Monthly Archives: March 2012

Rising Waters

Today is the 100th anniversary of the March 30th, 1912 flood in Valley Nebraska.  This year we are experiencing  one of the warmest and driest months of March on record and drought is more to be feared than flooding.   But last year was a different story – mountain snowpack  and torrents of rain in Montana caused the Missouri River to flood.   The Valley flood a century ago is another reminder that March is indeed a lion and a lamb.  The winter of 1912 must have been much colder and longer than the one we have just experienced, because the large amount of ice still on the rivers formed  ice jams  and caused a very destructive flood.

Valley is located between the Platte  and the Elkhorn rivers.   The confluence of the two rivers is several miles south of the town.    This excerpt from the Norfolk weekly News-Journal, March 29, 1912, Page 8  describes conditions at Valley on Tuesday, March 26.

“A. T. Hutchinson of the A. L. Kulian Co. , returned last night from Valley , Neb. , where he attended a directors meeting of a seed house of which he is a director. Mr. Hutchinson reports that much fear is entertained at Valley and Waterloo over the flood stage of the Platte river which is thirty feet high at the narrowed channel at the Burlington  bridge at Fremont. The ice is thirty-six inches thick and a gorge is forming. Blasting has been going on for a week , but it is not believed that this will save the lowlands arount Valley from a flood. The Elkhorn river, says Mr. Hutchinson, is in good shape and he can see no danger of a flood in this vicinity.”

Ried's Hotel Valley Public Library has contributed a collection of photographs to Nebraska Memories depicting the town both before and after the flood.  This 1910 photo of  Reid’s Hotel  at the corner of Front and Pine streets shows a substantial two-story building flanked by trees and paved sidewalks.

Corner of Pine and Front StreetsTwo years later, this March 30, 1912 photo   of the same  corner  shows that the flooding may have been even worse than Mr. Hutchinson’s comments to the newspaper suggested.     Water is lapping at the foot of the front porch of the hotel and several people are standing  on it surveying the flooded street.   There must have been a lot of damage to the ground floor of the hotel and all the buildings on those streets.   The photo description indicates that flood waters from the Platte and Elkhorn rivers merged and some areas were covered in four feet of muddy water.

This photo taken in April 1912 shows damage to a  wagon road    near the railroad tracks.   The road has eroded away and looks like a “gorge” such as Mr. HutchWagon Road near the U.P. tracks inson told about.    As the flood waters recede,  undermined utility poles are falling  over.   The pole with the repair man perched on it  looks like it could topple into the water at any moment–not a place I would have wanted to be!    According to the photo description damages to the area were estimated at $40,000 – a hefty sum a century ago.

Flood scene, March 30, 1912, Valley Neb.

And how would you like to be the poor people living in these homes?  More photographs of the Valley flood of 1912  can be viewed in Nebraska Memories.

Visit Nebraska Memories to search for or browse through many more historical images digitized from photographs, negatives, postcards, maps, lantern slides, books and other materials.

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. NebraskaMemories is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information, or contact Beth Goble, Government Information Services Director, or Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.

 

Posted in General, Information Resources, Nebraska Memories, Technology | Leave a comment

Grants available for small-town public libraries

Small-town public libraries may receive a helping hand thanks to the generosity of a lifelong educator, the late Shirley Kreutz Bennett of Lincoln.  Each year the Kreutz Bennett Donor-Advised Fund, an affiliated fund of the Nebraska Community Foundation (NCF), accepts proposals for matching grants for public libraries in communities with populations of fewer than 3,000.

Following Ms. Kreutz Bennett’s wishes, a Fund Advisory Committee composed of her nieces and nephews recommends grants in three areas: planning grants leading to accreditation; enhancement grants to improve library services and/or programs; and facilities grants for new facilities or the renovation, restoration or rehabilitation of current libraries.

All grants require a certain level of matching funds and evidence that the project has broad community support.  Approximately $70,000 is available each year. Grant seekers are encouraged to review the guidelines and application procedures at www.nebcommfound.org/fund/kreutzbennett.

For more information, contact Reggi Carlson, NCF Communications Director, (402) 323-7331or rcarlson@nebcommfound.org.

Four public libraries in Nebraska communities received grants from the first round of funding in March. 

Bridgeport Public Library was awarded $20,000 to help cover expenses involved with its expansion project into an adjacent building owned by the City. The project will double the size of the library.  The new space will be used for a children’s area, work space, circulation desk and archival storage.

Morrill Public Library received $8,500 to remodel the eastern side of the library by replacing windows and repairing the interior.  The improvements will help make the building, originally constructed in 1936, more comfortable and energy-efficient.  Savings in utility costs will allow the library to redirect funds to programs and activities.

Ponca Carnegie Library will be able to expand its Day Care Outreach Program, thanks to a $2,500 grant. Day care centers in the area will benefit from a library program delivered on location at their facilities. The goal of the program is to jump-start toddlers’ language skills and help preschoolers and older children retain skills they are already learning.

The Tekamah Carnegie Library Foundation received $20,000 to help with its $1 million improvement project to build a new one-story addition and renovate the existing Carnegie Library, built in 1916. The addition will meet ADA standards, provide handicap accessible restrooms and install an elevator so that all levels are accessible.

There are 228 libraries in Nebraska communities with populations under 3,000, which makes them eligible for a grant from the Kreutz Bennett Donor-Advised Fund.  Of those, 100 are not accredited by the Nebraska Library Commission.

“Gaining accreditation is critical to our libraries.  It opens the door to other outside funding,” said Jeff Yost, NCF President and CEO.  “In many small towns, the library may be the only place where some people have access to the Internet.  This is certainly the case in towns where consolidation has closed the local school. Shirley’s legacy gift will help rural libraries adapt to significant changes over these next several years.  It shows that she had great vision and commitment to people in our small communities,” Yost said.

“We are really excited to be helping the family of Shirley Kreutz Bennett develop a strategy to share her passion for learning, especially in places where funding continues to shrink,” said Yost.  Last year, donor-advised funds gave almost $2.6 million to charitable organizations through the Nebraska Community Foundation.

#####

Date:                    March 30, 2012
Contact:              Reggi Carlson
Communications Director, Nebraska Community Foundation
(402) 323-7331; rcarlson@nebcommfound.org

 

Posted in General | 1 Comment

Friday Video: How to Be Black

The Black Googler Network hosted Baratunde Thurston, Digital Editor of The Onion, Co-Founder of Jack & Jill Politics, and author of the recently released “How to Be Black”, for an entertaining talk on culture, politics, and technology.

Posted in Education & Training | Leave a comment

ALA Merritt Fund

The ALA Merritt Fund was recently awarded to Nebraska Librarian, Karla Schafer.  The Merritt Humanitarian Fund was established in 1970 and named for LeRoy C. Merritt who was “one of the library profession’s staunchest opponents of censorship and one of its most vigorous defenders of intellectual freedom.”

Posted in General | Leave a comment

NCompass Live: Reflections on PLA 2012 – Recorded Online Session

Each year, the Nebraska Library Commission awards Continuing Education and Training Grants to Nebraska libraries to provide funding for staff to attend conferences and training sessions. In 2011, the NLC awarded grants to several librarians to attend the Public Library Association Conference in Philadelphia. Attend this session to learn more about the grants and to hear these librarians talk about their experiences at PLA.

Download audio (MP3)
Subscribe via RSS
Subscribe via iTunes
Video (YouTube)
Presentation Slides (SlideShare)
Links (Delicious)

Posted in Education & Training | Leave a comment

Romance Award Finalists Announced

The Romance Writers of America have announced the finalists for their annual Rita Awards.  The RWA Awards can be great collection development guides.  If romance novels are popular in your library, maybe you’d like to check out this list for possible purchases–in print or as e-books.  The Awards for best book in each of the 12 categories will be announced July 28th.

Posted in Books & Reading | Leave a comment

NCompass Live: Tech Talk with Michael Sauers: Live from Computers in Libraries! The Next (Big) Thing – Recorded Online Session

This episode of Tech Talk was broadcast live from the Computers in Libraries 2012 conference in Washington, DC. Usually, in this monthly feature of NCompass Live, the NLC’s Technology Innovation Librarian, Michael Sauers, discusses recent tech news. But this month we have something special for you. We are proud to bring you a live broadcast of one of the conference sessions!

The Next (Big) Thing
Sometimes, it can be most helpful just to hear what libraries are thinking of doing next, as well as visions of the next BIG thing. A small panel of BIG thinkers share brief thoughts on what the BIG things for libraries will be in the next few years, then participants share their institutions’ plans for next week, next month, and next year. Have your notepad or mobile device of choice ready to jot down potential collaborators.

Panelists:
David Lee King, Digital Branch Manager, Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library and Publisher, davidleeking.com
Helene Blowers, Director, Digital Strategy, Columbus Metropolitan Library
David Stern, Associate Dean for Public Services, Illinois State University

Download audio (MP3)
Subscribe via RSS
Subscribe via iTunes

Posted in Technology | Leave a comment

What’s Sally Reading?

Fabulous Films for Young Adults: an ALA/YALSA list coming for the first time in 2013!

The first nominations for Fab Films 2013 are now up! The theme for this first year is Survival (think external conflict like weather, war, zombies, etc).  There is a nice variety of titles already nominated, you can view them here:

You also are welcome and encouraged to submit a field nomination. There is no date limitation beyond that is has to be on DVD by the time nominations close on Dec 1st. DVDs also have to be widely available for purchase. The nomination form is available here.   More information about the committee and criteria can be found here.

I recently read One Foot Two Feet by Peter Maloney.  This picture book has a die cut square in the center of every other right side page to help introduce words that do not use “s” to make a plural.  The first page states, “one foot” with the illustration inside the square, turn the page and you have “two feet” and see the entire illustration. The book is also a counting book of sorts, each page start with “one mouse” or “one goose” but goes on to state “three mice” and “four geese” as it counts to ten.  It is a fun and clever approach to a possibly confusing topic.

Sorry I have been on the road so much in February and March I didn’t get “What’s Sally Reading?” up on our home page during that time.

(The Nebraska Library Commission receives free copies of children’s and young adult books for review from a number of publishers.  After review, the books are distributed free, via the Regional Library Systems, to Nebraska school and public libraries.)

Posted in Books & Reading, General, Youth Services | Leave a comment

The Faces of 1940

William Lawson family As many of you may know 1940 is an important year to genealogists and historians right now. On April 2, 2012 at 9 AM EDT the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration will make the 1940 Census available to the public online. This is the first time the 1940 Census can be made available because of the 72-year rule. This rule basically states that the U.S. government cannot release personally identifiable information about a person until 72 years after it’s been collected.

Children and adults by pickup truck As some of us anxiously wait for April 2 I thought it would be fun to look at the faces of people from 1940 as documented in Nebraska Memories. To start Boy shoveling snow off the year it appears they had more snow in the early months of 1940 then we did this year. A photo from January 1940 shows a large group of children bundled in their winter coats sitting and in the back of a pickup truck on a snow covered road. Another photo from February shows a boy outside in his coat and hat shoveling snow.

Brewery employees posing in front of machinery Photos taken in March of 1940 give us a glimpse of the workers at the Falstaff Brewery. The brewery was located at 25th and Vinton in Omaha. In contrast to the brewery works dressed in overalls most of the business men of Bertrand and Loomis and Bertrand businessmen Loomis are pictured wearing ties with jackets or vests. According to the note this group of businessmen was on an outing to the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District. Blaine Brt, Mary Pelan, Joe Ptacek, Gertrude Sabata, and Donald Sobolik The 10th grade class of Bruno High School got their picture taken on April 30, 1940. The four young men in the class look dashing in their dark suites.

Outdoor party The latter half of 1940 appeared to be the time for fun just by looking at the photos in Nebraska Memories. I have no idea who George Turner was but it sure looks like he knew how to through a party. One photo from the party shows a number of party goers proudly holding up their mugs of beer. I have to wonder if it’s Falstaff beer. The party goers even had a mock shotgun wedding at the party.

Laurel and Hardy wearing firefighter helmets standing with another man The other fun event documented was Laurel and Hardy appearing in person at the Orpheum Theatre in October of 1940. I bet that would have been a fun show to attend.

Keith Manning  I hope you enjoyed looking at some of the faces of 1940 as you wait to view the 1940 Census. You can learn more about the 1940 Census by visiting the National Archives 1940 Census website. If you’ve never explored a historic U.S. Census Nebraskan’s have access to the 1790-1930 Census through the HeritageQuest Online databases. This database is made available at no cost to all Nebraskans through NebraskAccess.

Visit Nebraska Memories to search for or browse through many more historical images digitized from photographs, negatives, postcards, maps, lantern slides, books and other materials.

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. NebraskaGroup gathered at outdoor party Memories is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information, or contact Beth Goble, Government Information Services Director, or Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.

Posted in General, Information Resources, Nebraska Memories, Technology | Leave a comment

ProQuest Will Publish the Statistical Abstract

ProQuest announced today that the company will publish the Statistical Abstract of the United States in both print and digital formats.  The U.S. Census Bureau, which had published the annual resource, decided earlier this year to cease publication after 2012.  The Statistical Abstract has been produced since 1878.  The ProQuest announcement includes more details.

Posted in Information Resources, What's Up Doc / Govdocs | 2 Comments

New Books Added to the Library Commission Collection

The following books have been added to the collection–please contact the Information Services Team if you’d like to check out any of these titles. Thanks.

The Cybrarian’s Web; An A-Z Guide to 101 FREE Web 2.0 Tools and Other Resources, by Cheryl Ann Peltier-Davis

Essential Library of Congress Subject Headings, by Vanda Broughton

How to Fix Copyright, by William Patry

A Book Sale How-To Guide; More Money, Less Stress by Pat Ditzler & Joann Dumas

Graphic Novels In Your School Library, by Jesse Karp, Illus. by Rush Kress

The Information Diet; A Case for Conscious Consumption, by Clay A. Johnson

Posted in Books & Reading | Leave a comment

The 1940 Census is Coming!

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Genealogical Society and Nebraska State Historical Society are sponsoring a special event to celebrate the the long-awaited release of the 1940 Census.  It will be held Sunday, March 25, 2012 at 1:30 pm at  Bess Dodson Walt Branch Library , 6701 South 14 th  Street, Lincoln, NE.

The program is free,  and will feature 1940 exhibits, music and memorabilia and a special presentation by Lori Cox-Paul,  Director of Archival Operations, National Archives at Kansas City entitled “Introduction to the 1940 Census”.

The 1940 Census will be released digitally on April 2, 2012.

For more information about the  celebration contact
jcook2@neb.rr.com
402-483-1239

Posted in Census, Information Resources, What's Up Doc / Govdocs | Tagged | 7 Comments

Friday Video: Libraries & the Post-PC era

Presented by Jason Griffey, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Tuesday, February 07, 2012
Duration: 1:12:35
Link: http://webcast.gigtv.com.au:80/Mediasite/Play/48a5e4324a4640f287222a67323ea85b1d?playFrom=4000

Description: Most people on the Internet are not using what we would traditionally think of as a computer. The fastest selling non-phone personal electronics device in the world is something that just a few years ago was available only in science fiction. New wireless standards promise to give us Ethernet-like speeds, anywhere we happen to be. The rise of the mobile phone and tablet signals the move into the Post-PC era. How do libraries respond to this future? What will the next 3, 5, and 10 years look like for mobility and information?

(Sorry, this presentation is not embeddable.)

Posted in Education & Training, Library Management | Leave a comment

NCompass Live: Finding the Good Stuff – Recorded Online Session

How do you keep up? There’s so much to read, and so little time. How do you find the information that’s important to you and winnow out all the stuff that’s not urgent or important or pertinent? Michael Sauers, Christa Burns, and Laura Johnson will start a discussion about what they’re reading and encourage participants to join in, as together we discover the best places to find information.

Download audio (MP3)
Subscribe via RSS
Subscribe via iTunes
Video (YouTube)
Presentation Slides (SlideShare)
Links
(Delicious)

Posted in Information Resources | Leave a comment

Julie Beno: The Secret Life of Librarians

Posted in Public Relations | Leave a comment

NCompass Live: American FactFinder: the Census Bureau’s online data retrieval tool – Recorded Online Session

This session will show you how to navigate the Census Bureau online data portal called American FactFinder. The system has recently been totally redesigned and has several new features. We’ll give you tips and shortcuts for obtaining the data you need. American FactFinder is the key place to retrieve information from the 2010 and 2000 Censuses, annual socio-economic data from the American Community Survey, and a variety of other commonly used Census data sources. Presenter: David Drozd, Research Coordinator, Center for Public Affairs Research (CPAR), Nebraska State Data Center.

http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nlcpodcast/player.swf

Download audio (MP3)
Subscribe via RSS
Subscribe via iTunes
Video (YouTube)
Presentation Slides (SlideShare)
Links
(Delicious)

Posted in Census, Education & Training, Information Resources, What's Up Doc / Govdocs | Tagged | Leave a comment

Next week’s NCompass Live: Live from Computers in Libraries! SPECIAL TIME – 2:15pm CT

Join us for next week’s NCompass Live at a SPECIAL TIME – 2:15-3:00pm Central Time.

Tech Talk with Michael Sauers: Live from Computers in Libraries! The Next (Big) Thing on Wednesday, March 21, 2:15-3:00pm Central Time.

This episode of Tech Talk will be broadcast live from the Computers in Libraries 2012 conference in Washington, DC. Usually, in this monthly feature of NCompass Live, the NLC’s Technology Innovation Librarian, Michael Sauers, discusses recent tech news. But this month we have something special for you. We are proud to bring you a live broadcast of one of the conference sessions!

The Next (Big) Thing

Sometimes, it can be most helpful just to hear what libraries are thinking of doing next, as well as visions of the next BIG thing. A small panel of BIG thinkers share brief thoughts on what the BIG things for libraries will be in the next few years, then participants share their institutions’ plans for next week, next month, and next year. Have your notepad or mobile device of choice ready to jot down potential collaborators.

Panelists:

  • David Lee King, Digital Branch Manager, Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library and Publisher, davidleeking.com
  • Helene Blowers, Director, Digital Strategy, Columbus Metropolitan Library
  • David Stern, Associate Dean for Public Services, Illinois State University

For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.

Posted in Education & Training, Library Management, Technology | Leave a comment

Encyclopedia Britannica No Longer a Print Resource

A moment of silence!  The 2010 edition of the venerable Encyclopedia Britannica (first published in 1768) will be the last to be available in print.  The company will now focus on its online encyclopedias and curricula for schools.  Read more in the New York Times.  (seen in PW Daily.)

Posted in Information Resources | Leave a comment

You Belong @ Your School Library Student Video Contest

In conjunction with School Library Month 2012 and it’s theme “You Belong @ your library,” AASL is proud to present the “You Belong @ Your School Library” Student Video Contest.

School libraries are no longer just places to go check out a book. They are the centers of the school where learning, research and collaboration happen, and technologies and information resources are available 24/7. Students are encouraged to submit videos via Schooltube.com focusing on the great reasons to visit their school library.  Each video should visually illustrate why the school library is (either physically or virtually) the place to be. Contestants might want to focus on one or more of the messages of the School Library Month “Ten Reasons” poster or they may prefer to come up with their own reasons.

Entries must be submitted to SchoolTube.com by March 29, 2012 by 11:59 P.M. CST to be eligible to win.  One student winner will be chosen from each grade level – elementary, middle, and high school – and the student will recieve a $100 Amazon.com gift card.

For full contest rules and how to enter, visit www.ala.org/aasl/slmvideocontest.

Posted in General | Leave a comment

Time to prepare for celebrating El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) April 30

More Resources Available to Libraries Serving Diverse Populations  

(CHICAGO) As the nation’s population continues to become more diverse, more resources to serve those populations are now available to libraries through the new website devoted to El día de los niños/El día de los libros . (Children’s Day/Book Day), known as Día. Día encourages libraries to support multicultural family literacy throughout the year; and to celebrate children and literacy annually on April 30th

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association, has redesigned and reorganized the Día website to offer models of various scope and budget for libraries conducting Día programming.  These models are included in a Resource Guide, designed to help libraries with all parts of Día programming.  The Resource Guide may be found on the Día website.

A generous grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, to support Everyone Reads @ your library, is allowing ALSC to use the new website to extend Día’s reach to parents, caregivers and children by providing resources directed to them.  The site provides a brochure with a book list of more than 200 titles that features books in nine languages.  Activity sheets, for use at home, are also included on the website.

An online Publicity Tool Kit is now available for libraries to use for their Dia events.  Included in the Kit is a sample press release, to help libraries reach out to their communities.  The Kit may be found at http://tinyurl.com/diapubtools .

Libraries are invited to share their Día activities with other libraries across the country by registering their event through the database located on the website.  To each registrant, ALSC will send complimentary stickers and buttons to promote library Día events, while supplies last. Parents and others interested in Día can search the database map for local programs and events;  and librarians can review the activities other libraries to learn from their successes.

Día is an enhancement of Children’s Day, which began in 1925.   Children’s Day was designated as a day to bring attention to the importance and well-being of children.   In 1996, nationally acclaimed children’s book author Pat Mora proposed linking the celebration of childhood and children with literacy to found El día de los niños/El día de los libros.   ALSC is collaborating on this effort with the Founding Partner of Dia, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking (REFORMA).

For the Resources Guide, book lists, additional information and to register a Día event, please visit http://dia.ala.org.

About The Association for Library Service to Children
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) develops and supports the profession of children’s librarianship by enabling and encouraging its practitioners to provide the best library service to our nation’s children.  ALSC provides leadership to the profession and public on behalf of high quality library services that support children in becoming lifelong learners.

About The American Library Association
The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 67,000 members. Its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information.

About Dollar General
Dollar General is a leading discount retailer with more than 9,000 neighborhood stores in 35 states. Dollar General stores provide convenience and value to customers by offering consumable basic items such as food, snacks, health and beauty aids and cleaning supplies, as well as basic apparel, house wares and seasonal items at everyday low prices. The company has a longstanding tradition of supporting literacy and education. Since its inception in 1993, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded more than $50 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 2.8 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy, a general education diploma or English proficiency. To learn more about Dollar General, visit www.dollargeneral.com.

About REFORMA
Established in 1971 as an affiliate of the American Library Association (ALA), REFORMA has actively sought to promote the development of library collections to include Spanish-language and Latino oriented materials; the recruitment of more bilingual and bicultural library professionals and support staff; the development of library services and programs that meet the needs of the Latino community; the establishment of a national information and support network among individuals who share our goals; the education of the U.S. Latino population in regards to the availability and types of library services; and lobbying efforts to preserve existing library resource centers serving the interests of Latinos.

###

Macey Morales
Manager Media Relations, ALA
312-280-4393
mmorales@ala.org

Follow me on twitter at #MaceyALA

Posted in General, Youth Services | Leave a comment