Category Archives: Youth Services

Apply for the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries Grant

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

DALLAS, TEXAS; October 5, 2022 — Today, the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries opened the application for grants to support school libraries, with the goal of encouraging all students to develop a love of reading and learning. Since its inception in 2002, the Laura Bush Foundation has awarded more than $19.5 million to over 3,300 schools across the country. 

Grant applications are open to public, private, parochial, magnet, and charter schools that have a school library. Public schools must have a Title 1 designation and private schools must have at least 50% of the student population qualify for financial aid to be eligible.  Applications will remain open until November 30, 2022. Visit www.bushcenter.org/lbf to learn more and apply. 

In the 2021-2022 grant cycle, the Laura Bush Foundation awarded $1.5 million in grants to 300 school libraries across 44 states. Many librarians used the funds to update their library collections by adding more dual language titles and books that showcase a wide range of stories and perspectives. 

The Laura Bush Foundation is managed as a restricted fund at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas.  More information can be found at www.bushcenter.org

George W. Bush Institute

The George W. Bush Institute is a solution-oriented nonpartisan policy organization focused on ensuring opportunity for all, strengthening democracy, and advancing free societies. Housed within the George W. Bush Presidential Center, the Bush Institute is rooted in compassionate conservative values and committed to creating positive, meaningful, and lasting change at home and abroad. We utilize our unique platform and convening power to advance solutions to national and global issues of the day. Learn more at www.bushcenter.org

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NCompass Live: NLC Grants for 2023

Do you have a program or project you would like to see funded? Learn how to apply for the ‘NLC Grants for 2023’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, October 19 at 10am CT.

The Nebraska Library Commission is making funding available for four grants for 2023: Continuing Education & Training, Internship, Library Improvement, and Youth Grants for Excellence.

Grant applications for all 2023 NLC grants are due November 18, 2022. Don’t let your library miss out on these opportunities!

Join Christa Porter, Sally Snyder, and Holli Duggan, from the Nebraska Library Commission’s Library Development Team, as they provide an overview of the grants, including eligibility requirements and grant guidelines, the application process and grant review, timelines and deadlines. They will also share some tips on writing effective grants.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • Oct. 26 – Pretty Sweet Tech – WordPress Chatbots: No Code Tools & Guides
  • Nov. 9 – Reach Your Military-Affiliated Patrons with the Libraries & Veterans Toolkit

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.

Posted in Education & Training, Grants, Library Management, Now hiring @ your library, Programming, Technology, Youth Services | Tagged | Leave a comment

Friday Reads: The Well by Jake Wyatt

What would you wish for? 

The Well is a full color graphic novel published for high school readers.  Li-Zhen, called Lizzy, lives with her grandfather and for the first time she will travel to town by herself with some goats to sell, riding in a sailboat in which her friend Eli now rows.  While in town, she snitches some coins from a sacred fountain to pay for her return trip. After returning home she is visited that night in her sleep.  The well demands repayment, not in coins but in wishes.  Lizzy must find a way to provide what has been wished for, or she will be drowned.  The well’s servant says it is the wishes connected to each of the three coins that are valuable, not the coins.  She has to talk friends and strangers into helping her and she only has a day to accomplish each task.  Each task is different, and the last task may kill her.   

One of the things that appealed to me about this book is the care put into wishing.  Little children wish for candy or toys, they said, but wishing should be more thoughtful.  Eli tells Lizzy that her mother explained it this way: “…first you’re supposed to think about what you have, what you are grateful for.  Then think about what you want out of life.”

For the first task she asks for help from Eli, and they end up kidnapping a woman who has wished to return to her island, but now no longer wants to go there.  The island was destroyed by the leviathan.  The well doesn’t care about current wants or changes in wishes.  It wants her to give what was wished for on the stolen coin, however long ago the wish was made.

This past summer I saw the movie “Three Thousand Years of Longing” with Idris Elba playing a genie.  Wishes are a big part of his existence.  That movie and this graphic novel made me think more about wishes.  Fairy tales often have wishes involved, almost always tricking the wisher.  I liked what Eli said in the book about wishing.  It can be done too quickly with little contemplation as to the likely result of the wish.  Maybe wishes should stay in our hearts and not be spoken out loud.

(The Nebraska Library Commission receives free copies of children’s and young adult books for review from a number of publishers.  After review, the books are distributed free, via the Regional Library Systems, to Nebraska school and public libraries.)

Wyatt, Jake. The Well. First Second, 2022.

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NCompass Live: Letters About Literature 2022

Learn about Nebraska’s state reading and writing contest for youth, Letters About Literature, on this week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, September 21 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.

Presenters: Tessa Terry – Communications Coordinator, Nebraska Library Commission; Richard Miller – Nebraska Center for the Book Board Member; Laurie Yocom, Director, Wilson Public Library; and Sally Snyder, Childrens’ Judge, Letters About Literature, Nebraska Library Commission.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • Sept. 28 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Programming a Robot Using Voice Commands
  • Oct. 5 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE THIS WEEK – ENJOY NLA!
  • Oct. 12 – Navigating the New NebraskAccess
  • Oct. 19 – NLC Grants for 2023

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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2023 NLC Grants are Open for Applications

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 2023: 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 2023 NLC grants are due November 18, 2022.

For more information about these grants, register for the October 19 NCompass Live webinar, NLC Grants for 2023.

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 June 30, 2023. The second spring round will open in March and applications will be accepted for events/projects/classes that begin after July 1, 2023.

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 makes funding available specifically for innovative projects for children and young adults in accredited public libraries and state-run institutional libraries in Nebraska. The program is designed to encourage creative thinking, risk-taking, and new approaches to address problems and needs of children and young adults in your community.

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Call for Speakers: Big Talk From Small Libraries 2023

The Call for Speakers for Big Talk From Small Libraries 2023 is now open!

This free one-day online conference is tailored for librarians 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 librarians 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!

Submit your proposal by Friday, December 16, 2022.

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 2023 will be held on Friday, February 24, 2023 between 8:45 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (CT) via the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Speakers will present their programs from their own desktops. The schedule will accommodate speakers’ time-zones.

This conference is organized and hosted by the Nebraska Library Commission and is co-sponsored by the Association for Rural & Small Libraries.

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

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#BookFaceFriday “Just Like That” by Gary D. Schmidt

Throw your hands in the air for #BookFaceFriday!

Check out this new book by Newbery Honor-winning writer Gary D. Schmidt!  This week’s #BookFaceFriday! “Just Like That” (Clarion Books, 2021), follows a character we meet in Schmidt’s Wednesdays Wars, and like his other titles, expertly blends humor and tragedy. It is available to all Nebraska OverDrive Libraries in both ebook and Audiobook format, so no matter how your kid likes to read, this book is for you. We have eight Gary Schmidt titles in our OverDrive collection, and two titles available in our Book Club Kits collection.

“Set in 1968, Just Like That is part of an outstanding series that began with Newbery Honor recipient The Wednesday Wars and continued in Okay for Now, a finalist for the National Book Award. While each book can be read separately, overlapping characters and themes enrich each other in understated and often profound ways. “Just Like That” is a riveting, award-worthy novel from a truly accomplished writer. Don’t miss it.” —BookPage

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. 190 libraries across the state share the Nebraska OverDrive collection of 21,696 audiobooks, 35,200 eBooks, and 3,964 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!

This week’s #BookFaceFriday model is our Cataloging Librarian, Shoshana Patocka!

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

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#BookFaceFriday “When the Wind Came” by Jan Andrews

There’s no place like home with #BookFaceFriday!

We are embracing, or at least making use of, these windy Nebraska days for this week’s #BookFace! Life is not always rainbows and blue skies. While we know this is true for adults, we often forget it’s just as true for children. Books are an excellent way to broach hard topics, help kids understand trauma, and explore healing, just like in “When the Wind Came” written by Jan Andrews and illustrated by Dorothy Leung (Kids Can Press, 2022.)

“A powerful story about loss and healing told in simple text and pictures. Particularly relevant to students who have been through the trauma of any extreme event, weather or otherwise.” —Sue Morgan, School Library Journal

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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#BookFaceFriday “All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook” by Leslie Connor

All rise for #BookFaceFriday!

Ahh, the smell of freshly sharpened pencils and new erasers, makes us want to go out and buy school supplies! This week’s #BookFace is a reminder that a Book Club Kit is the perfect summer reading tool.

This service allows libraries and school librarians to “check out” multiple copies of a book without adding to their permanent collections, or budgets. We have a great selection of kids/YA titles for you to choose from, like “All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook” by Leslie Connor (Katherine Tegen Books, 2017). You can search for books based on grade level, genre, the number of copies available, or keywords, helping librarians and teachers find great reads for their YA book clubs.

This book has a Nebraska setting and was a 2018-19 Golden Sower Nominee, it is also available to our Nebraska OverDrive Libraries as both an eBook and an Audiobook!

“Rich characterizations give the novel its big heart: Jessica, Big Ed, and the other Blue River inmates are nuanced, vivid characters whose stories of perseverance after tragedy embody the novel’s themes of redemption, hope, and community. This beautifully written work will send readers’ spirits soaring.”

 — School Library Journal (starred review)

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

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

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ARSL 2022 Conference Early Bird Registration is NOW OPEN!

Registration for both in-person and virtual-only attendance at the 2022 ARSL Conference is open!

Early Bird pricing for in-person attendance will be available through July 26. The in-person conference will be held at the Chattanooga Convention Center, Chattanooga, TN from September 14-17, 2022.

For more information about the conference, visit the 2022 Conference Homepage.

In-Person Early Bird Pricing

  • ARSL Members: $275
  • Nonmembers: $350
  • Advocates, Students, & Retirees*: $225

Virtual-Only Pricing

  • ARSL Members: $50
  • Nonmembers: $75
  • Advocates, Students, & Retirees*: $25

*Must be an ARSL Advocate, Student, or Retiree member.

Posted in Education & Training, Information Resources, Library Management, Programming, Public Library Boards of Trustees, Public Relations, Technology, Youth Services | Tagged | Leave a comment

#BookFaceFriday “Half a Chance” by Cynthia Lord

Whatever floats your #BookFaceFriday!

The summer camp vibes are strong with this week’s #BookFace! Take a break from the lake with “Half a Chance” by Cynthia Lord (Scholastic Press, 2016,) available in the NLC Book Club collection. Summer Reading Programs and book lists are the perfect opportunity to start some kid’s book clubs! Book clubs are a great way to fight the summer slide, encourage critical thinking, and developing social skills, not to mention another way to foster a child’s love of reading. This is your reminder that NLC’s Book Club Kits Collection is not just for adults. We have a huge collection of young adult titles that are perfect for fostering discussion. You can search the Book Club Kits Collection by selecting “Young Adult” in the Genre drop down, or by selecting a specific grade level.

“Catherine is an endearing narrator who tells her story with both humor and heartbreak… A lovely, warm read, and a great discussion starter.”

— School Library Journal

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

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

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#BookFaceFriday “My Ocean is Blue” by Darren Lebeuf

It’s an ocean of possibilities with #BookFaceFriday!

School is out, and that means Summer Reading Programs all over the state are gearing up. So we’re diving in with this #BookFace, “My Ocean is Blue” written by Darren Lebeuf and illustrated by Ashley Barron (‎Kids Can Press, 2020.) It’s a part of the”Oceans of Possibilities” collection in Nebraska OverDrive Libraries Kids & Teens, a list of titles specially curated for the 2022 Summer Reading Program. It’s available for check out as an eBook, along with the 285 other titles in the collection. “My Ocean is Blue” is also on the Nebraska Library Commission 2022 SRP Book List, created by Sally Snyder, our Coordinator of Children and Young Adult Library Services.

“My Ocean is Blue … strikes just the right note as Lebeuf and Barron share a day at the seaside through a poetic text that is beautifully mirrored by exquisite watercolour, pencil crayon and collage illustrations.”

The Globe and Mail

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. 188 libraries across the state share the Nebraska OverDrive collection of 21,696 audiobooks, 35,200 eBooks, and 3,964 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 2022 Recordings Now Available

Recordings of all Big Talk From Small Libraries 2022 sessions are now available!

You will find the recordings and presentations at http://nlcblogs.nebraska.gov/bigtalk/previous-conferences/2022-recordings-presentations/

Don’t forget to complete the conference Evaluation! We’re looking for input from people who attended the live conference and watched the archived recordings.

And mark your calendars now – Big Talk From Small Libraries will be back in 2023! Next year’s conference will be on Friday, February 24, 2023!

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#BookFaceFriday— “Gemma and the Giant Girl” by Sara O’Leary

It’s a wee little #BookFaceFriday for you!

Sometimes good things come in small packages, like this week’s BookFace. “Gemma and the Giant Girl” written by Sara O’Leary, illustrated by Marie Lafrance (Tundra Books, 2021) is available as an eBook in the Nebraska OverDrive Libraries collection.  This adorable children’s picture book is one of four titles by author Sara O’Leary that we have in our OverDrive collection. EBooks and audiobooks aren’t just for adults, we have an entire collection just for kids and teens. Explore Nebraska OverDrive Libraries Kids & Teens today, it’s a great way to expand your collection!

“Sara O’Leary’s empathetic text, and Marie Lafrance’s imaginative pictures, transport young readers to Gemma’s world from outside in and inside out. . . . [A] gentle exploration of childhood.” —Imaginary Elevators

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. 186 libraries across the state share the Nebraska OverDrive collection of 26,554 audiobooks, 32,935 eBooks, and 3,940 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 “Run, Hide, Fight Back” by April Henry

 This #BookFaceFriday isn’t for the faint of heart!

Run, don’t walk, to check out this week’s BookFace! It’s the teen thriller, “Run, Hide, Fight Back” by April Henry (Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 2019) and it’s available as an eBook and Audiobook in Nebraska OverDrive Libraries Kids & Teens collection. This title is a part of the “Best Children’s & Young Adult Books of 2021” curated collection compiled from various end-of-the-year lists. April Henry is a New York Times bestselling author; we have six of her books available for readers in OverDrive, and three titles in our Book Club Kits collection.

Two of her titles were also chosen in past years for the One Book for Nebraska Teens reading program, designed to get young adults across the state reading and discussing the same book. You can find the current and past selections for this free program (plus the companion One Book for Nebraska Kids program), along with activities and resources for each title on our One Book for Nebraska Kids/Teens page.

Well-done character development, even pacing, and the gripping premise will keep teens turning pages. VERDICT Purchase multiple copies of this timely thriller.

School Library Journal

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. 186 libraries across the state share the Nebraska OverDrive collection of 26,554 audiobooks, 32,935 eBooks, and 3,940 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 2022 is tomorrow!

Small libraries! Awesome ideas! FREE!

Join us tomorrow for the 2022 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, school, and public libraries presenting on a wide variety of topics: managing staff conflicts, serving LGBTQ+ patrons and families, genrefying library collections, university research and citation support, genealogy and local history, 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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Nebraska Library Commission Awards Grants for Youth Library Service

NLC Logo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 23, 2022

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 $115,466 in grants for Excellence in Youth service. Of the grants awarded to seventy-eight Nebraska libraries, several addressed the need for educational programs, furniture for children’s and teen spaces, book kits, 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:

  • Coding clubs
  • STEAM programing and materials
  • Book club activities
  • Creative writing projects
  • Afterschool programing
  • Summer Reading programs
  • Music and movement class
  • New furniture for children’s and teen spaces
  • Makerspace items for children/youth
  • Builders’ Club with Lego
  • 1000 Books Before Kindergarten

Youth Grants for Excellence are made available by the Nebraska Library Commission with funding provided from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the federal stimulus bill passed by Congress, as administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The Nebraska Library Commission has received a one-time award of $2,422,166. A portion of this funding was allocated for the Youth Grants for Excellence.

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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Only One Week Until Big Talk From Small Libraries 2022!

Small libraries! Awesome ideas! FREE Online Conference!

There’s only one week until Big Talk From Small Libraries 2022!


Check out the full schedule and register to join us next Friday, February 25.

Sponsored by the Nebraska Library Commission and the Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL), this free one-day online conference is aimed at librarians from small libraries; the smaller the better! Each of our speakers is from a small library serving fewer than 10,000 people, and they are from academic, K-12, and public libraries. 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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Friday Reads, Out of My Heart, by Sharon M. Draper

A year after the events in the March 2010 title, Out of My Mind, we join Melody during summer vacation.  She wants to go to camp and has researched camps that are designed to provide experiences for children with disabilities.  The Green Glades Therapeutic Recreational Camp – here comes Melody!  Her experiences are believable, her apprehension as well as eagerness to go and to participate. The reader learns more about Melody and her feelings, hopes, and readiness for adventure. 

For the first time in her life, Melody has friends, though it takes just a little while for her campmates to gel into true friends.  Her parents, especially her mother, are reassured that each camper will have a camp counselor assigned to them all day (and night) every day.  Melody was thinking she didn’t want to be monitored all the time, like her younger sister, she is 12 after all. 

But then, during the week she is at camp, Melody faces several new situations.  She is scared to get into the pool – what if she sinks? Trinity, her counselor, is there for her.  They go for a ride around the lake on a pontoon boat – what if it takes on water? No problem, Trinity is there.  But horses, they are huge, and how can Melody ride one?  The camp has it all worked out and Trinity rides with her.

Some of the best things about this book are all the wonderful new experiences for Melody, the safety of the camp, and her new friends.  Also, there are no mean girls or bullies.  It may seem like a week of unbelievable opportunities – but there are camps like this around the country.  Readers who wanted to know what happened next for Melody, after the first book, will be surprised and happy for Melody’s first camp experience.


Draper, Sharon M. Out of My Heart. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2021. ISBN 978-1-6659-0216-8.

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#BookFaceFriday “The Magician’s Assistant” by Ann Patchett

We really pulled a rabbit out of the hat for this #BookFace!

Now you see it, now you don’t! Our staff works hard to curate a great collection for all our book club users, including big-name authors that everyone is reading, like Ann Patchett and her novel “The Magician’s Assistant (Harcourt Brace, 1998.) We actually have seven Ann Patchett titles available in our Book Club Kit Collection. This week’s #BookFace, and Patchett’s other books, can be found on the NLC Book Club Kit webpage. The Book Club Kits service allows libraries and school librarians to “check out” multiple copies of a book without adding to their permanent collections, or budgets. Reserve one of our best selling authors for your book club today before another group says abracadabra and they disappear!


“Her finest novel . . . Patchett’s lush and suspenseful story is also a portrait of America, which– with its big dreams, vast spaces, and disparate realities lying side by side– proves to be the perfect place for miraculous transformations, including Sabine’s own.”

The New Yorker

 This week’s model is the adorable Nutmeg, who is our Technology & Access Services Librarian, Allana Novotny’s sidekick.

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

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

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