Author Archives: Lisa Kelly

New Book Club Kits

The following book club kits have been added to our collection. Many authors have a Nebraska affiliation and the city or area is mentioned where available. Please contact the reference desk to borrow these titles for your book group.

(Tilden) The Great Secret by L. Ron Hubbard 10 copies / 1 audio cd

(Tilden) Spy Killer by L. Ron Hubbard 10 copies / 1 audio cd

(Omaha) Murder’s A Cinch by Patricia A. Bremmer, 3 copies

(Omaha) Victim Wanted: Must Have References by Patricia A. Bremmer, 3 copies

(Rural Nebraska) Mercy Sky by Dawn Dyson, 3 copies

(Lincoln) Breathing in the Fullness of Time by William Kloefkorn, 2 copies

(Perkins County) Homefield: Sonata in Rural Voice by Robert Richter,   3 copies

(Omaha) Interior Places by Lisa Knopp, 4 copies

Cryptid: Lost Legacy of Lewis and Clark by Eric Penz, 3 copies

(Omaha) Sweet Eyes by Jonis Agee, 2 copies

(Lincoln) Date You Can’t Refuse by Harley Jane Kozak, 2 copies

Tales of the Fort Whiskey Creek Trading Post by Robert R. Dahlgren, 3 copies

(Columbus) Bandit’s Lady by Irene O’Brien, 3 copies

(Maxwell) Gravestone Marker by Mary Vesta Nickerson,   4 copies

Rodzina by Karen Cushman, 3 copies

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Aurelio Zen Mystery Series

If you discovered the world of Aurelio Zen last night on Masterpiece Theater, you may wish to check out the series of books by Michael Dibdin upon which the mysteries are based. For more information on Michael Dibdin, here is his 2007 New York Times obituary. Lastly, here is the home page for Zen on Masterpiece Mystery with many interesting extra features.

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Flooding Resources

Here is a listing of various resources grouped by category regarding the 2011 Floods including emergency numbers, photos, maps, and ongoing coverage. We hope this is helpful to you and your patrons.

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New Book Club Kits

The following titles have been added to our book club kit collection. Please contact the reference desk to borrow them for your book club:

The Cat Who Went into the Closet by Lilian Jackson Braun
12 copies

The Earthborn by Paul Collins
5 copies

Faith Under Fire: Stories of Hope and Courage From WWII by Steve Rabey
14 copies

Friday Night Bites by Chloe Neill
3 copies

The Law of Nines by Terry Goodkind
2 copies

Magic Steps by Tamora Pierce
10 copies

Outside the Ordinary World by Dori Ostermiller
7 copies

Plain Heathen Mischief by Martin Clark
12 copies

Postern of Fate by Agatha Christie
12 copies

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio  by Terry Ryan
12 copies

River by Lowen Clausen
3 copies

The Sky Always Hears Me and the Hills Don’t Mind by Kirstin Cronn-Mills
3 copies

Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill
2 copies

Street Magic by Tamora Pierce
10 copies

The Tale of Holly How by Susan Wittig Albert
13 copies

Tender Mercies by Rosellen Brown
10 copies

Turtle Moon by Alice Hoffman
16 copies

A Virtuous Woman by Kaye Gibbons
11 copies

When Justice Failed by Steven A. Chin
11 copies

Wuhu Diary by Emily Prager
11 Copies

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Welcome to the New NLC Web Site!

We’d like to highlight some of its many new and improved features:

  • Our services are now arranged by topic. Via the flyout menus on the left side, we hope you will be able to locate the things you need–directly from the front page. Please let us know if you’re having trouble finding an old favorite.
  • The search engine has been greatly improved; we hope it will help you to quickly find what you need.
  • A “sticky note” reminder listing important events and dates has been added to the front page.
  • The Library Calendar and the Training Calendar have been merged into the Library Training and Events Calendar. A link to this new Calendar can be found at the top of every page.
  • The front page includes two new features along the right side of the screen: Library News and Library Buzz. Both of these can be subscribed to with RSS feeds for your convenience.
    • Library News links to current newspaper articles and television/radio stories about Nebraska libraries, updated daily.
    • Library Buzz highlights what Nebraska libraries are promoting through their Facebook, Twitter and blog feeds, updated throughout the day.

Please take a moment to tell us what you think of the new site.

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Help for Japan

If you have patrons asking where and how to donate to the relief in Japan, today’s Columbus Dispatch lists several organizations that are reputable.

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Nebraska Statehood Day!

The Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office provides information on Statehood Day activities. The 2011 parties will be held from April 11-14 in the following cities: Columbus, Norfolk, Seward, Central City, Omaha, Boys Town, Fremont and Nebraska City. Also available on this webpage are photos from parties that took place in 2010.
Happy 144th Birthday Nebraska!

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The Internet Movie Database – the Ultimate Movie Reference

If you’re not already using the Internet Movie Database, let me introduce you. I use this amazing and free database for Interlibrary Loan when someone asks if a movie was based upon a book. Sometimes a patron isn’t exactly sure of a movie name and this is also a very helpful resource. I most often use it when I’m trying to confirm what other movies I’ve seen a very familiar actor or actress often times while I’m watching. Can’t remember an actor’s name? Pictures will help. All major awards are also listed as writer, director, or actor. The latest feature I’ve come to be aware of is the ratings feature. For each movie there is a section near the ratings called a Parent’s Guide. This will, in very exacting and specific detail, indicate why a movie received a particular rating which can be quite helpful. I hope you and your patrons will bookmark this valuable resource and if you find other features that you use, please share them with us.

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Read what Oprah is reading – Charles Dickens

Early this month, Oprah announced two Charles Dickens titles as her book club selections. The Library Commission has 10 copies of A Tale of Two Cities coupled with Great Expectations – all in one volume. Please contact the Reference Desk if you would like to borrow or reserve these for your book club.

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New Book Club Titles Added to our Collection

In the last week, we’ve added 9 new book club kits to our collection:

A Ceiling of Stars by Ann Howard Creel – 11 copies
Color of Water by James McBride – 3 copies
Comrades by Stephen E. Ambrose – 13 copies
Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery – 5 copies
Father Joe: the Man Who Saved My Soul by Tony Hendra – 13 copies
Finding Nouf by Zoe Ferraris – 8 copies
In the Castle of the Flynns by Michael Raleigh – 11 copies
Loving Frank by Nancy Horan – 8 copies
Say Good-Bye by Laurie Halse Anderson – 11 copies

Contact the Reference Desk to reserve any of these kits.

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ne211.org

When Nebraskans are seeking essential services such as food, shelter, general assistance, employment and job training services, it can be difficult to keep track of what is available. Fortunately, Nebraska has a service called 211 located at ne211.org or by dialing 211. The service is available 24 hours a day in 154 languages. Librarians can direct customers to this number as a referral when we’re uncertain where to begin so experts can better direct citizens to the most helpful resource.

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Read Nebraska Authors!

We’ve added several new titles to the Book Club Kit Collection that have Nebraska connections. When a Nebraska State Logo is included in an entry, it indicates a Nebraska author and/or setting. After you’ve read Cather and Sandoz, you may wish to consider some newer Nebraska authors like Stephanie Kallos or Alex Kava. Check out our list to consider new titles for your book club group. If you have any questions, please contact the Reference Desk.

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Borrow Local Wonders Book Club Kit

Local Wonders by Ted Kooser has just been selected as the One Book One Nebraska. The Nebraska Library Commission has a book club kit of 15 copies that can be reserved for your book club’s use. Please contact the Reference Desk or your system office to make your reservation for this delightful and seasonal read.

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How to Contact the Chilean Miners

We just received a question from a Nebraska Library about contacting the Chilean Miners – and if your patrons are interested in doing the same, please direct all letters and gifts to:

Embassy of Chile in the United States of America
1732 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 785-1746
Fax: (202) 887-5579

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Freedom by Jonathan Franzen

The Nebraska Library Commission just received 9 copies of Jonathan Franzen’s new bestseller, Freedom for use by your book clubs! This is the 2010 Oprah Book Club Selection. Please contact us us to make your reservations.

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Text the Library Commission Reference Desk

Need to ask a question and all you have is your cell phone handy? Send a text message to our email address: nlc.ask@nebraska.gov and we’ll respond to your text. Add our contact to your address book so we’ll be there when you need us!

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New Titles in the NLC Book Club Kit Collection

Check out our recently updated Book Club Kit page: http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ref/bookclub/
Not only have we added new titles, we’ve also acquired additional copies of existing titles!
You may notice that some of our book club kits contain only a few copies of a title. When we run across just a few copies of an excellent title we’d like to add to our book club kit program we will go ahead and acquire those copies with the intent of growing the kit over time. If your library is discarding copies of one these titles, please consider adding them to our kit so that they may be used by book groups throughout Nebraska. Contact the Reference Desk for more information.
New Book Club Titles:
Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier 7
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold 5
Marley and Me by John Grogan 5
The Road by Cormac McCarthy 4
Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand 7
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See 2
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen 2
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger 2
What is the What by Dave Eggers 8
Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts 3
Widow of the South by Robert Hicks 6

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Big Read Book Club Kits

Looking for new ideas for your book group? Consider checking out one of our Big Read Book Club Guides when selecting your next title. Each kit includes a Teacher’s Guide, A Reader’s Guide and an Audio Guide. The National Endowment for the Arts created all of these guides hoping to inspire readers to pick up a good book and have a great discussion. Contact the Information Desk for more information.

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New Book Club Kits Added!

We have added MANY new book club kits to our collection for younger readers to adults. Here is our complete listing and here are our new titles:
The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J Gaines
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Hondo by Louis L’Amour
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Congratulations! Now What? A Book for Graduates by Bill Cosby
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain
The Daybreakers (The Sackett Series) by Louis L’Amour
A Family Trait by Terri L. Martin
Finding Buck McHenry by Alfred Slote
Frindle by Andrew Clements
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
Harris and Me by Gary Paulsen
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCuller
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Hondo by Louis L’Amour
I’m Nobody! Who Are You? Poems by Emily Dickenson
In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd
Last of the Breed by Louis L’Amour
My Antonia by Willa Cather
Peace Breaks Out by John Knowles
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Rubber Legs and White Tail-Hairs by Patrick F. McManus
Shingling the Fog and Other Plains Lies by Roger Welsch
Still Alive: A Holocaust Girlhood Remembered by Ruth Kluger
When My Name was Keoko by Linda Sue Park
Please contact the Reference Desk to make your reservations!

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Attention Book Clubs!

We’ve added 10 new kits to our collection. Each title includes 8 copies and an audio CD. From Geraldine Brooks’ Pulitzer Prize winning novel March to the very popular Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls, I hope one of these kits will pique your club’s interest for their next discussion. Other titles added include: The River of Doubt by Candace Millard; The Lady and the Panda by Vicki Crone; Love and Other Impossible Pursuits by Ayelet Waldman; Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder; Myth of You and Me by Leah Stewart; Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and Suite Francaise by Irene Nemiovsky. Please contact us if you’re interested in reserving any of these titles for your club.

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