Category Archives: Youth Services

#BookFaceFriday “No Summit Out of Sight” by Jordan Romero

Off we go, into the wild blue #BookFaceFriday!

Get ready to climb every mountain with this week’s #BookfaceFriday,”No Summit Out of Sight: the True Story of the Youngest Person to Climb the Seven Summits” by Jordan Romero (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2014)!

This title is available as a book club kit, and fits right into the theme of the the 2024 Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP): “Adventure Begins at Your Library.” You can find even more tales of adventure and survival by choosing that genre in the drop-down menu on our Book Club Kit page – just right for those young readers looking for a vicarious thrill!

Our Youth Services Librarian, Sally Snyder, has been traveling all across Nebraska in recent weeks presenting Summer Reading Program (SRP) workshops for librarians. Didn’t make it to a workshop? Check out Sally’s NCompass Live: Summer Reading Program 2024: Adventure Begins at Your Library and learn about nature- and adventure-themed books perfect for your library’s SRP.

“The emotional pitch of the story remains high as Romero contends with extreme weather, frustration, exhaustion, and homesickness to reach, with almost palpable exhilaration, each peak.”

—Publishers Weekly

Book Club Kits Rules for Use

  1. These kits can be checked out by the librarians of Nebraska libraries and media centers.
  2. Circulation times are flexible and will be based upon availability. There is no standard check-out time for book club kits.
  3. Please search the collection to select items you wish to borrow and use the REQUEST THIS KIT icon to borrow items.
  4. Contact the Information Desk at the Library Commission if you have any questions: by phone: 800/307-2665, or by email: Information Services Team

Find this title and many more through Nebraska OverDrive! Libraries participating in the Nebraska OverDrive Libraries Group currently have access to a shared and growing collection of digital downloadable audiobooks and eBooks. 194 libraries across the state share the Nebraska OverDrive collection of 26,174 audiobooks, 36,611 ebooks, and 5,210 magazines. As an added bonus it includes 130 podcasts that are always available with simultaneous use (SU), as well as SU ebooks and audiobook titles that publishers have made available for a limited time. If you’re a part of it, let your users know about this great title, and if you’re not a member yet, find more information about participating in Nebraska Overdrive Libraries!

Love this #BookFace & reading? Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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Big Talk From Small Libraries Presentation Rescheduled

Good News! We have a new date for the Big Talk From Small Libraries 2024 presentation that was canceled at the last minute, “No More Summertime Blues: Shaking Up SRP to Make It Work For YOU!”.

Chelsea Price has graciously agreed to do their presentation on March 20 on NCompass Live from 10-11am Central Time. This is the Nebraska Library Commission’s weekly webinar series. The presentation will be recorded if you are unable to watch it at the scheduled time.

This was one of the 10 minute Lightning Round sessions for the conference, but will be expanded to fit the longer, hour-long, NCompass Live format.

You can register for this new date at No More Summertime Blues: Shaking Up SRP to Make It Work For YOU!.

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Big Talk From Small Libraries 2024 is tomorrow!

Small libraries! Awesome ideas! FREE!

Join us tomorrow for the 2024 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: fundraising, Memory Cafes, summer reading, accessibility audits, afterschool meals programs, DEIB: diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and much more.

This event is a great opportunity to learn about the innovative things your colleagues are doing in their small libraries.

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.

So, come join us for a day of big ideas from small libraries!

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Only One Week Until Big Talk From Small Libraries 2024!

Small libraries! Awesome ideas! FREE Online Conference!

There’s only one week until Big Talk From Small Libraries 2024!

Check out the full schedule and register to join us next Friday, February 23.

Sponsored by the Nebraska Library Commission and the Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL), this free one-day online conference is tailored for staff from small libraries – the smaller the better! Each of our speakers is from a small library 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!

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Smokey Bear Reading Challenge

To celebrate Smokey Bear’s 80th Birthday the National Forest Service has set up their Smokey Bear Reading Challenge.  To learn more about the Challenge, visit here.

The Forest Service is going to ask how many children signed up and filled in a log of the challenge, so please keep a count if you promote it to your community.

We have received the items the National Forest Service mailed to the Library Commission for their Smokey Bear Reading Challenge.  Each public library is welcome to receive the following items:

One roll of 500 Smokey Stickers
One package of 50 Smokey Cards
One Smokey Stamp

I plan to deliver what I can at the Library Systems’ Summer Reading Program workshops.  If you do not plan to attend the workshop, or if your system’s workshop has already met, we will be working on a way to get the items to you if you want them.

Also, take a look at the digital toolkit prepared by the National Forest Service.

Amanda Shelton, Director of the Franklin Public Library, made a QR code for their website.  Thank you Amanda!

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#BookFaceFriday “Rez Ball” by Byron Graves

This #BookFaceFriday is a slam dunk!

Get your game face on, because it’s #BookFaceFriday! If you’re interested in staying up-to-date on the latest and greatest in young adult books, check out this week’s episode of NCompass Live, Best New Teen Reads of 2023, presented by NLC’s Coordinator of Children and Young Adult Library Services, Sally Snyder, and Fremont High School librarian, Dana Fontaine. Today’s #BookFace selection, “Rez Ball” by Byron Graves (‎Heartdrum, 2023), was one of the titles featured in Sally’s teen list. Sally does two presentations like this each year on NCompass Live, one on YA books and another on children’s books. “Rez Ball” is a William C. Morris Debut Book Award winner and an American Indian Library Association Youth Literature Award winner. You can find it as both an eBook and audiobook in Nebraska OverDrive Libraries. If you’re looking for more information about NCompass Live or Sally Snyder’s Best Books lists, check out the NCompass Live Archive.

“Debut author Graves, who is Ojibwe like Tre, doesn’t shirk from showing his community’s ugly experiences, but he never languishes in them. Well-paced and exciting—the action of the basketball games is exceptionally well written—this is a solid piece of sports fiction.”

— Booklist

Find this title and many more through Nebraska OverDrive! Libraries participating in the Nebraska OverDrive Libraries Group currently have access to a shared and growing collection of digital downloadable audiobooks and eBooks. 194 libraries across the state share the Nebraska OverDrive collection of 26,174 audiobooks, 36,611 ebooks, and 5,210 magazines. As an added bonus it includes 130 podcasts that are always available with simultaneous use (SU), as well as SU ebooks and audiobook titles that publishers have made available for a limited time. If you’re a part of it, let your users know about this great title, and if you’re not a member yet, find more information about participating in Nebraska Overdrive Libraries!

Love this #BookFace & reading? Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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2024 Big Talk From Small Libraries Schedule Now Available

The full schedule for the 2024 Big Talk From Small Libraries online conference is now available!

You will find all the details on the Schedule page. Information about our presenters is available on the Speakers page.

If you haven’t registered yet, now is the time to jump over to the Registration page and sign up!

You are welcome to watch as an individual or to host a group viewing of the conference. If several staff members from the same library want to attend, you can just register for one seat and have staff members view/listen together via one workstation.

You can also host a viewing party this same way and invite staff from other libraries. For any group viewings, if you know who will be there, you can list your Additional Attendees on your one registration or you can send us a list after the event. Be sure to take all necessary health and safety precautions into account when planning group viewings.

Big Talk From Small Libraries 2024 will be held on Friday, February 23, 2024 between 8:45 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (CT) via the GoTo Webinar online meeting service.

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ALA Announces the Youth Media Awards

A number of awards honoring titles and media for children and young adults were announced this morning.  The John Newbery Medal goes to The Eyes and the Impossible written by Dave Eggers, with five other titles named as Newbery Honor Books.

The Randolph Caldecott Medal goes to Big, illustrated and written by Vashti Harrison, with four additional titles named Caldecott Honor Books.

To see the ALA new release listing all the youth awards and titles, go here.

Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow, set in Nebraska, was named both a Newbery Honor Book and a Schneider Family Book Award honor book for middle grades. This title is hilarious, heart-breaking and goofy –  an amazing book.  Simon and his parents move from near Omaha to a part of Nebraska that is a National Radio Quiet Zone (fictional, the real one is in West Virginia).  There is no Internet access and the town (Grin and Bear It, NE) lives with it.  Simon has been homeschooled for the past year and now is back in public school for the 7th grade.  He makes a couple of friends and begins to settle in.  His mom is undertaker for the town and they live in the mortuary.  His dad works for the Catholic Church.  Amazing writing, quirky people and animals, unusual situations will keep the students reading.  Spoiler: a school shooting has happened in the past and is revisited.  It will break your heart.

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NCompass Live: Best New Teen Reads of 2023

Hear about the ‘Best New Teen Reads of 2023’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, January 24, at 10am CT.

Brief book talks and reviews of new titles recommended to school and public librarians, covering both middle and high school levels, that were published within the last year.

Presenter: Sally Snyder, Coordinator of Children and Young Adult Library Services, Nebraska Library Commission and Dana Fontaine, Librarian, Fremont High School.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • Jan. 31 – Pretty Sweet Tech: WordPress Website Refresh
  • Feb. 7 – WiFi in the Library
  • Feb. 14 – ConnectEd Nebraska: Bridging the Digital Divide through Innovative eduroam Expansion
  • Feb. 21 – Using Creativity to Grow & Develop

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.

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#BookFaceFriday “I’m Going to Build a Snowman” by Jashar Awan

Bundle up it’s #BookFaceFriday!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow, because we have access to all the books we could want! No matter the age group or reading level, you can find great books on Nebraska OverDrive Libraries. Just like this week’s #BookFaceFriday, a picture book perfect for a snow day, “I’m Going to Build a Snowman” written and illustrated by Jashar Awan (‎‎Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 20231.) It’s a great reminder that just because the building is closed the library still has plenty to offer. It’s available for checkout as an ebook from Nebraska Overdrive Libraries.

“When a little boy wakes up to see a blanket of snow covering the world outside, there’s only one thing to do: make a snowman, and not just any snowman—he wants the best snowman ever. But when his perfectly packed and powdery dreams clash with cold, slushy reality, he realizes the best snowman ever may be out of reach…but he can make his best snowman yet.”

Book Jacket

Find this title and many more through Nebraska OverDrive! Libraries participating in the Nebraska OverDrive Libraries Group currently have access to a shared and growing collection of digital downloadable audiobooks and eBooks. 194 libraries across the state share the Nebraska OverDrive collection of 26,174 audiobooks, 36,611 ebooks, and 5,210 magazines. As an added bonus it includes 130 podcasts that are always available with simultaneous use (SU), as well as SU ebooks and audiobook titles that publishers have made available for a limited time. If you’re a part of it, let your users know about this great title, and if you’re not a member yet, find more information about participating in Nebraska Overdrive Libraries!

Love this #BookFace & reading? Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

 
 

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#BookFaceFriday “The Christmassy Cactus” by Beth Ferry

I’m dreaming of a #BookFaceFriday!

We want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays with this week’s #BookFace! And surprise, surprise, books are our preferred way to celebrate the holidays! Reading a fun book all snuggled up on the couch with a hot drink is the perfect tradition, so if your looking for a new book option for the younger readers in your life check out “the Christmassy Cactus” written by Beth Ferry and illustrated by N.A. Kang (HarperCollins, 2023.) This picture book is full of delightful illustrations and a fun story for all ages.

“Little readers will be delighted by the holiday magic …This succulent successfully steals the spotlight from the ever-present evergreens.” —Kirkus Reviews

This title comes from our large collection of children’s and young adult books sent to us as review copies from book publishers. When our Children and Young Adult Library Services Coordinator, Sally Snyder, is done with them, the review copies are available for the Library System Directors to distribute to school and public libraries in their systems.

Love this #BookFace & reading? Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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ALA National Gaming Survey

American Library Association’s Games and Gaming Round Table National Gaming Survey

To improve relationships between libraries and vendors, gain donations and sponsorships for ALA Play and International Games Day, and grow collaborations with industry partners, the executive board of the Games and Gaming Round Table (GameRT) has created a short survey to collect data related to games in libraries:

https://airtable.com/appZRUFreMs3AtdZC/shrGHBICGAyqXY8XA

This short (10 question) survey will not only help with publisher relationships but will help GameRT understand the evolving nature of games in libraries. If your library does not collect or use games, we still ask that you take the survey to help us gain a better understanding of the field. Contact information will only be used to follow up for clarifications. Non-anonymized data will be kept separate and retained for a maximum of one year.

If you have any questions before or after taking this survey, please contact the GameRT executive board at gamert@ala.org

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Pretty Sweet Tech: Holiday & Winter Tech Kit Activities

Most of you probably know we offer Tech Kits Through the Mail to school and public libraries in Nebraska. But did you know that many of those kits have really fun holiday and winter themed activities? Check out a kit and try one one or all of these activity ideas this winter:

  • Dash & Dot Winter Activities (age 6+): Design your own winter parade floats and program them around a parade obstacle, record your own winter theme song, challenge your friends to a snowball fight, and more!
  • Finch 2.0 Robot Winter (age 6+): Turn your robot into a snowplow, build a holiday parade and add a green screen backdrop if you’re feeling fancy, or create a fun winter window display.
  • Hummingbird Bit Premium (age 8+): Take your winter window display up a notch, craft and program an interactive winter story scene, or add a moving background to your winter parade video!
  • Ozobot Evo Robot (age 4+): Design a Winter Wonderland and challenge others to navigate your creation, create a fun snow maze, use the plow attachment to clean the streets, or use your imagination to visit Narnia!
  • Micro:bit (age 8+): Make an LED snow globe animation using the built-in display, blow out an LED candle or program your micro:bit to let you know when the sun is finally out again.

Find a full list of kits, or check out a Tech Kit Through the Mail using this link. Here are the loan program details:

  • Kits can be checked out for 30 days at a time.
  • You can check out multiple kits at once.
  • Kits are shipped to you for free, and use of the kits is free.
  • You only pay return shipping. (Some library systems may help offset these costs. Ask your system director if this is an option near you.)
  • Check out the Tech Kit Loan Policy for more details.

I hope you have some winter wonderland fun with the Tech Kits Through the Mail!

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Penguin Random House Grants for Small Libraries Application Deadline: Dec. 15

For more grants like this one, check out the NLC’s Grant Opportunities for Nebraska Libraries.

Applications for the 2024 Association for Rural & Small Libraries/Penguin Random House Grants for Rural & Small Libraries are open!

Through the generosity of Penguin Random House, ARSL is pleased to announce this grant opportunity for small, rural libraries nationwide! This grant is available to libraries that meet both the IMLS definition for small libraries (a service population of 25,000 or fewer) and the definition for rural libraries (libraries located 5 or more miles from the nearest town of 25k or more).

Applicants may request:

One (1) monetary grant in support of a community-oriented project for up to $1,000.
          or
An in-kind grant donation of up to $1,000 in equivalent value to support a circulating collection in your library.

Deadline for applications is December 15, 2023.

Notifications of funding decision will be sent to applicants by March 8, 2024.
Funded projects must be completed by December 31, 2024.
Project reports must be submitted by February 1, 2025.

The program will award grants to libraries that demonstrate a true need. Monetary grants are not limited to literacy and may be used for everything from library programming and books to resources like hotspots that help community members access important information. Library seeking support for digital collections should request a monetary grant.

View the Grant FAQ and Apply for the Grant online. Contact the ARSL Office with any questions at info@arsl.org

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NCompass Live: Best New Children’s Books of 2023

Hear about the ‘Best New Children’s Books of 2023’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, November 22, at 10am CT.

Sally Snyder, the Nebraska Library Commission’s Coordinator of Children and Young Adult Library Services, will give brief book talks on titles published in the last year that could be good additions to your library’s collection. Titles for pre-school through elementary school will be included.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • Nov. 29 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Internet Librarian 2023 Highlights
  • Dec. 6 – Using Creativity to Grow & Develop
  • Dec. 13 – Canvaholic
  • Dec. 20 – Summer Reading Program 2024: Adventure Begins at Your Library
  • Jan. 17, 2024 – Auditing Library Websites
  • Jan. 24, 2024 – Best New Teen Reads of 2023

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.

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Friday Reads: A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat

Announced yesterday, A First Time for Everything has won the National Book Foundation Award for Young People’s Literature.

It is on my Summer Reading Program list for 2024 and is a memoir of a three week school trip to Europe in 1989, the summer after 8th grade.     In middle school Dan learned to be “…quiet. Small. … invisible.”  (p. 11)  Then one day, at the end of a school assembly Dan was unexpectedly asked (forced) to give his speech as practice for the speech tournament.  It was a poem by A. A. Milne.  He was ridiculed.

Then he took the three week school trip to Europe.  Quiet at first, he slowly begins to have fun with some of the other students.  And actually enjoying the trip.  He does get lost in the middle of the night in France, but manages to steal a bike and find his way back (not proud of stealing the bike).     Kirkus says, “Full of laughter and sentiment, this is a nudge for readers to dare to try new things.” (12/15/22)

Other Finalists for the Award for Young People’s Literature were:

Gather by Kenneth M. Cadow
Huda F Cares? by Huda Fahmy
Big by Vasti Harrison
The Lost Year: A Survival Story of the Ukrainian Famine by Katherine Marsh

Visit their web page to learn more. You can also see the winners and finalists in the other four categories on this web site.

Dan Santat is an author and illustrator of a variety of children and teen books, including After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again), The Aquanaut, Sidekicks: A Graphic Novel, and Lift by Minh Lê and illustrated by Dan Santat.

Santat, Dan. A First Time for Everything. First Second/Macmillan, 2022.

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NCompass Live: Golden Sower Award: Get in the Know

Learn all about Nebraska’s Children’s Choice Award, the Golden Sower, on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, November 1, at 10am CT.

The Nebraska Golden Sower Award is Nebraska’s Children’s Choice Literary Award, sponsored by the Nebraska Library Association. Since 1982, the Golden Sower Award has sought to sow seeds which stimulate children’s thinking, introduce different types of literature, encourage independent reading, increase library skills, and foster an appreciation for excellence in writing and illustrating. This presentation will address the nature of the award, describe the award process, provide updates on changes to the award and committee structure, and share how to get involved.

Presenter: Anne Price, Nebraska Golden Sower Award Committee Member; Children’s Librarian, North Platte Public Library.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • Nov. 8 – Racial & Gender Bias in Search
  • Nov. 15 – Redesigning a Library Website
  • Nov. 22 – Best New Children’s Books of 2023
  • Nov. 29 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Internet Librarian 2023 Highlights
  • Dec. 6 – Using Creativity to Grow & Develop
  • Dec. 13 – Canvaholic
  • Dec. 20 – Summer Reading Program 2024: Adventure Begins at Your Library
  • Jan. 17, 2024 – Auditing Library Websites
  • Jan. 24, 2024 – Best New Teen Reads of 2023

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.

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NCompass Live: Pretty Sweet Tech: How Augmented Reality Can Create Optimal Literacy Experiences

Explore how Living Popups transforms classic and original books into interactive experiences on next week’s Pretty Sweet Tech NCompass Live webinar, ‘How Augmented Reality Can Create Optimal Literacy Experiences’, on Wednesday, October 25, at 10am CT.

Special monthly episodes of NCompass Live! Join the NLC’s Technology Innovation Librarian, Amanda Sweet, as she guides us through the world of library-related Pretty Sweet Tech.

LP Bookspace engages all readers and keeps them coming back for more! LP Bookspace brings to your library augmented reality experiences where characters literally jump off the page and help build comprehension and confidence.

The goal of this session is to explore how easy it is to create an optimal literacy experience within your library environment by applying innovative technology. You will discover the LB Bookspace tools to help you create an exciting Story Time, track students’ progress in the Dashboard, implement Book Clubs for older children and have families returning to your library again and again. You will learn about the Meet the Makers series introducing patrons of all ages to how the books are produced and the potential careers in the future all around great literature.

Join us to see how LP Bookspace could provide you with creative ways to deliver innovative programming to your community.

Guest Presenter: Cheryl Bayer, CEO, Living Popups, LLC.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • Nov. 1 – Golden Sower Award: Get in the Know
  • Nov. 8 – Racial & Gender Bias in Search
  • Nov. 15 – Redesigning a Library Website
  • Nov. 22 – Best New Children’s Books of 2023
  • Dec. 6 – Using Creativity to Grow & Develop
  • Dec. 13 – Canvaholic
  • Dec. 20 – Summer Reading Program 2024: Adventure Begins at Your Library
  • Jan. 17, 2024 – Auditing Library Websites
  • Jan. 24, 2024 – Best New Teen Reads of 2023

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.

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NCompass Live: Letters About Literature 2023

Learn about Nebraska’s state reading and writing contest for youth, Letters About Literature, on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, October 11, at 10am CT.

The Nebraska Center for the Book is a statewide organization dedicated to the promotion of reading in all its forms. Its annual Nebraska Letters About Literature contest allows students in 4th through 12th grade to write to authors (living or deceased) about their favorite book or poem about how his or her book affected their lives. This session will provide helpful information for teachers and librarians interested in the competition. It will also cover the submission process and be an excellent opportunity to ask questions about the entire competition process. Teachers will be interested in this program that will help enhance and extend their classroom instruction.

Presenter: Tessa Terry – Communications Coordinator, Nebraska Library Commission.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • Oct 18 – Learning Opportunities and Resources from WebJunction
  • Oct 25 – Pretty Sweet Tech: How Augmented Reality Can Create Optimal Literacy Experiences
  • Nov. 8 – Racial & Gender Bias in Search
  • Nov. 22 – Best New Children’s Books of 2023
  • Dec. 6 – Using Creativity to Grow & Develop
  • Dec. 20 – Summer Reading Program 2024: Adventure Begins at Your Library
  • Jan. 17, 2024 – Auditing Library Websites
  • Jan. 24, 2024 – Best New Teen Reads of 2023

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.

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2024 NLC Grants are Open for Applications!

Nebraska Public Libraries and State-run Institutions! Do you have an idea for a program or project you would like to see funded?

The Nebraska Library Commission has made funding available for four grants for 2024: Continuing Education & Training, Internship, Library Improvement, and Youth Grants for Excellence.

Applications are being accepted for all NLC grants right now! Don’t let your library miss out on these opportunities!

Grant applications for all 2024 NLC grants are due November 17, 2023.

For more information about these grants, register for the September 20 NCompass Live webinar, NLC Grants for 2024.

Continuing Education & Training grants help assist Nebraska libraries to improve the library services provided to their communities through continuing education and training for their library personnel and supporters. Successful applications will show how the continuing education and/or training proposed will support the library’s mission. There will be two rounds of CE Grants. The first fall grants will open in September and applications will be accepted for events/projects/classes that must be completed before July 1, 2024. The second spring round will open in March and applications will be accepted for events/projects/classes that begin after July 1, 2024.

Internship grants work to introduce high school and college students to the varied and exciting work of Nebraska libraries. The internships are intended to function as a recruitment tool, helping the student to view the library as a viable career opportunity while providing the public library with the finances to provide stipends to the student interns.

Library Improvement grants facilitate growth and development of library programs and services in Nebraska public and institutional libraries, by supplementing local funding with federal funds designated for these purposes.

Youth Grants for Excellence are available specifically for innovative projects for children and young adults in your community. The program encourages creative thinking, risk-taking, and new approaches to enable youth librarians to begin needed programs and try projects which they have been unable to undertake, and to offer an opportunity to expand youth service capabilities in new and different directions.

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