Marigold Newsletter
September 2023 |
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This summer, Marigold hired me as the summer student to deliver in-person and virtual programs to patrons across the system. I am pleased to share with you that over the summer, 30 member libraries were interested in holding at least one program and 41 visits were scheduled over July and August. Throughout the summer, I brought in-person programs to 337 kids across southern Alberta.
For virtual programs, 77 teens register for the Teen Summer Reading Challenge. 74 teens submitted 312 reading reviews and 28 teens completed additional challenges like submitting jokes for an additional point, or sharing which character they wanted to emulate, and their plans to do it. Our winners were from Standard, Okotoks, and Airdrie.
The TeenZine was also brought back this year and had 11 teens submit content. All submissions can be found on the Marigold Programs website.
Thank you for a wonderful summer! |
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Submitted by Emily Manderville
Summer Program Assistant Marigold Library System |
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Introducing our new Coyote & Crow games kit! This kit contains the Coyote & Crow Core Rulebook, a tabletop roleplaying game set in an alternate future where colonization never happened. It also includes the dice game, Naasii, a push-your-luck style game of change. Inspired by traditional Indigenous games and classic American family games, you'll roll twelve-sided dice, aiming to score sets or runs while not busting along the way. Dice from this kit can be used for the Coyote & Crow roleplaying game.
For more information about Coyote & Crow check out their website! |
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Marigold is also pleased to add 3 Early Literacy kits to our collection for your library to borrow. These are already prepared kits for your staff, and ready for the kids to enjoy. Select from Animal and Birds, Food, and On the Farm.
We've also added another game...Bean Bag Target Toss which is now ready to go out!
To book any of these new items please fill out the request form on the Marigold website. |
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Submitted by Barb Froese and Kim Visser
Library Services Assistant, Library Services Consultant Marigold Library System |
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Every fall Marigold hosts a Library Leaders meeting. This meeting is a day-long workshop focused on a specific topic relevant to our member libraries.
This year, Library Leaders was held on September 13 at Marigold Headquarters. Topics included Accessibility Training presented by PLSB and How to Create a Salary Grid and Why with Robin Hepher, Chinook Arch's CEO. Resources from both presentations will be made available soon
Thank you to all those who attended Library Leaders this year. We look forward to seeing you all again next year! |
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Check Out Morrin's Summer! |
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Our little library box was hopping busy this summer. We had a whopping 24 registrations for the TDSRC, with 10 consistently attending. We partnered with the Drumheller Family Resources network, which made planning and executing the program easier. On top of this support, we had some local businesses donate prizes, one of which was a Nintendo Switch.
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The prizes were the incentive for 3 of our young patrons to read all summer long, and they don't like reading. One of these young patrons confessed that they discovered that they love reading now that they have found some books that interest them. The goal we set forth, to help even one young person discover the joy of reading, was accomplished. A big thank you goes to Canadian Tire, Badlands Bargains, Rockies Conversations, Rosebud Theatre and the Tyrell Museum for their generosity.
What did we do this summer? Check this out!
We made comic strips, bottle rockets, buttons, magical mythical creature eggs. We checked out the stars and some fossils with Emily, the lovely summer student from Marigold. One of our young poets shared their poem on TeenZine. We made a mini animation on Lego day, created pop-up cards on Graphic Novel Day, and learned how to make electromagnet spinning characters. For our Adventure theme, we made diving scuba divers in bottles. We travelled way back in time, for the history theme, by making Camera Obscura's. We were pleasantly surprised by how much the kids liked this.
The youth checked out stacks of books at a time and enjoyed having the YRCA book display to choose from. They didn't just check out books, they checked out audiobooks, games, and took home crafts.
The teens are a more challenging group, discovered that they enjoyed Minute-to-Win-it and challenges of this sort. We started bringing in food and games with little prizes. They just wanted to hang out and laugh...so that is what we did for the most part. Telling each other stories. |
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Morrin had it's 100 year Homecoming weekend in August, so we posted the Up, Up, Down Story Walk by Robert Munsch around town. We called it, "Morrin's Amazing Book Walk." It was set up with detours, and roadblocks. We were told, "The kids had so much fun! Thank you for doing this." We even got the chance to advertise that the little Atco trailer on main street is a library full of fun and great reads.
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Check out the float that we entered in the parade. It was a refrigerator box painted to look like the little trailer we are currently in, and on top was an open book. Helium balloon characters were attached to look as if they were coming out of the library, representing that our little library may not look grand, but what is found in it is spectacular. Then we made a helium balloon bookworm to follow the float.
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This summer was a lot of fun, and very successful. We had good feedback from the parents, and this was in large part because of the teams that support us. Morrin would like to thank Marigold for all the kits that we can borrow, and the summer students that travel to visit us; Drumheller Family Resource Network for helping us provide meaningful programming for the youth at a price we can afford; and all those that support the library and this community. We couldn't have had such a groundbreaking summer if it wasn't for all of you.
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Submitted by Teresa Scott
Library Manager Morrin Library |
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Bighorn Summer Reading Program 2023 |
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Bighorn Library has concluded the 2023 Summer Reading Program. I love our little hamlet! We have very enthusiastic readers. In 7 weeks, 34 readers, ages 0-15, have read 113,559 pages. That is 17,888 pages more than last year! We are so very proud of our readers, and it is a privilege to see their excitement over books. |
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Our program is designed to be fun and challenging. We have a bead system that Ms. Bonnie made that hangs from the ceiling. Every bead equals a page. We have items on the beads to mark their progress; bauble at 1/4 way point (prize from treasure chest for the preschoolers), and a snowman at the halfway point (freezie for all). When they make it all the way around (2,600 pages), they get a voucher to the Heart Mountain Store for fries and a pop. We also have rules, like the maximum a book can be counted is twice. This helps encourage them to read new stories, to break out of their comfort zone a little. An older sibling may read to a younger sibling, and it counts for both of them.
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This year we changed up our prize system a little bit to encourage all readers, and it worked! We broke the kids up into age categories (0-5, 6-11, and 12+), and awarded the top three readers of each category movie tickets that were generously donated from the Banff Lux Cinema. This created a more equal playing field for all. Plus, the overall grand prizes, which are awarded to everyone. Here are some of our results:
Top reader for ages 0-5 read 2,539 pages Top reader for ages 6-11 read 13,377 pages Top reader for ages 12+ read 9,465 pages What a great turn out! |
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Submitted by Tara Harrison
Program Developer Bighorn Library |
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What role do we as librarians and information specialists have in reconciliation?
This is a question that I think about often.
For an excellent article about the work that is ongoing at a systematic level in libraries, I would like to recommend this article by Marigold's own Jessie Bach, Communications & Engagement Manager.
We are all treaty people and as such I believe we all need to do this decolonizing work as individials as well. I don't know about you, but I was taught a lot of things about Indigenous people when I was growing up in rural Alberta, that have turned out to be false. Can people be blamed for holding racist ideas when those concepts were literally part of our education?
The title I chose for this article is reframing history and when I consider that phrase there are a couple of concepts that I think about. The first being that Indigenous people are not part of Canadian history, Canada is a very small, most recent part of Indigenous history.
While there is lots of controversy about the earliest human inhabitation of North America, there seems to be consensus about the fossils uncovered in Old Crow Flats which date between 25,000 and 40,000 years ago. In Alberta, the earliest known site is at least 13,000 years old. There is a rich history that predates the arrival of Europeans on this continent.
The second thing I think about when reframing my thoughts about history is when you read about residential or the sixities scoop you are not learning about Indigenous history, that is the history of Christianity and colonialism.
We all need to read about and understand that history, but we need to do so in the context of it being our own recent past and as a lens through which we must view our own culture.
Here are some suggestions for your To Be Read (TBR) list, "Our Story: Aboriginal Voices on Canada's Past" and "21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian act" by Bob Joseph. |
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Submitted By Rose Reid
Indigenous Outreach Specialist Marigold Library System |
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The deadline to apply is September 20.
The Walter Charles Price and Adis Florence Mary McIntosh Bursary encourages greater enrolment in Canada’s documentary heritage profession by offering a financial aid to support the advancement and inclusion of :
visible minorities Indigenous peoples (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation) persons with disabilities This bursary is for the documentary heritage profession only. It encourages students to register for studies leading to careers in libraries or archives.
Value of the bursary: Amounts are set according to student status for the 2023-2024 school year:
Full-time students receive $5,000 Part-time students receive $2,500
Recipients can get funding for up to 3 consecutive years. Provide your proof of enrollment and proof of tuition payment to our bursary coordinators at: bourse-bursary@bac-lac.gc.ca.
This also applies to recipients continuing their education - without interruption - in an eligible field of study.
What types of programs are eligible?
The following list is not exhaustive and is meant as a guide for students wishing to apply. Students may apply and make the case for eligibility of their program, if it is not included in the list but clearly leads to a career in libraries and archives. Should you have any questions about your program, please contact the Price McIntosh Bursary.
Information Studies Library Studies Archival Studies Library and Information Technology Technical Library Studies Technical Archival Studies |
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The National Film Board (NFB) in Libraries - National Truth & reconciliation/ Orange Shirt Day
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| Looking for films to start a discussion, or to encourage reflection, check out the list of NFB titles below.
For more information, visit the mediaspace.nfb.ca. |
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Looking for ways to connect patrons with resources for Truth and Reconciliation? LibraryAware has readers' advisory templates that you can customize to suit your needs.
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First Nation Public Library Week
October 2-6, 2023 |
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Indigenous Communities Fund |
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The deadline for applications is October 13.
The TELUS Indigenous Communities Fund offers grants up to $50,000 for Indigenous-led social, health and community programs. Together, we can make the future friendly by supporting Indigenous leaders and community groups who know their communities best.
Funding Guidelines
These are flexible grants to Indigenous organizations, not-for-profits and community groups. Grants are available up to $50,000 and are to support Indigenous-led initiatives that support tangible positive outcomes.
Requests Eligible for Funding:
Your organization, community group or project supports Indigenous peoples (First Nations, Métis, Inuit) within Canada You clearly address a pressing social or well-being need and create measurable community outcomes
Requests Ineligible for Funding: Retroactive funding Religious focused projects or organizations Projects that operate outside of Canada Go-Fund-Me campaigns or individual fundraising initiatives
You can find more information about this grant program here: TELUS Indigenous Communities Fund | TELUS |
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Marigold Library System supports 14 Book Deposits in small remote and rural communities throughout our region. Communities like Altario and Cereal in the eastern part of the region, Ghost Lake and Kananaskis in the west, as well as Blackie, Priddis, Jenner, and more. The newest Marigold Book Deposit opened earlier this year in Mînî Thnî to serve the Stoney Nakoda Nations.
Book Deposits resemble a public library in that community members are welcome to access them to borrow books and other items; however, that's where the similarities end. They are generally co-located in another community building such as a community hall, post office, arena, or, in the case of the Benchlands Book Deposit, the local firehall. Unlike a public library, the collection is not catalogued, and the locations are not staffed. |
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Book Deposits are overseen by local volunteers and operate on the 'honour system' of borrowing. This means that community members are welcome to borrow books, with the expectation that they will bring them back when they are done. No library card is needed!
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The services provided by Book Deposits vary by location - some may offer public computers or children's summer programs.
Marigold supports Book Deposits by providing the monthly top ten paperbacks and regular donations of current, gently used books. Headquarters staff liase with local volunteers to provide assistance and visit each Deposit yearly to deliver new materials, remove materials that are outdated or in poor condition, and organize the collections. |
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For more details about Book Deposit locations, hours, and contact information, visit Marigold's website.
Submitted by Jessie Bach Communications & Engagement Manager
Marigold Library System |
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On September 15, Marigold launched Brainfuse with two options - HelpNow and JobNow.
Brainfuse is an eLearning platform offering online homework help (free online tutoring) with professional tutors. This resource includes homework help (called HelpNow) and career resources (called JobNow). Some of the resources in HelpNow include online homework help with live tutors familiar with the Alberta curriculum that are available from 2 pm-11 pm MST each day (except on Statutory holidays), writing lab assistance, test preparation (SAT, GED, TOEFL) video lessons, digital literacy, ESL assistance, study tools, and much more. Resources available in JobNow include resume critique, templates, and resources, career planning (eParachute), an adult learning centre to assist with life skills tutoring, writing assistance, and assistance for adult learners preparing for tests and mastering academic skills.
As Brainfuse has many great career resources including resume critique and templates, Marigold Library System will be cancelling Cypress Resume effective September 30, 2023.
Promotional materials and social media templates for Brainfuse can be accessed on the Shared Drive. |
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eResources Challenge: Alberta Research Portal |
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It's back to school time, so why not dig into some new research! Learn all about Alberta Research Portal.
Take this challenge now and you'll be entered into a draw for a $50.00 gift card at the end of December!
For more information or to view past challenge answers, visit the Marigold website.
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Thank you to everyone who participated in the previous cycle of the eResources Challenge. The May-August winner was from Drumheller Public Library!
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OverDrive/Libby Marketing |
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Do you still get questions about the difference between OverDrive and Libby? Try these new marketing materials to help answer your patron questions.
OverDrive and Libby offer all the same content.
Access these images on the Shared Drive. |
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Introducing CB Mixtape! Mixtapes are playlists of specific bits from different classes, grouped together by a common theme. It's a fun way to learn how one topic is approached by a variety of artists with different techniques, all rounded up in one curated mixtape.
Visit Creativebug to start exploring today! |
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On October 2, Flipster will be releasing some user interface updates!
The ability to view and access back issues directly, via a new detailed record page. A category browsing page, which allows users to browse and sort magazines the library is subscribed to as well as within specific categories. An updated mobile view of the web interface. Keep an eye out for these updates! |
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In-Person Board Basics Workshop |
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September 23 @ 9:00am - 4:00pm
Drumheller Municipal Library
Public Library Services Branch is pleased to announce that we will again be presenting our in-person Board Basics workshops in Fall 2023.
The first session will be held on Saturday September 23, 2023, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Drumheller Municipal Library.
This free workshop is open to all library board members and library managers. It is designed to help participants support effective public library service in their communities. Participants will learn about: - The Libraries Act and Libraries Regulation;
- The structure of public library service in Alberta, including the Alberta Public Library Network;
- Library board roles and responsibilities;
- Governance tools, including Plan of Service, policies, and budget;
- Library board member roles and responsibilities;
- Library board funding and finances; and
- Relationships with other library stakeholders, and board-staff relationships.
In order to reserve your seat, please complete the online registration form before Friday September 15, 2023.
Participants will receive a handbook and copies of the Libraries Act and Libraries Regulation. Meals, travel, and any required accommodation will be the participant’s responsibility.
If you have any questions, please contact the branch at 780-427-4871 or libraries@gov.ab.ca. |
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Social Media: Tips for Posting |
September 27 @ 2:00pm
Refresh your skills and learn some new tips for posting to social media! Join us on September 27 @ 2:00pm for some tips, tricks, and social media posting ideas.
Something specific you want to know? Submit your question ahead of time in the 'Questions?' field on the registration form.
This session will be approximately 30 minutes. Can't attend? No worries! A recording will be made available and shared after the session.
If you have questions or would like more information about this session, contact jenn@marigold.ab.ca |
| Register!
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Library Futures Speaker Series: Spotlight on Artificial Intelligence
Join us for engaging discussions that explore how artificial intelligence will impact the future of public libraries. Hosted on Zoom. When: Wednesday, October 4, 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm MDT
Scholar and educator R. David Lankes (Virginia & Charles Bowden Professor of Librarianship, University of Texas iSchool) will open the event with a keynote discussing the current landscape and potential futures of AI in public libraries. A panel discussion will then explore AI from an academic, public library, technology and digital literacy perspective -- featuring Ana Brandusescu (Professor, McGill University), Matthew Johnson (Director of Education, MediaSmarts) and moderated by Kishawna Peck (Founder and CEO, Toronto Womxn in Data Science). The event concludes with breakout sessions for participants to connect with other public library peers to share their thoughts and questions about AI.
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The Public Library Association (PLA) and Google know that library staff are trusted facilitators and guides in boosting information literacy skills. With growing challenges rooted in misinformation, this role is only becoming more important. Building on a 2022 Super Searchers pilot with Public Libraries 2030 and Google, PLA is extending the Super Searchers training and toolkit to help equip more busy library staff with tools to help patrons search more efficiently and critically engage with online information.
The free training teaches participants to use common frameworks to assess information quality online, to use and share major features of the Google Super Searchers suite of tools, and to integrate misinformation awareness into patron interactions.
There are multiple training dates available. |
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2023 CBC Book Awards Shortlists |
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What's happening in your library? We'd love to hear from you!
News or updates about your library Programs or events you'd like to share Pictures of your library or events at your library Email your Consultant with any newsletter submissions you'd like to share with the Marigold Community. |
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