Author Archives: Jennifer Wrampe

The Dust Bowl, a two-part, four-hour documentary series by Ken Burns, chronicles the environmental catastrophe that, throughout the 1930s, destroyed the farmlands of the Great Plains, turned prairies into deserts, and unleashed a pattern of massive, deadly dust storms that for many seemed to herald the end of the world. It was the worst man-made ecological disaster in American history. The documentary includes vivid interviews with twenty-six survivors of those hard times, combined with dramatic photographs and seldom seen movie footage, to bring to life stories of incredible human suffering and equally incredible human perseverance. It is also a morality tale about our relationship to the land that sustains us—a lesson we ignore at our peril.

For libraries interested in developing programming around the series, PBS is pleased to provide a limited number of clip reels, postcards, and discussion points to libraries, available upon request. DVDs will be available in October for use in November. To order, please contact Anne Harrington at aharrington@weta.com or 703.998.2458.

The Dust Bowl will air November 18 and 19, 2012, from 8–10 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings). For more information, visit the The Dust Bowl website.

Please see our ProgrammingLibrarian.org site for additional details.

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ALA Public Programs Office
www.ala.org/publicprograms
publicprograms@ala.org

Let’s Build Nebraska, www.letsbuildnebraska.org, is a new online resource to
enhance the capacity, skills and abilities of volunteers and nonprofit staff
serving to strengthen Nebraska. In doing so, it increases the effectiveness,
efficiency, productivity and capacity of organizations in the state.

Resources include a comprehensive online resource library, a listing of
topical experts, and links to training opportunities. Content includes tips
on starting a nonprofit, generating revenue, managing volunteers, organizing
a board of directors and much more.

“Let’s Build Nebraska is a great step toward increasing the competency of
nonprofit organizations,” said Kit Boesch, Lancaster County Human Services
administrator. “As our nonprofit sector grows in responsibility, it can now
continue to grow in excellence.”

Help the site grow by suggesting financial partners, experts, events, links
and drafting a guest blog post – making the site even more beneficial.
Follow us on Facebook (LetsBuildNebraska), Twitter (@letsbuildne) and our
blog (http://letsbuildnebraska.blogspot.com/).

Let’s Build Nebraska is coordinated by ServeNebraska in collaboration with a
variety of community partners, which are listed on our website.

If you are interested in supporting us, have comments or questions, please
contact us at letsbuildne@gmail.com.

CHICAGO — Libraries seeking to share their stories and raise public awareness are encouraged to apply for the 2013 Scholastic Library Publishing National Library Week Grant. The library that develops the best public awareness campaign using the National Library Week theme will be awarded $3,000 to promote its library and library services.

All proposals must use the 2013 National Library Week theme, Communities matter @ your library, which incorporates The Campaign for America’s Libraries’ @ your library brand, on any and all promotional and publicity material supporting National Library Week activities.  Guidelines for using the brand are available on the campaign website.

The grant is sponsored by Scholastic Library Publishing, a division of Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, and is administered by the Public Awareness Committee of the American Library Association (ALA). This year’s application deadline is Sept. 30, 2012.  National Library Week is April 14-20, 2013.

A grant application form and guidelines are available on the Scholastic Library Publishing National Library Week Grant website.  For more information from the Campaign for America’s Libraries, contact Campaign Coordinator, Megan McFarlane via telephone at (800) 545-2433, ext. 2148, or by email at mmcfarlane@ala.org.

The winner will be notified and announced following the 2013 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle.  Last year’s winning application from Sacramento (Calif.) Public Library is available on the grant website.

The Campaign for America’s Libraries is the ALA’s public awareness campaign that promotes the value of libraries and librarians.  Thousands of libraries of all types – across the country and around the globe – use the Campaign’s @ your library® brand. The Campaign is made possible in part by ALA’s Library Champions.

Scholastic Library Publishing, a division of Scholastic Inc., the global children’s publishing, education and media company. Visit the company’s website, www.scholastic.com.

Megan McFarlane
Campaign Coordinator
The Campaign for America’s Libraries
312-280-2148
mmcfarlane@ala.org
www.ala.org/@yourlibrary

Please visit www.atyourlibrary.org

The ALA Public Programs Office and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) recently announced some important updates to the Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys grant program.

In addition to receiving this outstanding collection of materials to facilitate public programs and vibrant community discussions, the 1,000 sites selected will be eligible in January 2013 to apply for a programming grant of up to $4,500 to support a Let’s Talk About It reading and discussion series. NEH and ALA will provide thematic essays, promotional support and professional training to prepare libraries for hosting the popular series in public, academic and community college libraries. For more program ideas, please register for one of two free webinars available for prospective applicants:

• Public Libraries Bridging Cultures: Exploring Islamic History
  Wednesday, August 29, 2 p.m. Central
  Learn more and register
• Outreach Opportunity for Academic Libraries: Bridging Cultures Bookshelf
  Wednesday, September 12, 2 p.m. Central
  Learn more and register

To participate in the Bookshelf, your library need only offer one program for public audiences that highlights Islamic culture using collection materials. Many libraries may wish to screen one of the documentary films, which will come with public performance rights included and ready-to-implement discussion program guides written by national project scholars.

To learn more and begin your application, visit www.programminglibrarian.org/muslimjourneys. To encourage the maximum number of library applications, the deadline for this application has been extended to October 25 (previously September 25).

As a reminder, each of the 1,000 sites selected by NEH and ALA will receive a collection of 25 books, three documentary films with public performance rights, a one-year subscription to Oxford Islamic Studies Online, and bonus resources to support public programs and promotion.

For more information, including complete lists of books and films, thematic descriptions and resources to help get your application started, visit www.programminglibrarian.org/muslimjourneys or www.neh.gov/divisions/bridging-cultures.

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ALA Public Programs Office
www.ala.org/publicprograms
publicprograms@ala.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 26, 2012

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Mary Jo Ryan, maryjo.ryan@nebraska.gov
402-471-3434, 800-307-2665

Gov. Dave Heineman recently appointed Mary A. (Molly) Fisher, of Lincoln, to a three-year term on the Nebraska Library Commission.

Molly served as deputy director of the Nebraska Humanities Council until her retirement in 2000. She is a founding member of the Nebraska Center for the Book and is currently an ex-officio board member. She also serves on the board of the Nebraska Literary Heritage Association. She received the Mildred Bennett award, the Schwartz Prize, the Lincoln Arts Council award for literary contributions, and a Nebraska Arts Council Award. Molly and her husband volunteer with state parks across the country, with a special interest in volunteering at lighthouses. She also serves on the Friends of Beta Alpha Board and volunteers with the Lincoln City Libraries.

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.

Due to the high volume of grant applications, the application deadline for The American Dream Starts @ your library English language learner grant initiative has been extended to Friday, August 31,”

Visit www.americandreamtoolkit.org for more information or contact John Amundsen, Communications Specialist at the ALA Office for Literacy and Outreach Services, at jamundsen@ala.org.

In May 2012, The ALA Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS) received funding from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to continue the American Dream Starts @ your library, a literacy initiative serving adult English language learners and their families.  A primary goal of this project is to help public libraries in Dollar General communities add or improve library literacy services for adult English language learners and their families.

Since 2007, 100 public libraries in 28 states have received American Dream grants. These libraries are located in urban centers, suburban communities, and rural towns within 20 miles of a Dollar General store or distribution center. Previously funded American Dream libraries have used their grants to develop collections, offer classes and conversation clubs, reach out to diverse populations, and collaborate with new partners.

Eligible libraries can now apply online for grants range from $5,000 to $15,000. Applicants must be:

• A  public library with a demonstrated need and the capacity to provide literacy services for adult English language learners.
• Located within 20 miles of a Dollar General Store, distribution center, or corporate office (please visit the Dollar General’s Store Locator online).
• Library systems and libraries that have previously received American Dream Starts @ your library grants are eligible to apply.

Applications are being accepted through Sunday, August 26, 2012. To access the 2012 grant application go to: www.americandreamtoolkit.org .

For further information contact Dale Lipschultz, OLOS Literacy Officer at dlipschultz@ala.org.

John L. Amundsen | Communications Specialist | ALA Office for Literacy and Outreach Services

50 East Huron Street | Chicago, IL 60611 | T 312.280.2140 | F 312.280.3256 | jamundsen@ala.org
Megan McFarlane
Campaign Coordinator
The Campaign for America’s Libraries
312-280-2148
mmcfarlane@ala.org
www.ala.org/@yourlibrary

Please visit www.atyourlibrary.org

Check out PIO’s blog:
Visibility @ your library^®
http://www.pio.ala.org/visibility

Receipt Deadline September 25, 2012for Projects Beginning January 2013

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is conducting a special initiative, Bridging Cultures, which engages the power of the humanities to promote understanding of and mutual respect for people with diverse histories, cultures, and perspectives within the United States and abroad.

As part of its Bridging Cultures initiative, NEH is collaborating with the American Library Association (ALA) to present “Muslim Journeys,” the first in a planned series of Bridging Cultures Bookshelves. Through Bridging Cultures Bookshelf programs, NEH will provide resources to enhance libraries’ collections and their capacity to engage audiences in reflection on and conversation about a variety of Bridging Cultures themes.

The “Muslim Journeys” Bookshelf is intended to address the American public’s need and desire for trustworthy and accessible resources about Muslim beliefs and practices and the cultural heritage associated with Islamic civilizations.

The “Muslim Journeys” Bookshelf seeks to provide the nation’s libraries—and in turn their patrons—with a selection of resources chosen especially for public audiences, based on the advice of scholars, librarians, and other humanities educators and program experts.

Questions?

Contact the American Library Association staff at 800–545–2433, ext. 5045, or publicprograms@ala.org. You can also contact the National Endowment for the Humanities at 202–606–8337 or bridgingcultures@neh.gov. Hearing–impaired applicants can contact NEH via TDD at 1–866–372–2930.

Register Now for Online Webinar:
Libraries, Local Economic Development & Entrepreneurship
July 26, 2012
Noon Central Time (11:00 a.m. Mountain Time)    

Don Macke, RUPRI (www.rupri.org) Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, a 35 year veteran of working with rural communities in Nebraska and throughout North America, will present a community library focused webinar training on libraries and local economic development and entrepreneurship. This free, one-hour training session will provide an overview of local economic development, the role of entrepreneur-focused economic development, and why community libraries should be involved.

Who Should Attend?

Community Library Staff, Volunteers and Customers
Local Community Economic Development Leaders and Supporters
(e.g., chambers of commerce, industrial corporations, tourism groups, main street programs, workforce, education, etc.)
Area Entrepreneurs

If I Attend What Will I Learn?

Why economic development is foundational to community success.
Why communities should support entrepreneur-focused economic development.
Who should be involved in growing entrepreneurs as a way to grow your community.
Why libraries are central to supporting area entrepreneurs.

Presenter: Don Macke is native of Nebraska and has worked in communities throughout the state for more than 35 years. He has extensive experience helping communities craft entrepreneur-focused economic development strategies. He has also had the chance to work with libraries and librarians. Don believes that libraries can be part of the core infrastructure central to helping a community’s entrepreneurs succeed and grow.

REGISTER at:  http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e60zk6uhc4517f54&llr=merlk7cab  using the blue button at the bottom of the page. This Webinar will be offered using Adobe connect Webinar software. The system can connect to 100 locations. Register Early to guarantee your spot.

Please feel free to invite a local community economic development group or business group to view it with you in the library or outside the library. This webinar was supported in part by the Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP), funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, as administered by the Nebraska Library Commission.

NOTE to libraries involved with the Library Broadband Builds Nebraska Communities project—please be sure to report these training hours on your monthly reports.

Young Nebraska writers will receive Letters about Literature award certificates from Gov. Dave Heineman on April 11, 2012 at a proclamation-signing ceremony celebrating National Library Week, April 8-14, 2012. Letters about Literature is a national reading and writing promotion program. Nearly 60,000 adolescent and young readers nationwide in grades 4 through 12 participated in this year’s Letters about Literature program—378 of them from Nebraska. 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 in partnership with Target Stores. Target sponsors Letters about Literature as part of its national reading initiative, “Ready. Sit. Read!,” which is aimed at fostering a love of reading among children at an early age. Since opening its first store in 1962, Target has partnered with nonprofit organizations, guests, and team members to help meet community needs. 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

• Ethan      Vanneman, Lincoln,      to Gary Paulsen  about The Legend of Bass Reeves
• Marin      Harrington,      Omaha, to Kathryn Stockett about The      Help
• Arash      Hamidi, Omaha, to Maya Angelou about I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings        

Alternate Winners

• Taisha Morris,      Omaha, to Faith Ringgold about My      Dream of Martin Luther King
• Tyson Hostert,      O’Neill, to Gary Paulsen about Hatchet      series
• Maria Terrazas,      Ansley, to Joseph Bruchac about Code      Talker

The students wrote personal letters to 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 to Target Stores, 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.” 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.

The Nebraska State Historical Society’s Nebraska History Museum was the site of the 2012 Nebraska Book Festival, sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, Nebraska Humanities Council, Nebraska Library Commission, Nebraska State Historical Society, and the University of Nebraska Press. The Festival, Guilty Pleasures, featured presentation of the Nebraska Center for the Book’s Mildred Bennett Award to Beatrice Public Library Director Laureen Riedesel.

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. Riedesel was honored for her long service to Nebraska’s cultural heritage, especially her work to foster literary development throughout the state by heading the Nebraska Center for the Book’s Letters about Literature effort, as well as her many years of service to the Beatrice community.

A Keynote Presentation by Ron Hanson, author of A Wild Surge of Guilty Passion: A Novel, highlighted the Festival. The event also included readings by Nebraska authors with books published in 2011, writers′ workshops, and a special presentation by Joe Starita, author of “I Am a Man” Chief Standing Bear’s Journey for Justice, the 2012 One Book One Nebraska selection. Marvel Maring, an Omaha-based artist specializing in book arts, donated the artwork for the 2012 Mildred Bennet Award. The artwork is handset and printed letterpress with watercolor background. It is an excerpt from Wendy Rawlings’ book, Come Back Irish.

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.

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As the 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.” The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission website, nlc.nebraska.gov, search on News Releases.