#Minnesota Digital Library

[petsincollections]

Young man sitting on a bed with a cat, Akeley, Minnesota, ca. 1910

American Swedish Institute

[queerliblib]

Do you know of any other free online libraries like yours? I love QLL So Much and I would love to be able to expand my book possibilities even more :) They don’t have to be queer focused - anything is good! (Of course i’m also signed up w my local library which is great and has a good-size selection, but sometimes holds are very long)

one of the reasons we exist is because there isn’t anyone else doing exactly what we do!

there are quite a few other brick & mortar queer libraries scattered across the continent but most don’t have that digital presence (unless you’re in Minnesota! if so, check out Quatrefoil). there are also a LOT of regular libraries with digital collections on Libby or Hoopla - some public libraries have really specific residency requirements to be a member, others have some flexibility (reddit is actually a font of knowledge if you’re exploring this - r/audiobooks or r/libby to start). If you already have a public library card, there are also a lot of resource-sharing initiatives out there between libraries that you may be eligible for - for example MeL in michigan, or the Brooklyn Public Library’s Books UnBanned initiative if you meet their age window, or if you have any connections to an academic library InterLibraryLoan (ILL) - even if you’re not a student/faculty/staff some colleges/universities have ‘community user’ policies you could explore. you can always walk into your library and ask a library worker if your local system is connected to anything like this (they will be THRILLED to answer that question, let me tell you).

I’d also strongly encourage you to go absolutely hog wild on Open Access resources like Project Gutenberg, which has a ton of amazing things in the public domain. also the directory of open access books or world digital library for the more academically inclined.

[stuffaboutminneapolis]

Seventh Street and Nicollet Avenue looking west at dusk, Minneapolis (1940) via Minnesota Digital Library

[transformationsproject]

Today’s Legislative Updates February 03, 2025

Trans rights are still under attack in the United States. Please visit our website linked below to learn about your state and contact your reps. Here's a thread of today's updates:

Bathroom bills deny access to public restrooms by gender or trans identity. 

They increase danger without making anyone any safer and have even prompted attacks on cis and trans people alike. Many national health and anti-sexual assault organizations oppose these bills.

Old Bills:

Utah passed bill HB0269 through its committee last Friday and sent it to the Senate floor.

Healthcare bills go against professional and scientific consensus that gender-affirming care saves lives. Denying access will cause harm.

Providers are faced with criminal charges, parents are threatened with child abuse charges, and intersex children are typically exempted.

Old Bills:

Oregon sent bill HB3338 to the House Behavioral Health and Health Care Committee last Thursday. 

Kansas passed bill SB63 through the House last Friday and sent it for a final approval vote in the Senate before it goes to the governor.

Utah held a final House vote for bill HB0252 last Friday before sending it over to the Senate.

Wyoming gave bill HB0164 its second reading and final vote in the House last Friday before sending it to the Senate.

Montana bill SB218 has a hearing on 2/7 at 8am in Room 303 in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Educational Censorship and Student Suppression bills force schools to misgender or deadname students, ban instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity, and make schools alert parents if they suspect a child is trans.

They remove life-saving affirmation and support for trans youth. 

Old Bills:

Wyoming passed bill SF0103 through its committee last Thursday and sent it to the Senate floor.

Trans Erasure bills create legal definitions of terms like “sex” designed to exclude or erase trans identity and insert them into various laws. This can have many different effects, depending on what laws are affected.

They can force a male or female designation based on sex assigned at birth.

Some target anti-discrimination statutes, legally empowering trans discrimination. 

New Bills:

Minnesota introduced trans erasure bill SF886 today and sent it to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

Digital Censorship Bills describe any legislation that potentially targets Queer and Trans media/material for removal. 

They typically do this by using vague and broad definitions of "Obscene" or "Harmful to Minors" and then banning such content from being accessible to minors, which often either removes the material entirely or requires age verification methods in order to view. 

This includes online censorship bills, library book bans, and other such legislation.

Old Bills:

Wyoming passed bill HB0043 through the House last Friday and sent it to the Senate.

In other bills that either fit multiple categories or stand on their own, we have:

New Bills:

Idaho introduced anti-DEI bill S1048 last Friday and sent it to the Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee.

Old Bills:

Oklahoma introduced all of its prefiled bills and sent them to various committees. This includes over a dozen bills that target schools and students, as well as many other bill types.

It's not too late to stop these and other hateful anti-trans bills from passing into law. YOU can go to http://transformationsproject.org/ to learn more and contact your representatives!

[stuffaboutminnesota]

Aerial Lift Bridge: Superior Street businesses, Duluth, Minnesota (1993) via Minnesota Digital Library

[hclib]

Welcome to Winter

Happy winter solstice! Here in Minnesota, we love winter, snow, and ice. Now bring on the snow!

Photos top to bottom:

Unidentified skier jumping, 1940s (P49505) & Dennis and Dianne Loechler in just enough snow to ski, 1949 (P27232)

City bus on Douglas Avenue, 1939 (P49724)

Three men ice fishing, 1987 (ECCO0207) & Snow plow, 1948 (P49494)

Three women sledding, 1940s (P04305) & Car buried in snow from plow, 1940 (P49519)

Longfellow community in winter, 1929 (MPS06776)

Janet Hahn hiding in a snow-laden tree, 1939 (P49498) & No parking here, 1922 (P49481)

Barbara Fish makes a snowball, 1940 (P49502) & Mary Carol and Catherine Grun warm up by the radiator, 1941 (P01089)

Browse thousands of wintery scenes in the Hennepin County Library Digital Collections.

[revoltedstates]

Thorvald Stoen and Harold Juelich in boxing pose, Civilian Conservation Corps, Owen Lake Camp, Chisolm, Minnesota. Minnesota Digital Library.

[librarian-computer]

Master post! Just stuff to know about me and the stuff I do.

Howdy! am librariancomputer, you’re local relic Computer head that works in the library, I’ll go by Mrs.Dream :)

I mostly draw stuff revolving around tSaMs, LaEs and MGaFs. I draw mostly traditional 2D art, and SOMETIMES I draw digitally, but usually have to trace off something I drew on paper because I currently don’t have a stylus or a tablet.

I am VERY open to drawing stuff for y’all, based off polls or asks, and personal messages by mutuals. I don’t mind drawing characters from other stuff with a reference, or drawing your own oc’s, I don’t mind at all!

I will not and will never share truly personal information, but I will give small details:) I live in Florida, was born in Virginia, and has at least once been to Minnesota. I have two dogs, both Boston terriers, and a cat, A Himalayan named Bella. The smaller puppy is piper, and my older dog is Molly. My favorite animals are Opossums, Dragons, foxes and Bats, I love wings of fire, Fnaf and tSaMs of course. I like drawing, playing games, and reading.

My main oc Is Mrs.Dream :)

All images are all the same person- Dream. She has nicknames for each form. The Watcher (has a naga form for her), Angel(true form), and Ebony(animatronic form)

[1900scartoons]

Melting Away

April 7, 1909

A Congress sunshine melts the free lumber snowman as Jim Tawney looks on.

Tawney was a Minnesota legislator, but his free lumber platform (eliminating tariffs on lumber) was no longer popular in Congress.

From Hennepin County Library

Original available at: https://digitalcollections.hclib.org/digital/collection/Bart/id/5708/rec/2271

[mariacallous]

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — With the calendar-page turn to 2024 on Monday comes 320 new state laws that Illinois residents will need to navigate.

Some will have a widespread effect, including a law banning semi-automatic rifles and another requiring paid time off. But others won’t have an immediate or noticeable impact, including a law that lets county governments consider a potential contractor’s participation in an approved apprenticeship program in determining the winning low bid for a project.

One law that took effect in 2019 but is still impacting tens of thousands of workers is an increase in the minimum wage. It increases to $14 an hour on Jan. 1 for non-tipped workers and will reach $15 in a year.

Here are some of the other major changes to Illinois state law as of New Year’s Day:

BAN ON SEMI-AUTOMATIC WEAPONS

The U.S. Supreme Court has failed to take up the case of Illinois’ ban on the sale, possession or manufacture of automatic weapons like the type used in a mass shooting at a 2023July Fourthparade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park.

The law bans dozens of specific brands or types of rifles and handguns, including .50-caliber guns, attachments and rapid-firing devices. No rifle will be allowed to accommodate more than 10 rounds, with a 15-round limit for handguns.

Those who previously purchased such guns must register them with the Illinois State Police by Jan. 1.

BOOK-BAN PROHIBITION

Libraries that indiscriminately ban books will not be eligible for state funds. They must adopt the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights stating “materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.”

The library association reported that attempts to censor books reached a 20-year high in 2022, especially those with LGBTQ+ themes and those written by people of color.

PAID TIME OFF

Employers will be required to offer paid vacation for any reason. Workers will accrue one hour of paid leave for every 40 hours worked, up to 40 hours total. Employers may offer more than 40 hours and employees may take time off after working for 90 days.

AIR FRESHENERS ALLOWED

Police will no longer be able to pull over a motorist solely because there is an object hanging from their rearview mirror. The law was approved after Daunte Wright was pulled over in Minnesota in 2021 for having a dangling air freshener. He was shot when the officer, reaching for her stun gun, instead grabbed her sidearm.

NO VIDEOCONFERENCING ON THE ROAD

Video meetings, streaming or accessing a social media website while driving will be prohibited. There will be an exception for video on a hands-free or voice-activated device or an application requiring the push of no more than a single button to activate or terminate it.

NO INDOOR VAPING

Vaping or smoking an electronic cigarette or cigar in a public indoor space will be prohibited. The law adds electronic smoking devices to the list of items prohibited in indoor public places under the 2008 Smoke Free Illinois Act, which banned regular tobacco products’ indoor use.

LICENSE-PLATE READER RESTRICTIONS

Interstate agreements between law enforcement agencies must specify that license-plate reader technology not be used on cars driven by women coming into Illinois to have abortions.

SURVEILLANCE DRONES

Following the Highland Park parade shooting, lawmakers approved the use of drones by law enforcement to surveil “routed” or “special events.” The drones may not be equipped with weapons or facial-recognition technology.

DEEPFAKE PORN

Victims of digital forgeries known as deepfake pornography may file civil lawsuits against anyone who shares or threatens to share an image that falsely depicts a person exposing genitalia or other private parts or engaging in a sex act. Identifying the image as materially altered is not a defense to liability.

RESTROOMS MAY BE ALL-GENDER MULTIOCCUPANCY

Businesses have the option of installing restrooms that may be used by any gender simultaneously. Current restrooms may be renovated to accommodate all genders. Urinals may not be included and stalls must have floor-to-ceiling, locking dividers.

VOTER REGISTRATION FOR TEENS

Teenagers may pre-register to vote at age 16 or 17 while obtaining a driver’s license or state identification card at a drivers’ services office run by the secretary of state. When turning 18, the legal voting age, they will already be registered to vote.

[shakespearenews]

For the Folger’s production, Verona is recast as a fictionalized Washington, DC, a metaverse inspired by our real-world election cycle, which sees the conservative Lord Capulet running against the liberal Lady Montague. Audiences for the play will be greeted by campaign ads and footage from the metaverse’s national nominating conventions as they enter Folger Theatre. Campaign ads and the digital ephemera of the metaverse will be woven throughout the production as well.

...Lady Capulet’s verse was derived from the speech made during the Republican National Convention by former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was the inspiration for Benvolio, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s speech provided the basis for the remarks by Paris. Meanwhile, Mercutio’s words were adapted from Oprah Winfrey.

[petsincollections]

Trade card with cat and paint palette, Compliments of Rothschild's One Price Clothing and Merchant Tailoring House, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1880-1910

Hennepin County Library, James K. Hosmer Special Collections Library

Minnesota Digital Library

[queerliblib]

I just found out about this and I love it so much! I was wondering if there are any other similar organizations giving free library access through Libby? Thanks for all you do!

one of the reasons we exist is because there isn’t anyone else doing exactly what we do!

there are quite a few other brick & mortar queer libraries scattered across the continent but most don’t have that digital presence (unless you’re in Minnesota! if so, check out Quatrefoil). there are also a LOT of regular libraries with digital collections on Libby or Hoopla - some public libraries have really specific residency requirements to be a member, others have some flexibility (reddit is actually a font of knowledge if you’re exploring this - r/audiobooks, r/libby, or r/kindle to start). If you already have a public library card, there are also a lot of resource-sharing initiatives out there between libraries that you may be eligible for - for example MeL in michigan, or the Brooklyn Public Library’s Books UnBanned initiative if you meet their age window, or if you have any connections to an academic library InterLibraryLoan (ILL) - even if you’re not a student/faculty/staff some colleges/universities have ‘community user’ policies you could explore. some public libraries also have access to ILL, you can always walk into your library and ask a library worker if your local system is connected to anything like this (they will be THRILLED to answer that question, let me tell you).

I’d also strongly encourage you to go absolutely hog wild on Open Access resources like Project Gutenberg, which has a ton of amazing things in the public domain. also the directory of open access books or world digital library for the more academically inclined.

[stuffaboutminneapolis]

Man with magnetic tape in computer room, Minneapolis (1967) via Minnesota Digital Library

[transformationsproject]

Today’s Legislative Updates March 11, 2025

Trans rights are still under attack in the United States. Please visit our website linked below to learn about your state and contact your reps. Here's a thread of today's updates:

Bathroom bills deny access to public restrooms by gender or trans identity. 

They increase danger without making anyone any safer and have even prompted attacks on cis and trans people alike. Many national health and anti-sexual assault organizations oppose these bills.

Old Bills:

West Virginia passed bill SB456 yesterday and sent it to the governor.

South Dakota passed bill HB1259 through the Senate yesterday and sent it back to the House for final approval.

Mississippi passed bill HB188 yesterday and sent it to the governor.

Oklahoma passed bill SB418 through the Senate yesterday and sent it to the House.

Drag Bans restrict access for folks who are gender non-conforming in any way. 

They loosely define "drag" as any public performance with an “opposite gender expression,” as sexual in nature, and inappropriate for children. 

This also pushes trans individuals out of public spaces.

Old Bills:

Iowa passed bill HSB158 through its committee last Friday before renumbering it to Iowa HF891 and sending it to the House floor.

Educational Censorship and Student Suppression bills force schools to misgender or deadname students, ban instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity, and make schools alert parents if they suspect a child is trans.

They remove life-saving affirmation and support for trans youth. 

New Bills:

Wisconsin introduced scholastic misgendering/deadnaming bill SB120 last Friday and sent it to the Senate Education Committee.

Old Bills:

Arkansas passed bill SB246 through its committee yesterday and sent it back to the Senate floor.

Arkansas passed bill HB1512 through its committee yesterday and sent it back to the House floor.

West Virginia sent bill SB154 to the House Education Committee yesterday.

Nebraska bill LB552 has a hearing on March 17 at 1:30 p.m. Central Time in Room 1525 in the Legislature Education Committee.

Mississippi held a final House vote for bill SB2515 yesterday before returning it to the Senate for approval.

Mississippi passed an amended bill HB1193 through the Senate yesterday and sent it back to the House for approval.

Arizona sent bill SB1002 to the House Government Committee yesterday.

Digital Censorship Bills describe any legislation that potentially targets Queer and Trans media/material for removal. 

They typically do this by using vague and broad definitions of "Obscene" or "Harmful to Minors" and then banning such content from being accessible to minors, which often either removes the material entirely or requires age verification methods in order to view. 

This includes online censorship bills, library book bans, and other such legislation.

New Bills:

Wisconsin introduced online censorship bill AB105 yesterday and sent it to the House State Affairs Committee. They also scheduled a hearing for it tomorrow, March 12 at 10:31 a.m. Central Time in 412 East.

Old Bills:

Iowa passed bill HF62 through its committee last Friday before renumbering it to Iowa HF864 and sending it to the House floor.

West Virginia bill HB2689 has a hearing tomorrow, March 12 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time in House Judiciary Committee Room 410-M in the House Legal Services Committee.

Most sports bills force schools to designate teams by sex assigned at birth. 

They are often one-sided and ban trans girls from playing on teams consistent with their gender identity.

Some egregious bills even force invasive genital examinations on student athletes.

New Bills:

Minnesota introduced sports and bathroom bill SF2294 yesterday and sent it to the Senate Education Policy Committee.

Wisconsin introduced sports bills SB116 and SB117 last Friday and sent them to the Senate Government Operations, Labor and Economic Development Committee.

Old Bills:

Nebraska bill LB605 has a hearing on March 18 at 1:30 p.m. Central Time in Room 1525 in the  Legislature Education Committee.

Minnesota passed bill HF1233 through its committee yesterday and sent it to the House floor.

These are other anti-trans bills that either fit multiple categories or stand on their own.

Old Bills:

Utah passed bill HB0283 last Friday and sent it to the governor.

Utah bill HB0413 is dead as of last Friday!

Arkansas passed bill HB1615 through its second House floor vote today and sent it for a third, after which it will send the bill to the Senate.

South Dakota passed bill HB1239 through the Senate yesterday and sent it back to the House for final approval.

It's not too late to stop these and other hateful anti-trans bills from passing into law. YOU can go to http://transformationsproject.org/ to learn more and contact your representatives!

[stuffaboutminnesota]

4th of July Parade, Mountain Lake, Minnesota (1916) via Minnesota Digital Library