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Category Archives: General
Join the Nebraska Dewey Group Purchase
This is a good time of year to remind Nebraska librarians that they can save money on the web and print versions of the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) system by participating in the Nebraska Dewey Group Purchase!
Dewey on the Web
Enjoy web-based access to an enhanced version of the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) database through WebDewey. WebDewey includes all content from the print edition and features:
regular updates (new developments, new built numbers and additional electronic index terms)- an easy-to-navigate, simple user interface that is suitable for the novice as well as the power user
- BISAC-to-DDC mappings
Our next WebDewey Group annual subscription term will begin on January 1, 2016 and run through December 31, 2016. Libraries may join the Group at any time. Mid-term subscriptions will be prorated. Orders must be received by the 15th of the month for a start date of the 1st of the following month.
If your library is interested in subscribing to WebDewey, you will find Pricing information on the online WebDewey Order Form.
To see WebDewey in action, try the WebDewey 2.0: An Overview tutorial.
Dewey in Print
The Nebraska Dewey Group includes the print versions of the Abridged Edition 15 (1 volume) and the 23rd edition of the unabridged Dewey Decimal Classification (4 volumes).
OCLC is offering group participants 10% off of the original list price on the DDC in print.
If your library is interested in ordering the DDC in print, you will find pricing information on the online Book Order Form.
For more information about the DDC, please visit Dewey Services.
If you have any questions about these Dewey products or the Nebraska Group, please contact Susan Knisely, 402-471-3849 or 800-307-2665.
NOTE: OCLC Membership is NOT required to purchase Dewey products.
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The Data Dude on Bibliostat Logins and Browsers
Shaka. As some of you are now working on your public library surveys via Bibliostat, you may be experiencing log-in or browser related issues. Nothing is more frustrating than this. Feel free to contact the Dude if you have problems and need some help. First, if you are unable to log in (after double checking your passwords), make sure that the zeros are zeros and not capital O’s. None of the passwords contain capital O’s; what you see are zeros. Another thing to double check is your number and caps locks (although Bibliostat isn’t case sensitive). Finally, you can type your ID/password in a word processor and then copy and paste. Sometimes this exposes the irregularity, which sometimes is due to typing and not being able to see the characters (because you see the *****).
Now for the browser blues. Rule #1: Don’t use Chrome. It won’t work. Rule #2: Firefox good. In fact, probably the best choice. Rule #3: Internet Explorer (IE) is OK, but you must use at least version 6.0 or higher, and if you use version 10 or higher, you need to turn compatibility view on. Here’s the instructions to do that. For those users of the Edge browser in Windows 10, I had one library report some difficulties with it, but after testing here, noticed no problems with Edge. Rule #4: Use Edge at your own risk.
Bibliostat apparently is working on a new interface that will most likely address these browser issues. However, since we are mid-survey cycle, look for this change next year.
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Friday Reads: The Whites by Richard Price, writing as Harry Brandt
“When I was in prison, I was wrapped up in all those deep books. That Tolstoy crap – people shouldn’t read that stuff.”
–Mike Tyson
The Whites, by Richard Price writing as Harry Brandt (more on that later) tells the familiar story of police detectives chasing criminals. The story mostly follows main character detective Billy Graves (still on the force but relegated to the night shift after some mishaps) and his cop friends (who have all left the force). Each of them has their own “white”, which is a reference to the white whale or Moby Dick. In this case the white is the one person that they believe got away with a brutal crime, but whose guilt cannot concretely be proved. Thus, their white roams free, escaping any societal punishment. Instead of tracking them down, injecting them with M99, encasing them in plastic, giving them their just desserts in a way not suitable for the squeamish (think power tools) and then dumping them into the ocean ala Dexter Morgan, the detectives just remain haunted by the open cases and continue to work the system to try and develop a new lead or evidence to connect the dots. Ho-hum. At least until the whites start turning up dead; certainly not in Dexter Morgan fashion, but dead nonetheless. And Price navigates the moral waters of such a course in a more typical way, at least compared to the morality of Dexter Morgan.
The thing about Price is that there is nothing new in the story or the formula (including a thrilling side story), but where Price excels is in the way he describes the ordinary dialogue and events of these somewhat (at least for cops) ordinary people. It’s what made his previous novels and his writing on The Wire so raw, real, engaging, and so darkly humorous.
Finally, why do we have “Richard Price writing as Harry Brandt”? Here’s Price’s explanation:
“I wrote it under a pseudonym because I intended to write a straight-up urban thriller — which I’ve never done before — and I wanted to have a separate persona for it. However, the book kept expanding and became like any other book I’ve written, so looking back, I wish I hadn’t used a pen name.”
Long story short: Nothing new here, but if you liked his other stuff you’ll like this one. Price also mentioned other writers who adopted pen names and who seemed to morph into those roles with distinction. Although this apparently was his idea from the start (to morph into a literary alter ego), he mentioned that he never really felt that way. Call him what you want (Harry, Richard, Guy, or Fella), but if you go into it knowing that The Whites isn’t any of that “Tolstoy crap” (and not expecting it), you might enjoy it just a little bit.
Boost Local Communities on Small Business Saturday
Small businesses have the power to propel local economies and uplift communities. When we shop small we’re supporting small businesses that create two out of three net new jobs and employ more than half of the country’s private workforce.
As the holiday shopping season begins, let’s recommit to honoring our neighborhood champions, America’s small businesses. Saturday, November 28, 2015 is Small Business Saturday® – a day to celebrate and support small businesses for all they contribute to our communities.
On that Saturday, let’s support jobs and economic growth in our own backyards. Visit your Main Street merchants to find unique, handmade gifts that you won’t find at a big-box retailer. Afterwards, dine small at your local restaurant to usher in the new tradition of supporting local eateries too. The restaurant industry employs 14 million Americans and generates $709.2 billion in sales, equal to 4 percent of the gross domestic product.
Shopping small packs a big punch to the U.S. economy. Last year, there were 88 million consumers “Shopping Small” on Saturday. 77% of consumers said Small Business Saturday® inspires them to “Shop Small” throughout the year and not just for the holidays. In addition, 66% of consumers state the main reason they support small businesses is because of their contributions to the community.
Main street businesses are critical to our nation’s success and supporting them during Small Business Saturday is an act of economic patriotism. To support the entrepreneurial spirit of small businesses, please join me and the U.S. Small Business Administration in shopping and dining small on Saturday – November 28.
For more information, check out: www.sba.gov/smallbusinesssaturday
The Data Dude – Wednesday Watch: Love & Mercy
Up until now, most (if not all) of the Wednesday Watch topics have been about series works. Today will be the first (if memory serves accurately) feature film. For those of you who might be new, the Wednesday Watch column is the Dude’s alternative or to let’s say compliment to the Friday Reads column. The Dude watches it instead of reads it. At least in most cases. In very limited circumstances, he watches and reads, but always at least watches. But don’t let that stop you from reading, if you like. And if you want to be a guest columnist in this charade, please e-mail your submission. Anyway, today’s contribution is Love & Mercy, the biographical drama about the life of Brian Wilson, co-founder of The Beach Boys. The Dude enjoyed the film overall. There obviously was some editorial license taken, but real life Brian Wilson (who is now 73) called the film “very factual”, so that probably accounts for something. Eight Nebraska libraries have Love & Mercy (DVD) according to WorldCat. It would make a nice addition to your collection if you aren’t one of those eight.
The film goes back and forth between two time periods: The 1960’s (Wilson played by Paul Dano, photo top right courtesy of Lionsgate); and the 1980’s (Wilson played by John Cusack, photo bottom right courtesy of Lionsgate). Apart from the fact that these two cats don’t really look anything alike, the juxtaposition and flashback/flashforward works with the story line. Both of these guys do an excellent job of playing Wilson at very different times in his life. The Dude (being one for nostalgia in this sort of way) especially liked the look of the 1960’s parts – the clothes, the décor, the houses, haircuts, and constitution of the characters (that’s a nice way of saying the women look like real women and the men act like real men, without the “nostalgic” sexism of course). Refreshing looking time period nonetheless, just before the carpet hit the walls on stairways and ceilings. And while the Dude has nothing against carpeted walls and ceilings (and personally digs Graceland’s Jungle Room), the look of the time period represented in the 60’s parts of Love & Mercy is outta sight. For the record, the Dude could find no verification of when exactly the ceilings of the Jungle Room and the hallway leading to it were actually carpeted (the room was created in the mid-60’s); he’s basically judging the time period from the shade of green.
Beach Boys singer (and Brian Wilson’s cousin) Mike Love is portrayed as a rigid clod (which is probably an understatement) who didn’t recognize or appreciate Wilson’s genius, being content with the status quo of manufacturing formulistic California Girls and Surfin’ Safari clones. Whether or not one gets into the business of arguing about a departure from their roots, man (as film version Mike puts it) was a good or bad thing, one can’t help but be moved by Mike’s apparent lack of empathy. Either he had no idea or was, as the film portrays him, an insensitive, self-centered clod.
OK, the film is about Wilson’s mental challenges (he suffers from auditory hallucinations, mostly abusive in nature, subsequent to his taking LSD, and continuing after he stopped taking it), his developing relationship with future wife Melinda Ledbetter, and his overbearing, manipulative, and terrifying psychologist (played brilliantly by high strung Paul Giamatti). The film also works by offering insight into the genius of Wilson’s making of music (e.g. the arranging, writing, and recording). The film aptly offers us a snapshot into Wilson’s head, not only when his creativity shined (and it should be noted still does today) by making music, but when he suffered (not only from lack of treatment for his illness, but worse yet, from exponential mistreatment). All in all, a worthwhile journey to experience by the viewer. So, if you are old enough (the Dude missed it by a few years) you might be inspired to get out your Pet Sounds album (and perhaps shake up an old school cocktail while listening to track #12). If you aren’t (old enough, that is), check out the CD from your local library. You probably won’t be disappointed. And while you’re at it, check out Love & Mercy. You probably won’t be disappointed with that either. Shaka.
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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.
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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.
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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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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.
