Author Archives: Michael Sauers

Summer Reading Programs: Who Chooses the Theme?
The Collaborative Summer Reading Program (CSLP) began in 1987 when ten Minnesota regional library systems developed a summer library program for children. It has grown to a consortium of 47 states working together to provide high-quality summer reading program materials for children at the lowest cost possible for their public libraries. Join Sally Snyder, the NLC’s Coordinator of Children and Young Adult Library Services, and the current CSLP President, to learn all about how the CSLP works.

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Putting Facebook to Work for Your Library
Curious about Facebook, but don’t know where to start? Hastings College’s Perkins Library has been using its Facebook group page for a year and a half to spread the word about the library’s programs and services. Susan Franklin, Public Services Librarian at Perkins Library, will share how the library developed its Facebook presence and how this social networking tool is being used to inform, invite, announce, network and connect Perkins Library with its community.

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It’s a celebration… of you!
TechSoup and WebJunction are teaming up to celebrate MaintainIT contributors for helping create the resources the MaintainIT Project has produced the past three years. Whether you participated in a webinar, contributed content, were interested in the resources the project provides, or simply shared the project with someone else, you’re a contributor, and we want to thank you.
Please come to this fun and informative webinar, where you’ll receive top technology tips from library technology experts, hear what MaintainIT Project staff learned from their many conversations and library travels around the country, and you’ll find out how you can keep the rich Cookbook content and community alive on WebJunction.
WHEN: April 22, 11:00-12:00 PST
WHERE: Register online: http://evanced.info/webjunction/evanced/eventsignup.asp?ID=1582

2009 ONE BOOK ONE NEBRASKA: Nebraska Reads A Lantern in Her Hand
Join Rod Wagner, Nebraska Library Commission Director, Mary Jo Ryan, Nebraska Library Commission Communications Coordinator, and Teresa Lorensen, Bess Streeter Aldrich Foundation Director, to:

• Learn about how to create a successful local reading promotion using Nebraska’s year-long, statewide celebration featuring Bess Streeter Aldrich, one of Nebraska’s best-loved authors.
• Brainstorm strategies to read and discuss A Lantern in Her Hand, a classic story of a pioneer woman who withstands the adversity of existence on the prairie to triumph in the joy of everyday life.
• Find tools to help engage your community in local activites to encourage them to come together through literature to explore this classic work in community-wide reading programs.

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Computers: What to Know Before You Buy
Gigahertz, gigabytes, 32-bit, 64-bit, megahertz, megabytes, hard drives, solid-state drives, RAM, CD, DVD-R, DVD+R, Blu-Ray. Could purchasing a new a computer ever have been more confusing? Spend an hour with the Commissions’ Michael Sauers and Diane Wells while they discuss what you need to consider when purchasing new computers for your library and your home. There will be ample Q&A time so be sure to bring your questions with you!

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The NLC Podcast has been relaunched at the NCompass Podcast. This new version will continue the great content previously posted but episodes will now be weekly with the inclusion of unscheduled special episodes.
Check out the New NebraskAccess!
Check it out! NebraskAccess, the portal to information databases for Nebraska residents since 2003, has a new look and a new URL: http://nebraskaccess.ne.gov. The new NebraskAccess site integrates the statewide subscription databases with the web resources selected by librarians, formerly found in the Nebraska Library Commission’s Best of the Web. Sign up for this session to learn all about the new NebraskAccess.

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The NLC Podcast has been relaunched at the NCompass Podcast. This new version will continue the great content previously posted but episodes will now be weekly with the inclusion of unscheduled special episodes.
Participating in the Creative Commons
With the debate over copyright raging, some are calling for the end of the “all rights reserved” regime; schools and libraries are caught in the middle. What are the alternatives? Creative Commons (CC) is the most respected alternative available today with its idea of “some rights reserved” as set by the content creators themselves. This presentation will talk about the principles of Creative Commons, show how you can easily apply it to your intellectual property today, and how you can use CC to find material that you and your patrons can legally reuse in the creation of new content.

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Presented by Michael Sauers on 20 February 2009 in Norfolk, NE.

The NLC Podcast has been relaunched at the NCompass Podcast. This new version will continue the great content previously posted but episodes will now be weekly with the inclusion of unscheduled special episodes.
Nebraska Library Accreditation, Librarian Certification and Library Board Certification: The Whys & Hows
Have you had questions about Accreditation and Certification? Richard Miller will discuss public library accreditation and Library Board of Trustees certification. Laura Johnson will talk about the librarian certification program. They’ll cover why these programs are important, what they can do for you, and just how they work. Then Richard and Laura will answer questions from attendees.

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The NLC Podcast has been relaunched at the NCompass Podcast. This new version will continue the great content previously posted but episodes will now be weekly with the inclusion of unscheduled special episodes.
Nebraska Learns 2.0 Wrap-up
You came, you played, you learned! You’ve conquered Nebraska Learns 2.0 and now it’s time for the post-game analysis.
Join Christa, Michael, Allana, and Susan, your guides through the world that is Web 2.0, for this NCompass Live session reviewing the program. We’ll be announcing who won the prizes and let you know things like the total number of blogs, blog posts, comments and other stats. This will also be your chance to give us your feedback and ideas.

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The NLC Podcast has been relaunched at the NCompass Podcast. This new version will continue the great content previously posted but episodes will now be weekly with the inclusion of unscheduled special episodes.
Feel the Love: Free Health Resources from the National Library of Medicine
Just in time for all the Valentines in your life, Marty Magee, Nebraska and Education Liaison for the National Network/Libraries of Medicine will be talking with Mary Jo Ryan of the Nebraska Library Commission as Marty shares free health resources from the National Library of Medicine, and more. Learn about updates on sites like MedlinePlus and what’s available in Nebraska, too!

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The NLC Podcast has been relaunched at the NCompass Podcast. This new version will continue the great content previously posted but episodes will now be weekly with the inclusion of unscheduled special episodes.
Library of Congress Talking Books: Now Downloadable 24/7
Eligible individuals with email addresses and high-speed Internet connections can now download Library of Congress talking books and magazines from a nationwide web site to a PC, then to a flash memory cartridge for use with a digital player. Dave Oertli and Scott Scholz speak about the new option and demonstrate the service.

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The NLC Podcast has been relaunched at the NCompass Podcast. This new version will continue the great content previously posted but episodes will now be weekly with the inclusion of unscheduled special episodes.
Bibliostat Collect: It’s Got a New Look
John Felton and Kathryn Brockmeier demonstrate how to use the new version of Bibliostat Collect and talk about why the Library Commission gathers public library statistics every year.

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The NLC Podcast has been relaunched at the NCompass Podcast. This new version will continue the great content previously posted but episodes will now be weekly with the inclusion of unscheduled special episodes.
Meet the NLC, Part 2: What is the Nebraska Library Commission? Who are we? What do we do?
To kick off the weekly NCompass Live, we will introduce you to the people and departments of the Nebraska Library Commission. In Part 2, you will meet Devra Dragos, Network Services Director, Mary Jo Ryan, Communications Coordinator, Richard Miller, Library Development Director, and Vern Buis, Lead Infrastructure Support Analyst.

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Devra’s links, Mary Jo’s links, Richard’s links, Vern’s links

The NLC Podcast has been relaunched at the NCompass Podcast. This new version will continue the great content previously posted but episodes will now be weekly with the inclusion of unscheduled special episodes.
Meet the NLC, Part 1: What is the Nebraska Library Commission? Who are we? What do we do?
To kick off the weekly NCompass Live, we will introduce you to the people and departments of the Nebraska Library Commission. In Part 1, you will meet Rod Wagner, Library Commission Director, Beth Goble, Government Information Services Director, Dave Oertli, Talking Book & Braille Service Director, and Lisa Kelly, Information Services Director.

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Rod’s links, Lisa’s links, Dave’s links, Beth’s links

The following workshops have been scheduled at the Nebraska Library Commission in January. The instructor is Michael Sauers, Technology Innovation Librarian, Nebraska Library Commission.
Introduction to Web Page Creation with XHTML
Description: Even if you use FrontPage, Dreamweaver, Drupal to Blogger to create your Web site, there’s XHTML under the hood. This six-hour workshop will give you a basic understanding of how the eXtensible HyperText Markup language works and how to create Web pages using it through a hands-on approach. By the end of the day attendees will be able to create new pages from scratch and have a solid foundation on which to build their future Web page creation skills.
Date and Time: January 15, 2009, 9am – 4pm CT
For more information and to register: http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/scripts/training/eventshow.asp?ProgID=8823
Style Your Web Site with CSS
Description: Once you have the content of your Web page written and your markup added, it’s time to add some style. Cascading Style Sheets is the language that gives you the power to make your pages look the way you want them to. CSS also allows you to give your site a consistent look across all of your pages in less code than you’d imagine. Ultimately, designing your Web site using CSS allows you to accomplish more work, in less time, and make your site easier to manage over the long-term. This full-day, hands-on workshop, will give you the basic skills to begin designing professional future-compatible looking Web sites.
Date and Time: January 16, 2009, 9am – 4pm CT
For more information and to register: http://www.nlc.state.ne.us/scripts/training/eventshow.asp?ProgID=8824