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Friday Bulletin: Issues

November 17, 2017

by Daniel Cornwall on 2017-11-18T12:49:00-09:00 | 0 Comments

Table of Contents

News from the Division

Happy Thanksgiving

The Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums wishes every Alaskan a happy Thanksgiving. We give thanks especially for those dedicated people across the state working in libraries, archives, museums or other cultural institutions. 

If you haven't decided on a Thanksgiving menu yet, you might enjoy this food filled Feeling Thankful post from the staff who publicize material from the National Archives Catalog

Featured video: What Shall We Do With Our Heroes? with Ernestine Hayes

We are happy to announce that 360 North has started to post our lectures that they've recorded as part of their At the APK series. We want to make sure you get a chance to see them all, so we will feature each one in a Friday Bulletin, starting off Alaska State Writer Laureate Saankalaxt' Ernestine Hayes:

State Archives Highlights Immigration Records

The clerks of Alaska’s Territorial Court System processed immigration documents for those living in Alaska who sought American citizenship between 1912 and 1959. This immigration paperwork included standard photographs and biographical information about the applicants who sought citizenship. These historic records reveal the reality of Alaska’s diverse and international heritage. The Alaska State Archives has made sample of these records available in an outreach guide [PDF].  

Some of the immigrants who have come to Alaska.

For examples of material available from the Alaska State Archives, visit their Collection Guides page

Webmaster Carney presents at international accessibility forum

Our Division is blessed with an abundance of lifelong learners and subject matter experts. Amy Carney, our division webmaster, recently spoke at the international online conference Inclusive Design 24 (ID 24). Some backround on ID 24 from the organizers:

Inclusive Design 24 celebrates efforts worldwide to ensure people with disabilities have full and equal access to the web. To this end, we will be holding 24 completely free one-hour webinars on all things accessibility. The sessions range from beginner to advanced and are aimed at everyone from executives to web developers.

Amy's talk was titled 100 Days of A11y: A Web Designer's Journey to Learning Accessibility and focused on her journey towards becoming more knowledgeable and skilled in the area of web accessibility.

Bellamy, Papke provide youth art workshops

A few weeks ago, the Alaska State Museum partnered with two artists to do youth activities. 

Annette Bellamy, the artist behind the current exhibit Moving Mountains, led a clay with found items workshop:

Annette leading kids around Moving Mountains to “get the air moving.”
In the collaborative village, there was a museum complete with artwork, natural history specimens, and a visitor enjoying it.

Daniel Papke, the creator of the current Lost Languages exhibit, led youth in a collage workshop:

Daniel shares some painting tips with the kids.
Katrina’s nephew tells his story about a man with a yellow hat who travels the world until he discovers a new, purple hat.

Special thanks to Claire Imamura of the Alaska State Library for the photographs and captions above. 

News from L.A.M.S in Alaska

Iñupiat language learning site

An 11/10/2017 KTOO article titled Keeping the Inupiaq language alive, through a website by By Gabe Colombo, KNOM-Nome alerted us to a free Iñupiat language learning site maintained by Chelsey Qaġġun Zibell, a master’s candidate and adjunct faculty in the School of Education at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. 

For lessons, activities, and additional resources for the Iñupiat language visit https://inupiatlanguage.community.uaf.edu/.

Scary time in Kenai

Thanks to Mary Jo Joiner of the Kenai Community LIbrary for sharing this newspaper write-up of their recent Literary Haunted House:

Kenai Library is "Literary Haunted", Peninsula Clarion, 11/8/2017

According to the article, stories chosen for the this years event ranged from "Mary Shelly’s ‘Frankenstein’ to Bram Stocker’s ‘Dracula,’ H.G. Wells ‘War of the Worlds’ to ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’"

Coding grant for Homer Public Library

Thanks to the staff of the Homer Public Library for letting us know they received a Libraries Ready to Code Grant.  The grant will help funding a number of activities including talks from Alaskan software developers. Read more about the national grant at:

ALA Announces $500,000 in First-time Grants to Develop Coding Programs in Libraries

Scandinavian Culture and Film Festival in Kodiak

Thanks to Katie Baxter of the Kodiak Public Library for sharing this item:

Life-size replica of a Sami reindeer herder’s tent

Kodiak Public Library joined the Kodiak Sons of Norway Local Viking Lodge as a community partner for the Scandinavian Culture and Film Festival that ran November 5 through November 12, 2017. The festival was inspired by the Sons of Norway keen interest in the Kodiak Scandinavian heritage that has spanned the centuries on Kodiak Island. Many local, oral histories have been captured on documentary film by Stefan Quinth of Camera Q and premiered during the festival. The Sons of Norway invited community partners to enhance the film festival with cultural events.  Each partner sponsored a cultural event such as a  temporary exhibit on Sami reindeer herding, school concerts, a mouth bow making workshop, and a multicultural potluck dinner. The library was especially  pleased to host the Kodiak Society of Creative Anachronism for several hands-on beading, knitting, and Nordic games workshops. The Kodiak Public Library turned its Multipurpose Room into a Norwegian Coffee House for the week complete with displays of personal items from Kodiak’s Norwegian families and descendants of the Sami reindeer herders. A life-size replica of a Sami reindeer herder’s tent on loan from a Sami descendent in Minnesota was set up in the library lobby for the week. Other community partners included Kodiak Arts Council, the Baranov Museum, the Alutiiq Museum and Archeological Repository, and the Kodiak Baptist Mission  Just over 1,300 people of all ages come through the library for various films, Sami lectures, cooking demonstrations, arts & crafts, and genealogy sessions. See kodiakfest.cameraq.com for the fun rundown.

Other Announcements

New National School Library Standards for Learners

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) launched the new, student-centered National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries at the AASL National Conference in Phoenix, November 9th - 11th. Six shared foundations - Inquire, Include, Collaborate, Curate, Explore, and Engage - serve as an easy-to-understand framework that applies across all curricula. Librarians, Administrators, Parents/Guardians, and other Educators can explore the new standards from their own perspectives at the standards web portal. Hat tip to Jared Shucha for this item. 

Public libraries invited to apply for $10,000 American Dream grants for adult literacy services

Grant opportunity from ALA:

The American Library Association (ALA) and Dollar General Literacy Foundation invite public libraries to apply for grants to expand services for adult English language learners or adults in need of basic education and workforce development.

Up to 15 grants of $10,000 each will be awarded. Public libraries are eligible if they serve adult English language learners and are located within 20 miles of a Dollar General Store, distribution center or corporate office. Visit the Dollar General Store Locator.

Read the full project guidelines and apply online by January 2, 2018.

The American Dream Literacy Initiative strives to develop tools and resources for libraries and library staff to provide effective literacy services to adult English language learners in their communities and across the country.

Since the program’s inception, 185 libraries in Dollar General communities have initiated or expanded literacy services for adult English language learners. The grants allow libraries to augment their print and digital English as a second language (ESL) collections; increase computer access and training; provide job training; hold English language learning (ELL), general educational development (GED) and citizenship classes; and raise the visibility of services for immigrant populations.

American Dream libraries build replicable programs, develop coalition-building strategies, and provide annotated lists of vetted resources for libraries across the country. ALA shares the libraries’ successes and strategies through the website, on webinars, and at state, regional and national conferences.

The American Dream Literacy Initiative is made possible through the generous support of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.

PLA and Gail Borden Public Library expand digital literacy training resources

From our friends at ALA:

DigitalLearn.org, the Public Library Association’s (PLA) website designed to help consumers increase their digital literacy skills, now includes a robust suite of resources and tools for library staff and other educators to use when conducting training in the community. PLA has completed the incorporation the learning modules that comprised Gail’s Toolkit, a project developed by the Gail Borden Public Library District, located in Elgin, Illinois.

DigitalLearn.org offers a collection of tutorials on a wide range of subjects, including navigating the World Wide Web, using email, searching online for employment and creating a resume. The learning modules are video-based with narration at a fourth-grade reading level. Each lesson is between six and 22 minutes in duration and available in both English and Spanish. Although libraries regularly incorporate these tutorials as part of classroom teaching, they were designed to be taken independently, anywhere and at any time, by learners.

For more information visit http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2017/11/pla-and-gail-borden-public-library-expand-digital-literacy-training-resources


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