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Author Archives: Christa Porter
NCompass Live: Pretty Sweet Tech – Revamping Your WordPress Website
We’ll be ‘Revamping Your WordPress Website’ on next week’s Pretty Sweet Tech FREE NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, September 30 at 10am CT.
There have been quite a few changes to WordPress, especially in the past year. Since the start of the pandemic, there has also been a growing need for online resources and activities. Now that people have had a taste for these online resources, the need for quality online material is growing. Your library can help!
This webinar will act as a guide to help you refresh your library’s WordPress website. Here’s what we will cover:
- What is WordPress and what changed?
- What should I put on my website?
- How can I learn new WordPress skills?
- Turning a planning page into a website.
You will walk away with a step-by-step quick-start guide for getting your website up and running. Remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect as you’re just getting started. You can add more as you learn more. If you’re in Nebraska, feel free to email me at amanda.sweet@nebraska.gov for a planning consultation and/or WordPress walk-through.
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.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- Oct. 21 – Migrating to an Open-Source ILS in an Academic Library: How to Celebrate Successes and Bounce Back from Problems
- Tues. Nov. 10 – Creating an Open Educational Resource: Grenzenlos Deutsch, German Language Online Curriculum
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 NCompLive, prettysweettech, WordPress
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Libraries Transforming Communities: A Special Grant Opportunity for Small and Rural Libraries
The American Library Association (ALA) invites libraries in small and rural communities to apply for grant funding to help them address issues of concern in their communities.
Through ‘Libraries Transforming Communities: Focus on Small and Rural Libraries’, up to 650 U.S. libraries in small and rural communities will receive $3,000 each to tackle issues ranging from media literacy to COVID-19 safety to unemployment. Grants will be awarded in two waves in 2020 and 2021.
Applications will be accepted from Sept. 21 to Dec. 2, 2020 at http://www.ala.org/tools/librariestransform/libraries-transforming-communities/focusgrants
Selected libraries will develop their facilitation skills through online training, talk with community members (virtually or in-person) about local needs, and undertake a project that benefits their community. Grant funds may cover a range of expenses, from hotspot purchases to personal protective equipment to staff time to undertake community engagement work.
Grant recipients will also receive a copy of “Ask, Listen, Empower: Grounding Your Library Work in Community Engagement,” edited by Mary Davis Fournier and Sarah Ostman (ALA Editions, 2020).
Community engagement is the process of working collaboratively with community members – be they library patrons, residents, faculty, students or partner organizations – to address issues for the betterment of the community.
In February, ALA released a set of free professional development materials to help workers in small and rural libraries prepare for and lead discussions and overcome common challenges that arise when people gather to speak in groups. Available materials include:
- “Leading Conversations in Small and Rural Libraries,” a practical 30-page guide that covers the basics of leading discussions in the library, including roles and responsibilities, setting ground rules and managing group dynamics, with a section about leading virtual conversations.
- “Libraries Transforming Communities: Facilitation Training for Small and Rural Libraries,” an e-course available on ALA’s eLearning platform, with a module about leading virtual conversations.
‘Libraries Transforming Communities: Focus on Small and Rural Libraries’ is part of ALA’s longtime commitment to preparing library workers for the expanding role of libraries. The initiative is offered in partnership with the Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL). It is supported by a private donor and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
Questions? Contact the American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office staff at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5045, or publicprograms@ala.org
Posted in Grants, Library Management
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NCompass Live: NLC Grants for 2021
Do you have a program or project you would like to see funded? Learn how to apply for the ‘NLC Grants for 2021’ on next week’s FREE NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, September 23 at 10am CT.
The Nebraska Library Commission has made funding available for grants for 2021: Youth Grants for Excellence, Internship, and Continuing Education & Training. Join Christa Porter, Sally Snyder, and Holli Duggan, from the Nebraska Library Commission’s Library Development Team, as they provide an overview of the grants, including eligibility requirements, the application process and grant review, timelines and deadlines. They will also share some tips on writing effective grants.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- Sept. 30 – Pretty Sweet Tech – Revamping Your WordPress Website
- Oct. 21 – Migrating to an Open-Source ILS in an Academic Library: How to Celebrate Successes and Bounce Back from Problems
- Tues. Nov. 10 – Creating an Open Educational Resource: Grenzenlos Deutsch, German Language Online Curriculum
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.
Small-Town Libraries Encouraged to Apply for Kreutz Bennett Grants
Since 2012, more than $550,000 has been granted through a term endowment established by the late Shirley Kreutz Bennett, a lifelong educator originally from Harvard, Nebraska. Thanks to this generous support, dozens of libraries have launched projects to repair, renovate, or replace existing facilities, create programs that enhance library services, and importantly, prepare libraries, boards and directors to become accredited, which opens the door to increased state funding.
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. The deadline to submit the initial short application form is October 1, 2020.
Following Ms. Kreutz Bennett’s wishes, a Fund Advisory Committee composed of her nieces and nephews recommends grants each year. All grants require a one-to-one match in local funding and evidence that the project has broad community support.
There are three different areas of support available:
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, 2020, and a full proposal is due in January 2021. 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, Nebraska Community Foundation Community Impact Coordinator, 402.822.0466 or kgale@nebcommfound.org.
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NCompass Live: The Golden Sower Award: Nebraska’s Children’s Choice Literary Award
Want to know more about the Golden Sower Award, Nebraska’s Children’s Choice Literary Award? Then join us on next week’s FREE NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, September 16 at 10am CT.
Thousands of Nebraska’s children and teens participate in the Golden Sower Award program each year by voting to choose the winners and honor books. The 2020 Golden Sower Award winners and the lists of Nominees for the 2021-2022 school year have been announced. Join Golden Sower Award Committee Chair, Kathy Schultz, and NLC Coordinator of Children and Young Adult Library Services, Sally Snyder, to learn about the history and the process of the Golden Sower Award, including how librarians and teachers can be involved with sending in book suggestions and voting to determine the final lists of ten titles for each level.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- Sept. 23 – NLC Grants for 2021
- Sept. 30 – Pretty Sweet Tech – Revamping Your WordPress Website
- Oct. 21 – Migrating to an Open-Source ILS in an Academic Library: How to Celebrate Successes and Bounce Back from Problems
- Tues. Nov. 10 – Creating an Open Educational Resource: Grenzenlos Deutsch, German Language Online Curriculum
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.
2021 Internship Grants Now Available
Applications for Nebraska Library Commission Internship Grants for 2021 are now available!
Accredited Nebraska public libraries are invited to apply for up to $1,000 to fund a high school or college intern in 2021. Applicants may partner with other types of libraries to provide a variety of work settings – partnerships with other public, school, academic, or special libraries are encouraged. The deadline to submit an application is November 10, 2020.
This internship program works to introduce high school and college students to the varied and exciting work of Nebraska libraries. The internships are intended to function as a recruitment tool, helping the student to view the library as a viable career opportunity while providing the public library with the finances (up to $1,000 per library or branch) to provide stipends to the student interns. In the past student interns have helped the libraries expand programs, complete projects, improve websites, and expand social media use, while bringing fresh ideas into the library.
To learn more, sign up for the September 23 NCompass Live webinar, NLC Grants for 2021.
If you have any questions please contact Christa Porter, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.
ALA’s Libraries Ready to Code Opens Call for Applications: Virtual Learning and Enhancement Grants
The American Library Association (ALA) has opened applications for Virtual Learning and Enhancement Grants of $1,000 available for 90 school, tribal, public, and academic libraries.
In response to increased demand for technical skills to lead and participate in virtual education during the COVID-19 health emergency, the Virtual Learning and Enhancement Grants focus on digital skill development of library staff and patrons.
Applications are due Thursday, September 17, 2020.
For the full details see the press release and submit your application on the grant webpage.
Posted in Education & Training, Grants, Technology, Youth Services
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Friday Reads: Tempest Tossed
September is Library Card Sign-up Month! And ALA has named Wonder Woman as this year’s Library Card Sign-up Month Honorary Chair.
To celebrate, I read the new graphic novel, Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed, written by Laurie Halse Anderson and illustrated by Leila Del Duca.
Tempest Tossed is a re-imagining of Wonder Woman’s origin story. While it is part of DC’s Graphic Novels for Young Adults imprint, it is definitely a book for all ages.
Some of the story is familiar. Unlike the other Amazons who were created on Themyscira as adults, Princess Diana was molded out of clay as a baby by her mother, Queen of the Amazons. So, she is the only person on the island who actually grew up, through the terrible toddler years and into teenage puberty. Since none of the other Amazons have gone through this, the changes that Diana experiences are very confusing to them. Mood swings, her body developing, acne, growth spurts making her awkward and clumsy. This causes some of the other Amazons to call her the Changeling. Definitely something that anyone reading this book will identify with.
As she reaches her 16th Born Day, rafts full of refugees fleeing their war-torn country break through holes in the barrier protecting Themyscira, and Diana goes against Amazon rules to help save a group from drowning. But, she ends up trapped outside the barrier on the refugee’s raft and cannot return to her home. She becomes a refugee herself.
The raft eventually finds land, and Diana is thrown into a new and foreign world. We follow her personal experience navigating the refugee process, as she learns about the struggles and failures of the immigration system. She also makes new friends and works with them to fight new injustices – homelessness, poverty, food insecurity, child trafficking. Through Diana’s eyes readers are exposed to the harsh realities of being poor in our world.
On a lighter note, I also really enjoyed the version of Steve Trevor in the story. No spoilers! I won’t give anything away, but it’s one of the most unique portrayals I’ve read and perfect for our times.
Posted in Books & Reading, Youth Services
Tagged #FridayReads, Friday Reads, FridayReads
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NCompass Live: The ‘Toward Gigabit Libraries’ Project Update
Improve your library’s broadband service with the Toward Gigabit Libraries Toolkit on next week’s FREE NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, September 2 at 10am CT.
Join us for an update on the Toward Gigabit Libraries project, funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), designed to help public and tribal librarians learn about their current broadband infrastructure and internal information technology (IT) environment. The project has been awarded a new grant from the IMLS to fund an expansion of the Towards Gigabit Libraries toolkit to increase tech capacities in rural, tribal & urban libraries. Through the use of the project’s “Broadband Toolkit” and customizable “Broadband Improvement Plan”, librarians have become better equipped to improve their broadband services and become stronger advocates for their libraries’ broadband infrastructure needs.
Presenters: Carson Block, Library Technology Consultant; Stephanie Stenberg, Director, Internet2 Community Anchor Program (CAP); Holly Woldt, Library Technology Support Specialist, Nebraska Library Commission; Tom Rolfes, Education I.T. Manager, Nebraska Office of the CIO/NITC.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- Sept. 9 – Discount Shopping with the NLC
- Sept. 23 – NLC Grants for 2021
- Sept. 30 – Pretty Sweet Tech
- Oct. 21 – Migrating to an Open-Source ILS in an Academic Library: How to Celebrate Successes and Bounce Back from Problems
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: Drive-Thru User Testing
What do your library users want? Learn how to do ‘Drive-Thru User Testing’ on next week’s FREE NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, August 19 at 10:00am CT.
User testing doesn’t have to be expensive or tedious. Join us to find out more about drive-thru user testing: cheap, quick, and easy ways to find out what your users expect from your services. Find out when to use different types of user testing to figure out the specific answers to your questions — and which methods may seem easy when they aren’t.
Presenters: Jessica D. Gilbert Redman, Online Resources & Services Librarian, School of Medicine & Health Sciences Library Resources, University of North Dakota; Kelicia Christianson, Web Designer & Developer, University IT, University of North Dakota.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- Aug. 26 – Pretty Sweet Tech – Teach Kids Machine Learning Using Scratch Programming!
- Sept. 9 – Discount Shopping with the NLC
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 1K Reading Challenge
In this difficult year, librarians learned about using technology to do a wide variety of tasks. One example is using Reader Zone to keep track of Summer Reading Goals instead of collecting that information on paper reading logs. Some found it difficult to manage. Others liked the way it was set up. Some patrons struggled to record their minutes and others loved using the app. Just like any other bit of new technology, Reader Zone takes some time to master.
Reader Zone has given us the chance to collect some pretty amazing statistics. As of the end of July, Nebraska readers have read 244,781 pages; plus 11,206 chapters; plus 19,085 books; plus 1,553,361 minutes!! Readers have also completed more than 2,500 literary activities. Reader Zone allows each library to designate what type of goal their patrons should work towards (i.e. pages, chapters, books, or minutes read). So, it is not just about the minutes…there is a LOT of reading going on!
Now we have another great opportunity and all you need to do is advertise it. The Nebraska Library Commission, the Nebraska Regional Library Systems, and Reader Zone are joining forces to offer the Nebraska 1K Reading Challenge for all ages.
Every Nebraskan that reads 1,000 minutes in August and records it in Reader Zone will receive an exclusive vinyl sticker and be entered into a drawing for a new waterproof, 32 GB Kindle Paperwhite. Two Kindles will be given away to Challenge Winners and their libraries will also receive a matching Kindle.
Click on this link, print the poster of your choice, and put it up in your library. It features the five-digit code (NEB1K) that will get your patrons started on the challenge. The first time a person logs in to Reader Zone with this code, he or she will be asked for an address. That is so we can mail the sticker to everyone that completes the challenge and the Kindles to the drawing winners. We will be able to sort the data and provide each library with the number of their patrons that participate (and win!).
Please help promote this terrific program to keep Nebraskans of all ages reading through the month of August!
Posted in Books & Reading
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NCompass Live: The Kreutz Bennett Donor-Advised Fund: Grants to Nebraska’s Small-Town Public Libraries
Is your library in a community with a population under 3,000? ‘The Kreutz Bennett Donor-Advised Fund: Grants to Nebraska’s Small-Town Public Libraries’ is for you! Join us to learn how to apply for this funding opportunity on next week’s FREE NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, August 5 at 10:00am CT.
Since 2012, the Kreutz Bennett Donor-Advised Fund has granted over $570,000 to Nebraska’s small-town public libraries through a term endowment established by the late Shirley Kreutz Bennett, a lifelong educator originally from Harvard, Nebraska. Thanks to this generous support, dozens of libraries have launched projects to repair, renovate, or replace existing facilities, create programs that enhance library services, and importantly, prepare libraries, boards and directors to become accredited, which opens the door to increased state funding.
A Fund Advisory Committee composed of Ms. Kreutz Bennett’s nieces and nephews recommends matching grants each year to libraries serving communities with populations under 3,000. Join us to learn how your library can apply for this annual grant opportunity.
Presenters: Kristine Gale, Community Impact Coordinator, Nebraska Community Foundation; Christa Porter, Library Development Director, Nebraska Library Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- Aug. 19 – Drive-Thru User Testing
- Aug. 26 – Pretty Sweet Tech
- Sept. 9 – Discount Shopping with the NLC
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.
E-rate Adding Multifactor Authentication to Login Process
From the weekly USAC Schools & Libraries Program News Brief:
MFA for EPC Users and BEAR Form Filers Is Coming on July 27
USAC is adding multifactor authentication (MFA) to increase the security of Universal Service Fund (USF) IT applications. MFA is a method of authenticating a computer user during the login process by requiring the user to enter two or more separate pieces of information, such as a password known to the user and a code we generate and send to the user to enter in order to gain access.
Tonight (July 24) starting at 9:00 pm EDT, we will be uploading the necessary software, creating accounts for EPC users and BEAR Form filers in One Portal (our MFA security system), and then testing everything. This work will continue through the weekend. We plan to send out emails notifying you that you can log in to your new One Portal accounts starting on Monday, July 27.
After you log in to One Portal, you will see a dashboard with links to the application(s) you can access (your “entitlements”). For example, if your username in EPC is also the email address you use to file BEAR Forms, you will see links to EPC and the BEAR Form after you log in to One Portal.
Please keep the following in mind:
- Add noreply@usac.org to your safe senders list so that you can receive your verification code.
- We are creating a One Portal account for each unique EPC username or BEAR Form email address. If you use the same email address for both applications, we will create a single One Portal account that will provide access to both.
- For the near term, BEAR Form filers will need to retain their BEAR login information – Billed Entity Number (BEN), Personal Identification Number (PIN), email address, and last name. Your One Portal username will not carry over into the BEAR Form, and you do not need multiple One Portal accounts if you file BEAR Forms for more than one billed entity.
You can refer to previous editions of the SL News Brief for information about MFA: June 26, July 10, and July 17. USAC will send an email on July 27 to all program participants who have new One Portal accounts with information on how to log in to One Portal for the first time.
If you need assistance, you can call the Client Service Bureau (CSB) at (888) 203-8100.
NCompass Live: Pretty Sweet Tech – Technology vs. Human Values: How To Take Control
Explore ‘Technology vs. Human Values: How To Take Control’ on next week’s Pretty Sweet Tech FREE NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, July 29 at 10:00am 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.
Have you ever felt a knot of fear and uncertainty in the pit of your stomach while using certain technology? I do. The first companies that come to mind are always Facebook, Google, and Amazon. These companies set the gold standard for technology, then teach others to do as they do, using free or low-cost tools. You may have heard the phrase: “if a tool is free, it means that you are the product”.
In this session, we will explore what it means to be the product of the tech generation. Is this really such a bad thing? Do the actions of technology companies reflect their values? Do these companies reflect our own personal values, and the desired values of our community? Or is the world being re-shaped by technology tools? To find out, we will explore major tech companies, dive into our own personal values, and see how it all stacks up.
At the end of the session you will have access to a variety of activities, discussions, and book group options designed to help you and your community align big tech with your own values. Keep in mind that these tools are experimental. As tech grows, we must all experiment with how to best deal with this changing landscape. Attend this session if you want to try something new and take control of how technology is shaping the world.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- Aug. 5 – The Kreutz Bennett Donor-Advised Fund: Grants to Nebraska’s Small-Town Public Libraries
- Aug. 19 – Drive-Thru User Testing
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 Taming of the Site: Helping Users Find What They Need Where They Expect It
Learn how to design instructional materials for everyone in your diverse community on this week’s FREE NCompass Live webinar, ‘Creating Accessible Materials for Library Instruction’ on Wednesday, July 22 at 10:00am CT.
Instruction librarians are often limited to a single one-shot information literacy session for each class they work with. Librarians can expand the impact of their instruction outside of these short workshops by providing students with access to their presentation slides, worksheets, and other supplemental materials after a session. These instructional materials should be designed with accessibility in mind to ensure that they are useful for a diverse group of learners. This presentation will provide attendees with information about why accessibility of instructional materials is important, best practices for creating accessible documents, and freely available tools for accessibility testing. It will include information about choosing an appropriate file format as well as considerations for making common file formats more accessible (MS Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, etc.). While the presenter works in an academic library at a public university, this presentation is suitable for librarians, library staff, and LIS students who work in a variety of library contexts. Anyone who teaches, is interested in teaching, or wants to learn more about creating accessible presentations, documents, and other media will find something useful from this presentation.
Presenter: Elisabeth White, Science, Technology, and Mathematics Librarian, Towson University.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- July 29 – Pretty Sweet Tech – Technology vs. Human Values: How To Take Control
- Aug. 5 – The Kreutz Bennett Donor-Advised Fund: Grants to Nebraska’s Small-Town Public Libraries
- Aug. 19 – Drive-Thru User Testing
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.
United for Libraries Virtual: Trustees – Friends – Foundations
Registration is now LIVE for “United for Libraries Virtual: Trustees – Friends – Foundations,” August 4-6!
Visit www.ala.org/united/virtual to register.
This interactive three-day virtual event, free for United for Libraries members (including Statewide Group Members), will feature expert speakers on current topics facing library Trustees, Friends, Foundations, and staff who work with them.
- Participate in live Q&A sessions with presenters.
- Network with colleagues across the country in roundtable discussions.
- Enjoy exclusive access to keynote speakers and authors.
- Receive a certificate of attendance (for live participation or on-demand viewing).
- Access the recorded programs for 12 months following the virtual event.
Program topics will include:
- Advocacy and Equity: How Library Boards Can Create Lasting Impact through Compelling Cases and Outreach
- Understanding Donor Data Analytics: Why it Matters and What You Can Do With It
- Strategies for Solving Board Problems
- Great Boards Don’t Happen by Accident: A Proactive Approach to Building an Effective Board
- Working with Friends and Foundations: Playing for the Same Team
- Ask, Listen, Plan: Engaged Planning for Trustees, Directors and Other Library Leaders
…and more!
Keynote speakers include:
- Jim Taylor, Vice President of Leadership Initiatives, BoardSource [Integrating Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity into Your Board Culture]
- Jan Masaoka, CEO, California Association of Nonprofits
…and more!
Visit www.ala.org/united/events_conferences/virtual for details, registration form, and schedule.
United for Libraries
The Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations
A division of hte American Library Association
312-280-2160
www.ala.org/united
NCompass Live: The Taming of the Site: Helping Users Find What They Need Where They Expect It
Learn how to help your users find what they need on your library website on next week’s FREE NCompass Live webinar, ‘The Taming of the Site: Helping Users Find What They Need Where They Expect It’ on Wednesday, July 15 at 10:00am CT.
Helping users find the need-to-know information on a library website can be difficult, especially if the site’s structure itself confuses them or leads them to unexpected places. A library site may start small but grow larger and more unwieldy every year until users are lost in a maze of disconnected, outdated, or even missing pages. In this episode, you’ll find out how to update your site’s information architecture (IA) and simplify your navigational structure. You’ll also learn how identifying content owners makes content clean-up easier to finish and simpler to maintain. We’ll walk through steps to make sure your IA informs site navigation in a way that leads users the way they need to go. We’ll also discuss how to identify important content and distill it in a way that helps users get what they need without becoming frustrated. After this episode, you’ll be able to help users easily find what they need and make sure it’s still relevant when they get there!
Presenter: Jessica D. Gilbert Redman, Online Resources & Services Librarian, School of Medicine & Health Sciences Library Resources, University of North Dakota.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- July 22 – Creating Accessible Materials for Library Instruction
- July 29 – Pretty Sweet Tech – Technology vs. Human Values: How To Take Control
- Aug. 5 – The Kreutz Bennett Donor-Advised Fund: Grants to Nebraska’s Small-Town Public Libraries
- Aug. 19 – Drive-Thru User Testing
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: Here’s What Python Does for Us: What Can it Do for Your Library?
Learn how to save library staff time on next week’s FREE NCompass Live webinar, ‘Here’s What Python Does for Us: What Can it Do for Your Library?’ on Wednesday, July 8 at 10:00am CT.
Programming with Python can alleviate the burden of routine, time-consuming tasks for library workers. In this session, attendees will learn how Python is being used at North Carolina State University Libraries to query GOBI and produce automated monthly reports for the Collections & Research Strategy department. GOBI, our print and ebook ordering vendor platform, does not offer an API, so reports used to be compiled through manual title-by-title searching. What used to take up to 15 hours per month (and was the cause of much frustration) now takes just 30 minutes and one press of a “run” button, all thanks to Python’s diverse set of libraries and abilities. Following a presentation of this script and how it was developed, attendees will learn methods for identifying the right Python packages and methodologies for their unique needs and project ideas, even if they are new to programming.
Presenter: Katharine Frazier, University Library Technician, North Carolina State University Libraries.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- July 15 – The Taming of the Site: Helping Users Find What They Need Where They Expect It
- July 22 – Creating Accessible Materials for Library Instruction
- July 29 – Pretty Sweet Tech
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: Nebraska Libraries in the Time of COVID: Planning for Reopening
Join us on NCompass Live next Wednesday, July 1 at 10am CT, for ‘Nebraska Libraries in the Time of COVID: Planning for Reopening’.
Public libraries are major hubs of activity in our communities, so staff must take extra precautions when they start offering more in-person services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Join us to hear what ‘reopening’ looks like in some Nebraska libraries. Library staff will share their planning processes, strategies, experiences so far, and lessons learned as they ensure that their libraries are safe for both their staff and patrons.
Presenters: Cecelia Lawrence, Director, North Platte Public Library; Steve Fosselman, Director and Celine Swan, Youth Services Librarian, Grand Island Public Library; Denise Harders, Director, Central Plains Library System.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- July 8 – Here’s What Python Does for Us: What Can it Do for Your Library?
- July 15 – The Taming of the Site: Helping Users Find What They Need Where They Expect It
- July 22 – Creating Accessible Materials for Library Instruction
- July 29 – Pretty Sweet Tech
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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Enter Your Library to Win the 2020 Jerry Kline Community Impact Prize
Deadline: July 15, 2020 (Submissions close at 11:59 p.m. EDT.)
The Jerry Kline Community Impact Prize, developed in partnership between the Gerald M. Kline Family Foundation and Library Journal, was created in 2019 to recognize the public library as a vital community asset. When libraries, civic entities, organizations, and the people they serve become close partners, their communities thrive.
Prize: One winning library will receive $250,000 in unfettered grant monies from the Gerald M. Kline Family Foundation. The winning library will also be profiled in the November issue of Library Journal and online.
The winning library will be identified based on the degree of its impact on the community in the following key areas:
- Engagement – a) How do the local government and other civic institutions partner with the library—and vice versa—to support the service area’s defined civic goals? b) How does the library use deep engagement and co-creation with community individuals and non-governmental organizations to drive library services?
- Recognition – What does the community recognize are positive outcomes from the library, and how is that recognition given? How is that reflected in support?
- Inclusion – How does the library go the extra mile to meet the needs of marginalized or underserved populations among its community and to promote social cohesion and connection across differences?
- Leadership development – How does the library ensure its own organizational strength and dynamism?
- Environmental sustainability – How does the library lead on sustainable thinking for the library itself and the community at large to ensure future resilience?
- Inventiveness – How are the library services original, both strategically and tactically?
Application Requirements
- Nominations will be submitted via an online form.
- Nominations should include the following:
- Nominee data: Library name, primary contact and contact mailing address, phone number, email.
- Library data: population in service area, physical area served, per capita budget, number of patrons served, number of FTE, number of volunteers, days and hours open per week, types of existing funding sources with their relative percentages within total funding.
- Multiple-author submissions are permitted. For submissions with multiple authors, please include the names and affiliations of all of the group members.
- An overview summary of no more than 1,000 words pertaining to the goals and criteria listed above.
- Detailed answers to focused answers on each of the criteria driven questions above (via fields in the online submission form).
- Three letters of support from community partners and/or civic leaders, with at least one from a civic official.
- Optional: Supporting materials such as photographs/images of the library and surrounding community; press coverage, brief videos (not exceed three minutes), etc.
Read about the 2019 winner, Sacramento Public Library.
Eligibility: All U.S. Public Libraries are eligible for the prize, whether in a single building in a small town or a multi-branch system serving an entire region. Previous winners are asked to take a ten year hiatus from submitting again for consideration.
Application Deadline: The deadline for consideration for the 2020 Community Impact Prize is July 15, 2020. (Submissions close at 11:59 p.m. EDT.)
Please submit nominations via the form found here.
Questions? Please contact Meredith Schwartz, Editor-in-Chief, Library Journal at mschwartz@mediasourceinc.com
Posted in Grants, Library Management, Public Relations
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