2011

Ebook Short Description

A crowdsourced collection of over 100 essays from around the world about trends in school libraries written by librarians, teachers, publishers, and library vendors. Edited by Kristin Fontichiaro and Buffy Hamilton. Foreword by R. David Lankes. Photographs by Diane Cordell.

Extended Description

A crowdsourced collection of over 100 essays from around the world about trends in school libraries written by librarians, teachers, publishers, and library vendors. Edited by Kristin Fontichiaro and Buffy Hamilton. Foreword by R. David Lankes. Photographs by Diane Cordell. CONTRIBUTORS: Kelly Ahlfeld, Diane Erica Aretz-Kernahan, Emilia Askari, Kathleen Atkin, Robert Baigent, Susan D. Ballard, Angela Washington-Blair, Dan Bowen, Holli Buchter, Jennifer Branch, Len Bryan, Jennifer Colby, Diane Cordell, William Cross, Meg Donhauser, Joanne de Groot, Stacy Dillon, Andrea Dolloff, Laura Fleming, Lorna Flynn, Elizabeth Friese, Rachel Goldberg, Beth Gourley, Dorcas Hand, Alida Hanson, Violet H. Harada, Heather Hersey, Valerie Hill, Kimberly Hirsh, Shannon Hyman, Pamela Jackson, Melissa P. Johnston, Jesse Karp, Sara Kelley-Mudie, Tricia Kuon, Neil Krasnoff, Jennifer LaGarde, Teri S. Lesesne, Margaret Lincoln, Kate MacMillan, Adrienne Matteson, Kathleen McBroom, Walter McKenzie, David Meyer, Ben Mondloch, Leslie L. Morgan, Cathy Jo Nelson, Beverley Rannow, Howard Rheingold, Nikki D. Robertson, Daniella Smith, Evan St. Lifer, Jennifer Stanbro, Caitlin Stansell, Jeff Stanzler, Carolyn Jo Starkey, Wendy Steadman Stephens, Michael Stephens, Linda Straube, Cathy Stutzman, Mega Subramaniam, Margaret Sullivan, Joyce Kasman Valenza, Karen Villegas, Jeanna Walker, Donna Watt, Holly Weimar, Senga White, Erin Drankwalter Wyatt, Amanda Yaklin, Alice Yucht, Marci Zane."

Take a look. Read and ponder. Share with those who need to know.

All the more important in view of the fact the the ESEA has moved along from committee without the inclusion of school libraries as there was NO support for their inclusion.

MLA 2011 Annual Conference Report #1

Scholarship recipient Sally Peterangelo (Mountain Iron Public Library Director) offered the following report for her conference scholarship:

"First of all, I would like to "Thank You" for providing me with the opportunity to attend the 2011 MLA Convention that was held in Duluth on October 12, 13 and 14th. Without this scholarship, I would not have been able attend this yearly event.

On Wednesday, Oct. 12 I listened to keynote speaker Anita Silvey, author speak about the benefits of children's books and how they shape adults into leaders. She gave many examples of that during her speech.

The afternoon I attended 3 various sessions

A1. New to the Game? This was a great session that provided tips and tricks on how to navigate and get the most of the convention. it was excellent and glad I chose this as it really helped me decide what sessions to attend, what not to miss, etc. I left this a bit early to also go to "Why Should We Use Social Media to promote the library?" I wanted more tips and ideas for using Facebook/Twitter/You Tube, Google to market the library. This was an excellent session. One of my favorites!
From 4-5 p.m., I attended Summer Reading Programs for 1/2 of the session and Organize your ordering. I learned some valuable information from both of these. I didn't intend to split sessions but since they were only offered one time,k I opted to go to both and I managed to get plenty of handouts, etc to use for my library needs.

Thursday, October 13:
Everyone is a Library Advocate! I really enjoyed this session. They broke us up into small groups where we could discuss various ways we promote our library. Always be an Advocate. They gave many examples how to work with the community, contact funders, policy makers. It was a very positive session.

Dessert Keynote: Engagement Through Games: Dr. Scott Nicholson. Enjoyed this speech. Much of this I wouldn't use for our library but it was interesting.

Afternoon Sessions: I listened a bit to E-books..what's all the excitement about and also Positively Friends. Joe Owens spoke on behalf of the Ely Friends of the Library group and he was incredible. He presented all the ways their group has raised money and awareness of all they do for the Ely Library. It's too bad every town doesn't have a Joe Owens running their Friends group. His energy, his creativity, his passion and his ideas were inspiring. I felt this was beyond valuable that I attended this session. He gave me so many ideas for our Friends group.

Last Thur Session: Things in a Flash: I loved this session. They had "6" different presenters and each one had 10 minutes to talk about technology and favorite apps, downloads, and ideas and things they like for their libraries or personal development. This was my personal favorite of the conference. So many great ideas that were shared by the six Library staff from all over the state. Thumbs up on this class!!

Fri, Oct 14:

"50 in 60" Book Blast: Outstanding Reader's Advisory session. 50 books discussed in 60 minutes. Love this!

Finale: Luncheon Keynote: William Kent Krueger, mystery writer was our final speech. Excellent as always! He spoke about going out and making a difference. Great speech toe nd and wrap up an outstanding MLA.

Again, my most sincere thank for this gift. I will use the information and ideas and use them at the Mt. Iron Library."

Free Booklist Webinars

From an American Libraries newsletter: Booklist editors host leading practitioners, authors and publishers’ representatives at least once a month in webinars on a variety of topics offering immediate tips, tools, resources and new ideas for collection development and readers’ advisory work. Upcoming webinars support collection development, specifically in audiobooks and series nonfiction, and in choosing titles to engage reluctant readers. All Booklist webinars are on Tuesdays starting at 1 p.m. Central Time. Visit the Booklist Online webinars page to register for upcoming events and to access the full archive of past webinars....

Upcoming in brief:

October 25 - Audiobooks

November 1 - Reaching Reluctant Readers

November 8 - Series Nonfiction

November 29 - Gale's Virtual Reference Library (Digital Book platform)

Overdrive News for Arrowhead Library System & Duluth Public Library Users

The picture pretty much says it all...but due to the DRM there are some things you need to do to get your library book loaded onto your Kindle. There is no special software needed. However, you will need to use an existing Amazon account or sign up for one in order to obtain this format.

You may wish to view this video on how to get library e-books onto your Kindle.

State Library Services News

The current issue of the State Library Services newsletter may be of some interest to library folk and others in the Arrowhead region. The July/August 2011 issue of Streaming News features some of the beautiful works of art created for use in/by public libraries in the Arrowhead Library System region. These works were created by regional artists and funded by the Legacy funds.

The Legacy Amendment increases the state sales tax by three-eighths of one percent beginning on July 1, 2009 and continuing until 2034. The additional sales tax revenue is distributed into four funds as follows: 33 percent to the clean water fund; 33 percent to the outdoor heritage fund; 19.75 percent to the arts and cultural heritage fund; and 14.25 percent to the parks and trails fund.

Thanks to the efforts of Representative Mary Murphy libraries were included in the distribution of those funds.

However, in the coming year libraries will be seeing by a reduction in funds from the previous year as "punishment" for their supposed error in judgement by paying multiple award winning and acclaimed author Neil Gaiman (the man is a ROCK STAR in the literary world!) his standard speaking fee for his appearance in Stillwater. The appearance was recorded and has been enjoyed by many others all over the world, in addition to the lucky few ( 500, but small is a relative number) who were able to hear him in person.

New Training Opportunities from Minitex

Register now! Check out the Minitex Fall Semester webinar offerings.
Minitex has a full slate of webinars with practical information you can apply to work and/or your personal interests.

They have some all-new webinars this year such as ELM: The Big Picture, Making ELM Access Easy, Helping Classroom Teachers Work Smarter, Not Harder: ELM for K-12 Academic Standards, ELM: More Than Just Articles, The All-New ProQuest, and the New ELM Portal Overview. They're also bringing back many of the popular ones – perhaps you didn't get a chance to take these – or – you would like a refresher – or – you're new to the scene.

Best of all attend these at your desktop...no travel and no charge for these learning opportunities.

What are you waiting for? Register now for any of the ELM offerings of specific interest to school media center personnel. Learn and share what you learn with your students and other teachers.

Free Nook Books: $79 Worth of Barnes and Noble Classics

This may be of interest to schools using Nooks:


Free Nook Books: $79 Worth of Barnes and Noble Classics

Virtual Conference Invitation

I have reserved the Board room at Arrowhead Library System in Mountain Iron, MN for viewing the SEFLIN Virtual Conference Library Resource Sharing: Emerging Trends & Technologies on September 23 9AM-3PM Central time. Anyone interested is welcome to come view as a group. It's always more interesting to view and share information with others as a group.

Come to social network for real with colleagues while watching this virtual conference.

Use this link to find directions on how to get to ALS & NCLC which are housed in the same building.

Network Status Update

At 1:10 P.M we have the following report from Arrowhead Library System Technical Staff:

Sorry about the delay but we now think all is well with the new firewall. There is a new operating system that didn't accept all the configuration parameters that the old one use and we had to reconfigure a lot of the interfaces on the fly. At this point we've tracked down all the bugs and we haven't had a report of any issues. If you are experiencing any problems connecting to Horizon, the ALS Website or to email services please let me know. Again we're sorry it took so much longer that anticipated but our firewall configuration is more complex than most.
ALS locally has 6 LANS, connections to several WAN's on different ISP's, multiple server configurations requiring unique protection and a lot of libraries to connect to. Just in case we missed something please let me know if you are having problems connecting to ALS. Thanks.


If you notice any abnormalities or quirks that weren't there before be sure to report them ASAP.