Prairielands supports career development by offering continuing education scholarships to staff in member libraries. Scholarships are offered on both a quarterly ($400) and annual ($1000) basis for any appropriate training, workshop, or seminar, including annual events such as MLA, ITEM, Children’s Literature conference, etc. Staff of member libraries may apply for one annual scholarship per year in addition to one quarterly scholarship per fiscal quarter. The fiscal year quarters are:
- Quarter 1: July – September
- Quarter 2: October – December
- Quarter 3: January – March
- Quarter 4: April – June
All scholarships reimburse expenses related to the continuing education program. An eligible expense might include a registration fee, lodging, mileage, etc. Paid receipts will be required. Check with Prairielands for expenses that differ from these examples. Recipients are required to share their experience with other Prairielands members by submitting a report through an online form. Reimbursement forms for all scholarships are attached to approval letters.
Quarterly Scholarships: $400
- Scholarship Guidelines
- Scholarship Application
- Scholarship Report
Annual Scholarships: $1000
- Scholarship Guidelines
- Scholarship Application
- Scholarship Report
Continuing Education Opportunities
Prairielands encourages staff in member libraries to investigate trends and changes in library programs and job descriptions through continuing education. The organizations listed below provide continuing education opportunities in the form of conferences, webinars and self-paced learning. While many charge for their services, some are free. This list is not and will not attempt to be exhaustive. It is also not intended to imply Prairielands scholarships will only be granted for these opportunities. Please contact us with questions regarding potential professional development opportunities that may be covered by scholarship funding.
Prairielands Library Basics
Register to view these tutorials
- Information Literacy
- Reference Interview
- Finding an Article from a Citation
- Legal and Medical Assistance, not Advice
- Problem Patrons
- Dealing with Stress, Pressure and Burnout
Minnesota
- Level Up! Minnesota
- Minitex Training and Events
- Continuing Education Calendar
- Linking Our Libraries classes – CMLE (Central Minnesota Library Exchange)
- Linking Our Libraries podcasts – CMLE
Scholarship Reports
Mental Health First Aid by Elizabeth Hoffman/ Plum Creek Library System
This program was hosted by the MN Safety Council and focused on supporting [...]
Romance GenreCon by Magie Wieneke/Rock County Community Library
Romance GenreCon was an excellent opportunity for me to dig [...]
Camp Read a Lot by Cindy Miller/ Dawson Public Library
Camp Read A Lot is a fun experience. The book [...]
Camp Read A Lot by Theresa Nysetvold/ Murray County Central Schools Libraries
I was so happy to have the opportunity to attend [...]
Customer Service Training for Frontline Staff by Jesika Mitchell/ Jackson County Library
part 1: Elisabeth Marrocolla She spoke a lot about how [...]
Customer Service Training for Frontline Staff by Sara Eggestein/ Jackson County Library
Webinar: Customer Service Training for Frontline Staff. This webinar was [...]