Sara Zettervall Author Archive

Email: sarazet@umn.edu Twitter: @sarazet

Sara Zettervall is Associate to the University Librarian at the University of Minnesota (all opinions expressed in her pieces are her own, not those of the UL or UMN). She has an MLIS and MFA and has worked in public and school libraries as well as in academia. Sara is passionate about and published in issues of social justice in youth services. She is currently reading "The Book of Killowen" by Erin Hart.

Public Libraries and National Library Legislative Day

National Library Legislative Day is coming up on May 7-8, 2013. Public libraries are impacted by national legislation and funding, and NLLD gives you the opportunity to make your voice heard in support of libraries.

Financial Literacy @ Your Library

Tax time means finances are on everyone’s minds, but public libraries can and do offer financial literacy programming throughout the year. Here are some ideas to kick-start your library’s next offering.

Dispatches from Midwinter – Midwinter for Students and New Professionals: Worth the Investment?

Last month, I attended my first ALA Midwinter Meeting as a recent library school graduate. Was it worth the investment, and should other students and young professionals attend? If you want to network like never before, read on.

Deposit Collections in Homeless Shelters

Hennepin County Library (MN) is rolling out an innovative new effort to connect homeless patrons with the library system. Deposit collections not only make creative use of weeded and donated books, but also promote the library to patrons who can make the most use of our services. Collaborative partners, volunteers, and library staff work together to make the program a success.

Responding to the Print-Free School Library

A private school in suburban Minneapolis has become the latest to ditch its print materials in favor of an electronic collection. What does this trend mean for public libraries?

Teens Are Teens: A Book Club for Somali Girls

This past summer, I ran a biweekly book club for teen Somali girls at a Minneapolis community center. Through the experience, I and other staff in Multicultural Services learned some important lessons about collaboration and working successfully across cultural backgrounds.

Fine Forgiveness for All

When patrons face financial difficulties, what can libraries do to help? These fine prevention and reduction programs offer creative solutions to keep patrons in good standing, even when times are tough.

In the Cloud? It Might Not Be Yours

A MegaUpload user can’t retrieve his legal video files because the government says he gave up his property rights when he stored them in the cloud. What does this mean for libraries?