In This Issue... - NDLA Annual Update - Perspective Corner: Conference Survey Results - New Feature: My Story - On the Rug with SLAYS: Why would they give me a grant? - Conversations about EDI: Justice, Equity and Problem Solving
August 2021 Volume 51 Issue 3 Tabl e of Cont ent s Page he T President Message 3
Good NDLA Annual Update 4 Stuff Perspective Corner: Survey Results 6 Library Conferences and Events 9
Conversations about Equity, Diversity, and 10 Published quarterly by the Inclusion North Dakota Library Association Healthy ND 11 Editorial Committee Open Resources Shannon Yarbrough, Chair 14 Nicole Eckroth My Story 15
Production Artist On the Rug With SLAYS 16 Lesley Allan People Stuff 17 Subscription Rate $25/year The Good Stuff 17 Advertising Rate (per issue) ND In Print $100 - Full Page Ad 22 $50 - half-page ad MPLA Report 25 $25 - quarter-page ad ALA Report 26
Editorial Policy Trip to Europe 27 For information or to submit letters, news, and articles via Membership Report 28 email, contact: Shannon Yarbrough, Chair Treasurer's Report 30
2020-21 NDLA Executive Board 31
Issue Subm ission Deadline
March 2021 February 1, 2021
June 2021 April 30, 2021
August 2021 July 2, 2021
Decem ber 2021 Oct ober 29, 2021 Remember to check our website for more information and updates
The Good Stuff 2 August 2021 PRESIDENT'S M ESSAGE By Amy Soma, NDLA President - Library Director Fargo Public Schools
Greetings from Omaha! I?m writing this message from my covered deck on a beautiful July day. During July, I?m working 2-3 days a week at my new job and taking some long weekends to settle into our new home. So far, we are loving Omaha and having all of our kids around. However, as I write, I?m mindful of all the wonderful people and opportunities we left behind when we decided to pursue this new adventure. In the Executive Board?s quest to simplify how NDLA operates and serves its members, during August, we are asking the membership to vote to approve the consolidation of the constitution and bylaws into a single, more usable document. I want to take a moment to thank the Constitution, Bylaws, and Policies Committee members for their hard work on this and other aspects of the restructuring proposal that have gone into place this year. Their attention to detail and passion for this work is one example of the organizational spirit that makes me love and value NDLA. At our last board meeting, we were discussing how NDLA serves its members beyond the Annual Conference and how we can make NDLA leadership positions appealing to a broader cross-section of members. Somebody asked the difficult question, ?If NDLA disbanded, how would your life be different? Would your professional life be worse without the existence of the organization?? I don?t know your answer to that question, but as I start over in a new state and take the time to reflect upon my eight years of working in North Dakota, I can honestly answer that both my professional and personal life are richer because of the people I met and worked with in NDLA. I remember the advice I was given at my first conference clearly. Go to the SLAYS section meeting, listen and learn, and ?keep your head down and refuse to make eye contact when they ask for officer volunteers.? I didn?t keep my head down. Now, I?m President! I believe you get out of an organization what you put into it and I wanted to give NDLA everything I possibly could. So, in my final message to the membership, I ask you all to lift your heads and volunteer to do everything in your power to help NDLA become the professional organization that North Dakota libraries need today and in future. You will receive much more than you give! Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your NDLA President.I know I could have done more.I know I have made missteps (most notably in parliamentary procedures), but I have been proud to give my efforts towards helping improve the organization and North Dakota libraries. I have not been a perfect President, but I have loved every minute of it! Summer is flying by and before you know it the NDLA Annual Conference will be upon us. I can?t wait to see you all in person and celebrate all we have accomplished in the past year!
The Good Stuff 3 August 2021 2021 NDLA Annual Conference Updates By Traci Lund, past president, NDLA Director, Divide County Public Library
Let?s get ready to SLIDE! Yes, you heard that right - SLIDE. At this year?s conference, we will be having a Slide-Off! Grand Forks Public, with their fearless leader Wendy Wendt, have done some amazing new renovations including putting a slide into their beautiful library which we - as civilized, mature librarians - would like to take full advantage of. Let?s see who can slide down the fastest and who has the best landing! Of course, as with anything we crazy (ahem,sophisticated!!) librarians do, costumes are welcome and encouraged.There will be more information on this soon.Watch the listserv as all are welcome to participate. As you can see,we are busy planning a fun-filled conference that all will enjoy. This month is an exceptionally busy month as we have been picking out the breakout session presenters, putting together the timeline schedule, wrapping up the award nominations, and pushing everyone to register. By the way, have you registered for the NDLA annual conference yet? Our president-to-be, Stephanie Galeazzo, has been hard at work getting vendors lined up. If you have a favorite vendor that you would like to see participate in our conference, please reach out so we can send them some information. The more the merrier! I want to take just a quick minute and say, ?Thank you!? to the NDLA Conference committee. This year we have a wonderful group that is making the old saying true - many hands do make light work. I am lucky to have such a great committee that keeps me grounded. This is no small feat and keeps things moving forward. So, a huge THANK YOU to those helping! And finally, a not-so-small side note: Did someone at your library retire? We are looking to recognize those in our library world that have buttoned their cardigan for the last time. If you have an employee that has retired, please email me at [email protected]. If possible, please attach a couple pictures and a brief bio of the employee. We are excited to add this recognition to our conference!
The Good Stuff 4 August 2021 2021 NDLA Annual Conference Updates continued
The Good Stuff 5 August 2021 The Good Stuff 6 August 2021 The Good Stuff 7 August 2021 The Good Stuff 8 August 2021 Library Conferences and Events Compiled by Marlene Anderson,The Good Stuff editorial committee Director of Library Services, Bismarck State College
Sept em ber 2021 Library Card Sign-up Month September 26 ? October 2 ? Banned Books Week September 29-30 ? South Dakota Library Association Annual Conference (Virtual)
Oct ober 2021 October 6-8, 2021 - NDLA Annual Grand Forks, Alerus Center October 6-8 ?Minnesota Library Association Annual Conference (Virtual) October 13-15 ? 2021 Midwest Chapter/Midcontinental Chapter MLA Joint Virtual Conference October 17-23 ?National Friends of Libraries Week October 20-23?2021 Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL) Conference Nugget Hotel, Reno/Sparks, Nevada October 21-23 ?2021 American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Annual Conference Salt Lake City, Utah
Novem ber 2021 November 3-9 - International Games Week November 4 ? NDSA and Digital Preservation 2021?Virtual November 15-17 ? Digital Directions: Fundamentals of Creating and Managing Digital Collections ? Virtual
January 2022 January 24-28 ? American Library Association Midwinter Meeting, Philadelphia
The Good Stuff 9 August 2021 Conversations About EDI: Justice, Equity, and Problem Solving By Karlene Clark, EDI Committee Member Coordinator PRC Reference Services,Chester Fritz Library, UND
One could say that there has been a great deal of progress in working towards equity in many areas and across multiple platforms. You could equally say there is a long way to go yet. People are familiar with #BlackLivesMatter and a few others that have been in popular media over the last few years, but equity goes beyond the social cause. Equity looks at both visible and invisible differences in people. To explain, JEDI, is the acronym for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. This covers age, race, gender, religion, disabilities (both physical and unseen), socioeconomic, and many more areas. A meme currently circulating shows this example: Examples of ?reality? can be seen in areas where lived experiences for different peoples provide different skill sets. Consider a job application that states a requirement to be able to lift 60 pounds. This may be a situation where a large box of something like paper is delivered, once a week. A disabled person wouldn?t know this based on ?be able to lift 60 pounds? description. That could mean there actually is something heavy they would be expected to lift. ?Equality? says the job description is accurate. ?Equity? would be taking that limit off the job description because maybe the person can?t lift 60 pounds?but they CAN lift 10 pounds. They can still do the job ? it would just take them a few extra trips! To go further, consider handicapped parking or if your organization provides a shuttle. If there are handicapped spots within a few blocks of your building or ?on? your university campus, these may not be proximate to the building or its access points. This parking situation is not equity and not justice - it?s something called ?ableism.? Frequently, those who are able-bodied do not realize the difficulties someone with a handicap face. The feeling may be that, since a spot is provided, it should be enough. With the shuttle bus, it?s a process - make the call, wait for the ride, and then be able to get to work. Sometimes this means arriving a lot earlier than your coworkers. Technically, this is equity since they are able to get to work (with modifications), but it is not justice. Able-bodied people may not have to come earlier just to secure transport. As many with disabilities are already dealing with ongoing exhaustion, the longer day is an added problem. Kumbier and Starkey (2016) give the following examples for: Equal access: ?everyone is entitled to the same level of access and can avail themselves if they so choose?
The Good Stuff 10 August 2021 Conversations About EDI: Justice, Equity, and Problem Solving...continued
Equity: ?requires a commitment to justice because fairness also demands remedies to redress historic injustices that have prevented or diminished access in the first place? Our job, as librarians and managers, is to consider how we can equitably meet the needs of our patrons and our staff. How can you address EDI? By reading this spotlight,you?vetaken a first step towards learning more! A few recommendations to get you started: - Purposeful steps away from Ableism (TEDtalk) - Alyson Seale - Equality matters: The harmful ableist language you unknowingly use (BBC) - Justice [podcast series] - Blair Imani Works cited- Kumbier, A. & Starkey, J. (2016). Access is not problem solving: Disability justice and libraries. Library Trends, 64(3), 468-491.
Healthy ND: Gender Identities and Pronouns By Sandi Bates, Clinical Campus Outreach/HSIS SW Clinical Campus Librarian, School of M edicine & Health Sciences, UND
You?ve likely seen pronouns in email signatures or following names in online meetings. It is an understatement to say that terminology for how individuals want to be identified has been evolving. Here is a short primer on some of the basics for understanding patrons who identify on the gender spectrum: The acronym most often heard is LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual,transgender,and queer)people. However, the more encompassing term is LGBTQIAPP2SAA and more which translates to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, pan sexual, two spirit, agender, asexual, and more.The issue with both is that ?We don?t want to ?other? people,? Jeff Maliskey, assistant director for Student Diversity and Inclusion and LGBTQ Initiatives at the University of North Dakota explains. ?Often times we say LGBT+ (plus). No one wants to be in that plus identity because it is very ?othering?. And when you just say LGBTQ, you are leaving out some people?s identities.? Instead of these acronyms, the term queer is starting to be considered more appropriate. Maliskey said, sometimes ?you?ll see trans and queer used together ? queer is an umbrella term that really represents the broader understanding of what gender and sexuality is, as a whole.? Queer has historically been used as a derogatory term used to discriminate but there is a shift in society to using queer as an acceptable term. He explains, ?It is a generational terminology, so context is really important when we are utilizing queer as terminology.?
The Good Stuff 11 August 2021 Healthy ND: Gender Identities and Pronouns...continued
Gender and sexuality are often lumped into one thing but they really are two different things! By focusing on terminology, we are breaking down barriers and misconceptions in society. Maliskey says society ?defaults? to the binary definition of gender. Every individual is born with an assigned biological sex (the gender assigned at birth). It is binary ? male or female. According to Maliskey, ?from [gender], we move on to your gender identity.? An individual who aligns gender to the sex assigned at birth is termed cisgender. Transgender means people whose gender identity is different from the sex assigned at birth, ?The [gender] identity is different for everyone. Some transgender people may choose to go through a full-on transition physically to match their inner identity, others may not.? A transgender male is born female but identifies as male. A transgender female is born male but identifies as female.As Maliskey says, ?There is no one way to be transgender.? Other gender identities are encompassed with gendernonconforming or non-binary. Simply put this means that an individual does not conform to gender expectations in society ? it ?means your gender assigned at birth doesn?t align with your gender identity, what you know to be true and how you internalize your gender identity,? Maliskey said, ?binary is an older way of thinking, and our understanding of gender and sexuality goes beyond that. ?Sexuality is who you are attracted to ? men, women, or both. It doesn?tmatter what a person?s gender identity is, it?s about the emotional and romantic attraction to people. These are some of the variances in our society that make humans very complex. There are just not one or two identities out there; there are a wide variety of ones that do exist within our society.? -Maliskey Our gender identity is indicated in our pronouns, if we default to the binary of a masculine or feminine pronoun (he/ him/ his or she/ her/ hers), it fails to recognize that not everyone utilizes those pronouns. ?When we default and we assume someone?s gender identity, that is misgendering because we don?t know what their identity is until we have a conversation with them.? Maliskey noted the wide variety of pronouns and that they were a form of expression, ?It?s about what resonates and feels most comfortable. ?For awhile,it was a practice to be gender inclusive by using they/them/theirs. In English,the plural is used even when referring to the singular. For example: I am going to talk to them; that is theirs; they are doing this. It is also important to realize not everyone chooses to use those pronouns. Some may choose to use ze or zir or pers. ?We want to utilize the pronouns which they share with us...If the pronouns are just throwing you off completely, just utilize their name. That?s an easy way to acknowledge someone and validate their identity. It is about showing support. But if it is really throwing you off - it is an adjustment and that is completely ok. You are going to make mistakes, it?s more about apologizing and moving on,? Maliskey said. Additional information on the use of pronouns can be viewed here
The Good Stuff 12 August 2021 The Good Stuff 13 August 2021 Government information in a pickle? A brief history from a government document perspective By Susanne Caro, TECHSERT/GODORT Committee Chair Government Information Librarian, North Dakota State University Are you suffering from an embarrassment of riches regarding cucumbers and other garden goodies? There is a long history to the preservation of food including the noble gherkin. Pickling is not only one of the oldest forms of food preservation, but the vitamin C in vinegar also resulted in the prescription of pickles to treat scurvy at military forts like Fort Buford. These may have been kept in fancy jars like the Gothic Pickle Bottle. If you are inspired to try some old-time pickles the USDA Farmers Bulletin 1159, Fermented Pickles was available in 1920. You can even check out the Library of Congress?s music collection and listen to the Dill Pickle Rag! For a more current option, the NDSU Extension publishes Food Preservation: Making Pickled Products. Canning was first developed in 1719 when Napoleon?s France was searching for a way to preserve food for the army. One applicant Chef Nicholas Appert boiled food in sealed Champagne bottles and the French government paid him 12,00 francs to publish his method and make it publicly available, resulting in the first government sponsored canning book: The Art of Preserving All Kinds of Animal and Vegetable Substances for Several Years. You can explore the history of canning in this digital exhibit from the National Agriculture Library. Approach older canning and food preservation manuals and use safe, modern techniques like those suggested by the Centers for Disease Control. Avoid Home Canning and Botulism! And use resources like The USDA Guide to Home Canning, which was revised in 2015. And if you are planning to take your garden?s bounty to the local farmer?s market, the North Dakota Century Code has a few requirements for Cottage Food Production and Sales. Canning trivia:In 1858, patent 22,186 was issued to John L. Mason of New Jersey for ?Glass Jar.? This was the start of the famous Mason Jar!
The Good Stuff 14 August 2021 Simple Advocacy Nets Positive Results By Kerrianne Boetcher Library Director, Ward County Public Library
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines advocacy as ?the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal: the act or process of advocating? (https:// www.merriam-webster.com/ dictionary/ advocacy). On the surface, this can be overwhelming on top of everything else that we must do in our daily lives. We may find it very easy to talk to people normally, but it seems more difficult when it?s put under the guise of advocating. Being an advocate for your library does not have to be hard and it doesn?t have to be some eloquent speech at a fancy dinner.It can be as simple as mentioning to a fellow citizen that you are really interested in getting a 3D printer for your library and that citizen turning around to have money donated to your library to buy said printer. It can be as simple as sending a quick email saying, ?please stop by the next time that you are in town, and I would love to show you around.? I took the time to email each of our representatives in Washington, D.C. this January after the events on January 6th. I wanted to express how thankful I was that they were okay. This may not seem like much, but it does get your name in the back of their minds. I heard back from Senator Hoeven and Congressman Armstrong after that email to thank me for sending it. I followed those emails up on April 6th to wish them a Happy National Library Week. This email explained a little background on National Library Week as well as some fun facts about my library and about North Dakota libraries. I ended the email with a note inviting them to stop by whenever they were in the area.I have heard from all three representatives! To top it off, on July 7th, Congressman Armstrong came to visit our bookmobile I sent the National Library Week email to all 15 of my area's legislators in Bismarck. Overall, it took me about 20 minutes to email 18 people. It does not take long to send a quick email and it does not have to be beautiful. Involve your local officials! I asked the county commissioner from my library board and the chair person of our commission to join us for Congressman Armstrong?s visit. Only the chairperson was able to make it, but it allowed us to show support from them in addition to just me talking. As follow-up, I made sure to send a thank you note to both Congressman Armstrong and to our chairperson for visiting. The ?thank you? note can go a long way to forming a relationship that is beneficial to your library. To put it simply, please take the time when NDLA asks for your help to contact your legislators. Let them know that you support libraries, and they should too! Extend an invitation to them and just maybe, they will do a story time for you!
Like this? Share your success story and advice in the next issue of the Good Stuff. Send your submission to the Good Stuff editorial committee before October 15th, 2021
The Good Stuff 15 August 2021 Why Would They Give M e a Grant? By Lesley Allan, SLAYS Chair Library Director, Williston Basin School District
We hear a lot of "why's" in our day to day routines. "Why is the sky blue?" "Why does he/ she/ they have all the fun toys?" "Why can't I go on a Virgin Galactic flight with Richard Branson?" Ok. Maybe that last one is more of a whine from me. But "Why would they give me a grant?" should never be a "why" that you ask yourself. If you?ve never written a grant before, it may seem like a daunting task. Don't think you are a good writer? You should always have a team - even if your team is a duo - to brainstorm, budget, and write together. Too Busy? Did you know there are some grants that take 10 minutes to apply for! Don't feel like anyone would support you? Grants are a GREAT way to advocate for yourself and your needs. Plus, after you get the grant, you can toot your own horn! It?s easy to think of all types of excuses for not going after grants, but guess what? We're librarians. Grants are all about goals, research, and organization...right up our alley Set your goals - what do you need/ want for your library? Then check out these lists to find a grant to match your needs. Remember - you might need to think outta the box... - ALA - Library and Education Grants Search Tool - AASL - ND State Library! - Grants.gov - Foundation Center - Keep it local! Do you have a large local business? Crystal Sugar, Haliburton, Wal-Mart...all have grants waiting for you! Organize - Gather you team, delegate tasks, brainstorm your reasoning for the grant Research - Once you have your grant and your team, dive deep into the grant itself - what they require, the history of the grant or the company giving the grant, and what submission requirements/ dates are. Still need some help? THIS is an excellent YouTube video put together by the Nebraska Library Commission called Big Talk From Small Libraries 2021: Grant Writing: Templates to Succeed. So start writing, gathering, and sharing your triumphs! I am off to find a grant that gets me to achieve the goal of first librarian in space...no...first librarian on Mars! OH MY! YES!! P.S. Did you KNOW about this? Story Time in Space where astronauts read kids books from the international space station?? Now I KNOW they need a librarian up there!!
The Good Stuff 16 August 2021 People Stuff Compiled by NDLA Members
Tuya Dutton is the new Director of Libraries of Raugust Library at the University of Jamestown. She started her new position on July 8, 2021, and has a business and electronic resources management background. Phyllis Bratton, the former director for Raugust Library, retired at the end of June after 37 years at the University.
Stephanie Baltzer Kom left her position as Director of Patron Services at the State Library to take a new job as the Records and Information Supervisor at MDU Resources in Bismarck in June. Baltzer Kom served as NDLA President in 2017-18 and also serves as President of the Friends of Morton Mandan Public Library. Hallie Pritchett has been named Interim Dean of Libraries at NDSU Libraries. In her message, Provost Margaret Fitzgerald wrote: ?I am pleased to announce that Hallie Pritchett will serve as Interim Dean of Libraries starting on July 20, 2021. Having served as Associate Dean of the NDSU Libraries, Interim Dean Pritchett has a great deal of experience with library operations and project management. She is a strong advocate for the libraries and is familiar with both traditional functions and new initiatives. I look forward to working with her in this role. The search for the permanent Dean of Libraries will be launched later this summer.?
The Good Stuff Compiled by NDLA Members
Summer Rocks! By Robert Ebelhar, Bookmobile and School Services Librarian As librarians, we concern ourselves with a variety of stories. One story that tends to get overlooked, possibly due to its ?book? being unconventionally large, is the story of the Earth. I?ve tried to help fix that this summer with my ?Summer Rocks!? program for the Dickinson Area Public Library Bookmobile. Having partnered with the Badlands Dinosaur Museum, specimens from the Education Collection traveled with me on the Bookmobile to tell the story of the geologic past. Samples of sulfur and travertine, pumice, and basalt, spoke of spurting geysers and active volcanoes. Limestones and sandstones and shales revealed a quieter existence, with placid lagoons and still lakes, rushing rivers and vast dunes. Shining pieces of slate, banded chunks of gneiss, and sparkling marble told of the great tectonic forces that drive the movement of the plates and continents. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the multitude of fossils, from the bug-eyed trilobites and clam-like brachiopods of the Paleozoic Era to the great dinosaurs and megafauna of t
The Good Stuff 17 August 2021 The Good Stuff Compiled by NDLA Members
he Mesozoic and Cenozoic tell the story of life and how it has changed and evolved from the simplest cells to ?endless forms most beautiful.? Every child has been wide-eyed with wonder at the rainbow of minerals and diversity of fossil forms, and many have shared their own fossil collecting experiences. One first grader even brought in a few of his own fossils that he wanted to loan to the program! Adult and parental response has been similarly positive, with many questions about where to find their own mineral samples, and where to take their kids for more fossil fun. To start off (or add to!) their collections, each child who has come in has been given a plaster replica of a Tyrannosaurus or Spinosaurus tooth, and the reaction to receiving a dinosaur tooth for their very own, even a replica one, is about what you could imagine. Partnering with our local museum has allowed the Bookmobile to bring more than the usual stories of book and film on the road. It has let us take the story of our planet and the history of life in a form more tangible than words on a page. Many thanks to Dickinson Museum Center Director Bob Fuhrman and Curator Dr. Denver Fowler for this joint venture and for providing specimen access.
Fossil samples on display in Medora, ND. Rock and mineral samples on display in Photo credit Robert Ebelhar Medora, ND. Photo credit Robert Ebelhar
The Fargo Public Library partnered with the Fargo Park District, the Fargo Park District Foundation, and the Growing Together Community Garden organization and installed learning gardens this spring at our Dr. James Carlson Library location. Currently, we have a three raised vegetable gardens and a pollinator garden. We also have community volunteers who continue to assist with garden maintenance. The gardens offer learning experiences to community members of all ages as well as provide a new avenue for library programming. So far this summer, there have been storytimes and a garden book club that meets outside near the gardens. Library staff are also looking forward to future programs and are excited that the gardens will help provide the Fargo community with new opportunities to learn about the
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20 minutes can make a world of difference By Janet Anderson, Library Director. Minot Daily News / Newspaper & TV Release May 29, 2021 Area literacy leaders are working together to demonstrate the life-changing impact 20 minutes can have on a child?s life. On Thursday, June 3rd they are kicking off their #ReadFor20 campaign at 5:00 pm with Mayor Shaun Sipma reading at Main Street Books. Reading provides not only joy and recreation, but according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, reading to children of any age strengthens the left side their brain which improves understanding and memory. Further, the experience of being read to helps children develop good listening skills by making them aware of the important components of language. ?Having your child read for just 20 minutes a day can drastically improve their test scores and increase their vocabulary,? said Sara Medalen a teacher at Sunnyside Elementary school and the 2020 ND Teacher of the Year. Whether your child reads alone, or you read together, reading will not only help in school success, but will stimulate imagination which can introduce them to concepts, cultures, and possibilities beyond their own experiences. Minot Public Library Children?s Librarian Randi Monley further explained: ?20 minutes is less than the average Disney or PBS children?s television show and the average length of many YouTube videos. However, 20 minutes of reading can have immediate and important impacts.? Monley said that when children read for 20 minutes a day they could be hearing (and thereby learning) up to 1.8 million words per year. Those whodon?tregularly read will not have this advantage of increased vocabulary. This could lead to spending an additional 6 weeks of the school year re-learning old material. As this is especially common during the summer, it?soften referred to as the Summer Slide. To help prevent this, area educators, librarians, and children?s advocates are joining forces to help make sure children have the opportunity to read for at least 20 minutes per day. Organizers will help make this happen in a variety of ways.
?We?ll be having school staff hanging out at the Minot Public Library for ?Thursday Takeover? throughout the summer to encourage students to come visit and get reading suggestions,? Erin Zietz said. Zietz is a teacher at Washington Elementary and the president-elect of the North Central Reading Council. ?Further, we want to get books into the hands of kids all over Minot and share the joy of stories.? Zietz said that she and other community leaders are happy to stop by any business or organization to read stories. Anyone interested in hosting a story telling should contact Sara Medalen at 701-721-5712 or Randi Monley at [email protected] Brain development, vocabulary, memory, language, and test scores are all obvious benefits of reading, but the value goes beyond these. According to reading foundation.org: ?for every year an
The Good Stuff 19 August 2021 The Good Stuff Compiled by NDLA Members
adult reads with a child, the child?s potential lifetime earnings increase by $50,000. ?Essentially, parents make a $250,000 gift to their child from birth to age five by reading aloud for 20 minutes every day. This is one reason that Monley will be offering books to reward children who complete the Library?s Summer Learning Program. Teen Librarian Pam Carswell adds that 20 minutes of reading each day is just as important for older students. Carswell said: ?We?ve always given gift cards to local bookstores as prizes for teens who complete the teen Summer Reading Program, and this will continue in 2021 as we know the importance of teens being able to choose what they read.? The value of reading for teens was especially noted in a study published by the American Psychological Association in 2018. This research examined teen reading and media habits from 1976 to 2016 and found that the amount of time teens spent reading drastically declined. This decline provides immense challenges as teens enter college and careers. ?Think about how difficult it must be to read even five pages of an 800-page college textbook when you've been used to spending most of your time switching between one digital activity and another in a matter of seconds. It really highlights the challenges students and faculty both face in the current era,? said researcher Jean Twenge. ?There's no lack of intelligence among young people, but they do have less experience focusing for longer periods of time and reading long-form text.? It?s important for young people of all ages to see adults in their lives reading as well. According to a December 2019 New York Post article ?Studies show that reading for at least 20 minutes each day sharpens a variety of skills that are valuable in the workforce, including memory retention, social-emotional skills, and critical thinking, to name a few.? The ability to focus for 20 minutes also helps lead to informed voters and involved citizens who can critically evaluate issues. Medalen also stressed the importance of reading together as a method of strengthening family relationships. She noted that ?families who read together for 20 minutes a day, 7 days a week, will get 121 hours of bonding time every year.? Finally, reading for 20 minutes per day is not just food for the brain. Reading reduces stress and helps people relax and wind down and therefore sleep better. Research by the UK National Literacy Trust (NLT) found that??90% of children feel ?happiest??when reading and writing, as opposed to playing games or watching favorite cartoons.? Following months of stress and turmoil, whocouldn?tuse more happiness and less stress in their life? Give yourself and the children in your life the gift of reading by making time to read for 20 minutes every day. For more information on Minot?s #ReadFor20 campaign or to schedule a guest reader, contact Sara Medalen at 701-721-5712 or Randi Monley at [email protected] follow the Minot Public Library?s Facebook or Instagram pages.
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Grand Forks Herald / Newspaper Release August 8, 2021 Grand Forks library receives grant from AARP to develop an inter-generational music playground ?The AARP is funding 244 ?quick action? projects by distributing $3.2 million in grants across the country to give back to local communities. The Grand Forks Public Library is one of four organizations in North Dakota, and the only one in Grand Forks, to receive a grant as part of the initiative, which began in 2017? -Article written byJ acob Holley(Journalist) ?There?s something about music that connects people. It?s a very special experience, so being sure that all ages and abilities can make music together is really important to us.? - Wendy Wendt, Library Director, Grand Forks Public Library Click here to see the full text Grand Forks Herald / Newspaper Release May 22, 2021 Library draws crowd to celebrate 121st birthday ?Throughout the main floor decorated with bunches of colorful balloons, floral bouquets and several-feet-tall ?121? metal lights, people milled around, taking in the new furnishings and newly remodeled space. The library has undergone a $560,000 renovation during the months, beginning in March 2020, when it was closed to the public due to the pandemic.? - Article written by Pamela D. Knudson (Journalist) Click here to see the full text Apparently, nearly 1,200 people celebrated with the amazing staff of GFPL
The Good Stuff 21 August 2021 Compiled by M arlene Anderson, The Good Stuff editorial committee member Director of Library Services, Bismarck State College
Don?t Get Caught by Jamie Stoudt. $19.99, 233 p., hardcover. Available from Amazon and jamiestoudtbooks.com Set for release on August 7, 2021, Don?tGet Caught is the second published novel from Jamie Stoudt and continues the storyline from Stoudt?s first novel, Back Again. It's a fast-paced, funny, legal thriller that will make you cheer for the good guys, and occasionally want to just give them a hug.? Donna Carlasccio, a third novel coming out in November, will take the story even further. The author grew up in Jamestown and graduated from UND, but now splits his time between Minnesota and Florida. Stoudt has had quite a career path ? everything from owning and managing a Ford dealership to being the CEO, CFO, president and cook for Lefsa by Lars [yes, he really spells lefse that way]. The Man Under the Moon, a fourth novel that Stoudt expects to release in Spring 2022, is about the first colonists on the Moon. The Good Hand: A Memoir of Work, Brotherhood, and Transformation in an American Boomtown by Michael Patrick F. Smith $29, 464 p.,hardcover; $14.99, eBook. Available at bookstores and online from Amazon and Barnes and Noble In 2013,Michael Patrick Smith made his way to Williston and the oil patch.He found work and ?spent long days in summer heat and winter cold, all the while wrestling with the demons of a turbulent past, his broken relationships with women, and the haunted memories of a family riven by violence. ?The Publishers Weekly review said: "Smith impresses in this fascinating debut memoir [and his] prose shines when sharing how his experience on the oil rig shaped his idea of what it means to live a meaningful life. This page turner delivers." Smith is now based in Kentucky and works as a folksinger and playwright. For more information, visit his website at thegoodhand.org. The Language of Cottonwoods: Essays on the Future of North Dakota by Clay Jenkinson. $34.95, 404 p., hardcover; $21.95, paperback; $7.99, eBook. Available at bookstores and online from Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Köehler Books The Language of Cottonwoods is the fourteenth book by North Dakota?s Clay Jenkinson and?part travelogue, part love song to the prairie, and above all, a vision for a cultural renaissance at the heart of the continent.?Jenkinson is a well-known scholar and hosts the nationally syndicated radio program and podcast, The Thomas Jefferson Hour.
No One Dare Call Her a Liar: The Untold Story of Alma Kruckenberg's 1938 Murder by Larry Lee Kruckenberg. $14.99, 232 p.,pbk. Available from Amazon Lurid stories about the brutal murder of an aunt he never knew were part of family lore for author Larry Lee Kruckenberg, a native of Hazen.On August 16, 1938, 16-year-old Alma Louise Kruckenberg was murdered by her minister and employer, Reverend Heio Janssen.The ?subsequent confession, trial, and sentencing?took place with astonishing
The Good Stuff 22 August 2021 Compiled by M arlene Anderson, The Good Stuff editorial committee member Director of Library Services, Bismarck State College
speed.? More than 80 years after the crime, Larry Kruckenberg decided to find out more. Using official court transcripts, archived newspaper articles, writings from the murderer, conversations with elders who still remember the event, and traces of Alma?s diary, his ?meticulously researched retelling?provides a painstaking account of murder and motive, uncovering some secrets along the way? and sheds new light on one of the most notorious crimes in North Dakota history. No One Dare Call Her a Liar is Kruckenberg?s second book. The first, Big Bend Country: A Journey of Good Times, Hard Times, and Hope, was profiled in the June 2021 issue of The Good Stuff. Kruckenberg is a native of Hazen and spent his 50-year career working with two state wildlife agencies in both North Dakota and Wyoming, as well as the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, where he served as executive secretary. He now lives in Cheyenne, Wyoming.For more information, visit the author?s website at http:// www.larrykruckenberg.com/ . Oh,Duck by Kelly Fry; illustrated by Mason Nysether. $9.99, 24 p.,pbk. Available from Amazon As any parent can tell you, some days are hard. With a little ?tongue-in-cheek? language and humor, Oh Duck tells a story about Mama Duck and Baby Duck trying to get through a typical day. The book was inspired by the Bismarck author?s three-year-old daughter and illustrated by her son. Click here for the KFYR-TV story.
Race-ing Fargo: Refugees, Citizenship, and the Transformation of Small Cities by Jennifer Erickson. $125, 282 p., hardcover; $26.95, pbk.; $17.99, Kindle; $13.49, Nook. Available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Cornell University Press Author Jennifer Erickson, Associate Professor of Anthropology at Ball State University traces the history of refugee settlement and its impact on Fargo, from the 1980s to the present day, in Race-ing Fargo. The book focuses on the role that race, ethnicity, gender, class, religion, culture, and sociality play in everyday interactions between refugees and New Americans and Fargo?s dominant white Euro-American population. The June 1, 2021, Choice review said: "...this volume offers a kaleidoscopic portrait of how refugees have reshaped local ideas about race, citizenship practices, and belonging." Race-ing Fargo was published by Cornell University Press. The Red Road and Other Narratives of the Dakota Sioux by Samuel Mniyo and Robert Goodvoice; edited by Daniel Beveridge - Series: Studies in the Anthropology of North American Indians. $75, 336 p., hardcover; $71.25, Kindle; $56.49, Nook. Available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble This book brings together the narratives of Samuel Mniyo and Robert Goodvoice (from the Wahpeton Dakota Nation near Prince Albert, Saskatchewan), plus the songs and pictographic notebooks of James Black (Jim Sapa).`The Good Red Road? means the good way of living or the path of goodness. Last performed in 1921, the Red Road
The Good Stuff 23 August 2021 Compiled by M arlene Anderson, The Good Stuff editorial committee member Director of Library Services, Bismarck State College
Dance ??.exists now only in the oral traditions and pictographic strands that Beveridge braids back together?What The Red Road and Other Narratives of the Dakota Sioux gives readers is a sense of what it feels like for listeners to actually hear the recursive multivocality of oral traditions being passed down through the generations.? (Source:Peacock, John.The Red Road and Other Narratives of the Dakota Sioux. Tribal College:Journal of American Indian Higher Education, v. 32, no. 4, Summer 2021) Where you Go, I Will Go: Lessons from a Military Spouse by Victoria Terrinoni $11.95, 124 p.,pbk. Available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble Victoria Terrinoni made 14 moves during her 31 years as an Air Force wife.In her new book, she shares her experiences and the lessons learned to ?educate new military spouses on the joys and pitfalls of military life.?Terrinoni wrote for The Minot Daily News from 1998-2001 when her husband was stationed at Minot Air Force Base and devoted one chapter of the book to her time at MFAB. Terrinoni and her husband, who retired in 2018, now live in Illinois. Coming Soon -A New Book from North Dakota?s Pulitzer Prize Winner Louise Erdrich! The Sentence: A Novel by Louise Erdrich. Release date: November 9, 2021. $28.99,416 p., hardcover; $14.99, eBook. Available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Birchbark Books ?In this powerful and timely novel, Louise Erdrich explores how the burdens of history, and especially identity, appropriation, exploitation, and violence done to human beings in the name of justice, manifest in ordinary lives today. Revolving around a small independent bookstore in contemporary Minneapolis, The Sentence follows a turbulent year in the life of a strong though vulnerable Ojibwe woman named Tookie.? Louise Erdrich was also named the winner of the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her critically acclaimed novel, The Night Watchman, on June 11. Described on the Pulitzer website as "a majestic, polyphonic novel about a community's efforts to halt the proposed displacement and elimination of several Native American tribes in the 1950s, rendered with dexterity and imagination," the story is based on the life of Erdrich's activist grandfather, a night watchman at a factory near the Turtle Mountain Reservation in rural North Dakota. If you haven?t read it, do. It is a wonderful book. Erdrich is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and grew up in Wahpeton. She now lives in Minnesota and owns Birchbark Books in Minneapolis. In 2013, Erdrich received North Dakota?s Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award, which recognizes ?North Dakotans who have been influenced by this state in achieving national recognition in their fields of endeavor, thereby reflecting credit and honor upon North Dakota and its citizens.?
The Good Stuff 24 August 2021 The M PLA Report By Randi Monley, MPLA Representative - Children's Librarian, Minot Public Library
Some of you may be wondering, what is MPLA? Why does it matter? MPLA is the Mountain Plains Library Association. It is a twelve-state association that covers Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. Its purpose is to promote the development of librarians and libraries by providing significant educational and networking opportunities. Why is this important to you? If you are a member of MPLA, you have the opportunity to get continuing education grants, attend the leadership institute (fabulous!), and go to the annual conference. You will be able to meet and network with people across the country who are dealing with same of the same difficulties you are. You are able to learn about programs and ideas you may have never thought of before. Please consider joining, if you have any questions, please contact me by email at [email protected]. If you are already a member and want to get more active, I can help you with that. Let me know and we can find a committee position that is right for you. What?s happening around MPLA? MPLA?s new Vice President/ President-Elect is Brenda Hemmelman. Brenda is Collection Services Librarian at the South Dakota State Library. Our continuing Recording Secretary is Whitney Vitale who is the Assistant Head of Access Services at the Oklahoma State University Edmon Low Library. - MPLA Award Winners: - MPLA Beginning Professional Award: Elizabeth Szkirpan (Oklahoma) - MPLA Innovator Award: Julie Erickson (South Dakota) - MPLA Literary Contribution Award: Linda M. Hasselstrom (South Dakota) - MPLA Dan Cheney Unsung Hero Award: Mickey Coalwell (Kansas) - MPLA Distinguished Service Award: Paulette Nelson (North Dakota)
Arizona:In April, Pima County Public Library?s Kirk-Bear Canyon Library welcomed a new 800-square-foot mural by Tucson artist Joe Pagac. The mural offers a whimsical tribute to books and nature, with fluffy clouds and desert animals cheerfully mixing with unicorns and storybook images.
Utah: The Orem Public Library hosted the 10th annual Utah Film Festival in the Library Hall. The three-day festival showcased award-winning films from all over the world, as well as from some of Utah?s finest filmmakers. The festival took place in April at the Library Hall?s Ashton Auditorium.
The Good Stuff 25 August 2021 Catch-up with the ALA By Sara Westall, ALA Chapter Councelor - Reference Librarian, Fargo Public Library
Hi everyone, I hope you are having a safe and enjoyable summer! Mark your Calendars! - ALA?sLibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience will be taking place in San Antonio Texas, January 21-24, 2022. Registration opens this coming fall. - ALA Annual Conference will be held in Washington, DC June 23rd- 28th. Both ALA events will be in-person
Ever wanted to WORK for ALA?
Read more about libraries' response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2020 in the State of America's Libraries 2021 Special Report: COVID-19.
Coming Soon to the NDLA listserv.... Adopted resolutions from the ALA 2021 Annual Meeting to come out soon.
The Good Stuff 26 August 2021 Calling All Travelers! Tour of Europe: M ay/June 2022
In May and June 2022 Kevin Kenkel, Mitchell Public Library Director, will lead a group tour to Europe with a focus on visiting beautiful libraries. Due to COVID-19 the trip was postponed in 2020 and 2021 (hopefully the third time?s a charm). The tour will include visiting a number of other sites as well. This will be a 12-day trip departing from Sioux Falls, SD, but you can arrange with the travel company to fly from a different city. The itinerary for the trip includes:
- Paris (two days) ? National Library of France, Notre Dame, Latin Quarter, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysees, Versailles, plus other sites - Zurich, Switzerland ? city tour plus a couple of other sites - Ulm, Germany ? visiting the Abbey Library of St. Galen enroute and the Wiblingen Abbey library in Ulm, Albert Einstein?s birthplace - Salzburg, Austria ? (enroute visit Neuschwanstein Castle) Mozart?s birthplace, Sound of Music sites - Vienna, Austria ? Austrian National Library [see photo below], Parliament, Opera House, St. Stephen?s Cathedral, other sites, possible Mozart concert - Prague, Czech Republic ? Strahov Monastery library, Clementinum National library, Prague Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral
The tour will take place May 28 - June 8, 2022. The current price for the trip is $5,523 if you sign up before October 1, 2022. This pricing is for travelers flying from Sioux Falls. After that the price increases $300. Signing up sooner allows participants to spread the payments out over more months. When you decide to sign up for the tour make sure to use to voucher code ?Europe22? to receive the $300 discount prior to October 1. Included in the price are air and ground transportation, double-occupancy hotel rooms, two meals per day (breakfast and dinner), and professional tour guides.
For more information please visit the tour website: www.explorica.com/ Kenkel-7721. On this site there are links with more information about some of the places we?ll see in each city. If you decide to join us you can click on the ?sign up now? button in the right-hand column to register for the trip. This trip is not just for librarians. Anyone who loves libraries is invited to join the tour. Spouses and children (16 and older) are welcome. If you know of someone who may consider this trip feel free to share this information.
The Good Stuff 27 August 2021 NDLA M embership Report - August 2021 Submitted by Nicole Eckroth, Instructional Librarian, University of Mary
Your M embership M atters!
The Good Stuff 28 August 2021 More Information on Membership and Benefits here!
The Good Stuff 29 August 2021 Treasurer's Report By Aaron Stefanich, NDLA Treasurer Children's Librarian, Grand Forks Public Library
Editor?s note: Approved by electronic vote of the Executive Board
The Good Stuff 30 August 2021 NDLA EXECUTIVE BOARD
President Technical Services / Government Amy Soma Documents Roundtable Fargo Public Schools Holly Gabriel [email protected] UND-Chester Fritz Library [email protected] President-elect Stephanie Galeazzo Health Science Information Section McKenzie County Public Library Merete Christianson [email protected] NDSULibraries [email protected] Past President Traci Lund New Members Roundtable Divide County Public Library Jennifer Kramer [email protected] Velva Public School& Library [email protected] Secretary Abby Ebach Public Library Section North Dakota State Library Rita Ennen [email protected] Dickinson Area Public Library [email protected] Treasurer Aaron Stefanich School Library & Youth Services Grand Forks Public Library Section [email protected] Lesley Allan Williston Public School District #1 ALA Councilor [email protected] Sara Westall Fargo Public Libraries Constitution, Bylaws and Policies [email protected] Committee Virginia Bjorness, Co-chair MPLA Representative ND State Historical Society Randi Monley [email protected] Minot Public Library [email protected] Kristen Borysewicz, Co-chair UND - Chester Fritz Library Academic & Special Libraries Section [email protected] Tammy Oltz UND?School of Law and Thormodsgard Finance Committee Law Library Stephanie Kom [email protected] State Historical Society of North Dakota [email protected]
The Good Stuff 31 August 2021 NDLA EXECUTIVE BOARD
Legislative Committee The Good Stuff Editorial Committee Janet Anderson Shannon Yarbrough Minot Public Library Angus Cameron Medical Library / UND [email protected] School of Medicine & Health Sciences [email protected] Nominations, Voting & Elections Committee Archivist/Historian BreAnne Meier Trevor Martinson North Dakota State Library North Dakota State Library [email protected] [email protected]
Membership Committee State Librarian Laurie L. McHenry Mary J Soucie UND-ThormodsgardLaw Library North Dakota State Library [email protected] [email protected]
Professional Development Committee Web Editor Jesse Leraas Joshua Pikka Sanford Health Minot Public Library [email protected] [email protected]
The Good Stuff 32 August 2021