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Category Archives: General
Nebraska Writer’s Novel Chosen for 2016 One Book One Nebraska
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 16, 2015
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Mary Jo Ryan
402-471-3434
800-307-2665
Nebraska Writer’s Novel Chosen for 2016 One Book One Nebraska
Karen Gettert Shoemaker’s The Meaning of Names, a Nebraska-set novel with a World War I backdrop, is Nebraska’s reading choice for the 2016 One Book One Nebraska statewide reading program. The Meaning of Names follows a German-American woman trying to raise a family in the heartland and keep them safe from the effects of war and the influenza panic, as well as from violence and prejudice.
The One Book One Nebraska reading program, sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, is entering its twelfth year. It encourages Nebraskans across the state to read and discuss one book, chosen from books written by Nebraska authors or that have a Nebraska theme or setting. A committee of the Nebraska Center for the Book selected this book from a list of twenty-seven titles nominated by Nebraskans from across the state. The book was published in 2014 and was announced as the 2016 selection at the Celebration of Nebraska Books on November 14 in Lincoln.
Libraries across Nebraska will join other literary and cultural organizations in planning book discussions, activities, and events that will encourage Nebraskans to read and discuss this book. Support materials to assist with local reading/discussion activities will be available after January 1, 2016 at http://onebook.nebraska.gov. Updates and activity listings will be posted on the One Book One Nebraska Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/onebookonenebraska.
One Book One Nebraska is sponsored by Nebraska Center for the Book, Humanities Nebraska, and Nebraska Library Commission. 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 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.
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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.
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Throwback Thursday: Havelock Carnegie Library
Exterior photo of Havelock, Nebraska Carnegie Library built in 1907.
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The Data Dude – Public Library Survey Now Available
The annual IMLS Public Library Survey is now available. For those of you who are new directors, it might be helpful to familiarize yourself with the survey and instructions. Take a peek at the Bibliostat Collect portion of the data services section of the NLC website, which has instructions and guides to help you complete the survey, as well as a link to the login screen. Keep in mind that the survey is required for your library to receive state aid if you are accredited. If you aren’t accredited, you still have an incentive to complete the survey ($200), called Dollar$ for Data.
The survey runs until February 19, 2016. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions throughout the process. You can always start the survey, save your submissions, and then resume at a later date. It doesn’t have to all be done at once. Tip: It’s always a good idea to click on the red “save” button in Bibliostat before clicking “next” to the next screen. Thank you in advance for your participation.
Posted in General, Library Management, Uncategorized
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Free Webinar: Using HealthCare.gov to Enroll in Health Coverage
A live training webinar, “Using HealthCare.gov to Enroll in Health Coverage,” will be presented on Wednesday, December 9, 2015.
Register today for “Using HealthCare.gov to Enroll in Health Coverage”
- Start time: 2:00 p.m. (Eastern), 1:00 (Central)
- Duration: 60 minutes
- Speaker: Krista Das, Health Insurance Specialist with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
- Learning outcomes: If you haven’t applied for insurance on HealthCare.gov before, this webinar will tell you what you need to know about the Health Insurance Marketplace (sometimes known as the health insurance “exchange” or “Obamacare exchange”). Topics include:
- Who is eligible to use the Marketplace
- What plans cover
- What savings you qualify for based on your income, household, and state
- How to pick a plan category and compare plans
- The fee for not being covered
- How to apply and enroll in health coverage
- Expected level of knowledge for participants: No prerequisite knowledge required
The webinar is free, however registration is required. Upon registering, a confirmation email will be sent to you. This registration confirmation email includes the instructions for joining the webinar.
Registration confirmations will be sent from sqldba @ icohere.com. To ensure delivery of registration confirmations, registrants should configure junk mail or spam filter(s) to permit messages from that email address. If you do not receive the confirmation, please notify GPO.
GPO’s eLearning platform presents webinars using WebEx. In order to attend or present at a GPO-hosted webinar, a WebEx plug-in must be installed in your internet browser(s). Download instructions.
Visit FDLP Academy for access to FDLP educational and training resources. All are encouraged to share and re-post information about this free training opportunity with others.
The Modern Farm Horse
As the harvest season is ending, I thought it would be a great time to look at some of the first tractors Nebraskans used to work the fields. Looking at the photos in Nebraska Memories makes me wonder what people thought of these large metal machines as they started to be delivered to farms across the state. Someone in Sidney cared enough to have a photo taken of a railroad flat car loaded with three International Harvester Mogul steam tractors. You can see how large the tractors are compared to the men standing in front of them.
Photographer John Nelson took a picture of man who I consider to be brave. The man is standing on the back of a tractor that appears to be part way up a ramp with a sharp incline. The tractor must have great breaks since it is not rolling down the incline.
John Nelson also took a picture of a group of six men standing next to a tractor in what appears to be the middle of a field. While we may never know what was really going on at the time of this picture it appears to me that they got
the tractor and the cart they were pulling stuck in the mud. As you can see, the back wheels of the tractor and the wagon wheels are almost axel deep in mud. You have to wonder if the tractor made it out on its own steam or if the men and/or horses in the picture had to help.
If you haven’t noticed, I don’t know much about tractors. When I saw the photo of the Hart-Parr Company, I just assumed it was a local company in Lincoln. I love the sign next to the garage door. It states “The modern farm horse. Does plowing for 40 to 60 cents per acre. eats nothing when idle”. 
I originally planned to do a bit of research to see if I could learn something about this local company. I was surprised to learn however that the Hart-Parr Company was actually a tractor company based out of Charles City Iowa. I can only assume that the location in Lincoln was the local dealership. If you are a tractor enthusiast, you may be interested to know that Hart-Parr merged with three other companies in 1929 to form the Oliver Farm Equipment Company. The Oliver Company went through some changes and finally ended up being White Farm Equipment.
One of the place I looked for information about the Hart-Parr Company was in the Library of Congress’s Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers collection. While I 
didn’t find the type of information I was hoping to find I did run across a couple of fun ads that appeared in The Commoner. In 1912 the Hart-Parr Company offered a correspondence course that would teach you how to run a tractor. Participants in the course also got to attend the practice schools where they could “actually run a tractor”. One of these schools was located in Lincoln.
I hoped you enjoyed seeing some of these “Modern Farm Horse”. Visit Nebraska Memories to search for or browse through many more historical images digitized from photographs, negatives, postcards, maps, lantern slides, books and other materials.
Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. Nebraska Memories is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information, contact Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.
Friday Reads: How to Babysit a Leopard by Ted & Betsy Lewin
Ted and Betsy Lewin take turns recounting some of the many experiences they had while traveling the globe in order to research different animals and locations for the books they have written for children. Some events were frightening – som
e humorous, all retold for the reader to share the back seat during their lives on the road in Africa, India, Mongolia and more – covering six continents!
Plenty of their sketches from the trips as well as photographs are included on each two-page spread. I enjoyed reading about Africa, somewhere I have been, as well as the many places I have not! This book may inspire future travelers, artists, and writers. What amazing lives they have led!
New State Agency Publications Received at the Library Commission
New state agency publications have been received at the Nebraska Library Commission for September and October, 2015. Included are titles from the Nebraska Crime Commission, the Nebraska Secretary of State, and University of Nebraska Press, to name a few.
NCompass Live: Secrets of the NLC Website
Join us for next week’s NCompass Live, “Secrets of the NLC Website”, on Thursday, Nov. 12, 10:00-11:00 am Central Time.
NOTE! Due to the Veterans Day holiday, this NCompass Live is being held on Thursday, November 12. It will be at the usual time, from 10am – 11am Central Time.
We’ve really concentrated over the years on making the Nebraska Library Commission’s Website a veritable treasure-trove of useful information and tools. These things aren’t meant to be secret, so we’d like to show off some of the stuff that librarians will find especially useful. Join the NLC gang for a jaunt through these secrets-no-more.
Upcoming NCompass Live events:
- Nov. 18 – Inspire Your Community with an Innovation Lab
- Nov. 25 – Life After MARC: Cataloging Tools of the Future
- Dec. 2 – The Central Nebraska Digital Co-op
- Dec. 16 – Tech Tuesdays: Taking Time to Teach Technology to Technophobes
For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website. The show is presented online using the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
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Throwback Thursday: Hastings Carnegie Library
Exterior photo of the Hastings, Nebraska Carnegie Library built in 1904.
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The Data Dude on Device Ownership
This week, there is yet another Pew Research Center study worthy of regurgitation (the Dude knows this is familiar territory). The report, titled Technology Device Ownership: 2015, details the rise and fall of ownership of devices such as cellphones, smartphones, desktop and laptop computers, tablet computers, game consoles, MP3 players, and eBook readers. While the chart at the right details the specific 18-29 age demographic, those numbers (and trends) mirror the general population (GP). It should come as no surprise that smartphone and tablet computer ownership is on the rise and eReaders, portable gaming devices, and MP3 players are on the decline. It’s fairly easy to understand the reasons for the trend, but in case you might be having trouble the Dude will spell it out for you. The reason is that eReading, game playing, and music listening can just as effectively be done on devices that not only handle those specific functions but do others as well (or multi-taskers, if you will). Example: A smartphone makes phone calls but also can handle your MP3 music files, so if you are out for a stroll and want to listen to some tunes, no need to pack up that MP3 player and AA batteries. Just take the phone. Likewise if you want tunes in your car (and have a more modern car), just plug the phone in. Gone are the days of burning your own CD’s (or cassette tapes); just drag and drop them ol’ MP3’s on your phone and plug it in to the AUX jack on the modern vehicle. If you’ve got a non-modern car, play it old school and turn on the radio.
Now eReading and game playing for most can both be accomplished with a small tablet computer. Forget about separate eReaders and game playing devices; just get one tablet that can handle both of these and many other functions (the price difference isn’t much). For some, games can also be played on the smartphone, depending of course on the game. It’s a bit better experience on the tablet, though, and why not pay a few extra dollars for the color tablet that allows you to download and play games? Because, let’s face it, if you’re like the Dude, you enjoys a bit of Pac Man 256 or Crossy Road now and again. When we think about eReaders, we typically think about basic black and white devices that you can’t do those things on, and you can’t really watch movies or stream video content on those B&W thingy’s. Finally, when looking at these trends ask yourself about your own websites. Are they optimized so that those viewing your site on a tablet or smartphone have a decent experience? Is the site accessible from such devices? It’s been said before and it’ll now be said again. Shaka.
Nebraska Authors to Speak at November 14 Celebration of Nebraska Books
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 
November 2, 2015
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Mary Jo Ryan
402-471-3434
800-307-2665
Nebraska Authors to Speak at November 14 Celebration of Nebraska Books
Presentations by winning Nebraska writers and book designers will highlight the Nebraska Center for the Book’s Celebration of Nebraska Books on November 14 at 1200 N Street, in downtown Lincoln. Presenters will include the following 2015 Nebraska Book Award Winners:
Fiction writer: Rebecca Rotert, Last Night at the Blue Angel.
Non-fiction writers: Ted Genoways, The Chain: Farm, Factory, and the Fate of Our Food; James J. Kimble, Prairie Forge: The Extraordinary Story of the Nebraska Scrap Metal Drive of World War II; Melissa Amateis Marsh, Nebraska POW Camps: A History of World War II Prisoners in the Heartland; and Ronald C. Naugle and John J. Montag, History of Nebraska.
Photographer: Nancy Warner, This Place, These People: Life and Shadow on the Great Plains.
Poets: Ted Kooser, The Wheeling Year: A Poet’s Field Book; Barbara Schmitz, Always the Detail; and Laura Madeline Wiseman, Intimates and Fools.
The celebration, free and open to the public, will also feature presentation of the Nebraska Center for the Book’s Jane Geske Award to the Lincoln City Libraries One Book-One Lincoln Community Reading Program for exceptional contribution to literacy, books, reading, libraries, and literature in Nebraska. The Jane Geske Award commemorates Geske’s passion for books, and was established in recognition of her contributions to the well-being of the libraries of Nebraska. Jane Pope Geske was a founding member of the Nebraska Center for the Book, former director of the Nebraska Library Commission, and a long-time leader in Nebraska library and literary activities.
This year the Celebration marks the eleventh year of One Book One Nebraska with a presentation celebrating Death Zones & Darling Spies: Seven Years of Vietnam War Reporting by Beverly Deepe Keever. The presentation by Thomas Berg, Ph.D., Dept. of History, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is titled “Beverly Deepe Keever: An Unconventional Woman for an Unconventional War” (see http://onebook.nebraska.gov/2015/ ).
The Nebraska Center for the Book Annual Meeting will be held at 1:30 p.m.—just prior to the 2:30-6:30 p.m. Celebration. An awards reception honoring the winning authors, book signings, and announcement of the 2016 One Book One Nebraska book choice will conclude the festivities. For the list of finalists, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases/1510FinalistFor2016OBONAnnounced.aspx.
The Celebration of Nebraska Books is sponsored by Nebraska Center for the Book, Nebraska Library Commission, and University of Nebraska Press, with support for the One Book One Nebraska presentation from Humanities Nebraska. The bookstore is provided by Indigo Bridge Books. Celebration information is available at http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/programs/celebration.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 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, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.
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Free Webinar on Veterans Health Information Resources
There are currently over 21 million veterans in the United States. They often face unique health care needs as a result of experiencing combat, exposure to environmental hazards, and separation from loved ones. This presentation will highlight some of their specific health concerns, and explore health information resources that would be beneficial for both veterans and their families. This webinar is geared towards those in public health, community-based organizations, community colleges, and public libraries who provide programs and services to veterans.
Instructions to connect to the audio will show up once you’ve logged in. No registration required. Captioning will be provided and the session will be recorded.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015 – 1:00PM MT/2:00PM CT
Join us at: https://webmeeting.nih.gov/mcr2
The Data Dude on Project Outcome
For those of you that are still fizzed from NLA, you might want to check out the Public Library Association’s Project Outcome. Project Outcome began in January, 2015 as a 3 year project with funding from the Gates Foundation. It is a completely free resource. The idea behind Project Outcome is that it provides tools (meaning surveys given to library users that result in some flashy charts and graphs) to measure outcomes. An outcome is defined as: “a specific benefit that results from a library program or service designed to help patrons change their knowledge, skills, attitudes, behavior, or condition.” Now there are a lot of buzz words surrounding things like Project Outcome, so the Dude will summarize things by saying that Project Outcome is designed to be a simple tool to provide you with a snapshot of how your library is doing (and what you might need to improve on). The Project Outcome people say that the goal is to address the “need for better data to demonstrate the value of your public library programs and services.” The surveys are short (6 questions in length), and cover 7 different areas: civic/community engagement, digital inclusion, early childhood literacy, economic development, education and lifelong learning, job skills, and summer reading. You don’t have to do surveys for all of the areas; rather, you can pick and choose the ones you want.
For more information about the Project, here is the latest webinar, or this video contains an overview of the initiative. Shaka.
Meet Aimee Owen, Information Services Librarian
Chances are, you’ve already met Aimee – but just in case …
Meet Aimee Scoville 
Owen who joined the Nebraska Library Commission in the Talking Book and Braille Service in December 2013. Aimee is a native of Elwood, NE and a graduate of UNO where she received a BS in Management Information Systems and two master’s degrees; the first in Information Technology and the second in Library and Information Science. Aimee and her husband of nearly 10 years, Lowell, share a home in Omaha with their two children – Asher, age 5, Margot, 6 months, and Ryker the 12 year old miniature schnauzer. In June of 2015, Aimee joined the Information Services Team and is a voice you’ll hear answering the Library Commission phone or calling you for updates for our library directory. Aimee came to us from the Omaha Public Library and has been well-connected with NLA, so many of you have already worked with her, but did you know she has a gaggle of relatives in Nebraska that also work in libraries?
This group currently includes: Alicia Lassen – Media Specialist at Overton Public School (2nd cousin); Barb Keep – Media Specialist at Elm Creek Public School (aunt); Shawna Lindner – Librarian at Kearney Public Library (2nd cousin’s wife); and Karrie Huryta – Director of Ravenna Public Library (cousin’s sister-in-law).
In her rare spare time, Aimee participates in the Raqs Awn Bellydance Troupe, the NLA Paraprofessional Section (secretary), and the GirlFriends volunteer guild board for Girls Inc. of Omaha, as well as reading the Golden Sower nominees for primary and intermediate level, and striving to meet an annual reading goal of 120 books, all while taking kids to violin, soccer, and basketball.
Lincoln City Libraries One Book-One Lincoln to Receive Award for Promotion of Literature
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 26, 2015
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Mary Jo Ryan
402-471-3434
800-307-2665
Lincoln City Libraries One Book-One Lincoln to Receive Award for Promotion of Literature
The Nebraska Center for the Book will present the 2015 Jane Geske Award at the November 14 Celebration of Nebraska Books in downtown Lincoln. Lincoln City Libraries’ One Book-One Lincoln Community Reading Program will be honored for their extraordinary contribution to Nebraska’s community of the book. One Book-One Lincoln began in 2002 and has been conducted every year by library staff and volunteers. They help select and purchase the titles, plan the programming, and create this constant and steady feature of the reading community for Lincoln, and Nebraska. The letter of nomination points out, “While entertainment and sporting options pull people in different directions, reading the same book together gives us a common experience. Reading—generally a private activity—changes completely when shared as a group, and discussing a book as a community brings us together.”
The Nebraska Center for the Book annually presents the Jane Geske Award to an organization, business, library, school, association, or other group that has made an exceptional contribution to literacy, books, reading, bookselling, libraries, or Nebraska literature. The Jane Geske Award commemorates Geske’s passion for books, and was established in recognition of her contributions to the well-being of the libraries of Nebraska. Jane Geske was the director of the Nebraska Library Commission, a founding member of the Nebraska Center for the Book, a Lincoln bookseller, and a long-time leader in Nebraska library and literary activities. The 2015 award is a framed photograph by Steve Ryan entitled, “Woodcliff Lakes, NE.27.”
The November 14 Celebration, free and open to the public, will also feature presentation of the 2015 Nebraska Book Awards, and some of the winning authors will read from their work. A list of winners is posted at http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/awards.html. The Celebration of Nebraska Books is scheduled for 2:30 – 6:30 p.m. at 1200 N Street, with this year’s One Book One Nebraska, Death Zones & Darling Spies: Seven Years of Vietnam War Reporting, by Beverly Deepe Keever, featured at the Celebration in a presentation, “Beverly Deepe Keever: An Unconventional Woman for An Unconventional War,” by Thomas Berg, Ph.D., Dept. of History, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The Nebraska Center for the Book Annual Meeting will be held at 1:30 p.m. and an Awards Reception, book signings, and announcement of the 2016 One Book One Nebraska book choice conclude the festivities. The Celebration of Nebraska Books (http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/programs/celebration.html) is sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book and the Nebraska Library Commission, with support from the Friends of the University of Nebraska Press.
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 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, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.
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Throwback Thursday: Hartington Carnegie Library
Exterior photo of the Hartington, Nebraska Carnegie Library built in 1916.
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The Data Dude on the 2014 Digital Inclusion Survey Results
Shaka. The results from the 2014 Digital Inclusion Survey are now available. Here is a link to the press release and a number of the reports. The Nebraska page can be found here. You can view the specific data and profile for your library by typing your library name in the search box (just make sure your browser is up to date if you have problems). Digital inclusion addresses both the digital divide and digital literacy. Thank you for your participation in last year’s survey (our response rate was much higher than the previous year). Here is a brief summary of how Nebraska compares to the national average on some of the digital inclusion areas (for a complete list, go to the link on the Nebraska page and scroll down):
2014 Digital Inclusion Survey Results
| Nebraska | National Avg. | |
| Avg. Download Speed | 10 Mbps | 16 Mbps |
| Avg. Number of Public Access Computers/laptops | 13.3 | 18.8 |
| eBooks | 79.1% | 90.3% |
| Online Health Resources | 38.8% | 76.8% |
| Mobile Apps to Access Library Services | 25.9% | 42.7% |
| General Computer Skills Training | 81.9% | 86.9% |
| General Familiarity with New Technologies (e.g. using eReaders, tablets) | 59.0% | 61.8% |
| Social Media (e.g. blogs, Twitter, FaceBook, YouTube) | 62.3% | 57.2% |
| Summer Reading for Children | 90.5% | 95.4% |
| GED or Equivalent Education | 20.9% | 34.9% |
| STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) Events | 20.4% | 34.2% |
| Applying for Jobs | 66.2% | 73.1% |
| Accessing and Using Online Business Information Resources | 26.4% | 47.9% |
| Providing Work Space(s) for Mobile Workers | 39.3% | 36.1% |
| Hosting Community Engagement Events (e.g., Candidate Forums, Community Conversations): | 32.8% | 40.2% |
| Hosting Social Connection Events for Young Adults (e.g., manga/anime, gaming, book groups): | 43.3% | 59.8% |
| Identifying Health Insurance Resources | 48.3% | 59.4% |
| Locating and Evaluating Free Health Information Online | 57.2% | 57.7% |
Protect Your Small Business Against Credit Card Fraud
You’ve probably heard of people stealing, buying, and selling credit card information. You don’t want your business to be the victim of such a transaction. But on any given day, your small business is now vulnerable.
The cardholder’s issuing bank previously took care of these situations. Previously.
That’s the way it used to be. Now your small business could be the one that is liable–not the issuer. Starting October 1, the rules changed for Europay, Mastercard and VISA (EMV) cards. Now, there are “chip cards”, and U.S. credit card companies set October as the deadline for the national adoption of their new chip cards. So, if you have not integrated EMV technology that processes chip cards, your business will now become financially responsible for fraudulent transactions previously covered by the cardholder’s issuing bank.
Why are credit card companies taking this route? Roughly 90 percent of credit card terminals in Europe are chip-enabled. According to Barclays, the United Kingdom has seen nearly a 70 percent decline in counterfeit card transactions since making the transition. Meanwhile, America has 25 percent of the world’s credit card use, but 50 percent of the world’s credit card fraud, and that’s enough reason for card companies to demand a shift from antiquated swipe-and-sign to microchips on credit cards.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is concerned that many U. S. entrepreneurs are still in the dark about this change. It is estimated that about 20 percent of our nation’s payment terminals are currently equipped to accept chip cards, but most of these are at larger retailers. This means the majority of America’s small businesses will need to upgrade their payment systems as soon as possible. Depending on the cost of the goods and services that a small business sells, being held liable for fraudulent card use could have serious financial consequences.
Most small businesses can’t afford their own fraud departments and definitely can’t afford to be behind the curve while large competitors move forward with technology upgrades. That’s why the SBA has partnered with Square to educate small businesses about how to increase your payment security and to protect cardholder information. Visit the SBA website www.sba.gov/emv to read all about the change to EMV (Europay, Mastercard, Visa) cards and what you need to do. You can learn how to prevent risk and protect both you and your customers against credit card fraud and the liability that comes along with it.
Reprinted from SBA Nebraska District Office news release received October 19, 2015.
Nebraska Then and Now Part 2
Last month I wrote a post that showed 15 historical images of buildings that are part of the Nebraska Memories collection and are still standing today. As I mentioned, I’ve tried to take pictures of some of these historical buildings as I’ve traveled the state because I thought it would be fun to see how much or how little these buildings have changed. As I was going through my collection of photos I realized I had enough photos for at least one more post showing what Nebraska looked like then and now.
I hope you enjoy looking at these pictures to see how these buildings have and have not changed over the years.
Albion Public Library in Nebraska – 437 S 3rd St, Albion
Albion Public Library in Nebraska
Built: 1908
Picture: 1920-1930
Picture: 2015
Public Library, Alliance, Neb. – 204 W 4th St, Alliance
Public Library, Alliance, Neb.
Built: 1912
Postcard: 1920-1930
Picture: 2015
Burlington Station, Omaha, Neb. – 926 S. 10th Street, Omaha
Burlington Station, Omaha, Neb.
Built: 1898
Postcard: 1910?
Picture: 2015
Read about how the Burlington Station is being remolded.
Burlington Station – 925 S. 10th Street, Omaha
Burlington Station
Built: 1898
Picture: 1910-1911
Picture: 2015
The columns were removed from the Burlington Station during a renovation in 1930. The columns are now located on the UNL Campus near Memorial Stadium.
Hardy’s Furniture Building – 1314 O Street, Lincoln
Hardy’s Furniture Building
The two-story addition was added in 1915
Picture: 1928
Picture: 2015
J. L. Brandeis & Sons Building, Omaha, Neb. – 16th and Douglas Streets, Omaha
J. L. Brandeis & Sons Building, Omaha, Neb.
Built: 1906
Postcard: 1900?
Picture: 2015
Library building, McCook413 Norris Ave, McCook
Library building, McCook
Built: 1908
Postcard: 1910-1920
Picture: 2010
Nash Building – 16th and Harney Streets, Omaha
Nash Building
Picture: 1920-1929
Picture: 2015
Ponca Public Library in Nebraska – 203 2nd St, Ponca
Ponca Public Library in Nebraska
Built: 1912
Picture: 1913
Picture: 2014
Scottish Rite Cathedral, Omaha, Neb. – 20th & Douglas Streets, Omaha
Scottish Rite Cathedral, Omaha, Neb.
Built: 1912-1914
Postcard: 1914-1920
Picture: 2015
Farnam St. looking east, Omaha, Nebr. – Farnam Street looking east from 18th Street, Omaha
Farnam St. looking east, Omaha, Nebr.
Postcard: 1900?
Picture: 2015
Hanson’s Cafe, Omaha, Neb. – 315 S. 16th Street, Omaha
Hanson’s Cafe, Omaha, Neb.
Postcard: 1908-1909
Picture: 2015
Rose Building and Henshaw Hotel, 16th & Farnam Sts., Omaha, Neb. – 16th & Farnam St., Omaha
Rose Building and Henshaw Hotel, 16th & Farnam Sts., Omaha, Neb.
Postcard: 1920?
Picture: 2015
Mitchell Mercantile – 13th & Center Ave, Mitchell
Mitchell Mercantile
Built: 1906
Picture: 1910
Picture: 2012
Hotel Hill, Omaha, Nebraska – 505 South 16th Street, Omaha
Hotel Hill, Omaha, Nebraska
Built: 1919
Postcard: 1920-1929?
Picture: 2015
Hardy’s Furniture Building – 1314 O Street, Lincoln
Hardy’s Furniture Building
A two story addition was added in 1915.
Picture: 1928
Picture: 2015
Dodge County Courthouse construction, Fremont, Nebraska – 435 N Park Ave
Dodge County Courthouse construction, Fremont, Nebraska
Built: 1917
Picture: 1917
Picture: 2009
New York Life Ins. Bld., Omaha, Neb. – 17th & Farnam Streets, Omaha
New York Life Ins. Bld., Omaha, Neb.
Built: 1888-1889
Postcard: 1901-1907
Picture: 2015
Visit Nebraska Memories to search for or browse through many more historical images digitized from photographs, negatives, postcards, maps, lantern slides, books and other materials.
Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. Nebraska Memories is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information, contact Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.
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