Author Archives: Christa Porter

‘Public Library Accreditation 2025’ Workshop Recording now available

The recording of the Nebraska Library Commission’s ‘Public Library Accreditation 2025’ online workshop is now available on the 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 Public Library Accreditation or Community Needs Response Planning, please contact Christa Porter, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.

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NCompass Live: United for Libraries – Trustees, Advocates, Friends, and Foundations: The Voice for America’s Libraries

Learn about Nebraska’s statewide membership to United for Libraries – free online training and United for Libraries Virtual 2025 for all Nebraska public libraries on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, June 18 at 10am CT.

Beth Nawalinski, Executive Director of United for Libraries, the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations, a division of the American Library Association, and Jillian Wentworth, Deputy Director, Strategy and Engagement, will share ideas about United for Libraries’ mission and vision, and how Nebraska and its libraries can benefit and fully use the resources available through this dynamic ALA division.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • June 25 – Nebraska Open Meetings Act: 2025 Overview and Update
  • July 9 – Printing, Scanning, and Faxing at the Library
  • July 30 – Pretty Sweet Tech
  • Aug. 13 – Ditching 1000 Books: A New Initiative

To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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.

NOTE:This episode of NCompass Live will be presented online using Zoom. Login instructions will be sent to registered attendees after registration has closed. The Registration End date is listed on each session page, but usually closes on the Monday night before the date of the session.

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Nebraska Arts Council announces special funding for Creative Aging Arts Programs in Nebraska Public Libraries

For more grants like this one, check out the NLC’s Grant Opportunities for Nebraska Libraries.

The Nebraska Arts Council is pleased to announce special funding, provided by the Medica Insurance Company, for Creative Aging Arts Programs (CAAP) in Nebraska public libraries beginning in summer 2025.

Public libraries throughout the state are invited to apply at Creative Aging Arts Program – Nebraska Arts Council.

NAC’s Creative Aging Arts Program (CAAP) provides older adults with creative and educational activities along with opportunities for socialization. CAAP’s core programming involves interactive artist residencies that are comprised of sequential workshops for participants who are 55 or older. Residencies are led by CAAP artists (painters, printmakers, writers, musicians, etc.) who have completed training in creative aging program development.

One of CAAP’s primary goals is to address the problem of isolation and loneliness that many older adults experience. There is a growing appreciation for how creative endeavors can invigorate communities and bring people together. CAAP serves to enhance the lives of our older adults and can help libraries achieve community outreach goals.

Apply for CAAP grants at least six weeks ahead. Grants cover most or all expenses. Funds are limited, and grants are processed first-come, first-served.

Questions? Contact Anne Alston or Joshua Brown at the Nebraska Arts Council.

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NCompass Live: Sparking Community Connections: Rural Public Library Partnerships

Discover how partnerships can shape organizational views of rural public libraries on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, ‘Sparking Community Connections: Rural Public Library Partnerships’ on Wednesday, June 11 at 10am CT.

Why do local organizations, schools, and businesses partner with rural public libraries? Do these partnerships change the partner’s view of the library? After an initial partnership, are community organizations more likely to partner with the library again? These questions have preliminary answers backed by research findings. While public libraries have been shown to benefit from community partnerships, there is little data available on whether the partners also benefit. Discovering how partnerships can shape organizational views of rural public libraries grants insight into effective ways to approach possible partners.

Presenter: April Hernandez, Director, Latah County Library District, Moscow, ID.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • June 18 – Outreach at Any Size
  • June 25 – Nebraska Open Meetings Act: 2025 Overview and Update
  • July 9 – Printing, Scanning, and Faxing at the Library
  • July 30 – Pretty Sweet Tech

To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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.

NOTE:This episode of NCompass Live will be presented online using Zoom. Login instructions will be sent to registered attendees after registration has closed. The Registration End date is listed on each session page, but usually closes on the Monday night before the date of the session.

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Friday Reads: The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

Did you know that kaiju are an endangered species? Just like pandas? It’s true! Well, in another dimension, not in our own, but they still need our help to ensure their protection and survival.

Enter ‘The Kaiju Preservation Society’, aka KPS.

Jamie Gray has just started working at a new food delivery company in New York City, but is demoted to delivery when the COVID-19 pandemic hits in early 2020. They end up making multiple deliveries to a former acquaintance, Tom Stevens, who offers them a job ‘lifting things’ with an animal rights organization, KPS. All Jamie is told is that they work with ‘large animals’ and the salary and benefits are too good to say no. So, Jamie and Tom head off first to Greenland, and then on to where KPS does their real work, an alternate dimension where life has evolved differently, and giant kaiju roam the world.

But, if they are in a different dimension, away from our own, why do we need a Kaiju ‘Preservation’ Society? Well, naturally, other nefarious folks (government types and shady billionaires) have also found there way there, and they don’t have the kaiju’s best interests at heart. Even though they were only hired to ‘lift things’, Jaime’s resourcefulness and previous education is just what might be needed to help save our world and the kaiju’s world.

John Scalzi is one of my favorite writers. As usual, his writing is fun and the science is easy to understand. This is truly escapist science fiction at its best. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, which was something Scalzi, and all of us, needed when it was written during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2021. It does take place at the same exact time, there are references to it. But, as most of the novel takes place in the alternate dimension, we and the characters are lucky in that we don’t have to deal very much with that trauma.

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NCompass Live: Food for Thought: Addressing Food Waste, Access & Insecurity through Rural Libraries

Join us for ‘Food for Thought: Addressing Food Waste, Access & Insecurity through Rural Libraries’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, June 4 at 10am CT.

Imagine grocery shopping at a Dollar Store. That’s a reality for people living in rural food deserts. The Southern Adirondack Library System and the Comfort Food Community food pantry launched the Farm‐2‐Library initiative to reduce food waste by gleaning at local farms, distributing the produce through rural libraries where food scarcity, lack of food pantries, and transportation limit access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Since launching in 2017, we’ve shared more than 230,000 pounds of fresh produce, creating and deepening relationships with the community while fostering renewed interest in library services by previously reluctant users.

Presenters: Erica Freudenberger, Library Development Specialist, Division of Library Development, New York State Library and Jack Scott, Outreach and Technology Consultant, Southern Adirondack Library System.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • June 11 – Sparking Community Connections: Rural Public Library Partnerships
  • June 18 – Outreach at Any Size
  • June 25 – Pretty Sweet Tech
  • July 9 – Printing, Scanning, and Faxing at the Library

To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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.

NOTE:This episode of NCompass Live will be presented online using Zoom. Login instructions will be sent to registered attendees after registration has closed. The Registration End date is listed on each session page, but usually closes on the Monday night before the date of the session.

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Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) for Public Library Construction

The Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) will host a webinar on June 4, 2025, to review application guidelines for the upcoming program year of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. Accredited public libraries are eligible to apply for funding for the acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of facilities.

The Department will distribute CDBG program funds through six funding opportunities: Downtown Revitalization, Economic Development, Planning, Public Works-Infrastructure, Public Works-Facilities, and Tourism Development. Libraries fall under ‘Public Works – Facilities’ and must be Accredited.

During the upcoming webinar, DED will cover grant funding opportunities, eligibility, deadlines, award activity criteria, and the submission process through DED’s grant management system.

Register for the webinar to be held on June 4, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (CT)8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. (MT).

The webinar, which is free and open to the public, is intended to inform and assist applicants who plan to seek CDBG funding during the July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 program year. Visit the DED website for information on grant eligibility, requirements, and more: https://opportunity.nebraska.gov/programs/community/cdbg/. The 2025 CDBG program application guidelines will be posted in early June.

DED administers federal CDBG funding on behalf of the State of Nebraska to counties and incorporated municipalities within the non-entitlement areas throughout the state; this includes all communities with the exception of Omaha, Lincoln, Bellevue, and Grand Island. These four entitlement communities receive funding directly from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. CDBG program objectives are to help communities provide decent affordable housing, create suitable living environments, and create economic opportunities—with the primary goal of benefitting low- and moderate-income persons.

Individuals with questions, or those requiring sensory accommodations—including interpreter services, Braille, large print or recorded materials—should contact Gina Doose, Economic Development Consultant, at gina.doose@nebraska.gov or 402-310-9772.

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NCompass Live: Libraries in Technology Innovation Ecosystems

What is a Technology Innovation Ecosystem? And what does it have to do with libraries? Find out on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, May 28 at 10am CT.

Technology Innovation Ecosystems exist to funnel tech resources towards solving problems in existing organizations, and towards entrepreneurial ventures striving to create the solutions that do not yet exist. These ecosystems are relatively new and best practices are still taking shape. When libraries host code clubs and 3D printer trainings, we are unwittingly contributing to this evolving innovation ecosystem. However, libraries don’t always take the next step to help individuals progress and practically apply those skills. “Coding” has also come a long way since the early days of code clubs. It’s not just website development anymore.

This session will help you:

  • Understand what a Technology Innovation Ecosystem is, and how they take shape.
  • Track current trends in Nebraska’s Ecosystem, and nationwide.
  • Brainstorm new library services to fill gaps within the Ecosystem.

The hope is that we will all start introducing technology with purpose, paired with tangible pathways to progress and practically apply skills in partnership with local businesses, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, universities, government agencies, and curious explorers within the community.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • June 4 – Food for Thought: Addressing Food Waste, Access & Insecurity through Rural Libraries
  • June 11 – Sparking Community Connections: Rural Public Library Partnerships
  • June 18 – Outreach at Any Size
  • June 25 – Pretty Sweet Tech
  • July 9 – Printing, Scanning, and Faxing at the Library

To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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 GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.

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NCompass Live: Small Adjustments for Big Changes

Learn how to make ‘Small Adjustments for Big Changes’ at your library on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, May 21 at 10am CT.

Hear about the programs that have influenced one library’s community, including diversifying collections, creating spaces for different age groups, implementing food security programs, getting outside of library walls, implementing 24-hour book pickup, and offering take-home crafts, all on a small budget in a small building. You’ll look at how some of the programs were planned and work together as a team to share successful programs and identify other ways to make big changes with small adjustments.

Presenter: Brenda Hornsby Heindl, Director/Librarian, Liberty (NC) Public Library.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • May 28 – Pretty Sweet Tech
  • June 4 – Food for Thought: Addressing Food Waste, Access & Insecurity through Rural Libraries
  • June 11 – Sparking Community Connections: Rural Public Library Partnerships
  • June 18 – Outreach at Any Size
  • June 25 – Pretty Sweet Tech

To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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 GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.

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NCompass Live: The 2025 Public Library Accreditation Process

Get a head start on ‘The 2025 Public Library Accreditation Process’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, May 14 at 10am CT.

The 2025 Nebraska Public Library Accreditation process opens on July 1. If your library is up for re-accreditation this year, join us for a short refresher on the process. Or, if your library is not currently Accredited, attend this session to explore the possibility of becoming an Accredited Public Library.

In this general overview, you will learn why Accreditation is important and how it benefits your library. We’ll also show you the Application Form, and explain how it relates to the required Community Needs Response Plan.

Public Library Directors, Staff, and Library Board Members are encouraged to attend.

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

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • May 21 – Small Adjustments for Big Changes
  • May 28 – Pretty Sweet Tech
  • June 4 – Food for Thought: Addressing Food Waste, Access & Insecurity through Rural Libraries
  • June 11 – Sparking Community Connections: Rural Public Library Partnerships
  • June 18 – Outreach at Any Size
  • June 25 – Pretty Sweet Tech

To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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 GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.

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Public Library Accreditation 2025 Workshops Scheduled

‘Public Library Accreditation 2025’ workshops are now open for registration! All workshops will be held online only, via GoTo Webinar.
To register for a session, go to the Nebraska Library Commission’s Training & Events Calendar and search for ‘accreditation 2025’.

NOTE: These online workshops are being offered on several days and at varied times, to give attendees multiple opportunities to find a convenient time to attend. The same information will be provided at each workshop, so you only need to register for one session. A recorded version will also be made available after all of the live sessions have been held.

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.

Dates and times:

  • June 3 – 1:00-4:00pm Central / 12:00noon-3pm Mountain
  • June 5 – 9:30am-12:30pm Central / 8:30-11:30am Mountain
  • June 10– 9:30am-12:30pm Central / 8:30-11:30am Mountain
  • June 11 – 1:00-4:00pm Central / 12:00noon-3pm Mountain

To register for a session, go to the Nebraska Library Commission’s Training & Events Calendar and search for ‘accreditation 2025’.

Posted in Education & Training, Library Management, Public Library Boards of Trustees | 2 Comments

NCompass Live: Everyday Advocacy for Smaller Libraries: Practical & Affordable Solutions

Pick up some practical, affordable, and successful advocacy strategies for your small library on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, May 7 at 10am CT.

Everyday advocacy is a way of connecting continuously with your community – with your funders, patrons, business community, schools, and with your local, state, regional, and national governments, as well as with your library colleagues and organizations. This presentation offers practical advice on successful strategies for library advocacy with an emphasis on low-cost activities that are manageable for smaller libraries with limited staff and resources, focusing on educating your community on what a library really is, what a librarian does, and the value of the library to its community.

Presenter: Andrew J. M. Smith, Associate Professor, School of Library and Information Management, Emporia State University, Emporia, KS.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • May 14 – The 2025 Public Library Accreditation Process
  • May 21 – Small Adjustments for Big Changes
  • May 28 – Pretty Sweet Tech
  • June 4 – Food for Thought: Addressing Food Waste, Access & Insecurity through Rural Libraries
  • June 11 – Sparking Community Connections: Rural Public Library Partnerships
  • June 18 – Outreach at Any Size
  • June 25 – Pretty Sweet Tech

To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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 GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.

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Over $4.8 Million in E-rate Funding Awarded to Nebraska Schools and Public Libraries

On April 26, USAC released Wave 1 of Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs) for E-rate Funding Year 2025. This first Wave includes $4,833,579.31 in funding commitments for 388 Nebraska school and public library applicants.

Congratulations to all Nebraska schools and public libraries who have been funded!

A list of public libraries who have received E-rate funding is on the NLC E-rate webpage. The 2025 list will be updated as new funding waves are announced.

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 2025, more approvals are coming.

When your FCDL is ready, it 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.

IMPORTANT: As soon as you receive your FCDL, you should immediately 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 on the USAC website.

If you have any questions or need any assistance with your public library’s E-rate forms, visit the NLC E-rate webpage or contact Christa Porter, State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.

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NCompass Live: Pretty Sweet Tech: Computers in Libraries 2025 Highlights & Trends

Highlights & Trends from Computers in Libraries 2025 will be shared on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, April 30 at 10am CT.

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.

Computers in Libraries is the world’s leading technology and innovation conference for librarians! In this session I will cover come of the awesome ideas, tools, tips and tricks of the trade I picked up while in D.C. this year.

I hope to see you there! As a side note, if you’re looking for more emerging tech trends in the library, check out Computers in Libraries magazine.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • May 7 – Everyday Advocacy for Smaller Libraries: Practical & Affordable Solutions
  • May 14 – The 2025 Public Library Accreditation Process
  • May 21 – Small Adjustments for Big Changes
  • May 28 – Pretty Sweet Tech
  • June 4 – Food for Thought: Addressing Food Waste, Access & Insecurity through Rural Libraries
  • June 11 – Sparking Community Connections: Rural Public Library Partnerships
  • June 18 – Outreach at Any Size
  • June 25 – Pretty Sweet Tech

To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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 GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, 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: Do You Know Your Logins? Password Best Practices for Libraries

Learn how to implement Password Best Practices at your library on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, April 23 at 10am CT.

In this session, we will learn about the importance of having the library’s account logins and passwords fully documented. Especially for staff changes. Don’t leave new staff in the lurch! Sherm will also cover other password related topics such as password security, creating strong passwords, and using a password manager.

Presenter: Andrew “Sherm” Sherman, IT Infrastructure Support Analyst, Nebraska Library Commission.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • April 30 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Computers in Libraries 2025 Highlights & Trends
  • May 7 – Everyday Advocacy for Smaller Libraries: Practical & Affordable Solutions
  • May 14 – The 2025 Public Library Accreditation Process
  • May 21 – Small Adjustments for Big Changes
  • May 28 – Pretty Sweet Tech
  • June 4 – Food for Thought: Addressing Food Waste, Access & Insecurity through Rural Libraries
  • June 11 – Sparking Community Connections: Rural Public Library Partnerships

To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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 GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.

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NCompass Live: One Book For Nebraska Kids & Teens 2025

Wouldn’t it be great if kids all over Nebraska were talking about books? Hear about the Nebraska Library Commission & the Regional Library Systems’ program where kids can all read and discuss the same book on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, April 16 at 10am CT.

NOTE: This is a rescheduled session, due to technical issues with the original show.

Join Sally Snyder, the NLC’s Coordinator of Children and Young Adult Library Services; Aimee Owen, Information Services Librarian; and Bailee Juroshek, Office Specialist, to learn all about the One Book for Nebraska Kids and Teens program.

Our 2025 titles are: One Book For Nebraska Kids – Lions & Liars by Kate Beasley, and One Book For Nebraska Teens – Where You See Yourself by Claire Forrest.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • April 30 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Computers in Libraries 2025 Highlights & Trends
  • May 7 – Everyday Advocacy for Smaller Libraries: Practical & Affordable Solutions
  • May 14 – The 2025 Public Library Accreditation Process
  • May 28 – Pretty Sweet Tech
  • June 11 – Sparking Community Connections: Rural Public Library Partnerships

To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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 GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.

Posted in Books & Reading, Education & Training, Youth Services | Tagged | Leave a comment

Judith F. Krug Memorial Fund Banned Books Week Event Grants

For more grants like this one, check out the NLC’s Grant Opportunities for Nebraska Libraries.

Applications are open for the Judith F. Krug Memorial Fund Banned Books Week Event Grants. Each year the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) distributes $1,000 grants for organizations to support activities that raise awareness of intellectual freedom and censorship issues during the annual Banned Books Week celebration
, being held this year October 5-11, 2025. Staff at all types of libraries, schools, universities, and non-profit community organizations are encouraged to apply.

Applications are accepted now through April 30, 2025. 

Learn more and apply on the Judith F. Krug Memorial Fund Banned Books Week Event Grants webpage.

The Judith F. Krug Memorial Fund is dedicated to continuing and promoting the remarkable legacy of Judith Krug, founding executive director of the Freedom to Read Foundation and founding director of the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom. For over 40 years, Judith made it her life’s work to protect the First Amendment to the US Constitution and the principles of intellectual freedom, in libraries and beyond. Judith is remembered for her fierce advocacy for the First Amendment, for the principles of freedom of access to information in the US and around the globe, and for the importance of education and its centrality to a strong democracy.

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ARSL 2025 Conference: Scholarships and Session Proposals

The 2025 Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL) Annual Conference will be held at the Albuquerque Convention Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, from September 17-20, 2025.

This year’s conference theme is Libraries Rise!

This theme captures the resilience, innovation, and collaboration that define small and rural libraries. We recognize the challenges our communities face—tight budgets, small spaces, and limited staffing—but also the incredible creativity and determination that allow us to soar despite these obstacles.

ARSL 2025 Conference Scholarships

Applications for ARSL-funded conference scholarships are still open for select grants! Applications close Monday, April 21!

Each year, the ARSL Grants, Awards & Scholarships (GAS) Committee accepts applications for competitive scholarships to facilitate first-time attendance at the ARSL Conference:

  • Dr. Bernard Vavrek Scholarship for LIS Students, Deadline Extended!
  • Thorndike Press Champions of Large Print Scholarship

See the full details about all of the scholarships and apply on the ARSL Conference Scholarships page.

ARSL 2025 Conference Session Proposals

Are you a community engagement superstar? Have a storytime formula that can’t be beat? Do your reader’s advisory recommendations always hit the mark? We need YOU to present at ARSL 2025! The program presenters are the heart of the conference, bringing valuable skills and experience to share with fellow attendees.

Submit your proposal by April 25 at 5:00 PM CT. Notification of proposal outcomes will be sent by May 30.

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Union Pacific Foundation: 2025 Community Ties Giving Program

For more grants like this one, check out the NLC’s Grant Opportunities for Nebraska Libraries at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/grants/index.aspx

The Union Pacific Foundation’s 2025 Community Ties Giving Program provides Local Grants from $5,000 to $30,000 to local nonprofit organizations spread widely across Union Pacific’s footprint, primarily in the western and midwestern United States.
A map and list of eligible communities is available on the Union Pacific website.

The application deadline is May 14, 2025.

Funding is provided for direct services and efforts that build the capacity of organizations focused on the following causes: Safety, Workforce Development, Community Vitality, and Environmental Sustainability.

Libraries fall under the Community Vitality funding priority – to “Provide recreational opportunities that foster wellbeing, enrichment and/or an appreciation for our natural environment”.

Visit the Union Pacific website for the Application and grant guidelines.

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NCompass Live: One Book For Nebraska Kids & Teens 2025

Wouldn’t it be great if kids all over Nebraska were talking about books? Hear about the Nebraska Library Commission & the Regional Library Systems’ program where kids can all read and discuss the same book on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, April 2 at 10am CT.

Join Sally Snyder, the NLC’s Coordinator of Children and Young Adult Library Services; Aimee Owen, Information Services Librarian; and Bailee Juroshek, Office Specialist, to learn all about the One Book for Nebraska Kids and Teens program.

Our 2025 titles are: One Book For Nebraska Kids – Lions & Liars by Kate Beasley, and One Book For Nebraska Teens – Where You See Yourself by Claire Forrest.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • April 30 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Computers in Libraries 2025 Highlights & Trends

To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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 GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.

Posted in Books & Reading, Education & Training, Youth Services | Tagged | Leave a comment