FEBRUARY 2025

I'm excited to hit the road!


We've got some great workshops and site visits planned for February - and I'm very excited to hear about all the plans underway for Summer 2025!

Take a look below for details about the 4 available workshops and other professional development opportunities. A big thank you to Clovis-Carver, Alamogordo, and Rio Rancho And as always,



Please reach out with any needs!


Kelly

CALENDAR

Monthly Youth Services Meeting


Drop-In Meeting

Friday, February 21 @ 10am


Drop by to ask any questions or just visit!


Zoom Link Here

Upcoming Days, Themes, Celebrations


February - Black History Month

Learn about public library participation in Black History Month programming and evaluate your own participation on the Black History Month Programming in Public Libraries site from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association.


March - National Women's History Month

Learn about impactful women of New Mexico from the New Mexico Historic Marker Program, and search for women from your area on the interactive map.


March 2 - Read Across America Day

Sponsored by NEA, Read Across America is now a yearlong celebration of reading, but March 2 is still celebrated. You can find extensive resources on the Read Across America site including event ideas and many book recommendations and reading lists.


April 6-12, 2025 - National Library Week

Drawn to the Library! with Honorary Chairs Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud.



NEWS

SRP Workshop Schedule


SAVE THE DATES: In-Person SRP Workshops

February 11, 2025

Clovis-Carver Public Library

Register


February 13, 2025

Alamogordo Public Library

Register


February 26, 2025

Rio Rancho Public Library - Loma Colorado Branch

Register


Each FREE workshop will feature presentations by NM library staff, idea-sharing, hands-on activities, prizes, and more.


ONLINE Summer Reading Workshop

Wednesday, February 19 @1:00pm

Register


Full details and registration here -

https://www.cslpreads.org/summer-reading-kickoff/

Paint 'n' Play - New Online Game from the National Gallery of Art


Check out this new online game - perfect for SRP25!


https://www.nga.gov/games/paint-n-play/


@ SEEN ON SOCIAL

Social Media posts are a great way to see what is happening at New Mexico's libraries!

RESOURCES

2025 Early Literacy Calendar


The 2025 Early Literacy Calendar is available for download, in English and Spanish, on the Niche Academy page. You can share these out with your patrons to promote early literacy skills and family engagement.


Chick here to access.

Land of Enchantment Book Awards


Join the Fun: Encourage Young Readers to Participate in the Land of Enchantment Book Awards!



The Land of Enchantment Book Awards is a fantastic opportunity for New Mexico students to celebrate their love of reading and share their opinions on their favorite books. This annual children’s and teen’s choice award is open to all students across the state, offering four categories tailored to different reading levels and ages. By participating, kids can discover new stories, connect with their peers over shared interests, and have their voices heard. Public libraries play a key role in bringing this program to life.


Here’s how your library can get involved and help inspire a new generation of enthusiastic readers:


READ MORE...

ReadSquared Online Reading Tracking Training


NMSL provides free access to ReadSquared for public libraries in New Mexico - start by registering your library here:

NM Library Registration


Upcoming Trainings:


Onboarding: Onboarding covers all the basics of setting up your ReadSquared site and is designed for those new to ReadSquared.

  • March 6, Thursday, 8am MT 
  • April 8, Tuesday, 12 pm MT
  • May 14, Wednesday, 9am MT


Refresher: Refresher training is best for those who have used ReadSquared in the past and want to prepare for upcoming summer programs and possibly add more features to their site. These sessions will cover the new theme, site updates, optional features, and promotion.

  •  March 25, Tuesday, 8 am MT
  •  April 17, Thursday, 12pm MT
  •  May 7, Wednesday, 9am MT

 

No registration is required, and all training is free. You can choose from any of the above sessions and use this link to join: https://join.me/ReadSquaredTraining

OPPORTUNITIES

Game On! Grant


The Games and Gaming Round Table of the American Library Association is proud to sponsor its annual grant program to enable libraries to develop gaming programs or collections for their public. Through the Game On! Grant, $2000 will be available to be awarded either as one grant of $2000 or two of $1000 each to assist a library (or libraries) in developing gaming programs or collections for their communities.


Applications due March 1, 2025 - click here for more information

COLLECTIONS

Middle Grade Magic


March 6, 2025, 8:00AM - 3:00PM MT


Join School Library Journal for our seventh annual Middle Grade Magic virtual event, a day-long celebration of authors and creators dedicated to crafting literature for kiddos ages eight through 12. Get a first look at some of the most anticipated new titles for your young readers, from modern coming-of-age tales to eye-popping graphic novels to immersive fantasy.


Full details and to register - HERE


PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Early Literacy Training Workshops for Library Staff

Two sets of 7 online workshops, free to all New Mexico library staff.


Presented by

Dr. Betsy Diamant-Cohen

Founder of Mother Goose on the Loose


Spring Series - March 16 - April 30, 2025


Register for the Spring series - HERE


Color Our World with Citizen Science: From Space to Sea

Feb 4, 2025 - 1:00-2:00PM MT


Join SciStarter, STAR Net, and the Collaborative Summer Reading Program for an engaging webinar that explores how libraries can bring the 2024 Summer Reading Theme, Color Our World, to life through citizen science. Discover hands-on STEM activities for all ages, from exploring the wonders of space to uncovering the mysteries of the deep sea. Learn how these activities align with the theme and provide opportunities for library users to contribute to real-world scientific research. Gain valuable resources and ideas to integrate citizen science into your library’s programming, inspiring curiosity and creativity in your community!



For full details and to register: HERE

Empowering teens: Enhancing information literacy through games and interactive programming

Feb 6, 2025 - 1:00-2:00PM MT


You can help your teen patrons to become better navigators of the information that they find online. Come learn about how you can offer fun and engaging experiences that bring teens to the library and build their information literacy skills.


Full details and to register: HERE

Readers Advisory:

Ideas and Practice 2025


March 12, 2025 12:00-3:00PM MT

(Series of 3 Workshops)


Booklist is back with a new series of free readers' advisory workshops on Wednesday, March 12 starting at 12:00PM MT designed to keep you up to speed on both the ideas and practice that will enhance your RA game. Learn from experts in the field about how genres relate to each other, how to talk to patrons about their leisure reading, and how to write an effective book annotation.


Click here for more information


These are free workshops to train YOU on the subject matter, so you can then conduct the program at your library. For virtual programs the first 20 registrants receive mailed kits of supplies.




Upcoming Webinars:


3D Printing 101 - February 18, 4-6 pm @ Explora

Colorlicious - February 20, 2-4pm (Virtual)

Get Charged Up - March 12, 10am-12pm (Virtual)

Compiled by Kelly McCabe, Youth Services Coordinator

New Mexico State Library

Email: kelly.mccabe@dca.nm.gov


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