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by Beth Goodrich

The Minnesota Digital Library has another addition to its Primary Source Set Collection, Traveling Library Services in Minnesota. Minnesota Reflections is rich with images and documents chronicling bookmobiles and other traveling library services in our state. The first remote access to library services was in the form of traveling libraries, collections of 25-50 books packed into a box and delivered to communities requesting them. Bookmobiles emerged in the early 20th century and reached prominence by mid-century. Despite today’s prevalence of remote digital access to library services and resources, there are still hundreds of bookmobiles in operation across the United States. The Traveling Library Services Primary Source Set features images documenting the evolution of bookmobiles through the decades as well as book lists from the earliest traveling libraries.

Authors
by Beth Goodrich

A new Primary Source Set has been added to the Minnesota Digital Library Primary Source Set Collection.  The Minneapolis Teamsters Strike of 1934 highlights the historic event in labor history that paved the way for new legislation such as the National Labor Relations Act of 1935. The summer of 1934 saw a violent and deadly clash between General Drivers Local 574 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and local business leaders united under the Citizens' Alliance, an organization committed to an "open shop." The Primary Source Set features The Organizer, a daily strike bulletin published by Local 574 specifically focused on the events and activities of the strike. Minnesota Reflections holds the entire series of The Organizer, the first daily newsletter of its kind.

Authors
by Greta Bahnemann

Minnesota Digital Library staff members attended the Digital Public Library of America's DPLAfest held in Chicago, April 20-21. Greta Bahnemann, Metadata Librarian, presented as part of a panel session on metadata for digital collections along with staff from the Arizona Memory Project. Together they shared tips on dealing with common problems and provided updates on recent projects at each DPLA service hub. The session was also highlighted in American Libraries. Molly Huber, Outreach Coordinator, coordinated a panel session that was comprised of staff from the Digital Library of Georgia, Illinois Digital Heritage, University of Miami, Washington University in St. Louis, and Penn State.

Authors
by Sara Ring

The Digital Public Library of America just announced that the application for the fifth class of the DPLA Community Reps program is now open! Learn more below, tell a friend or colleague, and complete the application form to apply by April 24, 2017. The DPLA Community Reps program helps bring DPLA to local communities through outreach activities. A local community could be a school, library, academic campus, professional network, or another group of folks who might be interested in DPLA and what it has to offer. Reps give a small commitment of time to community engagement, and check-ins with DPLA staff. 

Authors
by Greta Bahnemann

We are so pleased to announce the addition of a new contributor to Minnesota Reflections, the Dorothy Molter Museum in Ely, Minnesota. These images provide a glimpse of Dorothy Molter's life as a wilderness woman and nurse on Knife Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Her family, friends, and her work running Knife Lake resort are documented in these images. The addition of these materials from Minnesota's Arrowhead country helps fill a gap in Minnesota Reflections. 

Authors
by Molly Huber

Minnesota Digital Library (MDL) staff Molly Huber and Greta Bahnemann were joined by Associate University Librarian for Data and Technology John Butler and University Copyright Program Librarian Nancy Sims in a presentation called “It’s Time: Getting it Right on Rights” at the 2017 Library Technology Conference, Macalester College, St. Paul. The well-attended presentation addressed the groundswell of rights standardization projects that are arising out of the push by the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) to standardize rights statements across the millions of items accessible through their website. 

Authors
by Greta Bahnemann

Back in January of 2016, I reported on my participation in the Mountain West Digital Library's Geospatial Discovery Task Force. This work spanned more than 3 years and included 39 librarians and curators from a wide variety of our nation's universities, museums and libraries. After the work of the Task Force ended, I set about applying those recommendations to our 186 collections within Minnesota Reflections.

Authors
by Sara Ring

New content has been added to the Minnesota Library Association (MLA) Collection in Minnesota Reflections. The collection now includes founding documents of the Association, scripts from a library radio show that ran from 1938-1939, the first traveling library book list from 1898, conference programs dating back to 1896, and association newsletters from 1939-2005.

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Historical content from Minnesota's cultural heritage organizations, all in one place