Author Archives: Jennifer Wrampe

Join ALA President Barbara Stripling and 2012-2013 ALA President Maureen Sullivan as they discuss the Declaration to the Right to Libraries and Stripling’s overarching “Libraries Change Lives” campaign, on Monday, September 23, 2013, from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. CST.

The webinar will provide an overview of Stripling’s vision for the Declaration; practical uses of the declaration as a means to spark community conversation, and some of the declaration successes to date.  Future plans, including a school library focus launching in October, will also be covered.

Both Sullivan and Stripling with discuss their mutual goals and partnerships, as well as ongoing work that promotes and benefits libraries of all types.

Registration is mandatory, and limited to 100 participants.  Visit the Adobe Connect event page to sign up today: http://ala.adobeconnect.com/e2ej5zyrxee/event/registration.html

Nebraska libraries are urged to take advantage of the resources and support of United for Libraries, a division of the American Library Association. United for Libraries brings together library voices to speak out on behalf of library services and free public access to information. United for Libraries is a national network of enthusiastic library supporters who believe in the importance of libraries as the social and intellectual centers of communities and campuses—educating and organizing the strongest voice for libraries: those who use them, raise money for them, and govern them.

The Library Commission supports membership to United for Libraries for all of the state’s public libraries to ensure that Nebraska library staff, friends, trustees, and foundations can take advantage of services to enhance fund raising, advocacy, and public awareness. A special Website to help Nebraska libraries access United for Libraries resources is now available. See www.ala.org/united/nebraska for information about the resources available to Nebraska library trustees, library directors, and library staff at no charge to them, including:

• Trustee Academy. Five online courses for library boards

• Baby Boomer Volunteers for Libraries and Friends. Webinar series on recruitment and retention

• Resource Collection Zones. Current and archived newsletters, toolkits, electronic publications, special offers, etc.

To access United for Libraries resources, Nebraska public libraries can contact the Nebraska Library Commission Reference and Information Services for a username and password at 402-471-4016 or 800-307-2665, e-mail: nlc.ask@nebraska.gov. For more information see the United for Libraries Website at www.ala.org/united/about or contact Rod Wagner, Nebraska Library Commission Director, 402-471-4001 or 800-307-2665.

The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office, in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) and National Museum of American History (NMAH), invites applications from public, academic and special libraries, small museums, and historical societies for the traveling exhibition Changing America: The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863 and the March on Washington, 1963.

The traveling exhibition is made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor (NEH). Online applications must be submitted to ALA by October 21, 2013.

The original exhibition is currently on view at the NMAH, where it will remain until September 7, 2014. More information, including photographs from the original exhibition, is available on the Smithsonian website.

Changing America will help public audiences understand and discuss the relationship between two great peoples’ movements that resulted in the Emancipation Proclamation, and the March on Washington in 1963. One hundred years separate the Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington, yet these two events are profoundly linked together in a larger story of liberty and the American experience. Both events were the results of people demanding justice. Both grew out of decades of bold actions, resistance, organization, and vision. In both we take inspiration from those who marched toward freedom.

Sites selected for the Changing America exhibition tour will be required to present an opening event and at least two public humanities programs for adult audiences, presented by qualified humanities scholars and related to exhibition themes. Public programming will encourage scholar-led reflection upon and discussion about the major issues surrounding the Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington and acquaint new audiences with the history of these two critical events in American history.

Fifty sites will be selected to present the traveling version of the exhibition in their communities for a period of six weeks. The exhibition requires approximately 1,200-1,400 square feet for optimal display. All sites selected for the project will receive a grant of $1,700 from the ALA, with funding provided by the NEH, for expenses related to public programs. A planning webinar/workshop and online program resources will be available for all selected sites. The tour and programs will begin in January 2014 and continue through December 2017.

The ALA Public Programs Office promotes cultural and community programming as an essential part of library service in all types and sizes of libraries. Successful library programming initiatives have included “Let’s Talk About It” reading and discussion series, traveling exhibitions, film discussion programs, the Great Stories CLUB, LIVE@ your library and more. Recently, the ALA Public Programs Office developed www.ProgrammingLibrarian.org, an online resource center bringing librarians timely and valuable information to support them in the creation of high-quality cultural programs for their communities. For more information on the ALA Public Programs Office, visit www.ala.org/publicprograms.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture was established as a Smithsonian museum by an Act of Congress in 2003. It is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, art, history and culture. It is now under construction on Washington’s National Mall, on a five-acre site adjacent to the Washington Monument. It is scheduled to open in winter 2015. For more information, visit www.nmaahc.si.edu.

The National Museum of American History collects, preserves and displays American heritage through exhibitions and public programs about social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. Documenting the American experience from Colonial times to the present, the museum looks at growth and change in the United States. For more information, visit http://americanhistory.si.edu/.

Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports learning in history, literature, philosophy and other areas of the humanities. NEH grants enrich classroom learning, create and preserve knowledge and bring ideas to life through public television, radio, new technologies, exhibitions and programs in libraries, museums and other community places. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at www.neh.gov.

Date:                    August 20, 2012
Contact:               Reggi Carlson
                            Communications Director, Nebraska Community Foundation
                            (402) 323-7331; rcarlson@nebcommfound.org

Small-town public library grant applications due October 1

Small-town public libraries have until October 1, 2013 to submit short-form applications for grants from the Kreutz Bennett Donor-Advised Fund. The Fund was established to provide support for public libraries located in communities with populations less than 3,000. Once the short-form application is approved, a more detailed application must be completed and submitted by January 6, 2014. Grant awards are announced in March.

The late Shirley Kreutz Bennett of Lincoln was a lifelong educator. She established the fund through the Nebraska Community Foundation because she wanted to help smaller communities gain better access to knowledge and information. Following Ms. Kreutz Bennett’s wishes, a fund advisory committee composed of her nieces and nephews recommends grants in three areas: planning grants leading to accreditation; enhancement grants to improve library services and/or programs; and facilities grants for new facilities or the renovation, restoration or rehabilitation of current libraries. 

All grants require a certain level of matching funds and evidence that the project has broad community support.  Approximately $70,000 is available each year. Grant seekers are encouraged to review the guidelines and application procedures at www.nebcommfound.org/fund/kreutzbennett.

Earlier this year, grants were approved in eight communities: Albion, Ashland, Hildreth, Mitchell, Osmond, Valley, Walthill and Wausa.

For more information, contact Reggi Carlson, NCF Communications Director, (402) 323-7331 or rcarlson@nebcommfound.org.

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________________________________________
Nebraska Community Foundation
Reggi Carlson
Communications Director
PO Box 83107 | Lincoln, NE  68501-3107
Office:  (402) 323-7330 | Direct:  (402) 323-7331 | Fax:  (402) 323-7349
rcarlson@nebcommfound.org | nebcommfound.org | Facebook

Seven public libraries received a helping hand recently, thanks to the generosity of a lifelong educator, the late Shirley Kreutz Bennett of Lincoln.  Each year the Kreutz Bennett Donor-Advised Fund, an affiliated fund of the Nebraska Community Foundation (NCF), accepts proposals for matching grants for public libraries in communities with populations of fewer than 3,000.

Following Ms. Kreutz Bennett’s wishes, a Fund Advisory Committee composed of her nieces and nephews recommends grants in three areas: planning grants leading to accreditation; enhancement grants to improve library services; and facilities grants for new construction or the renovation, restoration or rehabilitation of current libraries.

All grants require a certain level of matching funds and evidence that the project has broad community support.  Approximately $70,000 is available each year. Grant seekers are encouraged to review the guidelines and application procedures at www.nebcommfound.org/fund/kreutzbennett.

For more information, contact Reggi Carlson, NCF Communications Director, (402) 323-7331or rcarlson@nebcommfound.org.

The following libraries received grants in April 2013:  

The City of Albion received $5,500 to extend the life of the existing library, a 1908 Carnegie building and addition.  Funding will be used to repair the library’s foundation, cracked masonry, correct nearby surface drainage and replace elements of the electrical system. 

Hildreth Friends of the Library was awarded $20,000 to help with a construction project that will double the size of the current library to 2,000 square feet and add an accessible public restroom. The additional space will allow for new acquisitions and physical space for digital technology equipment.

The Lincoln Township Library Foundation in Wausa has plans to build a new, entirely accessible facility that will be incorporated into the historic library. The $20,000 grant will bring the community very close to its $750,000 fundraising goal for this major construction project.

The Mitchell Public Library Foundation will use its $20,000 grant to help build an addition and renovate the current facility, which will nearly double the size of its library. The additional space will allow for a technology center and a new children’s area for activities and a summer reading program.

The Osmond Public Library will create digital historical files of The Osmond Republican newspaper from 1892 to the present and a Centennial Book from 1990 with its matching grant of $3,587. The searchable files will be stored on hard drives both on and off site, and will be accessible on the library’s computers and through the library’s website.

The Valley Public Library received $2,500 to participate in Nebraska Overdrive. This digital resource will allow patrons to borrow and download e-books and audio books over the Internet. The grant will also fund a series of computer classes for members of the community who would like to develop a greater degree of comfort with this technology and increase their skills.

The Walthill Public Library was awarded $2,500 to supplement an existing planning grant leading to accreditation and sustainability. Long-range goals include the possible relocation of the library into converted space across from the park.

An additional grant to the Ashland Public Library Foundation has been approved for disbursement at a later date.

There are 228 libraries in Nebraska communities with populations under 3,000, which makes them eligible for a grant from the Kreutz Bennett Donor-Advised Fund.  Of those, about 100 are not accredited by the Nebraska Library Commission.

“Gaining accreditation is critical to our libraries.  It opens the door to other outside funding,” said Jeff Yost, NCF President and CEO.  “In many small towns, the library may be the only place where some people have access to the Internet.  Shirley’s legacy gift shows that she had great vision and commitment to people in our small communities. We are honored to help the family of Shirley Kreutz Bennett develop a strategy to share her passion for learning, especially in places where funding continues to shrink,” said Yost.

Last year, donor-advised funds contributed more than $3.36 million to charitable organizations through the Nebraska Community Foundation.

NCF is a statewide organization using charitable giving to build prosperous communities. NCF works with volunteer leaders serving more than 200 communities by providing training, strategic development, gift planning assistance and financial management for its affiliated funds located throughout the state. In the last five years more than 35,000 contributions have been made to NCF affiliated funds, and more than $97 million has been reinvested to benefit Nebraska communities. For more information visit www.NebraskaHometown.org.

TO: Nebraska Public Library Directors
FROM: Mary Jo Ryan, Nebraska Library Commission Communications Coordinator

Open Meetings Law Workshops
Facilitated by the Nebraska Association of School Boards

You (and your board members) are invited to attend workshops on Open Meetings Law!

Nebraska public library boards of trustees, foundations, and friends groups are invited to attend Open Meetings Law Workshops to learn about the intricacies of this law and have the opportunity to ask questions of the Nebraska Association of School Boards’ Legal Team. There have been changes to this law in recent years. Come to the workshop to find out how these changes may affect the way you do business. This workshop will incorporate real-life scenarios using a paperless board meetings program.

Sessions will be held:
June 19—Gering
Civic Center
June 20—Kearney
Holiday Inn
June 26—Lincoln
Cornhusker Marriott
June 27—Norfolk
Lifelong Learning Center 

6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (no meal served)
COST: $150 for your entire board to attend.

Library staff and boards of trustees can earn 2.5 hours of Continuing Education Credit from the Nebraska Library Commission.

The Nebraska Association of School Boards (NASB) is offering one of the most sought-after workshops in June 2013. This workshop is so popular because all political sub-divisions must abide by the Open Meetings Law. NASB Executive Director John Spatz and Legal Counsel Megan Neiles Brasch will conduct the Open Meetings Law Workshops. This legal team will provide information regarding agenda, notice, minutes, closed session, special meeting, emergency meeting, public comment and criminal liability in addition to answering questions from the attendees.

Suggested Audience
School Boards & Secretaries
School Superintendents
All Elected Officials
County Attorneys & Boards
City Councils & Clerks
Community/Civic Boards, including library boards of trustees, foundations, and friends groups!

REGISTRATION FORM
June 19, 2013—Gering Civic Center, 1050 M Street, Gering, NE
June 20, 2013—Kearney Holiday Inn, 110 South 2nd Ave., Kearney, NE
Registration Deadline for Gering and Kearney—June 14, 2013

June 26, 2013—Cornhusker Marriott, 333 South 13th St., Lincoln, NE
June 27, 2013—Lifelong Learning Center, 801 East Benjamin Ave, Norfolk, NE
Registration Deadline for Lincoln and Norfolk—June 21, 2013

Board/Organization _____________________________________________
Billing Address _________________________________________________
City _____________________ State _______
Email ____________________

Name………………..…………. Position..…………. ..…………. ..………….  Site Attending

1. _________________________________________________________
2._________________________________________________________
3._________________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________________
5._________________________________________________________
6. _________________________________________________________
7._________________________________________________________

Mail registrations to NASB, 1311 Stockwell Street, Lincoln, NE 68502
(800) 422 – 4572 or (402) 423 – 4951

Do not send a check, you will be invoiced.

More information at http://members.nasbonline.org/Events/SiteAssets/Index.aspx

The Nebraska State Historical Society is hosting its first annual conference, “Building Community – Preservation is Place-making” June 14 in Omaha.  Click on the link below to view the entire program.  The conference “Building Community…” will address how to develop a “sense of place” in Nebraska communities.

Nebraska Preservation Conference on June 14!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 9, 2013

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Mary Jo Ryan
402-471-3434
800-307-2665

Award for Promotion of Literature Presented

The University of Nebraska at Omaha Thompson Alumni Center was the site of the 2013 Nebraska Book Festival, sponsored by Humanities Nebraska, Nebraska Center for the Book, Nebraska Cultural Endowment, Nebraska Library Commission, University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Arts and Sciences, and University of Nebraska Press. The Festival, Believing in Nebraska Writers, featured the presentation of the Nebraska Center for the Book’s Mildred Bennett Award to Jane Renner Hood, of Lincoln.

The award recognizes an individual who has made a significant contribution to the fostering of the literary tradition in Nebraska. It reminds us all of the importance of individual leadership and service to the literary and intellectual traditions that enrich our lives. Jane Renner Hood was honored for her long service to Nebraska’s cultural heritage, serving as the Executive Director of the Nebraska Humanities Council (now Humanities Nebraska) for 23 years before her retirement in 2010. Under her leadership, the Council awarded more than 1,900 grants of over 3.8 million dollars to organizations in Nebraska. Nearly half of these were based on authors, literature and storytelling. The Council also funded Speakers’ Bureau programs across the state, including presentations on Nebraska authors and state history. During her 23 years of leadership, funding was expanded to include support for the Nebraska Book Festival and statewide programs to complement the annual One Book One Nebraska reading project. Omaha-based artist Eddith Buis donated the artwork for the 2013 Mildred Bennet Award. Omaha printer, book artist and poet Denise Brady, made the portfolio case for this award presentation.

A Keynote Presentation by Kurt Andersen, author of True Believers, opened the Festival. The event also included readings by Nebraska authors with books published in 2012, writers’ workshops, and a special presentation by Andrew Jewell, co-editor of The Selected Letters of Willa Cather, highlighting the 2013 One Book One Nebraska selection: O Pioneers! by Willa Cather.

The Nebraska Center for the Book is housed at the Nebraska Library Commission and brings together the state’s readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, printers, educators, and scholars to build the community of the book, supporting programs to celebrate and stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the written word. The Nebraska Center for the Book is supported by the Nebraska Library Commission.

As Nebraska’s state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services—“bringing together people and information.”

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 3, 2013

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Mary Jo Ryan
402-471-3434
800-307-2665

Young Nebraska writers will receive Letters about Literature award certificates from Gov. Dave Heineman on April 10, 2013 at a proclamation-signing ceremony celebrating National Library Week, April 14-20, 2013. Letters about Literature is a national reading and writing promotion program. The competition encourages young people to read, be inspired, and write back to the author who had an impact on their lives.

This annual contest is sponsored nationally by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. The Center for the Book was established in 1977 as a public-private partnership to use the resources of the Library of Congress to stimulate public interest in books and reading. The Nebraska competition is coordinated and sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, Nebraska Library Commission, and Houchen Bindery Ltd.

Young Nebraska writers to be honored are:

Winners

• Young-Joon Park,      Elkhorn, for a letter to Arthur Miller for Death of a Salesman
• Shannon Chinn,      Omaha, for a letter to Ray Bradbury for Fahrenheit 451
• Sydney Miller,      Lincoln, for a letter to Sharon Draper for Out of My Mind

Alternate Winners

• Allie Thompson,       Omaha, for a letter to Kathryn Stockett for The Help
• Cole Shank,      Lincoln, for a letter to Kathleen Benner Duble for Phantoms in the Snow
• William Conrad,      Lincoln, for a letter to Charles Dickens for David Copperfield

The students wrote personal letters to the authors explaining how his or her work changed their view of themselves or the world. They selected authors from any genre, fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic. Winners were chosen from three competition levels: upper elementary, middle, and secondary school.

The Nebraska winners will be honored at a luncheon, receive cash prizes and gift certificates, and their winning letters will be placed in the Jane Pope Geske Heritage Room of Nebraska Authors at Bennett Martin Public Library in Lincoln. They will advance to the national competition, with a chance to win a trip to Washington, D.C. for themselves and their parents. For more information see http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/programs/LAL.html.

The Nebraska Center for the Book is housed at the Nebraska Library Commission and brings together the state’s readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, printers, educators, and scholars to build the community of the book—supporting programs to celebrate and stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the written word. The Nebraska Center for the Book is supported by the Nebraska Library Commission.

As Nebraska’s state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services— “bringing together people and information.”

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.