CRPLSA

Council of Regional Public Library System Administrators

Tag: ACHF

New Season of Club Book

Club Book is proud to announce the new lineup for the Winter/Spring 2017 Season. Club Book brings best-selling and award-winning national and regional authors to libraries throughout the seven-county Twin Cities region.  This MELSA Library Legacy program is coordinated by Library Strategies and funded with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. All events are free and open to the public!

Podcasts of this season’s discussions will be available a few days after each event at www.clubbook.org and on iTunes. Past seasons’ podcasts are available for streaming and download, so check them out!

Library Legacy Summary

MN Library Legacy Logo SmallReady to go to press! 

Celebrating Arts & Culture: Minnesota Regional Public Library Systems Legacy Amendment Highlights

CRPLSA has produced a visually compelling written summary of public programs and activities funded by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.  Celebrating Arts and Culture will provide a succinct report highlighting the wide variety of Legacy programming that has occurred in libraries throughout the state.

Celebrating Arts & Culture briefly describes public art projects, live performances, literary programs, art making, and historical and cultural exploration. The Library Legacy story is told through a montage of photographs and personal quotes. The summary graphical demonstrates the breadth of programming funded with Legacy dollars and the unique ability of libraries to provide meaningful cultural events to people in all corners of the state regardless of community size.

Celebrating Arts & Culture: Minnesota Regional Public Library Systems Legacy Amendment Highlights

A CRPLSA sponsored Library Legacy activity made possible with money from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the people of Minnesota.

Winter Bees Wins an Emmy!

Congratulations on the Emmy win for Winter Bees: And Other Poems of the Cold about the making of a Minnesota Book Award-winning children’s book. This Beyond the Book television special was a production by TPT in partnership with The Friends of the St. Paul Public Library and CRPLSA.

Hullabaloos: History Day Research Days

MHS History Day logo History Day Hullabaloos are research open houses held at a variety of metro librariess as well as libraries in Duluth, Moorhead, Rochester, and St. Cloud.  Check the the 2016-2017 Hullabaloo schedule for a complete listing of locations, dates, and times

During the Hullabaloo students will:

  • Conduct primary and secondary research with the guidance of library staff
  • Get one-on-one help from History Day staff and mentor
  • Attend a mini-lesson on a range of topics.

Each year,  a broad theme is selected that will help students direct their research to show a connection between the theme and their topics. The 2017 theme, Taking a Stand in History, will allow students to research topics on all levels from local history to ancient history.

Find National History Day MN on Facebook and 0n Instagram

ECRL Starwatch Party

ecrl-startwatch-2016Get to know the constellations like The Big Bear, Cygnus the Swan, Pegasus the Winged Horse, Aquila the Eagle and many more at a Minnesota Starwatch Party with meteorologist Mike Lynch sponsored by East Central Regional Library (ECRL). The program will start with an indoor orientation followed by quality time outside under the heavens. Mike will bring a fleet of telescopes, including two of the biggest mobile telescopes in Minnesota for close up views of planets, star clusters, nebulae, and other wonders in late summer and early autumn skies. He’ll also bring a video-telescope system for ultra-deep view of galaxies and more! This program lasts about two hours and is recommended for ages 6 and up.

The ECRL Starwatch schedule includes:

North Branch Area Library – Tuesday, September 20, 7:30 pm

Rush City Public Library – Wednesday, October 5, 7:00 pm

Mora Public Library – Tuesday, October 18, 6:30 pm

Milaca Community Library – Thursday, October 20, 6:30 pm

Aitkin Public Library – Monday, October 24, 6:30 pm

Appreciation for MNBA Support

MNBAThe Friends of the St. Paul Public Library, as the Library of Congress-designated Minnesota Center for the Book, expressed their appreciation to CRPLSA for financial support of the 28th Annual Minnesota Book Awards.

2016 MNBA Appreciation Packet for Outreach Partners

The Minnesota Book Awards year begins with nominations opening in August, promotion of the finalists in February and March, and culminates with the Awards Ceremony in April. This is followed by statewide outreach celebrating the winners throughout the spring and summer. And, during each phase, CRPLSA support and involvement expands MNBA horizons to the entire state.

“Ready Go” Brings Interactive Art to Pioneerland

Pioneerland Library System (PLS) is proud to offer Ready Go to PLS  libraries this summer.  Working with Springboard for the Arts, Ready Go offers an exciting art events that connect people to artist-designed, mobile “tools” that pique curiosity.  Peter Haakon Thompson, Community Development Coordinator at Springboard for the Arts, states, “Ready Go tools bring art and artists out into the world and use an expanded idea of how art can help facilitate conversation and participation.”

PLS ready go 2016The Ready Go projects will include:

  • One Another – a mobile drawing station
  • Streetcorner Letterpress – printing personal postcards from a variety of papers, images, and colors
  • Mobile Sign Shop – carve and paint cabin-like directional signs
  • SPARKit – interactive family crafts activities

Ready Go informational brochure

PLS locations participating in the Ready Go art tour in the coming months include: Appleton, Benson, Bird Island, Canby, Dassel, Dawson, Fairfax, Glencoe, Granite Falls, Hector, Hutchinson, Kerkhoven, Lake Lillian, Litchfield, Montevideo, New London, Ortonville, Spicer, and Willmar.

PLS Executive Director, Laurie Ortega, says, “Ready Go is coming to Pioneerland as part of a regional Legacy program that provides access to art for those living in outstate Minnesota. We’re pleased to bring these creative projects to our libraries as a means to strengthen relationships in our communities, find new ways of interacting, and have fun experiencing art together. We hope you will participate in one of these dynamic art events in your local community.”

Ten Pigs Wrap Up in SELCO

Today was the final day of Once Upon a Reader trunk shows in SELCO. Author/illustrator Derek Anderson traveled the region, reading, singing and playing with children in an energetic show based around his book, Ten Pigs: An Epic Bath Adventure.

Library staff throughout the region did a great job promoting the shows and, after six days and 12 trunk shows in 11 communities, Derek said he thoroughly enjoyed his time in southeastern Minnesota.

Hundreds of children, caregivers and parents who participated in the high-energy trunk shows agreed. Aimed at pre-K children and their families, this statewide one-book program promotes Minnesota children’s literature and encourages families to Talk, Sing, Read, Write and Play together – five practices critical to early literacy skills development.

Additional resources for libraries and parents are free and downloadable at www.onceuponareader.org .

A CRPLSA sponsored Library Legacy activity with funds from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

MELSA wraps up a successful Club Book

MELSA Club Book

As MELSA wraps up a successful Winter/Spring 2016 Club Book season, sincere thanks to the incredible authors who visited the Twin Cities, as well as the wonderful libraries who hosted events. The guest authors shared inspiring stories about their work, writing process, and journey to become bestselling and award-winning writers. MELSA hopes everyone enjoyed these Club Book events and encourage you to take a listen to the more than forty free podcasts that have been created over the past four seasons.

Speakers include Louise Penny, JA Jance, Elizabeth Berg, Amy Thielen, Dave Zirin, Lev Grossman, J. Courtney Sullivan, Amanda Coplin, Sue Miller, Jon Ronson, Ron Rash, Sara Paretsky, Mitchel Zuckoff, and Nikki Giovanni to name just a few.

MELSA will be announce the next season of authors in August, so stay tuned!

Successful Teen Lit Con 2016

MELSA Teen Lit Con 2016Teen Lit Con 2016: A Huge Success   With an endorsement as the “best event of its kind in the US” from none other than National Book Award Winner Neal Shusterman, Teen Lit Con 2016 closed another chapter on this widely anticipated annual event.

More than 1,000 teens & other YA readers descended on Sibley High School for a day of author talks, breakout sessions, and literary fun. Readers came from as far away as Moorhead, Marshall, and Cedar Rapids, as all parts of the MELSA region. 12 Twin Cities schools received transportation awards to bring students to the event.

The national authors Neal Shusterman, Faith Erin Hicks, Jason Reynolds, and Leigh Bardugo filled the Sibley HS auditorium for their keynotes. Local authors drew enthusiastic readers at their panels. Other breakout sessions on writing & publishing also were packed.

A shout out to the more than 70 Ambassadors from all types of libraries, schools, and ”just people who like books” who helped make this Legacy-funded event a success. Partners Sibley High Sschool and ISD 197 (West St. Paul-Mendoota Heights-Eagen) were also vital to making it happen.

Ambassador Susan Bernstein, Carver County Library, was a champion Tweeter before, during, and after the event. You can see the fun by browsing the Twitter hashtag #teenlitcon for lots of pictures & comments.

As the happy readers streamed out their biggest question was, “When is Teen Lit Con 2017?”

News posting from Ann Walker-Smalley, Metronet

10 Pigs visits ALS

ALS 10 Pigs
Ten Pigs and Derek Anderson at Lake of the Woods School in Baudette

The traveling trunk show featuring author / illustrator, Derek Anderson and Ten Pigs is off to a rollicking good time in the Arrowhead Library System (ALS).

Squeals abounded at the Falls Elementary School in International Falls and the Duluth Public Library.  Complete with props and laughter, children and parents can share the joy of reading in this CRPLSA sponsored statewide initiative.

MNBA Winners 2016

And the winners are…  MNBA

  • Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall   (Children’s Literature)
  • No House to Call My Home: Love, Family and Other Transgressions by Ryan Berg   (Nonfiction)
  • The Grave Soul by Ellen Hart   (Genre Fiction)
  • Water and What We Know: Following the Roots of a Northern Life by Karen Sabine   (Memoir & Creative Nonfiction)
  • Minnesota Modern: Architecture and Life at Midcentury by Larry Millett   (Minnesota)
  • There’s Something I Want You to Do by Charles Baxter   (Novel & Short Story)
  • Beautiful Wall by Ray Gonzalez   (Poetry)
  • See No Color by Shannon Gibney   (Young People’s Literature)

Each April, authors, publishers and book-lovers celebrate the best of local literature at the Minnesota Book Awards Ceremony. Managed by The Friends of the St. Paul Public Library, with financial assistance from CRPLSA, this year’s celebration returned to the beautiful and historic Union Depot in Lowertown, Saint Paul. Books, autographs, refreshments, live music, and the announcement of the award winners all made an unforgettable evening!

End of an era …

MHS Library Legacy Partnership Logo

From Maren Levad, Museum Access Specialist at the Minnesota Historical Society and long-time Library Legacy planning partner …

Dear Library Partners,

As we close out our sixth year of partnership together, I wanted to express my deepest thanks for all of the work you have done for the people of Minnesota. When we first met with library leadership in 2009, this partnership was a germ of an idea about providing high-quality, educational programming to library audiences around the state. That idea and this partnership have since taken on many forms, from library kits and musical concerts to audience-centered programs scalable to all library buildings and staff sizes. We’ve enjoyed getting to know each of the regions involved in the partnership, building relationships with librarians and legacy coordinators around the state, and engaging with lifelong learners in your communities.

Since we launched our first programming catalog in 2010, this partnership has generated some very impressive statistics:

  • Developed more than 50 exclusive programs for libraries

  • Delivered 640 individual programs

  • Served more than 22,000 Minnesotans

This partnership has provided traditional lectures for adults as well as hands-on craft programs, involved libraries with teen oral history camps and traveling exhibits. It has sent Minnesota all-stars like Prudence Johnson and Dan Chouinard on the road and been the testing ground for live, interactive virtual programs. The topics covered through this partnership have been diverse, including Steampunk Mysteries, the fur trade, and the history of beer in Minnesota. It has been a dizzying whirlwind for us all, and we are so thankful for your support and partnership.

After six years of Legacy funding, both the Minnesota Historical Society and the Minnesota Regional Library Systems find themselves in very different places from where we started. The library regions have built up the experience, structures, and staffing to select and book programs throughout the state. However, program managers now work with smaller budgets causing regional support for this partnership to dwindle. The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) is focusing on the final years of its current strategic plan and its staff have learned much about the resources required to run effective statewide outreach. Many outreach programs that existed six years ago have been set aside in favor of more sustainable initiatives.

Due to all of these factors, MNHS will not continue to fund this partnership in the next fiscal year. However, we know that the relationships that we’ve built over this time will continue. MNHS is committed to serving a diverse, lifelong learning audience, and making its resources more inclusive and accessible than ever. Over the next few years, MNHS will push the boundaries of interactive, live virtual programming for senior audiences and develop online and mobile experiences to engage more diverse urban and rural communities around the state. Above all, our organization will continue to provide unique, audience-centered programs at our sites and with partner communities around the state.

Even though this period of program partnership is ending, we know we will be working with many of you in new and exciting capacities in the future. Thank you for six productive and instructive years.

Signature_MHSMission

 

Teen Lit Con 2016

MELSA Teen Lit Con 2016 Teen Lit Con 2016 –  A day to celebrate teen literature, promote reading and writing, and to create a community of readers by connecting teens and authors.

May 7, 2016

Henry Sibley High School
1897 Delaware Ave, Mendota Heights

Free & Open to the Public – Doors open at 9:30am. First event at 10:00.

Posters featuring book covers or author pictures. Print and post at the library or school!

Use & follow the event hashtag #teenlitcon

This project made possible with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the people of Minnesota for Library Legacy activities.

SELCOtv Features MNBA 2016 Booktalks

SelcoTV Cover PageJust in time for the 2016 Minnesota Book Awards, SELCO staff will “booktalk” each of this year’s 32 finalists for SELCOtv.  A special YouTube playlist aggregates the videos as they are posted.  During the days leading up to the awards ceremony on April 16, 1-2 booktalks from the eight award categories will be posted each day.

Here is a selection of those shared thus far in the individual MNBA genre categories:

10 Pigs Excitement in ECRL

ECRL 10 Pigs 2016-03
Bath time and bubbles were never so much fun!

Ten Pigs In Wyoming!

East Central Regional Library staff declare, “It was one epic, amazing, and fun event for everyone!” as Derek Anderson, author and illustrator,  presented the very first, statewide Once Upon a Reader Trunk Show based on his book, Ten Pigs: An Epic Bath Adventure!

The premier event held at the ECRL Branch Library in Wyoming captivated 62 kids this morning. The trunk show rolls on to Pine City this afternoon.

Check out more ECRL & Ten Pigs pix

Johnson Group Selected

MN Library Legacy Logo Small

CRPLSA is pleased to announce Johnson Group has been selected to design a Library Legacy report.  The final product will be a visually compelling document that highlights the wide variety of programs and activities made possible with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the people of Minnesota for Library Legacy activities.

Johnson Group has a 25-year repertoire which includes full-service design, branding, and advertising.  The response to CRPLSA’s Request for Proposal identified an approach that will share CRPLSA’s Library Legacy story with key stakeholders and convey the scope and effectiveness of regional library efforts. After an initial discussion, a project timeline was established that will deliver a final product to CRPLSA by November 2016 – just in time for the 2017 legislative session.

28th Annual MNBA Finalists Announced

The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library is pleased to announce the finalists in all eight categories for the 28th Annual Minnesota Book Awards. Chosen on Saturday, January 30, by 24 judges from around the state – writers, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and others from the literary community.

MNBAAward winners will be announced at the 28th Annual Minnesota Book Awards Ceremony on Saturday, April 16, at St. Paul’s historic Union Depot, 214 Fourth Street East. The Preface reception begins at 7 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony at 8 p.m. Tickets are $50 and available by visiting www.thefriends.org or calling 651-222-3242. The official hashtag for social media is #MNBA16. All are encouraged to use it when posting comments, status updates or tweeting about any of the authors or their books.

Story Stroll Order Deadline

Ten Pigs round imageSunday, January 31 will be the last day to place orders for Once Upon a Reader storytime kits, story strolls, and play kits – for those libraries that want materials included in the first round of fulfillment and delivery. All orders received between January 6 and January 31 will be processed during the month of February (and in hand before the commencement of Derek Anderson’s first trunk shows). All orders received between Monday, February 1 and Thursday, March 31  will be fulfilled during the month of April. Regions and libraries may hold off and place orders after the January mark, if that works best for regional planning.

Each region participating in Once Upon a Reader will be receiving one free, complete set of Once Upon a Reader materials (a storytime kit, story stroll, and play kit). These will be delivered to regional library offices via Minitex along with kits ordered in round one.

For more information email David Katz, Once Upon A Reader Coordinator or contact your regional library.

MALF Support for Once Upon a Reader

Last year, the Minnesota Association of Library Friends (MALF) partnered with CRPLSA as OUR Logo - Colorthe regions rolled out the first ever statewide one-book program geared towards young children. MALF is pleased to share news that as this celebration of literature and literacy, dubbed “Once Upon a Reader,” returns for a second year – and so will the MALF partnership!

MALF will offer members a generous cash match to offset up to half of the Once Upon a Reader materials costs! Matches will be capped at three (3) items and/or $300 per Friends group. Available for purchase are a waterproof and reusable Story Stroll, sign-sized book pages that will allow a library to display the Ten Pigs story outside a library or along a path in the park; an Epic Storytime Kit, which includes a copy of Ten Pigs, four other bath time and barnyard tales, and tie-in crafts; and a 15-piece Ten Pigs Play Kit for libraries to circulate among families and care providers.

Participating in Once Upon a Reader through this special offer is simple. Place an order online through the program’s website. At an early convenience, print a copy of the receipt or order confirmation form and mail it to MALF with this completed form. MALF will verify library membership and remit reimbursement for half the OUR expenses within 30 business days.

Note: Eligibility is contingent on 2016 MALF membership. Groups that participated last year are welcome to reapply for the match.

Once Upon a Reader is made possible thanks to funding from Minnesota’s Legacy Amendment Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund. This year’s season will be observed from March to October and include a diverse mix of tie-in activities, enabling libraries of all sizes and in all corners of the state to participate in the program.

Digital images from GRRL

The Great River Regional Library (GRRL) recently participated in a joint project with Minnesota Digital Library and the Digital Public Library of America.

MDL sought content on the history of libraries in Minnesota and GRRL provided exterior and interior images of the St. Cloud Public Library’s original Carnegie building, built in 1902 and torn down in 1981,  images of St. Cloud’s second library building, in use from 1979 to 2009, its BookmoGRRL Bookmobile MDLbile, the Little Falls Public Library, and the Royalton Community Library.

Two of the GRRL images were selection for DPLA’s online exhibition, “A History of US Public Libraries,” in the Carnegie libraries section.

View GRRL’s digital library history

Once Upon a Reader – 2016 Launch!

As we kick off the New Year, CRPLSA is pleased to commence season two of Once Upon a OUR Logo - ColorReader. Aimed at pre-K children and their families, this statewide one-book program  promotes Minnesota children’s literature and encourages families to Talk, Sing, Read, Write and Play together – five practices critical to early literacy skills development.

A panel of youth services librarians from across the state selected Ten Pigs: An Epic Bath Adventure, by Minnesota author/illustrator Derek Anderson, as the focus of this year’s program. “Anderson combines humor with simple, straightforward rhymes to successfully convey basic counting concepts,” praises School Library Journal. “Because of its big, vivid illustrations and rhythmic, sprightly rhymes, [Ten Pigs] is ideal for sharing with a group as a read-aloud.”

CRPLSA launched Once Upon a Reader’s inaugural season in 2014, with funding from Minnesota’s Legacy Amendment Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund. This year’s season will be observed from March to October and include a diverse mix of tie-in activities, enabling libraries of all sizes and in all corners of the state to participate in the program.

Beginning this spring, Derek Anderson will travel across the state entertaining and educating kids in each participating regional library system with his “Ten Pigs Trunk Show.” During this portable one-man show, the author will read the book aloud, lead a reenactment, sketch, sing, and more. Visit onceuponareader.org, or click HERE, to see when Derek will be in a community near you.

Additional Once Upon a Reader activity materials are offered through the program’s website. Available for purchase are a waterproof and reusable Story Stroll, sign-sized book pages that allow you to display the Ten Pigs story outside a library or along a path; an Epic Storytime Kit, which includes your own copy of Ten Pigs, four other bath time and barnyard tales, and tie-in crafts; and a 15-piece Ten Pigs Play Kit for libraries to circulate among families and care providers.

Free and downloadable resources include a Ten Pigs scavenger hunt, matching game, drawing activity, bubble adventure, and more!

As Once Upon a Reader ramps up in earnest, library staff are encouraged to join with peers across the state in OUR Resource Share, a Facebook group devoted to the sharing of Once Upon a Reader photos and stories, programming ideas, and resource suggestions. In addition to keeping the conversation going, this Facebook resource allows members to share and download documents where helpful.

ECRL Art in Digital Library

The Minnesota Digital Library is thrilled to announce East Central Regional Library’s (ECRL) Kids Design Glass  is a recent addition to Minnesota Reflections. This Library Legacy project is now fully documented in Minnesota Reflections with scans of the oriECRL glass in MDLginal 14 drawings, the artist statements, photographs of the sculpture, and a short video of each sculpture rotating on a turntable.

Kids Design Glass was funded by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Fund and began with a summer reading program art contest. The contest was open to kids ages 5 to 10. One drawing was chosen from each of  ECRL’s  14 branches. The winning drawings were transformed into three-dimensional blown-glass sculptures by Anthony Michaud-Scorza of Cambridge, Minnesota.

View the digital ECRL collection

Book Bike wins Innovation Award

BookBike logoRochester Public Library’s BookBike is being recognized as one of Minnesota’s most innovative local government projects.

Each year, the Humphrey School of Public Affairs recognizes cities, counties and schools for redesigning how they do business through new initiatives and projects. The BookBike was the overall winner in the City Category, earning the library a $5,000 grant.

The BookBike, a little library on wheels, was pulled by library staff on bicycles to locations within a one-mile radius of the downtown library April through September. The BookBike offered library books for check-out, library cards, program information, assistance with digital materials, bike trail maps and fun incentives to visitors. “The BookBike program saw great success this summer,” says Head of Youth Services and BookBike Project Director, Heather Acerro. “We reached over 5,500 community members and visited over 100 sites.”

According to Jay Kiedrowski, senior fellow at the Humphrey School’s Public and Nonprofit Leadership Center, “These awards are helping to raise the bar for delivering excellent government services, and that’s very exciting.” The awards are organized in partnership with the Bush Foundation and co-sponsored by the League of Minnesota Cities, the Association of Minnesota Counties, MN Association of Townships, and the Minnesota School Board Association. “Every year, we see more and more creative ways that governments are figuring out how to save money but still deliver the same high quality of services,” says Kiedrowski.

Rochester Public Library’s BookBike is the first bicycle-powered library in Minnesota. The BookBike project was funded in part with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, through a Community Collaboration grant from Southeastern Libraries Cooperating (SELCO) in late 2014.

Teen Lit Con 2016 Authors Announced!

MELSA Teen Lit Con 2016Teen Lit Con author line-up for May 7, 2016!

Headliners

  • Neal Shusterman, author of 2015 NBA Young People’s Literature Award winner Challenger Deep
  • Jason Reynolds, author of Boy in the Black Suit. All American Boys, co-authored with Brendan Kiely, is on the PW Best YA Books 2015 list.
  • Faith Erin Hicks writes comics & graphic novels. The Adventures of Superhero Girl won an Eisner Award in 2014.
  • Sabaa Tahir is the New York Times bestselling author of the young adult fantasy An Ember in the Ashes. It’s been optioned for a movie.

Featured Local Authors

  • Pete Hautman returns! His most recent book is Eden West. Pete won the Young People’s NBA in 2004 for Godless.
  • John Coy, author of Crackback & Box Out, has a new book Gap Year coming out in 2016.
  • Derek E. Sullivan’s first book is Biggie. He’s from Nebraska.
  • Monica Ropal When You Leave is included in the Publisher’s Lunch BUZZ Books 2015: Young Adult Spring.
  • Dawn Kiehr writes young adult thrillers: The Cutting Room Floor & If You Wrong Us.
  • S.A. Bodeen published two new books in 2015 Lost & The Detour. She has 5 previous novels.

In addition to this great line-up of author presentations, there will be more breakout sessions, fun stuff in the Exhibit Hall, giveaways for teens, and additional literary excitement than ever!

Mark your calendar for May 7, 2016 at Henry Sibley High School.

To stay up-to-date on Teen Lit Con announcements, follow us on Twitter @TeenLitCon and sign up for email notices about transportation awards & other info.

Use & follow our hashtag #teenlitcon.

Club Book successful – again

MELSA Club BookAs MELSA wraps up the 2015 Club Book season, the regional wants to thank all the incredible authors who visited the Metro this fall, as well as the wonderful libraries who hosted events. The guests shared inspiring stories about their work, writing process, and journey to become bestselling and award-winning writers. MELSA hopes everyone enjoyed these Club Book events as much as they did, and encourage readers to take a listen to the more than thirty free podcasts created over the past four seasons.

Speakers include Louise Penny, Elizabeth Berg, Amy Thielen, Dave Zirin, Lev Grossman, J. Courtney Sullivan, Amanda Coplin, Sue Miller, Jon Ronson, Ron Rash, Sara Paretsky, Mitchel Zuckoff, and Nikki Giovanni to name just a few.

MELSA will announce the new season of authors in January, so stay tuned!

LARL hosts popular author tour

LARL Beat Goes On logoMinnesota Book Award author Jack El-Hai toured three of the Lake Agassiz Regional Library (LARL) branches to talk about his book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist: Hermann Goering, Douglas M. Kelley, and a Fatal Meeting of the Minds at the end of WWII. These events had the highest attendance of LARL’s Fall Series and attendees raved about it.

Local author, Eric Bergeson was at the event in Fertile, MN and shared this amazing story of a Minnesota man and this infamous Nazi .  A 90 year old audience member, Art Olson, had been a guard at the prison where Goering had been held.

ECRL images in MDL Minnesota Reflections

East Central Regional Library (ECRL) is excited to announce that its first digital collection is live in Minnesota Digital Library’s Minnesota Reflections, courtesy of the Digital Public Library of America’s Public Library Partnerships Project. DPLA has collaborated with MDL in the Public Library Partnerships Project (PLPP), funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

About Minnesota Digital Library…
MDL logo
Minnesota Digital Library (MDL) provides access to unique digital collections shared by cultural heritage organizations from across the state of Minnesota.

Minnesota Reflections is the first online project of MDL. It is a collection of more than 215,000 photographs, postcards, maps, documents, letters, and oral histories depicting the history of Minnesota and includes digital content from more than 157 participating organizations including historical societies, special archives, universities and colleges, and public libraries from across the state who have shared their original materials with the MDL.

MDL MN Reflections logo

ECRL’s contribution to Minnesota Reflections provides insight into the oldest existing regional public library system in Minnesota. The collection includes images used in ECRL’s history book, East Central Regional Library: Fifty Years of Connections, 1959-2009 by Marilyn McGriff, of ECRL. These photographs include library buildings (past and present), retired library services such as the bookmobile, and ECRL staff members over the years.

Coming Soon – LARL Mascot

Lake Agassiz Regional Library (LARL) is excited to announce its design for a new mascot!

LARL mascot 2015During spring and summer 2015, library staff and community members were engaged in this endeavor.  In April,  LARL’s 95 employees voted on a list of five possible mascot characters/animals: Owl, Squirrel, Raccoon, Fox, and Eagle.  From May through July, LARL presented the Drawing Together: A regional community art and storytelling experience in every LARL branch.   Drawing Together featured drawing classes for youth, a chance to vote on which character should represent LARL, as well as suggesting the mascot’s favorite book and telling stories about the mascot.  A Drawing Together form was available on the website and in all 22 LARL locations. Over 200 entries were received from LARL customers of all ages. An owl was ultimately chosen and LARL is still in the process of voting on a name.

LARL worked with Minnesota artist, Janette Louden, to create images of the new mascot for promotional purposes. Minnesota based company, Vee Corporation, was chosen to
create the costume, which should be ready by the end of 2015.

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