Author Archives: Christa Porter

NCompass Live: The Golden Sower Award: Nebraska’s Children’s Choice Literary Award

Posted on July 19, 2019 by Christa Porter

Want to know more about how the Golden Sower Award, Nebraska’s Children’s Choice Literary Award, was started and how titles end up on the list each year? Then join us to find out on next week’s FREE NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, July 24, 10:00am-11:00am CT.

The 2019 Golden Sower Award winners were announced on May 1! Golden Sower Award Committee Chair, Kathy Schultz, and NLC Coordinator of Children and Young Adult Library Services, Sally Snyder, will present the history and the process of the Golden Sower Award, including a look at the web site.

Upcoming NCompass Live events:

  • July 31 – How Does Your Library Garden Grow?
  • Aug. 7 – Life in Fort Schuyler: The Challenges Faced at the SUNY Maritime College Library
  • Aug. 14 – Pretty Sweet Tech
  • Aug. 21 – Research – the Key to Library Design
  • Aug. 28 – Eliminating Late Fines is a Win-Win for Your Library and Community

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.

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Small-Town Libraries Encouraged to Apply for Kreutz Bennett Grants

Posted on July 18, 2019 by Christa Porter

Guidelines relaxed; multi-year grants available

More than $400,000 has been granted in the past seven years to small-town libraries in Nebraska. The program is funded through the Kreutz Bennett Donor-Advised Fund, an affiliated fund of Nebraska Community Foundation.

The Kreutz Bennett Donor-Advised Fund is currently accepting grant applications. Grants will be made to libraries located in communities with a population under 3,000. There are three different areas of support available; each grant requires a one-to-one match in local funding.

Planning for Accreditation Grants

The fund advisory committee encourages all eligible, unaccredited libraries to view the recently updated grant guidelines. A number of additional activities and expenses are now eligible for funding through a “Planning for Accreditation Grant.”

Enhancement Grants

Accredited libraries may apply for program support leading to the creation or improvement of library services and/or outreach. In-kind services or products may fulfill 50 percent of the local match requirement in this area.

Facilities Grants

Accredited libraries may request funding for new facilities or the renovation, restoration or rehabilitation of current libraries. Guidelines for this type of grant have been relaxed to allow libraries to apply for grants in multiple years for a total not to exceed $20,000.

Libraries that previously received facility grants less than $20,000 are allowed to apply for additional funding in this grant area.

There are approximately 100 eligible communities in Nebraska with non-accredited libraries. Libraries working toward accreditation may apply for grants over the course of multiple grant cycles. For instance, Walthill Public Library received two grants in two separate years to help with salary support for the director to spend additional hours working on the accreditation requirements. Once accredited, the library was eligible for larger grants from a variety of sources, including the state of Nebraska.

Grant applications are simple to complete. A short-form proposal is due October 1, 2019, and a full proposal is due in January 2020. Grant seekers may review and download the guidelines and application procedures on the Kreutz Bennett Donor-Advised Fund website.

For more information, contact Kristine Gale, Community Impact Coordinator, 402.822.0466 or kgale@nebcommfound.org.

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Friday Reads: ‘Redshirts’ by John Scalzi

Posted on July 12, 2019 by Christa Porter

I’m going to start off my review of Redshirts with a bold statement. If you are a fan of Star Trek – you need to read this book! And if you are a fan of Star Trek, the title should probably have been an obvious clue.

For the uninitiated, ‘redshirt’ is the term that fans use to refer to the expendable crew members in the Star Trek universe. Whenever you see a landing party heading down to a planet, and a previously unknown character has been added to the team, you can almost guarantee that they are destined to die, in some horrific and/or ridiculous way. Typically these characters are security personnel, who wear red shirts as their uniform.

But, what if these particular crew members started noticing the trend, realizing that their friends and colleagues keep dying on away missions, more often than should be statistically possible. What would they do about it? Can they do anything about it? You’ll definitely be surprised by what they discover and how they try to save their own lives.

John Scalzi is a brilliant writer, and I think Redshirts is one of his best. It’s creative, funny, heart-wrenching, and thought provoking. I admit it, I literally laughed out loud many times while reading this book. If you like Star Trek, sci-fi parody, and yes, even time travel, I think you’ll really enjoy Redshirts.

And if you like audiobooks, this one is read by none other than Wil Wheaton. Yes, Wesley Crusher from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Perfect casting!

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NCompass Live: ACRL Outcome Measurement Made Easy: Project Outcome for Academic Libraries

Posted on July 12, 2019 by Christa Porter

Join us to learn about the new ‘Project Outcome for Academic Libraries‘ surveys and resources on next week’s FREE NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, July 17, 10:00am-11:00am CT.

Project Outcome is a free toolkit that helps libraries measure four key learning outcomes – knowledge, confidence, application, and awareness – across seven library program and service areas.

Presenter: Sara S. Goek, Program Manager, Association of College & Research Libraries.

Upcoming NCompass Live events:

  • July 24 – The Golden Sower Award: Nebraska’s Children’s Choice Literary Award
  • July 31 – How Does Your Library Garden Grow?
  • Aug. 7 – Life in Fort Schuyler: The Challenges Faced at the SUNY Maritime College Library
  • Aug. 14 – Pretty Sweet Tech
  • Aug. 21 – Research – the Key to Library Design
  • Aug. 28 – Eliminating Late Fines is a Win-Win for Your Library and Community

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.

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NCompass Live: Fun, Easy, and Inexpensive Teen Nights (aka After Hours)

Posted on July 5, 2019 by Christa Porter

Find out how to run ‘Fun, Easy, and Inexpensive Teen Nights (aka After Hours)’ on next week’s FREE NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, July 10, 10:00am-11:00am CT.

Are you having trouble peaking the interest of your teens and tweens? Does it seem like an impossible task to get them involved and excited about the programs? You have come to the right place! Janene Hill, from Jensen Memorial Library in Minden, NE, is going to share her expertise to teach us ideas for a variety of Teen Night Events, including examples of successful events, interaction stations with example activities, and group brainstorming.

Upcoming NCompass Live events:

  • July 17 – ACRL Outcome Measurement Made Easy: Project Outcome for Academic Libraries
  • July 24 – The Golden Sower Award: Nebraska’s Children’s Choice Literary Award
  • July 31 – How Does Your Library Garden Grow?
  • Aug. 7 – Life in Fort Schuyler: The Challenges Faced at the SUNY Maritime College Library
  • Aug. 14 – Pretty Sweet Tech
  • Aug. 21 – Research – the Key to Library Design
  • Aug. 28 – Eliminating Late Fines is a Win-Win for Your Library and Community

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.

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2019 E-rate Funding Awarded to Nebraska Schools and Libraries

Posted on July 2, 2019 by Christa Porter

USAC has released Waves 1-10 of Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs) for E-rate Funding Year 2019. Congratulations to all Nebraska schools and libraries who have been funded!

Your FCDL will be attached as a printable PDF to the email notifying you that your FCDL has been issued. It will also be available in the Notifications section of your EPC account, but you are no longer required to log into your EPC account to view it.

As soon as you receive your FCDL, you can go on to the next step in the E-rate process, filing your Form 486. This form is submitted in your EPC account. Information and instructions on how to do that can be found in this USAC News Brief.

If you haven’t received your FCDL yet, don’t panic! There are many more weekly Waves to come as USAC processes more applications. This is just the start of Funding Year 2019, more approvals are coming. A list of libraries who have received E-rate funding is on the NLC E-rate webpage. The 2019 list will be updated as new funding waves are announced.

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.

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Nebraska Public Library Accreditation 2019

Posted on July 1, 2019 by Christa Porter

The 2019 Public Library Accreditation process opened on July 1.

Sixty-five Nebraska public libraries are due for re-accreditation in 2019. Forty-seven additional public libraries that submitted their annual statistics for the Public Library Survey and the Nebraska Supplemental 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.

The purpose of Public Library Accreditation is to encourage excellent library service in Nebraska communities. It is a measure of community pride in the library services it offers to its citizens. 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 together and by December 31 libraries will be informed of their new Accreditation Level: Bronze, Silver, or Gold. Accreditation is valid for three years.

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.

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NCompass Live: Pretty Sweet Tech – Enhance Your Online Security with Password Management Tools

Posted on June 28, 2019 by Christa Porter

Learn how to ‘Enhance Your Online Security with Password Management Tools’ on the next FREE NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, July 3, 10:00am-11:00am CT.

New special monthly episodes of NCompass Live! Join the NLC’s Technology Innovation Librarian, Amanda Sweet, as she guides us through the world of library-related Pretty Sweet Tech.

Password Management Tools can help you keep your passwords straight, develop strong passwords, and make it infinitely more difficult for hackers to get ahold of your sensitive information. This session will cover the following topics:

  • What are the main threats to my online security?
  • How can I prevent this from happening?
  • Examples of good online password security
  • A demonstration/ overview of LastPass Password Manager

You’ll also have access to a handout with lots of handy information to keep patrons informed about their online security options.

Upcoming NCompass Live events:

  • July 10 – Fun, Easy, and Inexpensive Teen Nights (aka After Hours)
  • July 17 – ACRL Outcome Measurement Made Easy: Project Outcome for Academic Libraries
  • July 24 – The Golden Sower Award: Nebraska’s Children’s Choice Literary Award
  • July 31 – How Does Your Library Garden Grow?
  • Aug. 7 – Life in Fort Schuyler: The Challenges Faced at the SUNY Maritime College Library
  • Aug. 14 – Pretty Sweet Tech
  • Aug. 21 – Research – the Key to Library Design
  • Aug. 28 – Eliminating Late Fines is a Win-Win for Your Library and Community

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, Pretty Sweet Tech, Technology | Tagged , | Leave a comment

NCompass Live: The 2019 Public Library Accreditation Process

Posted on June 21, 2019 by Christa Porter

Get a head start on ‘The 2019 Public Library Accreditation Process’ on next week’s FREE NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, June 26, 10:00am-11:00am CT.

The 2019 Nebraska Public Library Accreditation process opens on July 1. Join us to get a head start on your library’s 2019 re-accreditation. 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 learn why Accreditation is important and what it can do for your library. We’ll also show you how the Application Form works, and how it relates to the required Community Needs Response Plan. This presentation will be of special interest to public library directors and library board members.

Presenter: Christa Porter, Library Development Director, Nebraska Library Commission.

Upcoming NCompass Live events:

  • July 3 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Enhance Your Online Security with Password Management Tools
  • July 10 – Fun, Easy, and Inexpensive Teen Nights (aka After Hours)
  • July 24 – The Golden Sower Award: Nebraska’s Children’s Choice Literary Award
  • July 31 – How Does Your Library Garden Grow?
  • Aug. 7 – Life in Fort Schuyler: The Challenges Faced at the SUNY Maritime College Library
  • Aug. 14 – Pretty Sweet Tech
  • Aug. 21 – Research – the Key to Library Design
  • Aug. 28 – Eliminating Late Fines is a Win-Win for Your Library and Community

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.

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NCompass Live: Pretty Sweet Tech – Use Website Building to Launch into Virtual & Augmented Reality!

Posted on June 7, 2019 by Christa Porter

Learn how to ‘Use Website Building to Launch into Virtual & Augmented Reality!’ on the next FREE NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, June 12, 10:00am-11:00am CT.

New special monthly episodes of NCompass Live! Join the NLC’s Technology Innovation Librarian, Amanda Sweet, as she guides us through the world of library-related Pretty Sweet Tech.

Did you know that building a website can be a great launching pad into virtual and augmented reality? Many libraries are doing Hour of Code and website building activities as an introduction to the wonderful world of coding. But what comes next? What are our goals for learning technology in the future? This webinar will provide you with the following:

  • A brief overview of what augmented and virtual reality are, and how they are used
  • Some possible roadmaps to start with website development skills (HTML, CSS, Javascript, design, etc.)
  • Ways to build off of these web skills to launch into VR and AR
  • Some examples of what can come next

This webinar is geared towards the curious and beginner/intermediate coders. It’s time to build a strong foundation for future tech skills. Discover what’s out there.

Upcoming NCompass Live events:

  • June 19 – Growing Partnerships Where Least Expected
  • July 3 – Pretty Sweet Tech
  • July 24 – The Golden Sower Award: Nebraska’s Children’s Choice Literary Award
  • July 31 – How Does Your Library Garden Grow?
  • Aug. 7 – Life in Fort Schuyler: The Challenges Faced at the SUNY Maritime College Library
  • Aug. 14 – Pretty Sweet Tech
  • Aug. 21 – Research – the Key to Library Design
  • Aug. 28 – Eliminating Late Fines is a Win-Win for Your Library and Community

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.

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NCompass Live: Providing Passports at Your Library

Posted on May 31, 2019 by Christa Porter

Learn all about ‘Providing Passports at Your Library’ on the next FREE NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, June 5, 10:00am-11:00am CT.

Learn how your library could begin offering passport services, generating income with each application. Joseph Leier, Customer Service Manager from the Colorado Passport Agency, Aimee Owen, Mary Sauers, and Lisa Kelly will talk about their experiences providing passports at the Nebraska Library Commission.

Upcoming NCompass Live events:

  • June 12 – Pretty Sweet Tech – Use Website Building to Launch into Virtual & Augmented Reality!
  • June 19 – Growing Partnerships Where Least Expected
  • July 24 – The Golden Sower Award: Nebraska’s Children’s Choice Literary Award
  • July 31 – How Does Your Library Garden Grow?
  • Aug. 7 – Life in Fort Schuyler: The Challenges Faced at the SUNY Maritime College Library
  • Aug. 21 – Research – the Key to Library Design
  • Aug. 28 – Eliminating Late Fines is a Win-Win for Your Library and Community

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.

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‘Public Library Accreditation and Community Needs’ Workshop Recording now available

Posted on May 31, 2019 by Christa Porter

The recording of the ‘Public Library Accreditation and Community Needs’ online workshop is now available on the NLC Public Library Accreditation webpage.

What is Nebraska Public Library Accreditation? What are the benefits of accreditation? How does my library become accredited? What’s a Community Needs Response Plan? Why does my library need one?

The purpose of Nebraska Public Library Accreditation is to encourage excellent library service in Nebraska communities. The guidelines used to evaluate libraries and their services are community-based, so libraries need to know their communities’ needs in order to provide appropriate library services that meet those unique needs. That’s where Community Needs Response Planning comes in!

In this workshop, Christa Porter, NLC’s Library Development Director, will guide you through Community Needs Response Planning and applying for Public Library Accreditation. Public Library Directors, Staff, and Library Board Members are encouraged to attend.

If you have any questions or need any assistance with your Accreditation or Community Needs Planning, please contact Christa Porter, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.

 

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NCompass Live: ‘Picture Book City: Reorganizing Our Storybooks by Subject’

Posted on May 17, 2019 by Christa Porter

Learn how to make your picture books more browsable on the next FREE NCompass Live webinar, ‘Picture Book City: Reorganizing Our Storybooks by Subject’, on Wednesday, May 22, 10:00am-11:00am CT.

What do you do to make picture books more browsable? Sort them by subject! Learn how we did it and tips we picked up along the way.

Presenter: Laura England-Biggs, Librarian, Keene Memorial Library, Fremont, NE.

Upcoming NCompass Live events:

  • May 29 – Let’s Get Real About Virtual Reality
  • June 5 – Providing Passports at Your Library
  • July 24 – The Golden Sower Award: Nebraska’s Children’s Choice Literary Award
  • Aug. 28 – Eliminating Late Fines is a Win-Win for Your Library and Community

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.

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NCompass Live: A Conversation with Nebraska’s New State Poet, Matt Mason

Posted on May 13, 2019 by Christa Porter

You’re invited to join us on this Wednesday’s FREE NCompass Live webinar as we chat with Nebraska’s New State Poet, Matt Mason. Matt will discuss how the Nebraska State Poet can work with libraries and schools to promote and encourage appreciation of poetry and literary life in Nebraska.

Along with Nebraska Library Commission Director Rod Wagner and Communication Coordinator Tessa Terry, we will also be joined by Erika Hamilton, Director of Literary Programs at Humanities Nebraska; selection committee member, Chuck Peek; and Brad Modlin, Reynolds Chair of Poetry at the University of Nebraska Kearney.

Upcoming NCompass Live events:

  • May 22 – Picture Book City: Reorganizing Our Storybooks by Subject
  • May 29 – Let’s Get Real About Virtual Reality
  • June 5 – Providing Passports at Your Library
  • July 24 – The Golden Sower Award: Nebraska’s Children’s Choice Literary Award
  • Aug. 28 – Eliminating Late Fines is a Win-Win for Your Library and Community

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.

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NCompass Live: Small Libraries Can Run Code Clubs for Kids

Posted on May 3, 2019 by Christa Porter

Find out how ‘Small Libraries Can Run Code Clubs for Kids’, with tips from O’Neill Public Library, on the next FREE NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, May 8, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.

Running a code club at your library can be really intimidating – especially if you don’t know how to code! Prenda has helped hundreds of small libraries start and run thriving code clubs where kids are learning how to make websites, video games, apps, and animations using the resources you probably already have! And as a special treat, we’ll hear from Jeannie Mejstrik who is has been running an incredible club since 2017 at O’Neill (NE) Public Library, where their population is under 5,000.

Presenter: Luke Miller, Director of Customer Success, Prenda.

Upcoming NCompass Live events:

  • May 15 – A Conversation with Nebraska’s New State Poet, Matt Mason
  • May 22 – Picture Book City: Reorganizing Our Storybooks by Subject
  • May 29 – Let’s Get Real About Virtual Reality
  • June 5 – Providing Passports at Your Library
  • July 24 – The Golden Sower Award: Nebraska’s Children’s Choice Literary Award
  • Aug. 28 – Eliminating Late Fines is a Win-Win for Your Library and Community

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.

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NCompass Live: Golden Sower Award: Nebraska’s Children’s Choice Literary Award

Posted on April 26, 2019 by Christa Porter


NOTE: This show has been rescheduled for July 24.

Who will win the 2019 ‘Golden Sower Award: Nebraska’s Children’s Choice Literary Award’? Find out on the next FREE NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, July 24 May 1, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.

The 2019 Golden Sower Award winners will be announced on May 1! Want to know more about how the Golden Sower Award was started and how titles end up on the list each year? Golden Sower Award Committee Chair, Kathy Schultz; and NLC Coordinator of Children and Young Adult Library Services, Sally Snyder, will present the history and the process of the Golden Sower Award, including a look at the web site.

Upcoming NCompass Live events:

  • May 8 – Small Libraries Can Run Code Clubs for Kids
  • May 15 – A Conversation with Nebraska’s New State Poet, Matt Mason
  • May 22 – Picture Book City: Reorganizing Our Storybooks by Subject
  • May 29 – Let’s Get Real About Virtual Reality

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.

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NCompass Live: Connect to Meetings, and more…Experts, Virtual Field Trips with Zoom

Posted on April 19, 2019 by Christa Porter

We’re going on a field trip on the next FREE NCompass Live webinar, ‘Connect to Meetings, and more…Experts, Virtual Field Trips with Zoom’, on Wednesday, April 24, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.

Zoom is a video conferencing app that can be easily used by any device to connect with others for meetings or to bring in an expert as well as learn about specific topics from a museum or non-profit organizations. Classrooms across Nebraska are connecting with Zoom to providers such as the Henry Doorly Zoo or Morrill Hall to experience virtually what can be experienced at their locations. Beth will provide information about Zoom as well as how to connect with these providers.

Presenter: Beth Kabes, Director of Blended and Distance Learning, Educational Service Unit Coordinating Council.

Upcoming NCompass Live events:

  • May 1 – The Golden Sower Award: Nebraska’s Children’s Choice Literary Award
  • May 8 – Small Libraries Can Run Code Clubs for Kids
  • May 15 – A Conversation with Nebraska’s New State Poet, Matt Mason
  • May 22 – Picture Book City: Reorganizing Our Storybooks by Subject
  • May 29 – Let’s Get Real About Virtual Reality

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.

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NCompass Live: An Inside Look at the National Rural Transit Assistance Program Resource Library

Posted on April 12, 2019 by Christa Porter

Take a tour with us on the next FREE NCompass Live webinar, ‘An Inside Look at the National Rural Transit Assistance Program Resource Library’, on Wednesday, April 17, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.

Learn about the National Rural Transit Assistance Program’s (National RTAP) wide array of rural and tribal transit resources and join us for a behind-the-scenes look at our Resource Library and ways to connect with us for training and technical assistance. Our free training resources include print and DVD training modules, eLearning courses, topic guides, webinars, technical briefs and more.

Presenter: Cara Marcus, Resource Center Manager, National Rural Transit Assistance Program.

Upcoming NCompass Live events:

  • April 24 – Connect to Meetings, and more…Experts, Virtual Field Trips with Zoom
  • May 1 – The Golden Sower Award: Nebraska’s Children’s Choice Literary Award
  • May 8 – Small Libraries Can Run Code Clubs for Kids
  • May 15 – A Conversation with Nebraska’s New State Poet, Matt Mason
  • May 22 – Picture Book City: Reorganizing Our Storybooks by Subject
  • May 29 – Let’s Get Real About Virtual Reality

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.

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NCompass Live: What is OER? Outstanding, Extraordinary Raw materials?

Posted on April 5, 2019 by Christa Porter

Join us for the next FREE NCompass Live webinar, ‘What is OER? Outstanding, Extraordinary Raw materials?’, on Wednesday, April 10, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.

The #GoOpen movement has impacted many conversations relating to digital resources for schools and public libraries. What is this OER phenomenon? How can a teacher/student/patron access these items and how can they be added to coursework or a collection ? This webinar will focus on the premise of OER (Open Educational Resources) and provide an opportunity to discuss with other participants how an OER can benefit and enhance a course or collection. Users will be provided with a “starting” point of OER references that can be used for education.

Presenter: Beth Kabes, Director of Blended and Distance Learning, Educational Service Unit Coordinating Council.

Upcoming NCompass Live events:

  • April 17 – An Inside Look at the National Rural Transit Assistance Program Resource Library
  • April 24 – Connect to Meetings, and more…Experts, Virtual Field Trips with Zoom
  • May 8 – Small Libraries Can Run Code Clubs for Kids
  • May 15 – A Conversation with Nebraska’s New State Poet, Matt Mason
  • May 22 – Picture Book City: Reorganizing Our Storybooks by Subject
  • May 29 – Let’s Get Real About Virtual Reality

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.

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Friday Reads: ‘Tales from the Perilous Realm’ by J.R.R. Tolkien

Posted on April 5, 2019 by Christa Porter

J.R.R. Tolkien is best known as the creator of Middle-earth, the setting of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. But, did you know that he wrote other stories that don’t take place in Middle-earth?

In addition to being a fantasy author, Tolkien was an academic. He wrote modern translations of Sir Gawain & The Green Knight and Beowulf as well as the narrative poems The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún, based on Norse mythology, and The Fall of Arthur, inspired by the legend of King Arthur.

Those longer works can be a bit hard to get through. Personally, I prefer his shorter original fairie tale novellas. Some of them are collected in Tales from the Perilous Realm:

Roverandom is the story of a dog who is turned into a toy by an angry wizard and recounts his adventures as he searches for a way to undo the spell.

Farmer Giles of Ham is an accidental hero, who must deal with a dragon who has invaded his village.

Smith of Wootton Major is the tale of a blacksmith who, after eating a magical cake, is able to enter the Land of Faery.

Leaf by Niggle is a short story about a painter struggling to finish his greatest work.

The Adventures of Tom Bombadil is the only selection in this book related to Middle-earth. It is a collection of poems written by Hobbits, such as Bilbo Baggins and Sam Gamgee.

I have discovered that Tolkien is a fun and creative storyteller, in all forms. If you’ve only read his books based in Middle-earth, I highly recommend checking out his other stories.

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