MLA 2024 Conference

Hear from Library staff and a cohort of interns how the Northfield Public Library, in partnership with the Northfield Community College Collaborative (NCCC), used a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant to launch an inclusive internship program intended to appeal to and support students from diverse backgrounds who might not otherwise consider a career in libraries. Libraries serve their communities best when their staff is representative of the communities they serve. However, around 85% of library school graduates are white women. Over 95% of NCCC students are the first in their families to attend college. Over 85% are BIPOC. Over 80% are low income. More than 75% are female, and 15% are parents.

Using the Inclusive Internship Initiative (iii) toolkit designed by the Public Library Association as a template, we brought on 5 interns to work with us in the summer of 2024. With the funding we received we were able to offer reimbursement for childcare during the summer through the flexible spending benefit the City of Northfield provides, in addition to an hourly wage.

Attendees will learn how we developed the grant proposal and adapted the iii toolkit to fit our needs; how we designed a 12-week internship experience to provide professional experience to interns and develop leadership skills of current staff; what worked and what didn’t; and how we leveraged partnerships with three educational institutions (NCCC, TORCH, and Carleton College) to offer a valuable, paid library internship to a diverse group of students. Attendees will also have the opportunity to engage directly with our interns in a panel discussion. This session is intended for anyone in a position to advocate for increasing diverse staffing and professional development in libraries.

The federal Digital Equity Act is bringing over $20M to the state of Minnesota over the next three years. These funds will be received by the Minnesota Office of Broadband Development, then distributed through grant and contract processes statewide to support organizations in implementing and expanding digital equity programs and services. As some of the original digital equity advocates, libraries of all types are well-positioned to be leaders in the work ahead. During this session, we’ll learn more about the Digital Equity Act, highlight some library-specific grant opportunities, and explore the basic elements of a strong Digital Equity Act grant application.

Statute 134 defines public libraries in Minnesota and how they are operated, yet many do not clearly understand what the statute says. Come to this session for clarification about how to use the statute to understand and define the roles of the director, the board, and city hall. Information shared may be useful to other types of libraries who have a board and need ideas how to define board roles and strengthen relationships with governing entities.

Recognizing the need for Storytime training in libraries of all sizes throughout the state, youth services librarians and managers established an Early Literacy Task Force to discuss strategies for building Storytime training modules. The result is a Minnesota-created platform – with contributions from Task Force members in urban, suburban, and rural libraries – that covers a wide range of topics, from early literacy research to child development to best practices. The toolkit will benefit library staff new to Storytime, as well as veterans who are looking to refine their craft. This session will provide insight on the work of the Task Force and introduce toolkit components.