Author Archives: Kathryn Brockmeier

NEH America’s Historical and Cultural Organizations – applications due Aug. 15, 2012

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Kathryn Brockmeier

Closing Date for Applications: August 15, 2012
Award Amount: Up to $100,000

National Endowment for the Humanities Historical and Cultural Organizations Planning and Implementation Grants support the following formats:

  • exhibitions at museums, libraries, and other venues;
  • interpretations of historic places, sites, or regions;
  • book/film discussion programs; living history presentations; and other face-to-face programs at libraries, community centers, and other public venues; and
  • interpretive websites.

Planning grants support the early stages of project development, including consultation with scholars, refinement of humanities themes, preliminary design, and audience evaluation. Implementation grants support final scholarly research and consultation, design development, production, and installation of a project for presentation to the public.

Small and mid-sized institutions that have never received an NEH grant are especially encouraged to apply.

All projects should:

  • build on sound humanities scholarship;
  • deepen public understanding of significant humanities questions;
  • involve a team of humanities scholars in all phases of development and implementation;
  • appeal to broad audiences;
  • approach a subject analytically and interpretively through an appropriate variety of perspectives; and
  • encourage dialogue and discussion.

Details are available at http://www.neh.gov/grants/ahco.

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How will tech transform traditional library service?

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Kathryn Brockmeier

iPad educationA recent Mashable blog post discusses uses of the iPad but also recommends less-expensive alternatives (e.g. Pinterest, WordPress, Flickr) to perform some of the same activities. The post discusses impact of tech use in the classroom, but the discussion could easily be translated to the school, public, or any type of library.

What sorts of reference work have you done to help customers become more tech savvy?

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El día de los niños/El día de los libros is April 30

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Kathryn Brockmeier

El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) is a celebration based on childhood and literacy that began in 1997. Borrowing from the traditional Mexican holiday “El día de los niños,” the American version expanded to include literacy when acclaimed author Pat Mora took up the cause in 1997. A year later, the U.S. Congress officially designated April 30 as “Day of the Child.”

The American Library Association Día website provides:

  • background information and history of the celebration
  • list of this and previous years’ celebrations nationwide (Nebraska’s celebrations are listed for 2012)
  • website links for parents and caregivers
  • coloring and activity sheets for children
  • list of books featuring children’s titles and websites from cultures around the world
  • list of Día-related webinars and conference presentations
  • resources area with Resource Guide, activity ideas, graphics, and award-winning Día library projects

Other web pages and websites to view are

What is your library doing April 30 and the other days of the year to link your children to books, languages and cultures?

 

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21st Century Librarian Scholarship Applications Due June 1, 2012

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Kathryn Brockmeier

The Nebraska Library Commission announces the fifth cycle of its 21st Century Librarian Scholarship program (http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/NowHiring/Scholarships.asp). Legal residents of the state of Nebraska are eligible to apply. In this fifth cycle, online applications are due June 1, 2012; transcripts (as required) are due May 22, 2012; and letters of recommendation, if mailed, are due May 22, 2012. The amount of the scholarship award varies by the degree or certificate the applicant is pursuing and the applicant’s course plan.

Scholarships may be used for tuition (for coursework contributing toward a certificate or degree), course-required materials, and school-assessed fees at the following levels:

  • Library and Information Science (LIS) Professional Certificate
  • Associate of Arts or Science Degree in Library and Information Science (LIS)
  • Bachelor of Arts or Science Degree with a major in Library and Information Science or Library Media
  • Master of Arts or Science Degree in Library and Information Science (MLS/MLIS)
  • Master of Arts or Science degree in Education (MEd) with a School Library Media endorsement
  • Graduate-level School Library Media Endorsement

Scholarship recipients will be eligible to apply for stipends for such things as laptop computers, professional association dues, and regional or national conference attendance.

This dynamic program includes enhanced learning opportunities such as this summer’s 21st Century Skills Seminar, webinars, face-to-face training, and online social networking, such as the Nebraska Librarians Learning Together Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/NebraskaLibrarians.

To date, fify-four scholarships have been awarded to fifty-one students. Current scholarship recipients are participating and reporting on trainings that range from a hands-on introduction to eBooks and eReaders to live and recorded webinars about the latest Internet tools. Participants are networking with Nebraska librarians on the Nebraska Librarians Learning Together Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/NebraskaLibrarians. And, through the associated stipends program, students have purchased laptop computers to use with their online classes, joined professional library associations, and attended regional and national conferences such as the 2012 Public Library Association conference in Philadelphia and the 2011 American Association of School Librarians conference in Minneapolis.

The scholarships, stipends, and value-added training are offered through the Nebraska Library Commission’s Cultivating Rural Librarians’ 21st Century Skills program, which is funded through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program. For more information, contact Kathryn Brockmeier, Grant Program Manager, by e-mail, or by phone 402-471-4002 or 800-307-2665.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.

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You and your customers can share your ebooks experiences

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Kathryn Brockmeier

According to ALA President Molly Raphael’s April 16, 2012, E-content blog post, librarians, library workers, and library customers can join a national research effort that is examining the changing role of public libraries in the digital age. How? The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project is surveying public library staff and patrons to learn more about their experiences with ebooks.

The surveys explore issues ranging from which ebook vendors public libraries use to how patrons use public libraries in person and online to how libraries promote—and how patrons find—library ebooks.

  • One version is for you and your co-workers.
  • The other version is for your customers. Please share this opportunity to participate with them—they’ll appreciate being asked. Pew Internet has even created a flyer that can be used to get the word out and also web code that will embed the survey on your library’s website.

The surveys are live April 16–May 18, and will only take about 15 minutes to complete. For details about this research effort and directions for completing the surveys, go to http://www.americanlibrariesmagazine.org/e-content/join-national-research-effort-ebooks-and-libraries.

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IMLS Learning Labs in Libraries and Museums Grants – Deadline Jun 15, 2012

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Kathryn Brockmeier

Closing Date for Applications: June 15, 2012
Award Amount: Up to $100,000
Issuing agency: Institue of Museum and Library Services

Grants for Learning Labs in Libraries and Museums will support planning and design activities for spaces that foster experimentation and creativity for middle- and high-school youth in library- and museum-based, out-of-school-time settings. The labs should be grounded in evidence-based research on youth, and should be designed to support youth learning in such 21st century skills as critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). These grants will enable grantees to develop comprehensive plans for programs, space, staffing, and budgeting for their Learning Labs. The awards may also be used to prototype certain lab activities or experiences. In addition, the grants may be used to support emerging learning labs that are already in the process of serving middle- and high-school youth with innovative digital media and learning and need additional funds to enhance their efforts, provided that they are aligned with the grant program criteria.

Eligibility: To be eligible as a library applicant for a Learning Labs in Libraries and Museums, you must: •be either a unit of State or local government or a private nonprofit organization that has tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code. •be located in one of the 50 States of the United States of America, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau; and •qualify as one of the following six types of organizations: a library or a parent organization, such as a school district, a municipality, a state agency, or an academic institution, that is responsible for the administration of a library. Eligible libraries include public libraries, public elementary and secondary school libraries, college and university libraries, research libraries and archives that are not an integral part of an institution of higher education and that make publicly available library services and materials that are suitable for scholarly research and not otherwise available. Private or special libraries that have been deemed eligible to participate in this program by the State in which the library is located; an academic or administrative unit, such as a graduate school of library and information science that is part of an institution of higher education through which it would make application; a library agency that is an official agency of a State or other unit of government and is charged by the law governing it with the extension and development of public library services within its jurisdiction; a library consortium that is a local, statewide, regional, interstate, or international cooperative association of library entities that provides for the systematic and effective coordination of the resources of eligible libraries, as defined above, and information centers that work to improve the services delivered to the clientele of these libraries; or a library association that exists on a permanent basis, serves libraries or library professionals on a national, regional, state, or local level, and engages in activities designed to advance the well-being of libraries and the library profession.

Details are available at http://www.imls.gov/applicants/detail.aspx?GrantId=20.

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National Endowment for the Humanities Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions – applications due May 1, 2012

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Kathryn Brockmeier

Closing Date for Applications: May 1, 2012
Award Amount: Up to $6,000

National Endowment for the Humanities Preservation Assistance Grants help small and mid-sized institutions—such as libraries, museums, historical societies, archival repositories, cultural organizations, town and county records offices, and colleges and universities—improve their ability to preserve and care for their significant humanities collections. These may include special collections of books and journals, archives and manuscripts, prints and photographs, moving images, sound recordings, architectural and cartographic records, decorative and fine art objects, textiles, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, furniture, historical objects, and digital materials.

Applicants must draw on the knowledge of consultants whose preservation skills and experience are related to the types of collections and the nature of the activities that are the focus of their projects. Within the conservation field, for example, conservators usually specialize in the care of specific types of collections, such as objects, paper, or paintings. Applicants should therefore choose a conservator whose specialty is appropriate for the nature of their collections. Similarly, when assessing the preservation needs of archival holdings, applicants must seek a consultant specifically knowledgeable about archives and preservation. Because the organization and the preservation of archival collections must be approached in tandem, an archival consultant should also provide advice about the management and processing needs of such holdings as part of a preservation assessment that includes long-term plans for the arrangement and description of archival collections.

Small and mid-sized institutions that have never received an NEH grant are especially encouraged to apply.

Preservation Assistance Grants may be used for:

  • General preservation assessments
  • Consultations with professionals to address a specific preservation issue, need, or problem
  • Purchase of storage furniture and preservation supplies
  • Purchase of environmental monitoring equipment for humanities collections
  • Education and training

Applicants may combine two or more elements of the project types listed above in a single application. For example, an applicant may request funds for a consultant to conduct a preservation assessment and an on-site preservation workshop for the institution’s staff. In such cases, the consultant’s letter of commitment should fully describe both proposed activities and the associated fees.

NEH grants may support consultant fees, workshop registration fees, travel and per diem expenses, and the costs of purchasing and shipping preservation supplies and equipment.

Details are available at http://www.neh.gov/grants/preservation/preservation-assistance-grants-smaller-institutions.

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Scholarship students to attend PLA conference

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Kathryn Brockmeier

Thanks to a 21st Century Librarian grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, five scholarship students will attend the Public Library Association 2012 Conference March 13–17 in Philadelphia through the scholarship stipend program.

The Nebraska Library Commission’s 21st Century Librarian scholarship program is not just about paying for Nebraska students’ tuition, fees, and books. It’s about enhancing the students’ educational experiences and helping prepare them for a successful library career. Stipends are payments for use toward approved, scholarship-related expenses in addition to their scholarship awards. Stipend opportunities include the purchase of a laptop computer, attendance at one library-related national or regional conference, and membership in one library-related professional association.

Upon return, students are expected to report on their experiences, by posting on the Nebraska Librarians Learning Together Facebook page, and by presenting during live webinars and conference presentations. And, watch for live updates from the students during the conference by reading their posts the Facebook wall.

For more information about Nebraska’s Cultivating Rural Librarians’ 21st Century Skills program, see NowHiringAtYourLibrary.org.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.

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National Endowment for the Humanities Challenge Grants – applications due May 2, 2012

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Kathryn Brockmeier

Posted Date: Feb 29, 2012
Closing Date for Applications: May 02, 2012
Award Amount: Varies

NEH challenge grants are capacity-building grants, intended to help institutions and organizations secure long-term improvements in and support for their humanities programs and resources. Through these awards, many organizations and institutions have been able to increase their humanities capacity and secure the permanent support of an endowment. Grants may be used to establish or enhance endowments or spend-down funds that generate expendable earnings to support ongoing program activities. Challenge grants may also provide capital directly supporting the procurement of long-lasting objects, such as acquisitions for archives and collections, the purchase of equipment, and the construction or renovation of facilities needed for humanities activities. Funds spent directly must be shown to bring long-term benefits to the institution and to the humanities more broadly.

Applications are welcome from colleges and universities, museums, public libraries, research institutions, historical societies and historic sites, scholarly associations, state humanities councils, and other nonprofit entities.

Eligible Applicants

  • State governments County governments
  • City or township governments
  • Special district governments
  • Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
  • Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
  • Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
  • Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education
  • Others (see text field entitled “Additional Information on Eligibility” for clarification)

NEH welcomes proposals that respond to NEH’s Bridging Cultures initiative. Such projects could focus on cultures internationally or within the United States. International programs might seek to enlarge Americans’ understanding of other places and times, as well as other perspectives and intellectual traditions. American programs might explore the great variety of cultural influences on, and myriad subcultures within, American society. These programs might also investigate how Americans have approached and attempted to surmount seemingly unbridgeable cultural divides, or examine the ideals of civility and civic discourse that have informed this quest.

Details are available at http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/challenge.html.

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Upcoming scholarship deadlines

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Kathryn Brockmeier

IMLS LogoApplications for the first 2012 wave of Institute of Museum and Library Services 21st Century Scholarships is soon coming to a close, with a deadline of March 1, 2012. The second wave will open up after March 1 and the Nebraska Library Commission will once again accept applications at the levels of Master of Arts or Science Degree in Library and Information Science (MLS/MLIS), Master of Arts or Science Degree in Education (MEd) with a School Library Media endorsement, and Graduate-level School Library Media Endorsement–in addition to the levels of Library and Information Services (LIS, formerly LTA) Professional Certificate, Associate of Arts or Science Degree in Library and Information Services (LIS, formerly LTA), and Bachelor of Arts or Science Degree with a major in Library and Information Science or Library Media.

In other scholarship news of interest to Nebraska library science students:

  • The Nebraska Educational Media Association’s Karla Wendelin Continuing Education Scholarship for School Librarianship application is due March 15, 2012. NEMA members are eligible to apply. The applicant must show current registration status in school library media/youth services courses in a Nebraska Institution of Higher Education OR current registration status in school library media/youth services workshop/conference. Additional NEMA scholarships offered are available for review at http://www.schoollibrariesrock.org/scholarships.html.
  • The Nebraska Library Association is accepting applications for the Louise A. Nixon and Duane Munson scholarships, due April 15, 2012. Applicants who have been a member of NLA for at least one year are eligible to apply. Details about applicant requirements and scholarship conditions are available on the NLA website.

The Nebraska Library Commission’s Now Hiring @ your library© website provides a list of various scholarships available to students pursuing credentials in library science. Details are available at http://nlc1.nlc.state.ne.us/nowhiring/Scholarships.asp#Other_Scholarships.

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Internship Grant application deadline extended to March 1, 2012

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Kathryn Brockmeier

The Nebraska Library Commission’s 21st Century Librarian Internship Grant application deadline has been extended from February 15, 2012, to March 1, 2012.

See the Jan. 12, 2012, NCompass blog post for a short description, or visit the Internships page of the Now Hiring @ your library© website.

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Public Library Internship Grant applications due Feb. 15, 2012

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Kathryn Brockmeier

Application deadline: Feb. 15, 2012
1/30/12 NOTE: The deadline has been extended to March 1, 2012

The Nebraska Library Commission’s 21st Century Librarian program offers support for student internships through grants to accredited public libraries. In partnership with the Nebraska Library Association and funded through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program, the internship grants increase awareness about library professions and education and the opportunities for employment in Nebraska libraries. So, what can your library do with the internship program?

  • Share your enthusiasm for library education and the library profession.
  • Expand your programming.
  • Bring in fresh faces.
  • Show interns what happens behind-the-scenes.
  • Partner with other library types to show the variety of work settings.

Internship grants range from $500 to $1,000. A library may provide one 100-hour internship during the summer months that might last eight weeks, or two 50-hour internships during the school year that might last ten weeks, depending on the needs of the library and the scheduling needs and qualifications of the internship candidates. Library grantees will recruit, select, and hire their interns. Usually, interns are hired as contract workers and paid on a stipend rather than an hourly wage, but the terms of employment are determined by the library’s governing body experiences. Interns provide valuable assistance with library service activities and local library programming. Library staff help introduce interns to the joys of library service careers.

Applications are now being accepted. The deadline for applications is Feb. 15, 2012. More information is available on the Now Hiring @ your library© website.

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21st Century Librarian Scholarship Applications Due Mar. 1, 2012

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Kathryn Brockmeier

The Nebraska Library Commission announces the fourth cycle of its 21st Century Librarian Scholarship program (http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/NowHiring/Scholarships.asp). Legal residents of the state of Nebraska are eligible to apply. In this fourth cycle, online applications are due March 1, 2012; transcripts (as required) are due Feb. 18, 2012; and letters of recommendation, if mailed, are due Feb. 18, 2012. The amount of the scholarship award varies by the degree or certificate the applicant is pursuing and the applicant’s course plan.

Scholarships may be used for tuition (for coursework contributing toward a certificate or degree), course-required materials, and school-assessed fees at the following levels:

  • Library and Information Science (LIS) Professional Certificate
  • Associate of Arts or Science Degree in Library and Information Science (LIS)
  • Bachelor of Arts or Science Degree with a major in Library and Information Science or Library Media

Scholarship recipients will be eligible to apply for stipends for such things as laptop computers, professional association dues, and regional or national conference attendance.

This dynamic program includes enhanced learning opportunities such as the 21st Century Skills Seminar, webinars, face-to-face training, and online social networking, such as the Nebraska Librarians Learning Together Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/NebraskaLibrarians.

To date, forty-seven scholarships have been awarded to forty-five students. Current scholarship recipients are participating and reporting on trainings that range from a hands-on introduction to eBooks and eReaders to live and recorded webinars about the latest Internet tools. Participants are networking with Nebraska librarians on the Nebraska Librarians Learning Together Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/NebraskaLibrarians. And, through the associated stipends program, students have purchased laptop computers to use with their online classes, joined professional library associations, and attended regional and national conferences.

The scholarships, stipends, and value-added training are offered through the Nebraska Library Commission’s Cultivating Rural Librarians’ 21st Century Skills program, which is funded through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program. For more information, contact Kathryn Brockmeier, Grant Program Manager, by e-mail, or by phone 402-471-4002 or 800-307-2665.

NOTE: Due to the fantastic response to the Nebraska Library Commission’s Librarians for the 21st Century master’s-level scholarships, we cannot accept additional master’s-level scholarship applications until after March 1, 2012. Students who wish to apply for scholarships for a Master of Arts or Science Degree in Library and Information Science (MLS/MLIS), Master of Arts or Science Degree in Education (MEd) with a School Library Media endorsement, or Graduate-level School Library Media Endorsement should submit all application materials by June 1, 2012. Master’s-level scholarship application forms will be available after March 1, 2012.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.

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Best Facebook tip (so far) for fan engagement on your page

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Kathryn Brockmeier

Have you ever added a link to the Facebook page you admin and been disappointed with the feed preview for the title of the article or the description? Here’s a very helpful video tutorial on how to change both that title and that description. Below that are steps I took to do the same on the Nebraska Librarians Learning Together page.

Before: What the post looks like with no alterations

Step 1. Insert the link

Step 2. Check the title and description. Are they what you want?

Step 2. Edit the title (catch your audience’s attention) and description (I deleted some text to get to the point)

Step 3. After you attach the link, say something about the link that will compel the audience to follow the link

Step 4. Post

After: Post with alterations. Much better.

The fun begins when page fans comment on your post. They’re engaged!

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Nebraska Library Commission Awards 21st Century Skills Scholarships

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Kathryn Brockmeier

Thanks to a grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Nebraska Library Commission recently awarded 21st Century Librarian scholarships to thirteen Nebraska students in undergraduate Library Science programs. Nebraska Library Commission Director Rod Wagner commented, “The Nebraska Library Commission is pleased to support Nebraska students engaged in library science educational programs. The focus on 21st century skills is essential to meeting the library service needs of Nebraska’s diverse population. We expect that our three-year program will assist in providing students with needed skills leading to higher quality library services across Nebraska.”

To date, forty-seven scholarships have been awarded to forty-five students. Current scholarship recipients are participating and reporting on trainings that range from a hands-on introduction to eBooks and eReaders to live and recorded webinars about the latest Internet tools. Participants are networking with Nebraska librarians on the Nebraska Librarians Learning Together Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/NebraskaLibrarians. And, through the associated stipends program, students have purchased laptop computers to use with their online classes, joined professional library associations, and attended regional and national conferences.

Students who wish to apply for scholarships for a Library and Information Services Professional Certificate (offered through Nebraska’s community colleges), an Associate of Arts or Science Degree in Library and Information Services, or a Bachelor of Arts or Science Degree with a major in Library and Information Science or Library Media should submit application materials by March 1, 2012. Master’s-level scholarship application forms will be available after March 1, 2012.

For more information about Nebraska’s Cultivating Rural Librarians’ 21st Century Skills program, see NowHiringAtYourLibrary.org. For a list of current scholarship recipients, see below.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.

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.

2012 Scholarship Recipients

  • Nancy Black, Uehling
  • Justine Goeden, West Point
  • Odessa Meyer, South Sioux City
  • Elicia Micek, Columbus
  • Vickie Morlock, Lodgepole
  • Debra Nadrchal, Clarkson
  • Vicki Perrie, Superior
  • Dorothy Schultz, Wood River
  • Brenda Schwarz, Lexington
  • Sky Seery, North Platte
  • Kimberley Steinbrink, Omaha
  • Dana Still, Hastings
  • Tracy Tibbels, Lincoln
Posted in Education & Training, General, Now hiring @ your library | 1 Comment

Facebook rolls out new normal with Timeline

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Kathryn Brockmeier

Change is in the air. Just when you thought you were getting comfortable with Facebook, they up and give you Timeline. Timeline is a new look for your profile page and as of yesterday is rolling out in waves to all Facebook users. The public caught wind of Timeline in September when Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced it at the f8 conference.

To get the scoop about Timeline straight from the horse’s mouth, go to Facebook’s Help Center.

To see what you’re getting yourself into, read the Detroit Free Press article Facebook Timeline: 9 things to know now about the new profile.

When you’re ready to switch over (and you’ll have to, eventually, so you might as well go for it), head over to http://www.facebook.com/about/timeline. [1/6/12 update: follow the "Learn more about Apps" link at the very bottom of the page. You will then see the Get Timeline button.] I made the switch, and what I liked immediately is the “cover,” which I’d rather call a “banner.” Now my profile looks more like a blog. Not that it really matters to me. I hardly ever view it myself (just to upload or view pictures), and I doubt very many other people do, either.

The lesson I learned from this latest move is that Facebook will constantly evolve. As inconvenient as this at times may be, it’s the one thing from Facebook I can count on, and I figure it’s just easier to roll with it.

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Natl. Endowment for the Humanities “America’s Music” film grant to libraries – Deadline Mar. 14, 2012

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Kathryn Brockmeier

Grant name: America’s Music: A Film History of Our Popular Music from Blues to Bluegrass to Broadway
Deadline: March 14, 2012
Amount: $2,500
Awarding institution: National Endowment for the Humanities
Eligible institutions: Libraries (public, academic, special) and nonprofit institutions or venues related to music or American history

Program description

The NEH Small Grants to Libraries and Other Nonprofit Institutions program
brings humanities public programming to libraries and other eligible nonprofit
institutions across the country.

America’s Music: A Film History of Our Popular Music from Blues
to Bluegrass to Broadway is a six-week public program featuring
documentary film screenings and scholar-led discussions of twentieth-century
American popular music. The six sessions focus on these uniquely American
musical genres: blues and gospel, Broadway, jazz, bluegrass and country, rock
’n’ roll, and mambo and hip hop. The project will provide DVDs of compelling
documentary films, discussion guidelines, original essays by eminent scholars,
extensive resource guides, and Web support. The project will offer participating
organizations training in how to organize, promote, and run the series
successfully. All libraries and nonprofit organizations selected to implement
the public program will receive grants of $2,500 for project expenses. Fifty
organizations (libraries and other eligible nonprofits) will be selected to
receive a grant to present this series of community programs on the history of
American popular music. The grantee institutions are expected to offer the
programs between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2013.

For more information

http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/SGL_BluestoBluegrass.html

The federal grant application process can be quite extensive. If you would like assistance navigating the application requirements, please contact Kathryn Brockmeier at the Nebraska Library Commission by e-mail or phone, 402-471-4002 (toll-free in NE 800-307-2665).

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Who likes the Facebook page you admin?

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Kathryn Brockmeier

As a page admin, I noticed that after Facebook launched the Insights platform for viewing data about my page’s traffic and reach, it was a bit harder to view the list of individuals who liked the page. So, here are three steps I use to get to that list:

1. Along the left of your Page, under the tabs such as Wall and Photos, is a number with the words “like this” under it. This is the number of individuals who like your Page. Click on “like this,” which is a link that will take you to the Insights main page.


2. Along the right of the Insights page is the “See likes” link. Follow that link and a pop-up window shows the list of individuals who like your Page.


3. Scroll through the list to see who likes your page. Previous experience tells me that the listing goes in chronological order from most recent like to oldest like.

Unfortunately, I could not find one topic in the Facebook help center which described how to accomplish this task. If you have any luck, please let me know by commenting below.

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IMLS National Leadership Grants – Applications due 2/1/2012

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Kathryn Brockmeier

Deadline: Feb. 2, 2012
Amount: Project Grants: $50,000-500,000. Planning Grants: up to $50,000. Nat. Forum Grants: up to $100,000.
Awarding institution: Institute of Museum and Library Services

National Leadership Grants support projects that address challenges faced by the museum, library, and/or archive fields and that have the potential to advance practice in those fields. Successful proposals will seek innovative responses to the challenge(s) identified in the proposals, and will have national impact.

The National Leadership Grant program accepts applications under four main categories:

  • Advancing Digital Resources—Support the creation, use, presentation, and preservation of significant digital resources as well as the development of tools to enhance access, use, and management of digital assets.
  • Research—Support research that investigates key questions that are important to museum, library, and archival practice.
  • Demonstration—Support projects that produce a replicable model or practice that is usable, adaptable, or scalable by other institutions for improving services and performance.
  • Library Museum Collaboration Grants— Support collaborative projects (between museums and/or libraries and other community organizations) that address the educational, economic, cultural, or social needs of a community. In 2012, a funding priority will be projects that promote early learning.

Applicants may choose to submit a Project Grant, Planning Grant, or National Forum Grant proposal in any of the above categories.

  • Project Grants support fully developed projects for which needs assessments, partnership development, feasibility analyses, prototyping, and other planning activities have been completed.
  • Planning Grants allow project teams to perform preliminary planning activities that could lead to a subsequent full project, such as needs and feasibility analyses, solidifying partnerships, developing project work plans, or developing prototypes or proofs of concept. Applications for Planning Grants must include at least one formal partner in addition to the lead applicant.
  • National Forum Grants provide the opportunity to convene qualified groups of experts and key stakeholders to consider issues or challenges that are important to libraries, museums, and/or archives across the nation. Grant-supported meetings are expected to produce widely disseminated reports with expert recommendations for action or research that address a key challenge identified in the proposal. The expert recommendations resulting from these meetings are intended to guide future proposals to the National Leadership Grant program.

Eligibility: Libraries that fulfill the general criteria for libraries may apply. See program guidelines for special conditions of eligibility for this program. Museums that fulfill the general criteria for museums may apply. Public or private nonprofit agencies, organizations, or associations that engage in activities designed to advance museums and the museum profession may also apply. In addition, institutions of higher education, including public and non¬profit universities, are eligible.

More information is available at http://www.imls.gov/applicants/detail.aspx?GrantId=14.

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Sparks! Ignition Grants for Libraries and Museums – Application due 2/1/2012

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Kathryn Brockmeier

Deadline: Feb. 2, 2012
Amount: $10,000 – $25,000
Awarding institution: Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Sparks! Ignition Grants for Libraries and Museums are a special funding opportunity within the IMLS National Leadership Grants program. These small grants encourage libraries, museums, and archives to test and evaluate specific innovations in the ways they operate and the services they provide. Sparks Grants support the deployment, testing, and evaluation of promising and groundbreaking new tools, products, services, or organizational practices. You may propose activities or approaches that involve risk, as long as the risk is balanced by significant potential for improvement in the ways libraries and museums serve their communities.

Successful proposals will address problems, challenges, or needs of broad relevance to libraries, museums, and/or archives. A proposed project should test a specific, innovative response to the identified problem and present a plan to make the findings widely and openly accessible.

To maximize the public benefit from federal investments in these grants, the Sparks Grants will fund only projects with the following characteristics:

Broad Potential Impact—You should identify a specific problem or need that is relevant to many libraries, archives, and/or museums, and propose a testable and measurable solution. Proposals must demonstrate a thorough understanding of current issues and practices in the project’s focus area and discuss its potential impact within libraries, archives, and/or museums. Proposed innovations should be widely adoptable or adaptable.

Significant Innovation—The proposed solution to the identified problem must offer strong potential for non-incremental, significant advancement in the operation of libraries, archives, and/or museums. You must explain how the proposed activity differs from current practices or takes advantage of an unexplored opportunity, and the potential benefit to be gained by this innovation.

Eligibility: Libraries that fulfill the general criteria for libraries may apply. Museums that fulfill the general criteria for museums may apply. Public or private nonprofit agencies, organizations, or associations that engage in activities designed to advance museums and the museum profession may also apply. In addition, institutions of higher education, including public and nonprofit universities, are eligible.

For more information: http://www.imls.gov/applicants/detail.aspx?GrantId=19

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