Volume 73, Issue 3 | July 21, 2022 | |
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Staff Changes at NDSL
Mary Soucie, State Librarian
The State Library is happy to welcome Patron Services Director Steve Hammel to our staff. Steve was the director of the Valley City Barnes County Public Library for nine years. The Patron Services Division includes Talking Books and Information Services, which is comprised of reference, circulation, and ILL. Steve brings a wealth of experience in patron services, and we look forward to seeing what new ideas he introduces.
Shari Mosser is no longer working for the State Library. If you have questions about the Summer Reading Program, please reach out to Tammy Kruger at ndsl-ld@nd.gov or (701)328-4744.
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Library Vision Grant Opportunities
The State Library and the North Dakota Library Coordinating Council are pleased to announce two grant opportunities that will open August 1-31, 2022. There will be no match required for either grant.
The Library of Things Collection grant is an opportunity for libraries to creatively expand the library collection beyond traditional materials. We encourage libraries to think about what needs the community has that they don’t expect the library to address. The Library of Things is an opportunity to meet those needs. Libraries across the country are adding a variety of kitchen tools including Instant Pots, cake pop makers, air fryers, canning kits and food processors. Moving outside the kitchen, other items being circulated by libraries include portable cribs, air mattresses, 3D pens, yard games, bird watching kits, craft kits, musical instruments, recording equipment, cameras, pressure washers, and exercise equipment. The sky is truly the limit when it comes to adding a Library of Things collection and we are excited to see what the libraries come up with for this grant opportunity.
The second grant opportunity is the Marketing Plan Phase II grant. The purpose of this grant is to assist libraries in implementing and evaluating their marketing plan. Libraries will need to submit a copy of the plan to the State Library and all items that are included in the grant must be included in the marketing plan. This grant is open to any library with an approved plan, whether developed through a Phase I grant or on their own.
Applications must be submitted in Counting Opinions. Libraries that need their Counting Opinion credentials may contact the State Library at ndsladmn@nd.gov.
The State Library will host a grant webinar on August 2 at 11:00 A.M. CT. The webinar will be recorded for those that can’t attend it. Registration is required; after registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
The State Library’s Grant Coordinator, James W. Murphy, is the new point person for grants. If you have any questions or need assistance with the application, please contact James at ndsl-ld@nd.gov or (701)328-3495.
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Affordable Connectivity Program
The State Library is excited to host a representative from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to discuss the Affordable Connectivity Program on August 1, 2022, from 3:00-4:00 PM CT. The meeting will be hosted in person at the State Library and online via Zoom. The meeting is open to anyone that can benefit from learning more about the Affordable Connectivity program, so please invite your patrons to attend the meeting. Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and learn more information. This is a great opportunity for you to learn more about the program so you can provide information and assistance to your patrons.
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a benefit program that helps eligible households pay for their internet service. Eligible households can receive a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service (up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands) and a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from a participating provider. The Affordable Connectivity Program is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.
A household is eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program if the household income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or if a member of the household meets at least one of the criteria below:
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Participates in certain assistance programs, such as Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit, SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, SSI, WIC, or Lifeline;
- Participates in Tribal specific programs, such as Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal TANF, or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations;
- Participates in the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision;
- Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year; or
- Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider's existing low-income internet program.
Registration is required to attend the meeting. If you will attend the meeting in person, please complete the registration form. If you will attend via Zoom, please use the link below. After registering for Zoom, attendees will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. The registration link for Zoom may be shared through all of the library’s communication channels such as social media or your library newsletter.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwrdOGtqTIiGtXArKj0JG1lo4KRprlKREu9
Thank you for helping to spread the word to your patrons and staff about this exciting opportunity to learn more about this Federal assistance program.
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Weed ‘Em and Reap: Getting Your
Collection from Awful to Awesome!
By Tammy Kruger
Last week, Mary Kelly and Holly Hibner, librarians at Michigan’s Plymouth District Library, hosted a webinar on best practices for weeding. The speakers challenged participants to think about two questions:
- Does your library collection meet your mission? (Or, does it tie into your library mission statement?)
- Are you proud of your library collection? (Or, does the collection meet the needs of your community, at least given the resources you have available?)
If the answer to either of these questions is “no,” then this article is for you!
Why Weed?
ALA states that “an optimal library collection is one that is reviewed on a consistent basis for accuracy, currency, usage, diversity, and subject area gaps” (p. 1), and “space limitations, edition, format, physical condition, and number of copies are considered when evaluating physical materials” (p. 2).
Read More
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Grand Forks City Directories
‘Grand Forks City Directories’ is one of the newest collections on Digital Horizons. The collection features the earliest city directories of Grand Forks, North Dakota. The volumes list the residents, businesses, and organizations present in the city during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. City directories are a valuable resource for establishing the whereabouts of an individual at a certain place and time. They can provide additional biographical information, such as a person’s place of residence, occupation, place of employment, and marital status. Information regarding local civic organizations and the city’s elected officials is also typically listed. A separate alphabetical listing of local businesses by trade, much like a yellow page directory, is also included in each volume.
This digital collection is provided by the Grand Forks Public Library, and it’s available for browsing and searching on Digital Horizons.
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North Dakota Libraries Tidbits | |
Questions remain on whether Stutsman County Library should stay open | Jul. 16-JAMESTOWN - The James River Valley Library System Board of Directors has not made a decision on a June motion to close Stutsman County Library services to the general public on Dec. 31 but the question still remains on whether it should remain open. | | | |
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When spending a staycation at home a person’s best tool is the local public library. All libraries offer books and movies but some of the libraries have board and card games.
The Williston Community Library has STEAM kits that can be checked out for the curious and constructive kids in the area. The McKenzie County Public Library, Watford City, has North Dakota State Parks and Recreation Library Loan Passes that can be checked out and all for free. Even more fun and relaxation can be found outside.
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Book Club Kit
"The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris"
by David McCullough
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The story of the adventurous American artists, writers, doctors, politicians, and others who set off for Paris in the years between 1830 and 1900, hungry to learn and to excel in their work.
Elizabeth Blackwell, the first female doctor in America, was one of this intrepid band. Another was Charles Sumner, whose encounters with black students at the Sorbonne inspired him to become the most powerful voice for abolition in the U.S. Senate. Friends James Fenimore Cooper and Samuel F. B. Morse worked unrelentingly every day in Paris, Morse not only painting what would be his masterpiece but also bringing home his momentous idea for the telegraph. Harriet Beecher Stowe traveled to Paris to escape the controversy generated by her book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Three of the greatest American artists ever -- sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, painters Mary Cassatt and John Singer Sargent -- flourished in Paris, inspired by French masters. Almost forgotten today, the heroic American ambassador Elihu Washburne bravely remained at his post through the Franco-Prussian War, the long Siege of Paris, and the nightmare of the Commune. His vivid diary account of the starvation and suffering endured by the people of Paris is published here for the first time.
This kit comes with ten paperback books, a discussion guide, and a sign-in sheet.
Kits can be checked out for eight weeks. Book club kits can be checked out by patrons; no more than three kits can be checked out at one time. To see when this book club is next available, check out KitKeeper.
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Other News, Grants, and Webinars | |
Constitution Day Poster Design Contest | |
Constitutionfacts.com and the GIC (Government Information for Children - ALA GODORT) are national sponsors of the Fourteenth Annual U.S. Constitution Day Poster Contest for students, an international contest promoted exclusively through the Internet.
To compete, the contest invites K-12 entrants (including homeschoolers) to celebrate Constitution Day (Sept. 17) by designing a poster showing how they benefited from the freedoms embodied in the U.S. Constitution.
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Historic Preservation Fund Grants | |
The State Historic Preservation Office of North Dakota receives federal funds annually from the Historic Preservation Fund to assist in the identification, evaluation, and preservation of cultural resources listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NPS).
As part of the annual appropriation, the Society is obligating $120,000 toward preservation, restoration, and rehabilitation of projects for the National Register listed properties.
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To submit content ideas for a future issue of the Flickertale, please contact BreAnne at ndslpa@nd.gov. Times referenced in the Flickertale are Central Time Zone. | |
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The Flickertale is a weekly publication of the North Dakota State Library, a Division
of the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction
Kirsten Baesler, State Superintendent
Mary J. Soucie, State Librarian
ISSN: 1068-5383
This publication was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Grant to States Program as administered by the North Dakota State Library.
Any mention of services or products in this newsletter does not constitute any endorsement or recommendation. The use of any services or products should be evaluated on an individual basis.
The North Dakota State Library provides no guarantee as to the security,
reliability, or accuracy of information provided herein.
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