Learn how to go ‘Beyond the PDF: Publishing Open Educational Resources with Pressbooks’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, September 9 at 10am CT.
Pressbooks is a leading platform for authoring, adapting, and publishing openly licensed textbooks and other educational materials. In this session, we will provide a practical introduction to the platform, demonstrating how faculty and libraries can use Pressbooks to create, remix, and share high-quality OER.
We’ll explore the core features of Pressbooks, discuss its strengths and limitations, and compare several collaboration options available to institutions and individual authors. Through examples from UNO Criss Library’s own OER publishing program, we’ll examine the complete publishing workflow, from manuscript creation to analytics, showing how usage and impact can be measured after publication.
Because accessible publishing is essential to effective OER, we’ll also discuss practical strategies for digital accessibility and remediation. Participants will learn why a surprisingly small number of recurring issues account for the majority of WCAG accessibility errors—and how addressing those common problems can dramatically improve the accessibility of a Pressbooks publication.
Oct. 14 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE THIS WEEK – ENJOY NLA/MPLA!
Oct. 21 – Nebraska Celebration of Books 2026
Oct. 28 – What Are We Doing With Our Homeschoolers?
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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 GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
This free one-day online conference is tailored for staff from small libraries; the smaller the better!
Small libraries of all types – public, academic, school, museum, special, etc. – are encouraged to submit a proposal.
We’re looking for seven 50-minute presentations and four 10-minute “lightning round” presentations.
Do you offer a service or program at your small library that other libraries might like to hear about? Have you implemented a new (or old) technology, hosted an event, partnered with others in your community, or just done something really cool? The Big Talk From Small Libraries online conference gives you the opportunity to share what you’ve done, while learning what your colleagues in other small libraries are doing.
Here are some possible topics to get you thinking:
Unique Libraries
Special Collections
New buildings
Fundraising
Improved Workflows
Staff Development
Advocacy Efforts
Community Partnerships
That great thing you’re doing at your library!
Speakers must be from small libraries or directly partnered with a small library and submitting a proposal to co-present with the library. Speakers from libraries serving fewer than 10,000 people will be preferred, but presentations from libraries with larger service populations will be considered.
Big Talk From Small Libraries 2027 will be held on Friday, February 26, 2027 between 8:45 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (CT) via the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Speakers will present their programs from their own desktops. The schedule will accommodate speakers’ time-zones.
Who Doesn’t Love a Field Trip? Learn how to do ‘Staff Development Through Library Visits’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, September 2 at 10am CT.
Small, rural libraries often struggle with limited staff development opportunities and geographic isolation from peer institutions. This presentation proposes an innovative, low-cost solution: organizing field trips to visit other libraries.
Our library closed on a local festival day and visited three diverse institutions – Cumberland County Library, Midlothian Public Library, and the Library of Virginia. Staff toured facilities, observed operations, and engaged directly with peers about programming, procedures, and space utilization. Post-visit discussions sparked conversations about possibilities for our own library.
Benefits include:
Networking and relationship-building among geographically dispersed library workers
Exposure to diverse operational models and innovative practices
Team bonding in a low-pressure learning environment
Direct knowledge transfer through peer conversations
Enhanced interpersonal and communication skills
Inspiration for adapting successful programs and policies
This session will provide a framework for planning library field trips, strategies for maximizing learning outcomes, and examples of changes implemented after our visits. Attendees will leave with practical tools to create meaningful professional development experiences without significant budget expenditures – perfect for resource-constrained libraries seeking creative solutions.
Presenters: Cindy Scheu, Library Director, and MaKayla Harvey, Youth Services Specialist, J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library, Appomattox, VA.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Sept. 9 – Beyond the PDF: Publishing Open Educational Resources with Pressbooks
Sept. 9 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE THIS WEEK
Sept. 23 – E-rate 101: Just the Basics for 2027
Sept. 30 – Pretty Sweet Tech
Oct. 7 – Letters About Literature 2026
Oct. 14 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE THIS WEEK – ENJOY NLA/MPLA!
Oct. 21 – Nebraska Celebration of Books 2026
Oct. 28 – What Are We Doing With Our Homeschoolers?
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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 GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Every five years, the Nebraska Library Commission is required to conduct an evaluation of its implementation of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) “Grants to States” program. The LSTA Grants to States Program is a federal program that provides funding to each state based on a population‐driven formula. Decisions regarding how these funds are spent are made at the state level; however, expenditures must be consistent with the purposes and priorities that are established nationally.
As part of our evaluation, our independent evaluator, Dr. Anthony Chow, asks those we serve to answer a survey designed to gather information about the impact that our LSTA‐funded programs and services have had on individuals and libraries in Nebraska. This is an opportunity for communities to give us feedback about how the Library Commission’s activities have affected them. Please help us by promoting the survey. The responses will only be made available to our evaluator – so candid responses are appreciated. Here is the link:
USAC has announced Fall 2026 E-rate Training dates for applicants to learn more about the program and how to participate.
Both in-person training and online webinars are available, and registration for each session is now available on the Learn E-rate page. You can also click the links below for each session to register for that specific training.
The sessions are for E-Rate program participants at all levels and will include a question-and-answer session.
Washington, DC: September 24, 2026, at the Federal Communication Commission headquarters. NOTE: There will be an option to watch a livestream of this training.
This webinar will provide an overview of the E-Rate application process and explain basic program concepts. We will also highlight the recent FCC Form 470 updates and managing your Category Two budget.
Other webinars may be announced – sign up for the E-Rate News Brief to receive webinar announcements via e-mail.
The NLC will also be holding our regular fall E-rate online workshops. Those dates will be announced soon.
If you have any questions or need any assistance with your public library’s E-rate forms, visit the NLC E-rate webpage or contact Christa Porter, State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Sally Snyder 402-471-4003 800-307-2665
Nebraska Library Commission Awards Grants for Youth Library Service
The Nebraska Library Commission recently awarded $30,000 in grants for Excellence in Youth service. Of the grants awarded to thirty-one Nebraska libraries, several addressed the need for educational programs, Summer Reading programing, and materials like LEGO®, STEAM, and other activities to encourage creativity in young people.
The Nebraska Library Commission congratulates all the libraries who received grants as they develop new and innovative programs to ensure excellence in library service for Nebraska young people. You can find the full list of grant recipients on the Nebraska Library Commission grants database.
Proposals include:
Teen Art Club
STEAM programing and materials
Book club activities
Children’s Theater Program
Summer Reading programs
Nebraska Wildlife Rehab Center Program
Gaming & Teen Engagement Hub
Makerspace items for children/youth
After School Activity Kits
StoryWalk
The following 31 Nebraska public libraries were awarded 2026 Youth Grants for Excellence funding:
Alice M. Farr Library, Aurora Axtell Public Library Bayard Public Library Beatrice Public Library Bridgeport Public Library Central City Public Library Clarkson Public Library Crete Public Library Fairfield Public Library Falls City Library and Arts Center Fullerton Public Library Genoa Public Library Gibbon Public Library Grand Island Public Library Keene Memorial Library, Fremont Lincoln City Libraries Louisville Public Library Morrill Public Library Maxine White-Sutherland Public Library Ord Township Library C.B. Preston Memorial Library, Orleans Osmond Public Library Papillion Public Library Plainview Public Library Scotia Public Library & Heritage Center Shelton Public Library South Sioux City Public Library Lied Tekamah Public Library Verdigre Public Library Lied Lincoln Township Library, Wausa Yutan Public Library
Youth Grants for Excellence are made available by the Nebraska Library Commission with funding from the State of Nebraska. 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.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Christa Porter
402-471-3107
800-307-2665
$31,000 in Library Improvement Grants Awarded to Nebraska Public Libraries
The Nebraska Library Commission recently awarded Library Improvement Grants for 2026 totaling $31,000 to sixteen Nebraska public libraries.
These competitive grants were funded with state funds allocated through the Nebraska Legislature and administered by the Nebraska Library Commission. Library Improvement Grants help to facilitate growth and development of library programs and services by supplementing local funding with state funds designated for these purposes.
Grant funding was used to assist libraries with upgrading to Windows 11, as Windows 10 support ended in October 2025. Windows 10 computers no longer receive security and software updates, which puts those computers at a greater risk for viruses and malware. By Microsoft declaring Windows 10 EOL (End of Life) and no longer providing security updates, libraries were confronted with two issues. They were using computers that didn’t meet the Windows 11 security requirements and couldn’t be upgraded to Windows 11 and/or were using compatible computers that didn’t have fast enough processors and/or enough memory to run Windows 11 very well. Thus, many libraries applied for the Library Improvement Grant to fund the purchase of new Windows 11 computers.
The NLC provided reimbursement grants to libraries who had already purchased their own Windows 11 computers and purchased computers on behalf of the libraries that had not yet made their own purchases.
Andrew Sherman, NLC Library Technology Support Specialist, stated, “By diligently reviewing the computer vendors and the inventory they had available, the Library Commission was able to secure reasonable prices and fulfill all the grant requests for new computers.”
Sherman preconfigured the new computers, delivered, and installed them for the libraries. Libraries received desktop computers, laptops, monitors, keyboards, and mice.
The libraries receiving grants are:
Bridgeport Public Library
Garfield County Library, Burwell
Crawford Public Library
Fairfield Public Library
Hastings Memorial Library, Grant
Greenwood Public Library
Meadow Grove Public Library
Morrill Public Library
Newman Grove Public Library
Osmond Public Library
Plainview Public Library
St. Edward Public Library
Sidney Public Library
Lied Tekamah Public Library
Valentine Public Library
Walthill Public Library
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.
On August 6, USAC released Wave 15 of Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs) for E-rate Funding Year 2026. So far this year, Nebraska K-12 school and public library applicants have received $8,251,022.95 in funding commitments.
Congratulations to all Nebraska schools and public libraries who have been funded!
A list of public libraries who have received E-rate funding is on the NLC E-rate webpage. The 2026 list will be updated as new funding waves are announced.
If you haven’t received your FCDL yet, don’t panic! There are many more weekly Waves to come as USAC processes more applications. This is just the start of Funding Year 2026, more approvals are coming.
When your FCDL is ready, it will be attached as a printable PDF to the email notifying you that your FCDL has been issued. It will also be available in the News section of your EPC account, but you are no longer required to log into your EPC account to view it.
IMPORTANT: As soon as you receive your FCDL, you should immediately go on to the next step in the E-rate process, filing your Form 486.
You must submit your Form 486 to officially accept your E-rate funding and start receiving your E-rate discount. This form is submitted in your EPC account. Information and instructions on how to do that can be found on the USAC website.
If you have any questions or need any assistance with your public library’s E-rate forms, visit the NLC E-rate webpage or contact Christa Porter, State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.
Discover how intellectual freedom and legal principles intersect in our libraries on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, ‘Law for Librarians’, on Wednesday, June 10 at 10am CT.
This session delves into critical topics such as censorship, privacy, collection development, professional ethics, and the First Amendment. Gain practical strategies for advocating for equitable access to information and crafting strong policies. Designed to empower school librarians, this session provides the tools to navigate legal responsibilities while championing intellectual freedom and fostering a supportive library program.
Presenter: Dr. Chris Haeffner, Director of Library Services, Lincoln (NE) Public Schools.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
June 17 – Unlocking Nebraska’s Stories: Introducing the Nebraska Literary & History Escape Room Kits
June 24 – Pretty Sweet Tech
July 8 – Library Compliance with the ADA Title II Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Rule
July 15 – Community Literacy Treasure Hunt: The Fun Way to Increase Literacy!
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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 GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
The 2025 FY public library survey data are now available on the NLC website. Thanks to all of you who submitted your statistics. Historical data (back to 1999) are also available on our website. The next survey cycle begins in November, but you should be collecting those statistics now.
‘Public Library Accreditation 2026’ workshops are now open for registration!
To register for a session, go to the Nebraska Library Commission’s Training & Events Calendar and search for ‘accreditation 2026’. All workshops will be held online only, via GoTo Webinar.
NOTE: This online workshop is being offered on several days and at varied times, to give attendees multiple opportunities to find a convenient time to attend. The same information will be provided at each workshop, so you only need to register for one session. A recorded version will be available after all of the live sessions have been held.
What is Nebraska Public Library Accreditation? What are the benefits of accreditation? How does my library become accredited? What’s a Community Needs Response Plan? Why does my library need one?
The purpose of Nebraska Public Library Accreditation is to encourage excellent library service in Nebraska communities. The guidelines used to evaluate libraries and their services are community-based, so libraries need to know their communities’ needs in order to provide appropriate library services that meet those unique needs. That’s where Community Needs Response Planning comes in!
In this workshop, Christa Porter, NLC’s Library Development Director, will guide you through Community Needs Response Planning and applying for Public Library Accreditation.
Public Library Directors, Staff, and Library Board Members are encouraged to attend.
Dates and times:
June 2 – 1:00-4:00pm Central / 12:00noon-3pm Mountain
June 9 June 16 – 9:30am-12:30pm Central / 8:30-11:30am Mountain
June 10 June 17 – 1:00-4:00pm Central / 12:00noon-3pm Mountain
June 4 June 25 – 9:30am-12:30pm Central / 8:30-11:30am Mountain
Rob-See-Co, an independent seed company located in Elkhorn, Neb. is proud to announce the continuation of its Rural Library Grant program.
Applications are due June 30, 2026.
Originally launched in 2023 to commemorate the company’s 10th anniversary and honor Agnes Robinson’s dedication to the rural library in Waterloo, NE, the program continues to hold special meaning. Agnes, great-grandmother of Jim Robinson, CEO of Rob-See-Co, was a passionate advocate for rural libraries. Today, the program extends support to libraries across rural communities within the company’s footprint.
Previous grant recipients have used funding to expand book collections, digitize local newspapers, enhance children’s programming, and develop makerspaces.
“The grant funding we received made it possible for us to create a ‘pop-up town,’ a versatile resource we’ve already planned to use in multiple ways,” said Mandy Cook, Marysville Public Library Director. “Encouraging children to engage in imaginative play is incredibly important—it supports speech, overall development, and even early literacy skills. We are truly grateful to Rob-See-Co for providing us with the opportunity to make a meaningful impact through outreach in our small town.”
In 2026, Rob-See-Co will award ten $500 grants for a total of $5,000 to selected rural libraries across CO, IA, KS, MD, MI, MN, ND, NE, OH, OK, PA, SD, TX and WI. Funds may be used for core educational, preservation and interpretive purposes, including collection development, facility improvements, traveling exhibits, guest speakers, staff training, programming, and publications.
“These grants reflect our ongoing commitment to the dealers, distributors, growers, and communities we serve, while honoring my family’s legacy and the history of Rob-See-Co,” said Robinson. “We’re proud to continue investing in rural libraries that play such an important role in our communities.”
Libraries can visit https://rsclibrarygrant.com/ to apply. Applications are due by June 30. Grant recipients will be announced on October 1, 2026.
Emergencies can occur with or without warning. Prepare for the unexpected on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, ‘Emergency Management in Libraries’ on Wednesday, April 22 at 10am CT.
Through proper planning and exercising, libraries have the potential to become more resilient when facing potential threats.
Emergencies/disasters can be either natural or man-made resulting in severe or minimal impact. Therefore, taking an all-hazards approach to emergency preparedness will help mitigate and reduce impact of these events. In addition to ensuring a state of readiness for the organization, having a well-established emergency preparedness program can ease anxieties and feelings of uncertainty for staff and patrons. If the staff is properly trained on how to respond during times of emergency they will respond appropriately and be better prepared both at work and at home. Patrons visiting the libraries will be in better hands if the staff is knowledgeable of the organization’s emergency procedures.
In this presentation, I will emphasize the importance of developing an emergency preparedness program and available resources, illustrate how to identify potential risks, and how to assess their impacts. I will also discuss various plans such as emergency operation plans and continuity of operations. We will also look at mitigation strategies to reduce future impacts and strengthen security.
April 29 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Computers in Libraries 2026 Highlights & Trends
May 6 – The 2026 Public Library Accreditation Process
May 13 – Play, Explore, Learn: Building Early Literacy Through Station-Based Programs
May 20 – Engaging New Voices in Advocacy: Youth, Trustees, and Everyday Patrons
May 27 – Pretty Sweet Tech
June 3 – Libraries and Friends of the Library: How to Stay Friends
June 10 – Law for Librarians
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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 GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Library Journal‘s award for the Best Small Library in America was founded in 2005 to encourage and showcase the exemplary work of these libraries. Sponsored by the Junior Library Guild, this year’s award will honor the U.S. public library that most profoundly demonstrates outstanding service to populations of 25,000 or less.
The deadline to nominate your library is March 31, 2026.
This is an amazing opportunity to show off your great rural or small library. Anyone can nominate a library – the library administration itself, patrons, members of the community, library peers, etc.
Judges want to hear about how, in the last two years, you have raised the profile of the library in your community, reached out to new users and remote users, impacted literacy in the community, and used technology to support and grow patron access to materials and information. Share your innovative approaches to traditional problems, including seemingly small fixes that work, and specific innovations that can be readily adopted by other libraries of all sizes.
The winning library will be featured in the August 2026 issue of Library Journal and online.
Nominate your favorite Nebraska public library today! Learn more about the guidelines and submit your nomination on the Best Small Library in America Award website.
Learn about the benefits of library tours on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, ‘Tour de Force: Build Bridges by Leading Tours of Your Library’, on Wednesday, March 4 at 10am CT.
By inviting community partners to visit the library for a tour, you can show them the many unique ways that libraries positively impact communities. Library tours are a powerful tool to build relationships, gain support, and publicize the library’s programs and services. I started leading tours at my library as a way to orient new board members, and now we invite everyone from the police chief to senators to look “behind the scenes” at the library. As a result, we have gained new advocates and deepened the support of those who already love the library! Leading a tour of your library is a quick, free, manageable way to build wide community support.
March 18 – Modernizing a Small Library on a Small Budget: Systems, Culture, and Community in Year One
March 25 – Pretty Sweet Tech
April 8 – Programming with Purpose: Adult Programs and Community Partnerships
April 22 – Emergency Management in Libraries
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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 GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Join us tomorrow for the 15th annual Big Talk From Small Libraries online conference. Registration is still open, so head over to the Registration page and sign up!
We have a full agenda for the day, with speakers from academic and public libraries presenting on a wide variety of topics specifically tailored for small libraries: intellectual freedom, mental health, food insecurity, STEAM, serving disabled patrons, school/university/public library partnerships, a Tiny Art Show, and much more.
And, Nebraska library staff and board members can earn 1 hour of CE Credit for each hour of the conference you attend! A special Big Talk From Small Libraries CE Report form has been made available for you to submit your C.E. credits.
This event is a great opportunity to learn about the innovative things your colleagues are doing in their small libraries serving fewer than 10,000 people.
So, come join us for a day of big ideas from small libraries!
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Christa Porter
402-471-3107
800-307-2665
$20,000in Internship Grants Awarded to Nebraska Public Libraries
The Nebraska Library Commission recently awarded Nebraska Library Internship Grants totaling $20,000 to eighteen Nebraska public libraries. These internship grants will support public library interns who will contribute to the scope and value of the diverse programs and activities in Nebraska’s public libraries.
“The internships are a great opportunity for students to get involved in library work. Beyond earning money and gaining valuable work experience, the student is exposed to the broad range of library services and programming. Internships provide an opportunity for the student to view the library as a viable and satisfying career choice. In addition, interns bring a fresh perspective and their own unique talents to the library,” said Nebraska Library Commission Director Rod Wagner.
Student interns will learn about library work as they shadow staff, assist with day-to-day library operations, and implement special projects. Some of the activities that students will participate in include:
Summer Reading Programs for youth, teens, and adults
Public relations: website, social and print media, designing and posting flyers and other forms of marketing
Various programming: Story hour, movie days, craft days, junior book talks, Lego Club, puzzle contest, preschool story time, after school programs, STEM activities, gaming setups
Creating new teen programming
Attending library board meetings
Partnerships with other libraries, Community College, Head Start, County Extension, Child Development Center, and Senior Center
The following 18 Nebraska public libraries were awarded 2026 internship grant funding:
Atkinson Public Library Alice M. Farr Library, Aurora Axtell Public Library Bayard Public Library Dundy County Library, Benkelman Central City Public Library Crawford Public Library Crete Public Library Elgin Public Library Greenwood Public Library Lincoln City Libraries – Charles H. Gere Branch Library and South Branch Library, Northeast Service Unit – Victor E. Anderson & Bethany Branch Libraries, Bennett Martin Public Library, Youth Services Outreach, Bess Dodson Walt Branch Library, Eiseley Branch Library & Williams Branch Library Madison Public Library Morrill Public Library Cordelia B. Preston Memorial Library, Orleans Ponca Carnegie Library Shelton Public Library Maxine White-Sutherland Public Library Verdigre Public Library
Funding for the project is supported and administered by the Nebraska Library Commission, in partnership with the Nebraska Library Systems.
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.”
Nebraska’s Regional Library Systems consist of four non-profit corporations governed by boards representative of libraries and citizens in the region. The four systems were established to provide access to improved library services through the cooperation of all types of libraries and media centers within the counties included in each System area.
Sponsored by the Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL) and the Nebraska Library Commission, this free one-day online conference is tailored for staff from small libraries – the smaller the better! All of our presenters are from libraries serving fewer than 10,000 people. This event is a great opportunity to learn about the innovative things your colleagues are doing in their small libraries.
Everyone is welcome to register and attend, regardless of how big or small your library. But, if your library serves a few hundred to a few thousand people, this is the day for you!
It’s time to submit the Public Library Survey! Learn about Nebraska’s New Data Collection Tool for the Survey on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, February 25 at 10am CT.
Every year, the Nebraska Library Commission participates in a national program of public library data collection called the Public Library Survey.
In 2025, the Library Commission developed a homegrown online program to collect the data, switching from the Bibliostat platform. The questions and data collected remain the same, but the survey will look different on the new platform. This workshop will provide an overview of the data collection program and cover the basics of the new data collection tool used in Nebraska.
Submitting this annual statistical survey is required for Accredited Public libraries. Unaccredited public libraries are also encouraged to complete the survey and are eligible for a payment of $200 through the Dollars for Data program. The deadline to complete the 2025 Public Library Survey is April 1, 2026.
Presenter: Sam Shaw, Planning and Data Services Coordinator, Nebraska Library Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
March 4 – Tour de Force: Build Bridges by Leading Tours of Your Library
March 18 – Modernizing a Small Library on a Small Budget: Systems, Culture, and Community in Year One
March 25 – Pretty Sweet Tech
April 8 – Programming with Purpose: Adult Programs and Community Partnerships
April 22 – Emergency Management in Libraries
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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 GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
This makes Wednesday, March 4, the deadline to post your Form 470 to the USAC website, meet the 28-day posting requirement for the competitive bidding process, and submit a Form 471 by the filing window closing date.
However, we do not recommend waiting until the last day to submit your Form 470! If there are any issues that day, like the E-rate servers are slowed down because it is the last day to submit, or you can’t submit the form due to reasons on your end, such as illness, weather, power outage, etc., then you would miss the deadline and lose out on E-rate altogether.
So, if you haven’t already done so, and you are not exempt, get your E-rate Form 470 submitted as soon as possible!
IMPORTANT: Before you file your Form 471, check your Form 470 Receipt Notification for your Allowable Contract Date – the first date you are allowed to submit your 471. Do not submit your 471 before that date! Remember, after you submit your Form 470, you must wait 28 days to submit your Form 471. You can find your Notification within the EPC portal in your News feed.
Do you need help completing your forms? Do you have questions about E-rate? You’re in luck!
Today’s E-rate Special Edition News Brief has detailed tips and instructions, as well as information about upcoming online training opportunities from USAC.
And more recorded webinars, demos, and training materials are available on the NLC E-rate webpage.
If you have any questions or need any assistance with your E-rate forms, please contact the State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries in Nebraska, Christa Porter, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.
