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Author Archives: Christa Porter
NCompass Live: Get a Youth Grant for Excellence!
Join us for the next NCompass Live, ‘Get a Youth Grant for Excellence!’, on Wednesday, September 19, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.
Sally Snyder, Coordinator of Children and Young Adult Library Services at the Nebraska Library Commission, will tell you what you need to consider in making an application to the Youth Grants for Excellence program. Since the deadline for these grants is coming up on October 15, this workshop will be timely and should leave you better equipped to complete a successful application.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- Sept. 26 – 2018 Continuing Education/Training and Internship Grants
- Oct. 3 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE – ENJOY NLA/NSLA!
- Oct. 24 – Strategies for Identifying Fake News
- Oct. 31 – Teaching Digital Literacy in Your Library
For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website. The show is presented online using the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Posted in Education & Training, Grants, Youth Services
Tagged #GreatReadPBS, NCompLive
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E-rate Fall Applicant Training Announced
USAC has announced the dates and locations for their annual Fall Applicant Training, and Omaha is one of the training locations.
If you are considering applying for E-rate this fall, we strongly recommend signing up for this workshop. There is a ½ day session for beginners followed by a full day for the main training. The workshop is free, but lunch is on your own.
The Omaha sessions will be held on November 13 and 14 at Creighton University. Full details and the link to register are in the USAC Schools and Libraries Program Special Edition News Brief.
The NLC will also be doing our regular fall E-rate workshops around the state, after USAC’s Omaha workshop. Those dates and locations will be announced soon.
If you have any questions or need any assistance with your E-rate forms, visit the NLC E-rate webpage or contact Christa Porter, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.
NCompass Live: Book vs. Movie: The Ultimate Showdown!
Join us for the next NCompass Live, ‘Book vs. Movie: The Ultimate Showdown!’, on Wednesday, September 12, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.
It’s the never-ending battle. Which was better – the book or the movie? Or the TV show? NLC staff will debate this hot button issue and discuss if we thought the book or the screen adaptation was better (it can happen!). Join us as we try to answer the age-old question – Is the book always better than the movie?
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- Sept. 19 – Get a Youth Grant for Excellence!
- Sept. 26 – 2018 Continuing Education/Training and Internship Grants
- Oct. 3 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE – ENJOY NLA/NSLA!
- Oct. 24 – Strategies for Identifying Fake News
- Oct. 31 – Teaching Digital Literacy in Your Library
For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website. The show is presented online using the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
NCompass Live: The Great American Read
Join us for the next NCompass Live, ‘The Great American Read’, on Wednesday, September 5, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.
The Great American Read is the new PBS eight-part television competition and nationwide campaign to discover America’s favorite novel. Everyone can vote for their favorite from a list of 100 novels chosen in a national survey. Marthaellen Florence, from NET Television, and Katie Murtha, from Lincoln City Libraries, will join us to share resources and activities that you can use in your library to help your community participate in the program.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- Sept. 12 – Book vs. Movie: The Ultimate Showdown!
- Sept. 19 – Get a Youth Grant for Excellence!
- Sept. 26 – 2018 Continuing Education/Training and Internship Grants
- Oct. 3 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE – ENJOY NLA/NSLA!
- Oct. 24 – Strategies for Identifying Fake News
For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website. The show is presented online using the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
NCompass Live: We Find and We Fix: Connecting a Community at the Library
Join us for the next NCompass Live, ‘We Find and We Fix: Connecting a Community at the Library’, on Wednesday, August 29, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.
In 2000, Parchment, MI, (population 2,000) lost its primary employer, a paper mill. Since then it has struggled to maintain services and a sense of community. After hearing many people chatting in the library with great ideas, but lamenting that “nothing ever gets done,” the library started a monthly Town Hall meeting to turn those ideas into reality, with the motto, “We find and we fix”. Join us to hear about the discussions and great projects that the Parchment Community Library has facilitated. “Enthusiasm, something we’ve had in short supply these past few years, is growing in our community!”
Presenter: Teresa Stannard, Library Director, Parchment (MI) Community Library.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- Sept. 5 – The Great American Read
- Sept. 12 – Book vs. Movie: The Ultimate Showdown!
For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website. The show is presented online using the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Posted in Education & Training, Library Management, Public Relations
Tagged NCompLive
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NCompass Live: Excel for Librarians
Join us for the next NCompass Live, ‘Excel for Librarians’, on Wednesday, August 22, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.
Microsoft Excel has a variety of uses in the library world from keeping track of budgets or managing program registrations to viewing circulation or collection statistics. Learn some hints and tips for working with already existing spreadsheets as well as building your own. We’ll also take a look at Google Sheets and see how that compares with Excel.
Presenter: Megan Boggs, Seward (NE) Memorial Library.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- Aug. 29 – We Find and We Fix: Connecting a Community at the Library
- Sept. 5 – The Great American Read
- Sept. 12 – Book vs. Movie: The Ultimate Showdown!
For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website. The show is presented online using the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
NCompass Live: Some of Our Favorites: The System Directors Talk Books
Join us for the next NCompass Live, ‘Some of Our Favorites: The System Directors Talk Books’, on Wednesday, August 15, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.
The directors of the Nebraska Regional Library Systems – Denise, Eric, Kathy, and Scott – get together to do one of their favorite things: talk about the books they’ve been reading. The hour is sure to include some great suggestions – and maybe some surprises!
- Denise Harders, Director, Central Plains Library System
- Eric Jones, Director, Three Rivers Library System
- Kathy Terrell, Interim Director, Western Library System
- Scott Childers, Director, Southeast Library System
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- Aug. 22 – Excel for Librarians
- Aug. 29 – We Find and We Fix: Connecting a Community at the Library
For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website. The show is presented online using the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
NCompass Live: Ditching Dewey: How we converted from Dewey to BISAC and lived to tell about it
Join us for the next NCompass Live, ‘Ditching Dewey: How we converted from Dewey to BISAC and lived to tell about it’, on Wednesday, August 8, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.
Parchment Community Library was encountering more and more adults who had never been taught the Dewey Decimal Classification system in school. They wanted their collection to be easily browsed, so in about 18 months, they converted from DDC to BISAC call numbers. Learn how their staff completed this challenging task – “at times we felt that we were trying to draw a map while driving full-speed down the road” – and hear how their patrons have reacted to the new system.
Presenter: Teresa Stannard, Library Director, Parchment (MI) Community Library.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- Aug. 15 – Some of Our Favorites: The System Directors Talk Books
- Aug. 22 – Excel for Librarians
- Aug. 29 – We Find and We Fix: Connecting a Community at the Library
For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website. The show is presented online using the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
NCompass Live: Engaging Your Community
Join us for the next NCompass Live, ‘Engaging Your Community’, on Wednesday, August 1, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.
Participants will hear how the Rochester Public Library District has engaged its community with patron-driven programs. Our outreach has included creating a donation center, summer recreation, farmers market and a seed library. Participants will learn best practices and how to replicate similar programs in their community. We will share our secret to success: you must leave your physical building to reach your entire community!
Presenter: Janet McAllister, Director, Rochester (IL) Public Library District.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- Aug. 8 – Ditching Dewey: How we converted from Dewey to BISAC and lived to tell about it
- Aug. 15 – Some of Our Favorites: The System Directors Talk Books
- Aug. 22 – Excel for Librarians
- Aug. 29 – We Find and We Fix: Connecting a Community at the Library
For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website. The show is presented online using the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
NCompass Live: Emergency and Disaster Response Planning for Libraries
Join us for the next NCompass Live, ‘Emergency and Disaster Response Planning for Libraries’, on Wednesday, July 25, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.
Is your library prepared for disaster? Find out what you need to know at this introduction to disaster planning. During this session, we will discuss the following:
- Identify, anticipate and avoid preventable emergencies
- Plan for emergency response for staff and patrons
- Suggest ways to prevent destruction and protect collections
- Consider mitigating damage when an emergency occurs so that disaster is avoided or minimized
- Establish guidelines for managing disaster salvage and recovery
Presenter: Michael Straatmann, Access Services Coordinator, Love Library, University of Nebraska – Lincoln.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- Aug. 1 – Engaging Your Community
- Aug. 8 – Ditching Dewey: How we converted from Dewey to BISAC and lived to tell about it
- Aug. 15 – Some of Our Favorites: The System Directors Talk Books
- Aug. 22 – Excel for Librarians
- Aug. 29 – We Find and We Fix: Connecting a Community at the Library
For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website. The show is presented online using the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
NCompass Live: Many Languages, Many Cultures: Responding to Diverse Health Information Needs
Join us for the next NCompass Live, ‘Many Languages, Many Cultures: Responding to Diverse Health Information Needs’, on Wednesday, July 18, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.
Nebraska’s minority population continues to grow rapidly. From 2000 to 2010 the number of minorities in the state increased by 50.7%. In the past 15 years, Nebraska has resettled over 11,000 refugees from 35 countries, and currently leads the nation in resettling the most refugees per capita. This increasing diversity in our communities leads to a greater need for culturally relevant and multilingual health information resources. This includes materials to improve cultural awareness and communication skills of health providers and librarians, and resources created in a way that those from diverse backgrounds can understand and identify with the information provided. In this presentation, the presenter will share where to find appropriate information resources and how you and your patrons can use them.
Presenter: Christian Minter, Community Engagement and Health Literacy Librarian, McGoogan Library of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- July 25 – Emergency and Disaster Response Planning for Libraries
- Aug. 1 – Engaging Your Community
- Aug. 8 – Ditching Dewey: How we converted from Dewey to BISAC and lived to tell about it
- Aug. 15 – Some of Our Favorites: The System Directors Talk Books
- Aug. 22 – Excel for Librarians
- Aug. 29 – We Find and We Fix: Connecting a Community at the Library
For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website. The show is presented online using the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
NCompass Live: WebJunction: The Learning Place for Libraries
Join us for the next NCompass Live, ‘WebJunction: The Learning Place for Libraries’, on Wednesday, July 11, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.
Find out how to make the most of WebJunction including their live and recorded webinars, self-paced courses, as well as articles and resources, which can all play a part in helping you meet your learning goals.
We’ll tour the different ways to learn at WebJunction and explore how to unlock the advantages of each of these, setting you up for success in your continuing education pursuits. We’ll also talk about ways that you can support the continuing education needs of your staff, board and volunteers. Whether you are new to WebJunction or are a seasoned learner wanting to delve deeper, join us for the WebJunction experience!
Presenter: Kendra Morgan, Senior Program Manager, WebJunction.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- July 18 – Many Languages, Many Cultures: Responding to Diverse Health Information Needs
- July 25 – Emergency and Disaster Response Planning for Libraries
- Aug. 1 – Engaging Your Community
- Aug. 8 – Ditching Dewey: How we converted from Dewey to BISAC and lived to tell about it
- Aug. 15 – Some of Our Favorites: The System Directors Talk Books
- Aug. 22 – Excel for Librarians
- Aug. 29 – We Find and We Fix: Connecting a Community at the Library
For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website. The show is presented online using the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Nebraska Public Library Accreditation 2018
The 2018 Public Library Accreditation process opened on July 1.
Fifty-eight Nebraska public libraries are due for re-accreditation in 2018. Fifty-six additional public libraries that submitted their annual statistics for the Public Library Survey are also eligible to apply for accreditation. These two groups of libraries have been contacted with details on how to initiate and go through the process.
Accreditation offers a measure of quality of a community’s library services. Through the questions in the Application Form, libraries are measured against guidelines developed by a task force of professional librarians. The guidelines are community-based, so that each library can determine its own priorities based on local community needs. To help libraries address how the library will serve the unique needs of its own community, libraries applying for accreditation also must submit a Community Needs Response Plan.
Completed Accreditation Applications and up-to-date Community Needs Response Plans are due October 1. The Applications and Plans will be evaluated and libraries will be informed of their new Accreditation Level, which is valid for three years, by December 31. There are three levels of Accreditation: Bronze, Silver, and Gold.
To see the complete list of all accredited Nebraska public libraries, check the Accreditation Status webpage.
For any questions about Nebraska Public Library Accreditation, contact Christa Porter, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.
Posted in Library Management
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Special TUESDAY NCompass Live: Collection Development Made Easier with Ingram
NOTE! Due to the Independence Day holiday, this NCompass Live will be on Tuesday, July 3. It will be at the usual time, from 10am – 11am Central Time.
Join us for the next NCompass Live, ‘Collection Development Made Easier with Ingram’, on Tuesday, July 3, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.
Collection development can be a daunting task. There is so much out there, and reading piles of reviews takes time that you don’t have to spare. In this session, Ingram Library Services will share some resources that can help answer the question ‘How do I know what to buy?’. The HINT Program, High Interest New Titles, provides a list of the top 25 titles that other public libraries have on order that you have not yet ordered. Curated Collection Lists and Standing Orders/New Title Notifications can also help you find the best books for your library.
Presenter: Kevin Davenport, Inside Sales Representative, Ingram Library Services.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- July 11 – WebJunction: The Learning Place for Libraries
- July 18 – Many Languages, Many Cultures: Responding to Diverse Health Information Needs
- July 25 – Emergency and Disaster Response Planning for Libraries
- Aug. 1 – Engaging Your Community
- Aug. 8 – Ditching Dewey: How we converted from Dewey to BISAC and lived to tell about it
- Aug. 15 – Some of Our Favorites: The System Directors Talk Books
- Aug. 22 – Excel for Librarians
- Aug. 29 – We Find and We Fix: Connecting a Community at the Library
For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is regularly broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website. The show is presented online using the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Apply Now: Code Club for Small & Rural Libraries
Small and rural public libraries nation-wide are invited to apply to be a part of the IMLS grant “Code Club for Small & Rural Libraries.”
The North Dakota State Library (NDSL) received a grant for $249,000 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), through the National Leadership Grant for Libraries, to help youth learn coding at 50 libraries across the country.
Small and rural communities are at risk of being left behind as computer programming emerges as a critical skill and the gap in access to computer science education widens between urban and rural America. Code Club for Small & Rural Libraries seeks to enable the libraries in these communities to introduce coding to thousands of youth aged 8-14, which will help them gain the skills needed for college and career readiness and life success.
“As centers of learning and catalysts of community change, libraries and museums connect people with programs, services, collections, information, and new ideas in the arts, sciences, and humanities. They serve as vital spaces where people can connect with each other,” said IMLS Director Dr. Kathryn K. Matthew. “IMLS is proud to support their work through our grant making as they inform and inspire all in their communities.”
The grant will deliver all the resources necessary to run a code club in small and rural public libraries. Those resources include one-on-one training sessions, code club software, and ongoing coaching and support.
A code club is an informal program that takes place at a library where kids learn computer programming skills. Teaching kids computer programming skills can dramatically impact your community by providing kids with 21st century career opportunities and instilling a valuable set of life skills, like computational thinking and problem solving.
Through a partnership with Prenda, code club does not require any coding knowledge to run. It does, however, require:
- Computers (laptops or desktops)
- High-speed internet
- A space in the library
- Library staff/volunteer to facilitate
To be eligible for this grant you must qualify as a “small or rural public library.”
- Small = any public library with a service area of 15,000 or less
- Rural = any public library more than 25 miles from an ‘urbanized area’ (as defined by the US Census)
Applications to participate are due July 16 and must be completed online.
Learn more on the grant website or through the official Facebook group.
This project is funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and is administered by the North Dakota State Library, in collaboration with Prenda. (IMLS Grant information)
Posted in Education & Training, Grants, Technology, Youth Services
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NCompass Live: The 2018 Public Library Accreditation Process
Sign up today for the next NCompass Live, ‘The 2018 Public Library Accreditation Process’.
Join us on Wednesday, June 27, from 10-11am CT, to hear about the Nebraska Public Library Accreditation process, and get a head start if your library is up for re-accreditation in 2018. If your library is not currently Accredited, you’ll want to attend this session to learn more about the process and explore the possibility of becoming an Accredited Public Library. You will see how the application form works, relate that process to the required Community Needs Response Plan, and learn why Accreditation is important and what it can do for your library. This presentation will be of special interest to public library directors and public library board members.
Presenter: Christa Porter, Library Development Director, Nebraska Library Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- July 3 – NOTE SPECIAL TUESDAY DATE – Collection Development Made Easier with Ingram
- July 11 – WebJunction: The Learning Place for Libraries
- July 18 – Many Languages, Many Cultures: Responding to Diverse Health Information Needs
- July 25 – Emergency and Disaster Response Planning for Libraries
- Aug. 1 – Engaging Your Community
- Aug. 8 – Ditching Dewey: How we converted from Dewey to BISAC and lived to tell about it
- Aug. 15 – Some of Our Favorites: The System Directors Talk Books
- Aug. 22 – Excel for Librarians
- Aug. 29 – We Find and We Fix: Connecting a Community at the Library
For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website. The show is presented online using the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
NCompass Live: Rising to the Challenge: Using the Aspen Institute Report and Action Guide for Strategic Planning
Join us for the next NCompass Live, ‘Rising to the Challenge: Using the Aspen Institute Report and Action Guide for Strategic Planning’, on Wednesday, June 20, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.
The Aspen Institute Dialogue on Public Libraries report Rising to the Challenge: Re-Envisioning Public Libraries and its companion Action Guide can be powerful tools for libraries as we seek to leverage our position as a trusted community resource to forge new partnerships for achieving community goals. Learn how one small public library used the Aspen Report in its strategic planning process to develop a dynamic new road map for community success.
Presenter: Anna L. Yount, Library Director, Transylvania County Library, Brevard, NC.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- June 27 – The 2018 Public Library Accreditation Process
- July 3 – NOTE SPECIAL TUESDAY DATE – Collection Development Made Easier with Ingram
- July 11 – WebJunction: The Learning Place for Libraries
- July 18 – Many Languages, Many Cultures: Responding to Diverse Health Information Needs
- July 25 – Emergency and Disaster Response Planning for Libraries
- Aug. 1 – Engaging Your Community
- Aug. 8 – Ditching Dewey: How we converted from Dewey to BISAC and lived to tell about it
- Aug. 15 – Some of Our Favorites: The System Directors Talk Books
- Aug. 29 – We Find and We Fix: Connecting a Community at the Library
For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website. The show is presented online using the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Friday Reads: To the Stars Through Difficulties
From the author’s website:
“To the Stars Through Difficulties (She Writes Press, 2017) is inspired by the fifty-nine Carnegie libraries built in Kansas early in the 20th century.
Andrew Carnegie was the Johnny Appleseed of libraries – but public libraries would never have thrived on the prairie in the early 20th Century if it weren’t for the women in small and remote communities who sponsored waffle suppers, minstrel shows, and women’s baseball games to buy books.
Angelina returns to her father’s hometown of New Hope to complete her dissertation on the Carnegie libraries, just as Traci arrives as artist-in-residence at the renovated Carnegie Arts Center, just when Gayle takes refuge after the devastation of the neighboring town of Prairie Hill by a tornado. Discovery of an old journal provides not only the information Angelina needs to finish her dissertation but also the ammunition to save the Arts Center from attacks by the Religious Righteous and the inspiration for the neighboring and rival town of Prairie Hill to build a cultural center as the first act of reclaiming their lives after the tornado.”
This is definitely a book for library lovers. The history of Carnegie libraries is beautifully interwoven within the story of the present day struggles and triumphs of the libraries/arts/cultural centers of the novel. As a librarian, I of course identified with library school student Angelina. But, the strength, intelligence, and determination of all of the women is inspiring. A very well written, feel-good read … perfect for a relaxing summer vacation or book club discussion.
Want to learn more? Romalyn Tilghman, author of To the Stars Through Difficulties, was on a recent episode of NCompass Live. Check out the archived recording!
NCompass Live: One Book – One Lincoln: Building Community One Book at a Time
Join us for the next NCompass Live, ‘One Book – One Lincoln: Building Community One Book at a Time’, on Wednesday, June 13, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.
Katie Murtha, Bennett Martin Public Library Librarian and coordinator for the One Book – One Lincoln Community Reading Program, will provide background information on One Book – One Lincoln that had its inaugural year in 2002 and has been a highlight activity of Lincoln City Libraries and the City of Lincoln each year since then. Katie will touch on various past years’ books, programs, and discussion opportunities and how the program has undergone continual changes to better incorporate community participation, input, and feedback.
Lincoln is currently in the process of choosing the 2018 One Book – One Lincoln title. Three finalists were announced by the Selection Committee on May 28th: Beartown, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Little Fires Everywhere. The title will be determined by a community vote with voting taking place through July 31. The winning title will be announced in September. Check the One Book – One Lincoln website often for the latest announcements.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- June 20 – Rising to the Challenge: Using the Aspen Institute Report and Action Guide for Strategic Planning
- June 27 – The 2018 Public Library Accreditation Process
- July 11 – WebJunction: The Learning Place for Libraries
- July 18 – Many Languages, Many Cultures: Responding to Diverse Health Information Needs
- July 25 – Emergency and Disaster Response Planning for Libraries
- August 1 – Engaging Your Community
- Aug. 15 – Some of Our Favorites: The System Directors Talk Books
For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website. The show is presented online using the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Is Your Library the Best Small Library in America?
Calling all libraries serving communities of 25,000 or less! Library Journal is now accepting applications for the Best Small Library in America Award, made possible by sustaining sponsor Baker & Taylor. The deadline to nominate your library is July 2.
This is an amazing opportunity to show off your great rural or small library. Anyone can nominate a library – the library administration itself, patrons, members of the community, library peers, etc.
The winning library will receive a $5,000 cash award, and two finalist libraries will be awarded $1,000 each – thanks to Baker & Taylor. All three will be featured in the September 15, 2018 issue of Library Journal and online.
The winner will also be highlighted at the 2018 Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL) Conference, Sept. 13-15 in Springfield, IL, and, thanks to support from ARSL, will receive a scholarship to attend and the opportunity to speak there.
Nominate your favorite Nebraska library today! Learn more about the guidelines and submit your nomination on the Best Small Library in America Award website.
Posted in General, Library Management, Public Relations
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