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Author Archives: Christa Porter
NCompass Live: Ethics Behind Emerging Technology
What are the ‘Ethics Behind Emerging Technology’? Find out from our Technology Innovation Librarian, Amanda Sweet, on this Wednesday’s FREE NCompass Live webinar.
In the presentation on February 13, I covered what emerging technology is and how it relates to libraries. Now it’s time to dive into what that means on a larger scale. What makes technology good or bad? Who is really qualified to make that determination? Anyone who tracks emerging technology will start to think about how this technology will affect the future of our communities and the world. What will make a piece of technology influential and powerful in the world? Tune in if you want to learn more about the following topics:
- Which ethics matter most in technology?
- What makes technology good or bad?
- What potential dangers should we be aware of with new technology?
- What factors might affect society in the long-run?
There are no easy answers to any of these questions. The concept of ‘ethics’ tends to be a gray area for many, and understandably so. This presentation won’t give you a finite right or wrong stance on all technology. But it will provide you with the tools to make the decision for yourself.
Presenter: Amanda Sweet, Technology Innovation Librarian, Nebraska Library Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- March 20 – Reading Diversely
- March 27 – Health Education Resources with the National Network of Libraries of Medicine
- April 10 – What is OER? Outstanding, Extraordinary Raw materials?
- April 24 – Connect to Meetings, and more…Experts, Virtual Field Trips with Zoom
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, Technology
Tagged broadband, digitalinclusion, IMLS, Internet2, libraries, NCompLive
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NCompass Live: Improving Internet Access In US Libraries: the ‘Toward Gigabit Libraries’ Project
Learn how to Improve Internet Access in US Libraries with the ‘Toward Gigabit Libraries’ Project on next Wednesday’s FREE NCompass Live webinar!
While much worthy attention has been paid to improving “last mile” connectivity for rural and tribal libraries, it’s the last 100 meters (the network inside the building) that is often overlooked and in need of improvement. The IMLS-funded Toward Gigabit Libraries project aims to address that problem through a self-service toolkit suitable for even the most novice of library workers. In straightforward, easy-to-understand language, the toolkit is designed to take lay people through technical concepts and tasks to create a Broadband Improvement Plan for each library. The plan is designed to help the library where it’s needed most – including improvements to hardware, software and configuration, suggestions for training and education, resources to advocate for better connectivity, and more. Fresh from the overwhelmingly successful pilot implementation of the toolkit in Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington, Alaska, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut, the presenters will share the results of the pilot, lessons learned, and how this free toolkit applies to libraries of all types and sizes.
Presenters: Carson Block, Library Technology Consultant; Holly Woldt, NLC Library Technology Support Specialist; Tom Rolfes, Education IT Manager, Nebraska Information Technology Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- March 13 – Ethics Behind Emerging Technology
- March 20 – Reading Diversely
- March 27 – Health Education Resources with the National Network of Libraries of Medicine
- April 10 – What is OER? Outstanding, Extraordinary Raw materials?
- April 24 – Connect to Meetings, and more…Experts, Virtual Field Trips with Zoom
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, Technology
Tagged broadband, digitalinclusion, IMLS, Internet2, libraries, NCompLive
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NCompass Live: Future Ready Nebraska and the Digital Learning and Ed Tech Plan
Learn about ‘Future Ready Nebraska and the Digital Learning and Ed Tech Plan’ on next week’s FREE NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, February 27, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.
The Future Ready Nebraska Council has just released Nebraska’s first ever Statewide Digital Learning and Ed Tech Plan. Come learn more about the plan and how you can be a part of the Future Ready Nebraska Librarians work group. There is much work to be done in the next 3 years. You will learn more about the work that Nebraska Librarians can advise and participate in as we move Nebraska forward in the Future Ready work. This work will help make Librarians across the state a great resource for their districts in preparing their schools to be Future Ready.
Presenter: Dorann Avey, Digital Learning Director, Nebraska Department of Education.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- March 6 – Improving Internet Access In US Libraries: the Toward Gigabit Libraries Project
- March 13 – Ethics Behind Emerging Technology
- March 20 – Reading Diversely
- March 27 – Health Education Resources with the National Network of Libraries of Medicine
- April 10 – What is OER? Outstanding, Extraordinary Raw materials?
- April 24 – Connect to Meetings, and more…Experts, Virtual Field Trips with Zoom
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: Crafting Relevant Community Partnerships Using Archives
Hear about the oral history projects of the Queer Omaha Archives and Latin@ Stories on next week’s FREE NCompass Live webinar, ‘Crafting Relevant Community Partnerships Using Archives’ on Wednesday, February 20, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.
Historically, archives have told the stories of the dominant society. Increasingly, archives are exploring and filling some of the silences left by the exclusion of many voices. Oral history is a way of actively collecting stories which may not exist in written form. Both the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s LGBTQ+ Voices: The Queer Omaha Archives Oral History Project and the University of Nebraska at Kearney Archives and Special Collections’ Coming to the Plains: Latin@ Stories in Central Nebraska project engage members of diverse communities in telling their own stories. This session will talk about the origins of each project, the challenges faced, the evolution of the projects, and future pathways. Specific issues discussed will include planning oral history projects, collaborating with communities, faculty, and students on all stages of an oral history project, gaining grant funding to scale up projects, and publicizing and sharing the products of oral histories.
Presenters: Amy Schindler, Director of Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska Omaha Libraries, Criss Library; Laurinda Weisse, University Archivist, Archives and Special Collections, Calvin T. Ryan Library, University of Nebraska Kearney.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- Feb. 27 – Future Ready Nebraska and the Digital Learning and Ed Tech Plan
- March 6 – Improving Internet Access In US Libraries: the Toward Gigabit Libraries Project
- March 13 – Ethics Behind Emerging Technology
- March 20 – Reading Diversely
- March 27 – Health Education Resources with the National Network of Libraries of Medicine
- April 10 – What is OER? Outstanding, Extraordinary Raw materials?
- April 24 – Connect to Meetings, and more…Experts, Virtual Field Trips with Zoom
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: Form 470 Deadline and Online Resources
Just a reminder …. Wednesday, February 27 is the deadline to submit the first form in the E-rate process, Form 470, for the upcoming 2019 Funding Year.
The filing window for submitting the second form in the process, Form 471, opened on Wednesday, January 16, and will close at 11:59 PM EDT on Wednesday, March 27. This makes February 27 the deadline to post your Form 470 to the USAC website, meet the 28-day posting requirement for the competitive bidding process, and submit a Form 471 by the filing window closing date.
However, we do not recommend waiting until the last day to submit your Form 470! If there are any issues that day, like the E-rate servers are slowed down because it is the last day to submit, or you can’t submit the form due to reasons on your end, such as illness, weather, power outage, etc., then you would miss the deadline and lose out on E-rate altogether. So, get your E-rate process started and submit your Form 470 as soon as possible!
Do you need help completing your forms? Do you have questions about E-rate? You’re in luck!
USAC has Form 470 resources on their website:
And more recorded webinars, demos, and training materials are available on the NLC E-rate webpage.
If you have any questions or need any assistance with your E-rate forms, please contact Christa Porter, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.
Posted in Library Management, Technology
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NCompass Live: What in the World Is Emerging Technology?
Join us for the next FREE NCompass Live webinar, ‘What in the World is Emerging Technology?’ on Wednesday, February 13, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.
We all know that technology trends are moving at light speed. The truth is that many of these trends are here one day and gone the next. Most of this technology also isn’t particularly relevant to the library world. This presentation will dive into how to identify emerging technology that might make an impact on libraries, now or in the future. Tune in if you want to learn more about the following topics:
- What is Emerging Technology?
- What are some examples of emerging tech?
- How is this tech applicable to libraries?
- What might library patrons want to know about emerging tech?
- What can we tell interested patrons about these tech trends?
We will dive deeper into this topic on March 13 during a presentation about the Ethics Behind Emerging Technology.
Presenter: Amanda Sweet, Technology Innovation Librarian, Nebraska Library Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- Feb. 20 – Crafting Relevant Community Partnerships Using Archives
- Feb. 27 – Future Ready Nebraska and the Digital Learning and Ed Tech Plan
- March 6 – Improving Internet Access In US Libraries: the Toward Gigabit Libraries Project
- March 13 – Ethics Behind Emerging Technology
- March 20 – Reading Diversely
- March 27 – Health Education Resources with the National Network of Libraries of Medicine
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 Office Hour Webinars
During the FY2019 application filing window, USAC is conducting a series of office hour webinars which will focus on specific E-rate topics covered in the online E-rate Program Training Series, a self-paced set of courses covering the content delivered in the 2018 in-person Fall Applicant Training workshops.
Registration is now open for the following E-rate office hour webinars. More events will be added, so keep checking the Webinars page for the current schedule and to register:
- February 5
- 1:00 p.m. CST Eligible Services for Beginners
- February 6
- 1:00 p.m. CST Starting Funding Year (FY) 2019
- 2:00 p.m. CST Competitive Bidding for Beginners
- February 14
- 1:00 p.m. CST Advanced Eligible Services (rescheduled from Feb. 5)
More recorded webinars, demos, and training materials are available on the NLC E-rate webpage.
If you have any questions or need any assistance with your E-rate forms, please contact Christa Porter, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.
Posted in Education & Training
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Best Small Library in America at Big Talk From Small Libraries 2019
Technology instructor Shawna Bryce leads an adult tech class at the Mars Hill Library. Photo by Jack Flame Sorokin
Register today for Big Talk From Small Libraries 2019 and hear how the Madison County Public Libraries in Mars Hill, NC earned the Library Journal 2018 Best Small Library in America award!
Technology Instructor Shawna Bryce will be joining us to share the story of how the library engaged its community with partnerships, outreach, relationships, and top-notch professional service.
Big Talk From Small Libraries 2019 will be held on Friday, February 22, 2019 via the GoToWebinar online meeting service.
This free one-day online conference is aimed at librarians from small libraries; the smaller the better! Each of our speakers is from a small library or directly works with small libraries. Everyone is welcome to register and attend, regardless of how big or small your library. But, if your library serves a few hundred to a few thousand people, this is the day for you!
Check out the full schedule!
Posted in Education & Training
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NCompass Live: You Make Me Want To Break Out
Join us for the next FREE NCompass Live webinar, ‘You Make Me Want To Break Out’ on Wednesday, February 6, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.
Escape rooms are popping up all over the country as groups go in and test their logic and problem solving in order to escape a locked, themed room. Breakouts take the idea of escape rooms and bring them into the classroom. Breakouts are a great way to engage your students and teachers back into the library. Breakouts can be used to introduce curriculum, review curriculum, or just work on team building skills. Students and teachers of all ages can participate and all students are engaged in the lesson. After running and writing many breakouts for the past 2 years, Meredith Fickes, School Librarian at Mickle Middle School in Lincoln, will be sharing tips, tricks, and knowledge for both running and writing breakouts.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- Feb. 13 – What in the World is Emerging Technology?
- Feb. 20 – Crafting Relevant Community Partnerships Using Archives
- Feb. 27 – Future Ready Nebraska and the Digital Learning and Ed Tech Plan
- March 6 – Improving Internet Access In US Libraries: the Toward Gigabit Libraries Project
- March 13 – Ethics Behind Emerging Technology
- March 20 – Reading Diversely
- March 27 – Health Education Resources with the National Network of Libraries of Medicine
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.
2019 Big Talk From Small Libraries Schedule Now Available
The full schedule for the 2019 Big Talk From Small Libraries online conference is now available!
You will find it on the Schedule page. Information about our presenters is available on the Speakers page.
If you haven’t registered yet, now is the time to jump over to the Registration page and sign up!
You are welcome to watch as an individual or to host a group viewing of the conference. If several staff members from the same library want to attend, you can just register for one seat and have staff members view/listen together via one workstation.
You can also host a viewing party this same way and invite staff from other libraries. For any group viewings, if you know who will be there, you can list your Additional Attendees on your one registration or you can send us a list after the event.
Posted in Education & Training, Library Management, Programming, Public Relations, Technology, Youth Services
Tagged #BTSL2019
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NCompass Live: Tips and Tricks for Internship Success
Join us for the next FREE NCompass Live webinar, ‘Tips and Tricks for Internship Success’ on Wednesday, January 30, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.
Your library has been awarded an Internship Grant! Now what? Time to start planning and preparing for your new intern. It is very important to select an intern that is the right fit for your library and for the tasks that are planned for the internship. Christa Porter, from the Nebraska Library Commission, will address the planning involved in preparing for a new intern and will share tips to providing your intern – and your library – with a great experience.
Topics covered will include: advertising the position/opportunity, intern selection considerations, goal-setting for the internship, introducing your intern to the work of the library, sharing information about education and career paths in libraries, tracking the intern’s progress, and the importance of a good experience for both the intern and the library and how to achieve it.
Has your library received a previous Internship Grant? Please join us to share your thoughts so we can learn from your past internship experiences.
Presenter: Christa Porter, Library Development Director, Nebraska Library Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- Feb. 6 – You Make Me Want To Break Out
- Feb. 13 – What in the World is Emerging Technology?
- Feb. 20 – Crafting Relevant Community Partnerships Using Archives
- Feb. 27 – Future Ready Nebraska and the Digital Learning and Ed Tech Plan
- March 6 – Improving Internet Access In US Libraries: the Toward Gigabit Libraries Project
- March 13 – Ethics Behind Emerging Technology
- March 20 – Reading Diversely
- March 27 – Health Education Resources with the National Network of Libraries of Medicine
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.
Registration Open for Big Talk From Small Libraries 2019
Registration for the 2019 Big Talk From Small Libraries online conference is open!
This FREE one-day event is a great opportunity to learn about the innovative things your colleagues are doing in their small libraries.
Big Talk From Small Libraries 2019 will be held on Friday, February 22, 2019 from 8:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (CT) via the GoToWebinar online meeting service.
The Call for Speakers closes today and we’ll start evaluating the submissions next week. The full schedule will be available soon.
NCompass Live: Information Literacy and the ESL/ELL Student: Alleviating Library Anxiety
Join us for the next FREE NCompass Live webinar, ‘Information Literacy and the ESL/ELL Student: Alleviating Library Anxiety’ on Wednesday, January 23, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.
Through a group active learning activity, and discussion presenters will help attendees empathize with ESL/ELL students’ anxieties about academic libraries, language, and jargon. Grounded in academic research, presenters will then cover how library anxiety specifically affects the ESL/ELL population and describe strategies library staff can take to ameliorate this anxiety. Presenters will also detail how existing information literacy teaching materials were adapted and augmented to address this student population’s specific needs. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of the specific needs of the ESL/ELL population and have gained knowledge of specific strategies to employ in their own practice.
Presenters: Claire Chamley, Reference Associate, Criss Library, University of Nebraska at Omaha; Erin Painter, Creativity Library Manger, KANEKO-UNO Library, University of Nebraska, Omaha.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- Feb. 6 – You Make Me Want To Break Out
- Feb. 13 – What in the World is Emerging Technology?
- Feb. 20 – Crafting Relevant Community Partnerships Using Archives
- Feb. 27 – Future Ready Nebraska and the Digital Learning and Ed Tech Plan
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 Form 471 Application Filing Window Now Open
The Form 471 application filing window for Funding Year 2019 opened today at noon EST and will close on Wednesday, March 27 at 11:59 pm EDT. You may now log on to the E-rate Productivity Center (EPC) and file your FCC Form 471 for FY2019.
This makes Wednesday, February 27, the deadline to post your Form 470 to the USAC website, meet the 28-day posting requirement for the competitive bidding process, and submit a Form 471 by the filing window closing date.
However, we do not recommend waiting until the last day to submit your Form 470! If there are any issues that day, like the E-rate servers are slowed down because it is the last day to submit, or you can’t submit the form due to reasons on your end, such as illness, weather, power outage, etc., then you would miss the deadline and lose out on E-rate altogether. So, get your E-rate Form 470 submitted as soon as possible!
IMPORTANT: Before you file your Form 471, check your Form 470 Receipt Notification for your Allowable Contract Date – the first date you are allowed to submit your 471. Do not submit your 471 before that date! Remember, after you submit your Form 470, you must wait 28 days to submit your Form 471. Note: This Notice is now emailed directly to you. You can also find it within the EPC portal in your News feed.
Do you need help completing your forms? Do you have questions about E-rate? You’re in luck!
USAC has Form 471 resources on their website:
- Basic information about Applying for Discounts
- Video Tutorials
And more recorded webinars, demos, and training materials are available on the NLC E-rate webpage.
If you have any questions or need any assistance with your E-rate forms, please contact Christa Porter, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.
NCompass Live: 2019 One Book One Nebraska: ‘This Blessed Earth’
Celebrate the joint 2019 One Book One Nebraska and All Iowa Reads selection, This Blessed Earth with Ted Genoways on the next FREE NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, January 16, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.
In this fifteenth year of One Book One Nebraska, we’re partnering with All Iowa Reads to inspire libraries and other literary and cultural organizations to plan activities and events to encourage all Nebraskans and Iowans to read and discuss the same book. Join us to hear more about this dual state reading promotion activity, sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, Humanities Nebraska, Iowa Center for the Book, State Library of Iowa, and the Nebraska Library Commission.
We are very pleased to announce that our featured guest will be Ted Genoways, author of the 2019 selection, This Blessed Earth: A Year in the Life of an American Family Farm.
Join Nebraska Library Commission Director Rod Wagner, Nebraska Library Commission Communication Coordinator Tessa Terry, Christine Walsh, Nebraska Center for the Book President, and Becky Faber, Nebraska Center for the Book Board Member, to:
- Learn about how to create a successful local reading promotion using Nebraska’s year-long, statewide celebration featuring This Blessed Earth, by Ted Genoways.
- Brainstorm strategies to read and discuss This Blessed Earth.
- Find tools to help engage your community in local activities to encourage them to come together through literature to explore this work in community-wide reading programs.
- Learn about the 2019 Celebration of Nebraska Books, which will celebrate this book, along with the winners of the 2019 Nebraska Book Awards.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- Feb. 6 – You Make Me Want To Break Out
- Feb. 20 – Crafting Relevant Community Partnerships Using Archives
- Feb. 27 – Future Ready Nebraska and the Digital Learning and Ed Tech Plan
- March 20 – Reading Diversely
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 Books & Reading, Education & Training, Nebraska Center for the Book, Programming
Tagged #OBON2019, NCompLive
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NCompass Live: Graphic Novel Collection and Programming
Join us for the next FREE NCompass Live webinar, ‘Graphic Novel Collection and Programming’ on Wednesday, January 9, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.
Learn new resources to find widely-appealing graphic novel selections for all age groups, toddler through teen. Join Russ Harper, Youth Services Specialist at Omaha Public Library, as he makes core collection recommendations, discusses top sellers, and how to find the hot new thing. Includes programming tips for both American comics and manga fans!.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- Jan. 16, 2018 – 2019 One Book One Nebraska: This Blessed Earth
- Feb. 6, 2019 – You Make Me Want To Break Out
- Feb. 20 – Crafting Relevant Community Partnerships Using Archives
- Feb. 27 – Future Ready Nebraska and the Digital Learning and Ed Tech Plan
- March 20 – Reading Diversely
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 Books & Reading, Education & Training, Programming, Youth Services
Tagged NCompLive
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Friday Reads: Hogfather, by Terry Pratchett
If it’s the end of the year, then it must be Hogswatch! 
But, the Hogfather is missing! How can we have Hogswatch without him? Not to worry, Death is here to save the day, filling in for him so that all the children will still get their gifts. What could possibly go wrong?
Hogfather is the 20th book in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. And it’s one of the most entertaining, in my opinion. If you haven’t read any Discworld books yet, that’s OK. This one can be read on its own. There’s enough detail and explanation to understand what’s happening. But, for those of you new to this series, Discworld is a magical world, filled with witches, wizards, dragons, trolls, and dwarfs. Physically, it’s a flat disc, sitting on the backs of four enormous elephants, which are standing on the back of an enormous turtle slowly swimming through space. You will recognize some similarities to our world, but since it does have magic, things are quite different.
It’s almost Hogswatchnight, and while Death is keeping up with some of the Hogfather’s duties, there’s still the problem of what happened to him. Luckily, Death’s granddaughter Susan is also on the case. While Death is trying to ensure that people will keep believing in the Hogfather, she’s trying to find him. It turns out that there will be more serious problems than a lack of gifts without a Hogfather. Belief in him also happens to be important to keep other parts of the world working properly. In order to save the Hogfather and Hogswatch, Susan must deal with the “Oh God” of Hangovers, interfering wizards, the realm of the Tooth Fairy, and Mister Teatime, an assassin who insists that his name is pronounced ‘teh-ah-tim-eh’.
As with all of the Discworld books, Hogfather is both a comic fantasy and a satirical commentary on our world. But, this novel also deals with the nature of belief and how important it can be to us, whether we realize it or not. It’s the kind of book you will need to read more than once to absorb the depth and meaning of the storytelling.
If you’re looking for a really fun seasonal read that will restore your faith in humans, Hogfather is the book for you. HAPPY HOGSWATCH!
Pratchett, Terry. Hogfather. New York: Harper, 1996.
NCompass Live: Best New Teen Books of 2018
What are the ‘Best New Teen Books of 2018?’ Find out on the first FREE NCompass Live webinar of 2019! Join us on Wednesday, January 2, 2019, 10:00am – 11:00am CT, for ‘Best New Teen Books of 2018: Popular Teen Novels – New Books They Need to Read’.
Learn about qualities of books that teens are reading, and the titles Nebraska teens are seeking at their libraries. The presenters will discuss new books that are popular with teens in their communities and describe the qualities these titles possess that make them good choices for many libraries.
Presenters: Jill Annis, School Librarian, Elkhorn Grandview Middle School; Sally Snyder, Coordinator of Children and Young Adult Library Services, Nebraska Library Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- Jan. 9, 2019 – Graphic Novel Collection and Programming
- Jan. 16, 2018 – 2019 One Book One Nebraska: This Blessed Earth
- Feb. 6, 2019 – You Make Me Want To Break Out
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 Form 471 Application Filing Window Dates Announced
From the USAC website:
FY2019 Application Filing Window Dates Announced
The FCC Form 471 application filing window for Funding Year 2019 will open Wednesday, January 16, 2019 at noon EST and close Wednesday, March 27, 2019. You can read the USAC announcement for full details.
To prepare for the window opening:
- If you haven’t already done so, file your FCC Form 470 now! You don’t need to wait for the window to open.
- To file your FCC Form 470, log into the E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC). You must wait 28 days after your FCC Form 470 is posted to the USAC website before you can close your competitive bidding process, select a service provider, sign a contract (if applicable), and submit an FCC Form 471. If you issue an RFP after the FCC Form 470 is posted, you must wait 28 days from the release of the RFP to select a service provider.
- Wednesday, February 27 is the deadline to post your FCC Form 470 to the USAC website or issue an RFP and still complete all of these actions before the window closes.
- Log-in or create your account in the E-rate Productivity Center (EPC) and then review, update or assign user rights for anyone who will need access for FY2019. Review your EPC profile and confirm all of your information is accurate including your organization’s name, address, and other details. Your profile is now unlocked and available for you to insert any further updates but will be locked again on January 15, 2019 at 11:59 PM EST. Libraries should confirm their square footage, main branch, and public school district of the main branch information is correct and that any bookmobiles or kiosks are included.
You can find additional resources and instructions for using the EPC on the USAC website and on the NLC’s E-rate website.
Please contact Christa Porter if you have any questions or need any assistance submitting your E-rate forms.
Posted in Library Management
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NCompass Live: Talking Books and Duplication on Demand!
Hear about ‘Talking Books and Duplication on Demand!’ on the next FREE NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, December 26, 2018, 10:00am – 11:00am CT.
Imagine if there were no books on your library shelves, and instead books were custom-made for every patron, printed and conveniently bound together during their visit. Something along those lines is being implemented with the digital talking books circulated at the Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service. Tune in to find out about the technology behind this change, and its advantages and disadvantages for patrons and staff as we begin this adventure together!
Presenter: Scott Scholz, Director, Talking Book and Braille Service, Nebraska Library Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- Jan. 2, 2019 – Best New Teen Books of 2018: Popular Teen Novels – New Books They Need to Read
- Jan. 9, 2019 – Graphic Novel Collection and Programming
- Jan. 16, 2018 – 2019 One Book One Nebraska: This Blessed Earth
- Feb. 6, 2019 – You Make Me Want To Break Out
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.
