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GN Crooks Locomotive

New Primary Source Sets available on MDL

by Stephanie Hess
The Minnesota Digital Library (MDL) has published four new Primary Source Sets on our website. These sets focus on the lumber industry in Minnesota, Minnesota's three major railroads, Sinclair Lewis's experiences living and working in Duluth, and the rise and fall of Twin Cities streetcars.
A photograph of a multivariable calculus sitting open on a wooden desktop.

New group invites STEM librarians to online meeting

by Zach Miller
The new Minnesota STEM Librarians group will host its second online meetup on Tuesday, March 2, at 11:00 a.m. STEM librarians in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota are invited to attend. Registration is free.
A range of blue pixels

New Minitex course offered: Digital Project Skills

by Sara Ring
Are you planning a digital project/program at your organization, but unsure where to begin? Attend this virtual course to learn about digital imaging (scanning), metadata standards and best practices, and how to protect and preserve the content you've digitized. This 2-part virtual course will take place on March 30th and April 1st.
Pink cupcake with a yellow "5" candle atop.

Ebooks Minnesota is celebrating 5 years

by Beth Staats
On February 28th of this year Ebooks Minnesota will be celebrating its 5th year as a Minitex program, thanks in part to MDE and State Library Services. What began as a pilot program in 2016 with just over 3,500 titles, has grown in scope and content to a whopping 11,000+ books. The best part is that it continues to grow.
The Minitex "Celebrating 50 Years" logo above the names of the fifteen libraries that participated in the pilot phase.

The MINITEX pilot project: Alice Wilcox and 15 libraries

by Zach Miller
On July 24, 1970, Alice Wilcox issued the MINITEX Pilot Project Report. In the report's recommendations, she wrote, "it is in the public interest to provide access to the major bibliographic collections for all citizens with information needs." Without the 15 libraries that participated, the pilot project could never have succeeded.

MLA offers free three-part series on white supremacy in academic libraries

by Zach Miller
The series will deconstruct the history and present-day manifestations of white supremacy in academic libraries and archives and demonstrate action plans to enact change on the individual, institutional, and professional levels. The free event will be offered via Zoom, and registration is required.
A vintage illustration of a winged messenger set in the foreground of a blazing sun.

The first Minitex Messenger

by Zach Miller
The initial design for the Minitex Messenger was created by Mary Mortenson in 1971. Inspired by the artwork of Peter Max, Mortenson's design was featured in black-and-white outline on the earliest issues of the Minitex Messenger print newsletter.