MN Library Association

MLA is pleased to announce our five pre-conference sessions for the 2010 Annual Conference.

• Growing Cultural Participation in the Arts
  with Donna Walker-Kuhne
  This workshop will present tangible strategies on ways to build and expand multicultural audiences for the arts. The format includes an overview on national trends on engaging diverse communities, including the impact of immigration, target demographics, generational marketing, ten tools for building communities, social media, and the impact of press, publicity, and advertising on multicultural audiences. Participants will break into workshop groups and prepare a draft of a diversity outline, then present outcomes and conclude with a summary of the discussion and action steps moving forward. This session is made possible by IMLS through LSTA funds and State Library Services, and is sponsored by MELSA with funding provided by the Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
• Media MashUp: Implementing Technology Programs for Youth
  with Alicia Anderson, Cynthia Matthias, and Jennifer Nelson
  In the 21st century, kids need exposure to all kinds of literacy practices. This pre-conference will share the findings of an IMLS funded project to help you understand the important role public libraries play in giving kids 21st century skills. It will give you a chance to work through developing a technology program using Scratch, a free rich media content creation software. You may be familiar with Scratch but unsure how to use it with kids in your library; we’ll give you a chance to figure that out, too. You’ll learn which 21st century skills youth are exposed to in Scratch-based workshops, participate in a hands-on workshop to learn how to use Scratch, and work with your peers to decide how you can implement technology programs for children and teens in your library. Urban or rural, small or large, there are ways you can offer low-cost and fun technology programs for youth that are grounded in 21st century literacy skill development.
• RDA: An Introduction
  with Mark Ehlert
  Resource Description and Access (RDA) is the new cataloging code designed to succeed AACR2. This pre-conference will use AACR2 as a point of departure to introduce attendees to the structure and content of RDA. Instruction will present an inspection of the new rules, their FRBR-inspired language, and their practical application in MARC-encoded bibliographic and authority records.
• Ssshing the Stereotype: Librarians in the 21st Century
  with J. Corey Butler, PhD, and various non-stereotypic Minnesota Librarians
  Buns, comfortable shoes, glasses, baggy skirts—and the shushing personality—are stereotypes that have haunted librarians since libraries began. We know that not everyone fits the stereotype, but what can we do to overcome it? And does it really matter, anyway? Do first impressions make a difference in how we provide service? Does “our” appearance put people off? Can we do anything about it? Learn the answers to these and other questions at this fun, entertaining, and informative pre-conference.
• Day 1 / Day 2 Certification “Train the Trainer”
  with Mollie Pherson and Mark Ranum
  This session is intended for Minnesota library staff who are responsible for or interested in becoming Day 1 and Day 2 trainers for the Minnesota Voluntary Certification Program. The workshop will cover the revised and expanded trainer and participant manuals for Day 1 and Day 2. Presenters will lead participants through best practices in training on the materials and scripts for use in the training sessions.

...and just for fun:

Nordic Gypsy Beads and Jewelry Beaded Lanyard Class
Nordic Gypsy Beads and Jewelry will be teaching a basic stringing class on how to make a beaded lanyard with beads, Soft Flex, and crimps. The lanyard will have a loop so it could be used as a badge holder or an eyeglass holder. Students will learn a basic stringing technique that can be applied to other pieces of jewelry.

Watch http://mnlibraryassociation.org/mlaconference10 for a complete agenda in early August.