NCompass Live: Broadband + Libraries = Community Growth

Posted on June 6, 2014 by Christa Porter

NCompass live smallJoin us for next week’s NCompass Live: “Broadband + Libraries = Community Growth”, on Wednesday, June 11, 10:00-11:00 am Central Time.

Broadband is a foundation for economic opportunity, job creation, global competitiveness, attraction and retention of residents plus a better way of life for individuals, small businesses. As a result, small businesses, workers, and communities must have the broadband infrastructure, training tools to participate and compete in a changing economy. Libraries are and can play in key role in helping communities move forward.

The presentation will highlight relevant points from recent household and business surveys focused on broadband as well as resources available through the Nebraska Broadband Initiative. The Nebraska Broadband Initiative is funded through a grant to the Nebraska Public Service Commission. The Nebraska Information Technology Commission Community Council (NITC), University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL), Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) and the AIM Institute are cooperatively leading the effort to address the broadband planning needs of Nebraska’s communities.

Presenters: Connie Hancock, UNL Extension Educator and Charlotte Narjes, Special Projects Manager, UNL CARI – Center for Applied Rural Innovation

Upcoming NCompass Live events:

  • June 18 – EDGE: Connecting Technology and Community
  • June 25 – Tech Talk with Michael Sauers
  • July 9 – Is It Copyrighted? Can I Use It?
  • July 23 – Opportunity – Collaboration – Engagement: UNL Extension’s Community Vitality Initiative

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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Children Completing Nebraska Summer Reading Programs to Be Entered to Win More Than $11,000 in NEST 529 Scholarships

Posted on June 5, 2014 by Jennifer Wrampe

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 5, 2014

Contact:
Christina Kahler
Director of Marketing, NEST
402-602-6549
ckahler@fnni.com

Jana Langemach
Director of Communications
402-471-8884
Jana.langemach@nebraska.gov

 

NEST partners with libraries statewide on scholarship program, demonstrating that Books Are Just the Beginning at Nebraska libraries

Omaha, Neb. (June 5, 2014) – Nebraska’s 529 College Savings Plans (NEST), First National Bank of Omaha, Nebraska State Treasurer Don Stenberg and the Nebraska Library Commission announced today the NEST Read to Win $529! Drawing as part of library summer reading programs across the state.  More than $11,000 in NEST 529 College Savings scholarships and donations will be awarded.

Fifteen summer readers, five in each of Nebraska’s three congressional districts, will be randomly drawn from those who complete a summer reading program. Each winner will receive $529 in a NEST college savings account. The library of each winner will receive a $250 donation. To enter, children must register for the summer reading program at their libraries and complete the program as defined by their libraries.

“The Nebraska State Treasurer’s Office is happy to help sponsor the NEST Read to Win program this summer in local libraries all across Nebraska. Libraries are special places where children and teens can explore, learn, and dream. These early experiences in their local hometown libraries help children foster a love of reading and learning and set the stage for their years of formal education, from kindergarten through a four-year college, community college, or technical school. We here at NEST wish the very best for all the young readers in Nebraska and for their educational futures,” State Treasurer Stenberg said.

“NEST is proud to support the educational efforts of Nebraska’s children as well as the great work of the libraries statewide,” said Deborah Goodkin, Managing Director of NEST at First National Bank of Omaha, the NEST Program Manager. “With the libraries encouraging leisure reading during the summer, children can daydream and think of places they want to go and what they want to be. We hope this scholarship program encourages children and families to get involved in summer reading and complete the program with a little extra incentive for a possible scholarship.”

“Nebraska public libraries’ summer reading programs are great opportunities for children and teens to have the time to enjoy reading while maintaining and improving reading skills. They can also enjoy the many science-themed activities that are part of this year’s programs,” said Nebraska Library Commission Director Rod Wagner. “As places for learning, libraries are a natural partner for NEST—helping to illustrate the importance of children and their parents setting aside money for college education. The Nebraska Library Commission is pleased to join with the Nebraska State Treasurer, First National Bank of Omaha, Regional Library Systems, and Nebraska public libraries to promote lifelong learning, financial education and planning.”

Winners will be drawn from the names of children who complete the summer reading program as submitted at the end of their programs by libraries throughout Nebraska. Winners will be announced during college savings month in September.

For official scholarship rules, visit the NEST College Savings Plans at www.NEST529.com, the State Treasurer’s Office at www.treasurer.org/cs/or the Nebraska Library Commission at http://nlc.nebraska.gov.

###

About NEST
NEST is a tax-advantaged 529 college savings plan and provides four plans to help make saving for college simple and affordable: NEST Direct College Savings Plan, the NEST Advisor College Savings Plan, the TD Ameritrade 529 College Savings Plan, and The State Farm College Savings Plan. The Nebraska State Treasurer serves as the Program Trustee. First National Bank serves as the Program Manager, and all investments are approved by the Nebraska Investment Council. Families nationwide are saving for college using the NEST 529 plans, which have more than 215,000 accounts, including 62,000 in Nebraska. Visit NEST529.com and www.treasurer.org/cs/ for more information.

About First National Bank
First National Bank of Omaha is a subsidiary of First National of Nebraska, which is the largest privately owned banking company in the United States. First National and its affiliates have $17 billion in managed assets and nearly 5,000 employee associates. Primary banking offices are located in Nebraska, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota and Texas.

About Nebraska Library Commission
As Nebraska’s 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.” Visit http://booksarejustthebeginning.com/ for more examples of how Books Are Just the Beginning at Nebraska libraries.

Investments Are Not FDIC Insured*   No Bank, State or Federal Guarantee    May Lose Value *Except the Bank Savings Individual Investment Option

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Dewey Decimal Classification Class Offered in July

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Emily Nimsakont
Photo Credit: jasonvance via Compfight cc

Photo Credit: jasonvance via Compfight cc

Does this book on houseplants go in gardening (635.9), botany (581.6), or interior decorating (747)? If you have a nodding acquaintance with Abridged Dewey Decimal Classification and Relative Index but would like to feel more comfortable using this important tool, join us for a series of three one-and-a-half-hour online sessions. Sessions will include discussion on assigning classification numbers when a topic might fall under more than one discipline, choosing the right number based on Notes and Manual entries, building numbers using the tables, and a look at OCLC’s Abridged WebDewey. This workshop is approved for the NLC Cataloging Certificate Program.

Prerequisite: Basic Skills Organization of Library Materials or some library experience.

Dates: July 8, 15, and 22, 2014

Time: 10:00-11:30 am Central Time

Cost: No Charge

CE Hours: 4.5

To register, visit the NLC Training and Events Calendar.

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Doc Spot: Disaster Loans from the Small Business Administration

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Mary Sauers

SBADid you know that the SBA provides low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and most private nonprofit organizations? SBA disaster loans can be used to repair or replace the following items damaged or destroyed in a declared disaster: real estate, personal property, machinery and equipment, and inventory and business assets.

To find out more, and to apply for a loan, visit SBA.gov Disaster Loans

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Nebraska Learns 2.0: Summer Reading & Revolution 2.0

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Michael Sauers

PrintThe Nebraska Learns 2.0 Thing for June is NetGalley.

“Do you love to discover new books? Do you review and recommend books online, in print, for your bookstore, library patrons, blog readers, or classroom? Then you are what we call a “professional reader,” and NetGalley is for you. Registration is free, and allows you to request or be invited to read titles, often advance reading copies, on your favorite device.”

Another facet of Nebraska Learns 2.0 is BookThing. Each month we pick a single title that we feel has relevance to librarianship and/or information theory. Some of the titles will be very obviously related; while others may not seem so on the surface but there is a connection. Your assignment will be to read the book and create a blog post answering some questions about the title.

Revolution-2.0-198x300The BookThing for December is Revolution 2.0: The Power of the People is Greater Than the People in Power by Wael Ghonim.

Nebraska Learns 2.0 (http://nlcblogs.nebraska.gov/nelearns/ ) is the Nebraska Library Commission’s ongoing online learning program. It is a self-discovery program which encourages participants to take control of their own learning and to utilize their lifelong learning skills through exploration and PLAY.

Each month, we offer you an opportunity to learn a new Thing (or lesson). You have all month to complete that Thing and receive one CE credit. You may choose which Things to do based on personal interest and time availability If the Thing of the month doesn’t interest you or if you are particularly busy that month, you can skip it.

If you are new to Nebraska Learns 2.0, your first assignment is to sign up to participate at: http://nlcblogs.nebraska.gov/nelearns/sign-up-2/ This program is open to ALL Nebraska librarians, library staff, library friends, library board members and school media specialists.

We hope you’ll join your library colleagues in the fun as you learn about new and exciting technologies!

Posted in Books & Reading, Education & Training | Leave a comment

Recently on the NCompass Podcast

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Michael Sauers

Have you listened to the NCompass Podcast lately? Here are the episodes from May 2014. To get all of the episodes delivered to you automatically be sure to subscribe via RSS or iTunes.

 

 

Episode 282: Smart Investing: Reference Strategies and Resources

Episode 283: The Internship: A Win-Win Situation

Episode 284: A Conversation with Nebraska’s New State Poet, Twyla Hansen

Episode 285: Doing Smart “Social” Media

Episode 286: Tech Talk with Michael Sauers: Adventures in Google Apps for Education (GAFE)

 

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Recollections

Posted on May 30, 2014 by Allana Novotny

Helen M. Robinson's recollections How good is your memory? The town of Oshkosh NE was lucky to have a resident with a great memory and willingness to document and share what she remembered. In June of 1984 someone from the Garden County News office contacted Helen M. Robinson asking her to write about her personal memories of different business in Oshkosh beginning in 1920. After thinking it over Helen agreed but with one condition. “That condition is, that it would also become a community project, to attempt to get a written record of the Oshkosh businesses from 1920 to the present time – 1984.” (Chapter 1; Page 1) I don’t know if she realize when she agreed how large of a project this would turn into. Her articles appeared in the Garden Count News from June 14, 1984 to December 4, 1986.

In 1985 Helen’s children decided that their mom’s newspaper articles should be placed in a more permanent form. After the last article was printed in 1986 they began working on compiling the articles into a book. For continuity and ease of reading they combined the articles and created chapters. The completed book was finished in July 1987 which also happened to be about the same time Helen celebrated her 80th birthday.

Today everyone can read and enjoy Helen M. Robinson’s Recollections. In 2014 the Garden County Historical Society, along with the Oshkosh Public Library, worked with the Library Commission to digitize the book and make it available in the Nebraska Memories. The book can be found at: http://memories.nebraska.gov/cdm/landingpage/collection/gchs

Reading the book I learn that Oshkosh has supported a wide variety of businesses over the years including barbers, shoe & harness repair, department stores, flower & gift shops, bakeries, cream stations, sales barns, cafes, manufacturing, morticians, cleaning establishments, ice cream parlors, hotels, hardware stores and filling stations. The amount of information Helen provides about each business is amazing. Many of these businesses changed locations over time and she documented all of their different locations, the names of the owners and employees.

Oshkosh State Bank built in 1917

Oshkosh State Bank built in 1917

Here is just a small portion of what I learned just about the banks in Oshkosh. In 1917 a second bank opened in town and was named the Oshkosh State Bank. It was located in a small building on the east side of Main Street until a two-story brick building was completed on the southwest corner of Main and Avenue C. The picture at the right shows the building during construction. In 1924 the Oshkosh State Bank and the Nebraska State Bank merged under the name Nebraska State Bank. The Nebraska State Bank moved its offices from their building which was located a block north to the brick building built by the Oshkosh State Bank. The newly formed bank was managed by Mr. Farrell.

My short paragraph is far from the complete history of the banks in Oshkosh. There is almost 60 more years’ worth of information in the book just about the banks. The information includes the names of many of the owners and employees starting in 1904 and continues on until the early 1980’s. Helen even provided the maiden names for many of the female employees. More information about the banks can be found in Chapter 10 of the book. 

On a side note I do wonder what type of negotiations took place in 1924 when the banks merged. How did they decide to go with the name Nebraska State Bank yet at the same time locate their business in a brick building that had the name Oshkosh State Bank written in stone above the door? Looking at Google Map’s Street View you can see that the bank building is still standing 97 years later with the name Oshkosh State Bank still visible.

Reading through the book I was happy to see that Helen got her wish and her columns did turn into a community project. Throughout the book there are multiple references to what other folks remembered. Helen also included letters other folks sent her. One letter that I enjoyed was from Betty (Brennan) Beam. Betty’s letter talked about the first tea house in Oshkosh. She described it as “dark and without paint. Within was the odor of burning coals and soot.” As you read you realize the tea house she was describing was actually Jim Monshan’s blacksmith shop where the farmers would gather for a cup of tea. Betty said “Jim Monahan was English enough to make the tea and Irish enough to be blessed with quick wit and a ready answer.” (Chapter 7; Page 25)

I hope my comments about the book Helen M. Robinson’s Recollections have piqued your interest. The book is over 300 pages long. There are a lot of great memories of businesses and business people of Oshkosh. If you don’t have time to read the book cover to cover you can always search the book for specific name, business or any piece of information you think maybe included in the book.

Visit Nebraska Memories to search for or browse through many more historical images digitized from photographs, negatives, postcards, maps, lantern slides, books and other materials.

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. Nebraska Memories is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information, or contact Beth Goble, Historical Projects Librarian, or Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.

Posted in General, Information Resources, Nebraska Memories, Technology | Leave a comment

NCompass Live: 20 Cool Tools for You and Your Library

Posted on May 30, 2014 by Christa Porter

NCompass live smallJoin us for next week’s NCompass Live: “20 Cool Tools for You and Your Library”, on Wednesday, June 4, 10:00-11:00 am Central Time.

New internet tools, technologies and websites are appearing every day, and you can make use of them in your personal and professional life. Librarians can harness the full potential of these tools to provide innovative library services and programming, stay organized, be creative and improve productivity. Christa Burns, from the Nebraska Library Commission, will introduce you to 20 new and emerging online tools to empower you to accomplish great things at your library.

Upcoming NCompass Live events:

  • June 11 – Broadband + Libraries = Community Growth
  • June 18 – EDGE: Connecting Technology and Community
  • June 25 – Tech Talk with Michael Sauers
  • July 9 – Is It Copyrighted? Can I Use It?
  • July 23 – Opportunity – Collaboration – Engagement: UNL Extension’s Community Vitality Initiative

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, Technology | Leave a comment

Library Commission Approves Change in Regional Library System Areas

Posted on May 30, 2014 by Jennifer Wrampe

At its meeting on May 16 the Nebraska Library Commission approved a change in Nebraska’s regional library system structure based on recommendations from the Nebraska Regional Library Systems Configuration Task Force. As a result, Nebraska’s current six regional service areas will be re-organized into four regional areas. The regional changes are expected to be in place no earlier than January 2015.

State and federal budget cuts in past years and flat funding in recent years prompted consideration of reducing the number of Nebraska regional library systems. Failure to secure increased funding for the current state biennium budget led to formation of the task force to develop recommendations for regional organization. The task force met several times before proposing regional options. The regional options were presented for discussion at the Library Commission’s March 2014 meeting.

Library Commission staff, regional library system directors, and regional library system boards are working on implementation actions to create the new regional entities.

The Regional Library Systems Task Force Configuration report, questions and answers about regional changes, and the new regional map are available via the Library Commission’s website: http://nlc.nebraska.gov/systems/

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Data Doodles: New Statistics Edition

Posted on May 30, 2014 by John Felton

Fotolia_51772408_S180pxHave you been looking for Nebraska public library statistics for the 2012-2013 fiscal year? Well, search no longer because they are now available on the Library Commission’s website at  http://nlc.nebraska.gov/stats/. Scroll down to the Library Statistical Data section for links to:

  • An Excel spreadsheet with the complete data from the FY 2013 Public Libraries Survey,
  • A one-page summary of the annual data in Excel or Adobe Reader format,
  • An updated Nebraska Public Libraries Directory with the latest data, and
  • A Nebraska map with location markers and pop-up statistics for each public library

I want to thank to everyone who completed and submitted an annual library survey, because this statistical information would not be available without your hard work.

 

 

 

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What’s Sally Reading?

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Sally Snyder

Great Websites for Kids  —

ALSC, the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association has had for a while a section promoting the best websites for children they have found.  Called “Great Websites for Kids” it is updated regularly, so check back if you haven’t visited it lately.  The first page has categories listed you can select: “Sites of the Week,” “Recent Sites,” Most Popular,” and “Top Rated” and contains links to sites from The Crayola Home Page to Giggle Poetry and Farmer’s Almanac for Kids.  If you are wondering what sites you are missing, here is a good place to start.  I gave up trying to count the number of sites to which they link.  There are also plenty of author sites included: Shel Silverstein, The Brown Bookshelf, Jan Brett, Avi, and Janet Stevens for a start.

Barton197My Bus by Byron Barton has a human bus driver picking up dogs or cats at each of the bus stops.  The driver takes some of the animals to the boat, some to the train, and others to an airplane.  A simple story that includes favorite animals and popular transportation machines.  A little math is implied: addition as the animals board the bus and subtraction as they depart.  Each illustration clearly shows the dogs and cats still on the bus, so counting how many are there is another activity for listeners.  A good choice for story times.

(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.)

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GRANTS.GOV WEBINAR

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Mary Sauers

FDLPnews2GRANTS.GOV is the Federal Government’s online portal where all 26 Federal grant-making agencies go to post their grant funding opportunities and where applicants go to find and apply for those opportunities. There are three key areas with which applicants must become familiar: the registration process, how to find funding opportunities that match interests, and how to apply for those opportunities.

A FREE live Webinar, Everything You Want to Know about GRANTS.GOV, from the U.S. Census Bureau, will be offered Wednesday, June 25, 2014.

Register for “Everything You Want to Know about GRANTS.GOV“.

  • Start Time: 1:00 pm Eastern Time (12:00 Central)
  • Duration: 1 hour

Registration is required. Space is limited on a first-come, first-served basis. Upon registering, an email confirmation of registration will include instructions for joining the webinar.

**ATTENTION! A special note for registrants with mail filters – especially Federal and military agencies**

Upon registration, you should almost immediately receive an email from our eLearning system. If you do not receive that email, it may be that security settings, firewalls, or spam filters prevent the transmission of this and other important notifications from the webinar system. Please notify GPO at FDLPOutreach@gpo.gov if you do not receive a registration confirmation in your email.

Registration confirmations for the webinar will be sent from sqldba@icohere.com. To ensure delivery of registration confirmations, registrants should configure junk mail or spam filter(s) to permit messages from that email address.

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Register Now for June 4 Webinar for New Professionals

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Mary Jo Ryan

ala_newsNew or aspiring library professionals facing the challenges of finishing school, looking for a job, or working hard to succeed in a first position are invited to a free webinar, presented by  LLAMA’s New Professionals Section (NPS).

The Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA) will present “NPS 101: An Introduction to LLAMA’s New Professionals Section” from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Central time on Wednesday, June 4, 2014. This free webinar will introduce participants to NPS, which launched at the American Library Association’s 2014 Midwinter Meeting.

NPS seeks to empower new professionals to lead from where they are, while also looking forward to what they hope to accomplish in the future. Through a variety of programs and initiatives, NPS aims to help LIS students and new professionals gain leadership and management skills so they can become leaders in their LIS programs, in their libraries and in the profession.

By the end of this webinar participants will:

  • Understand the mission and goals of both NPS and LLAMA
  • Learn about current and future NPS opportunities and initiatives
  • Find out how to become involved in NPS and LLAMA
  • Contribute to an ongoing conversation on new professional issues

Participants will also be encouraged to share ideas and offer their own visions of a successful New Professionals Section.

Presenters: Bethany Tschaepe, reference and instruction librarian, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas; Zara Wilkinson, reference and instruction librarian, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, N.J.

Target audience: Current LIS students, recent graduates, new professionals and new or potential LLAMA members.

Register for “NPS 101: An Introduction to LLAMA’s New Professionals Section.”

About the Library Leadership and Management Association
The Library Leadership and Management Association (www.ala.org/llama) advances outstanding leadership and management practices in library and information services by encouraging and nurturing individual excellence in current and aspiring library leaders. LLAMA is a division of the American Library Association.

Posted in Education & Training, General, Library Management | Leave a comment

Attend Free Webinar, Declaration for the Right to Libraries, on June 9

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Mary Jo Ryan

declaration-for-right-to-libraries200_0Nebraska library staff and supporters are invited to a webinar featuring a panel including Nebraska’s Mary Reiman, director of Library Media Services at Lincoln Public Schools. Learn more about how the Declaration for the Right to Libraries initiative has flourished as a successful public awareness, advocacy and community engagement tool since its launch last year. This final, free webinar in ALA President Barbara Stripling’s Libraries Change Lives series will feature case studies of how this initiative is being used to create positive change in libraries. The webinar takes place from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. CT on Monday, June 9, 2014.

Libraries of all types from coast to coast have hosted Declaration signings, and speakers for this session will discuss their approach and share examples of how they used the Declaration as a means to engage their communities in discussions about their needs, as well as the value of the library. Presenters include Hadi Dudley, library director of the Bentonville Public Library (Ark.), Jeff Simpson of Troy University and the Alabama Library Association, Mary Reiman, director of Library Media Services at Lincoln Public Schools (Neb.) and Lisa Hoenig, library director of the Redford Township District Library (Mich.). ALA President Barbara Stripling will moderate the webinar and discuss her vision for the Declaration during her presidential year and beyond.

Registration is mandatory and limited to the first 100 participants who arrive in the virtual room. Visit the Adobe Connect event page to sign up today.

This webinar is presented by the ALA Office for Library Advocacy and co-sponsored by Stripling’s Presidential Advisory Committee. For more information about this series or for questions about registration, please contact the ALA Office for Library Advocacy at advocacy@ala.org.

These webinars will be archived and accessible to ALA members, and are part of Stripling’s Libraries Change Lives 2013- 2014 Webinar Series.

These informative, timely sessions are intended to showcase best practices, successes, and to transfer knowledge among ALA members.

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Beat of a Different Drummer

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Devra Dragos

The group performing on the corner a block away for the Friday lunch hour, as I work on this blog post, not only reinforces the fact that everyone has their own taste in music and preference for a “beat” but also the importance of music to humans.

Music has played a big part in Nebraska’s cultural history; in Nebraska Memories, you can browse through our new category of Musical Performers which includes photographic images people of different times, ages, and backgrounds.

Madessa Wolfe1917 Nebraska Normal College BandCarl F. SteckelbergSome student musicians like young Madessa Wolfe, far left, (Harvey L. Boston, Butler County Gallery Collection) enjoyed private music lessons while others learned to play in school bands–high school or college like the 1917 Nebraska Normal College Band, above center, (Wayne State College Collection). Faculty at the University School of Music in Lincoln, such as Carl Steckelberg, above right, (Polley Music Library Collection) not only taught music but also performed regularly.

African AmericanStandard Chautauqua 3Outside of school, bands and orchestras were formed by families, friends, and church and community members. Some were amateurs while others were professional like this Orchestra featuring all male African American musicians, at left (William Wentworth, The Durham Museum Collection). For a time, performers the bell ringers to the left (Alva C. Townsend, Townsend Studio Collection) could be booked through the Chautauqua.

Man boy and girl performing musicallyPerformers made music outdoors in bandstands, fields, parades or on a makeshift stage as in the photo to the right, of a man, boy and girl (John Nelson, Nebraska State Historical Society Collection). Indoor venues included school stages, auditoriums, churches, ball rooms, concert halls, opera houses, prisoner of war camps, orphanages and other institutions.

Great Cathedral ChoirChoirs also played an important role in the musical scene. The Great Cathedral Choir shown here in the State Capitol (Polley Music Library Collection) performed regularly in Lincoln starting in 1919. Singers also played parts on stage in musicals or took part in concerts. The Polley Music Library Collection includes many concert programs featuring visiting and local performers.

Chief Bear DogSo, whether you prefer an indoor or outdoor performance, a formal orchestra or the beat of a single drummer like Chief Bear Dog (John Anderson, Nebraska State Historical Society Collection), take a look at the items representing the rich musical history of Nebraska.

Visit Nebraska Memories to search for or browse through many more historical images digitized from photographs, negatives, postcards, maps, lantern slides, books and other materials.

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. Nebraska Memories is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information, or contact Beth Goble, Historical Projects Librarian, or Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.

Posted in Nebraska Memories | Leave a comment

VA Fry Scholarship for Surviving Family Members

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Mary Sauers

VAheader-logoThe Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and TAPS (www.taps.org) recently started working together to ensure surviving family members are connected to their VA benefits. This includes the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John D. Fry scholarship (http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/docs/factsheets/fry_scholarship.pdf), which provides Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits to children of Service members who died in the line of duty after Sept. 10, 2001. The benefit includes full in-state tuition and fees, a monthly housing allowance and a books and supplies stipend.

By working with non-profit organizations like TAPS helps us stay connected and ensure all eligible dependents know – and use – the Fry Scholarship, hosting economic competitiveness summits across the country, and launching new online employment tools, we continue to work hard to connect transitioning Servicemembers, Veterans and their family members with meaningful employment and rewarding careers.

Additional information can also be found at, http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/14212/program-works-with-va-to-support-family-members/.

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NCompass Live: Tech Talk with Michael Sauers: Introducing GAFE (Google Apps for Education) to Elementary Students

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Christa Porter

NCompass live smallJoin us for next week’s NCompass Live: “Tech Talk with Michael Sauers: Introducing GAFE (Google Apps for Education) to Elementary Students”, on Wednesday, May 28, 10:00-11:00 am Central Time.

This presentation will share the lessons learned in introducing the GAFE (Google Apps for Education) products to fourth grade students earlier this spring. Presenter: Cynthia Stogdill: School Librarian at Bellfield/Milliken Park Elementary at Fremont (NE) Public Schools. Tech Nerd, Cat Lover, and Massive Reader. Passionate about teaching research and authentic learning.

In this monthly feature of NCompass Live, the NLC’s Technology Innovation Librarian, Michael Sauers, will discuss the tech news of the month and share new and exciting tech for your library. There will also be plenty of time in each episode for you to ask your tech questions. So, bring your questions with you, or send them in ahead of time, and Michael will have your answers.

Upcoming NCompass Live events:

  • June 11 – Broadband + Libraries = Community Growth
  • June 18 – EDGE: Connecting Technology and Community
  • July 9 – Is It Copyrighted? Can I Use It?
  • July 23 – Opportunity – Collaboration – Engagement: UNL Extension’s Community Vitality Initiative

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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Nebraska Library Friends Groups and Foundations Invited to IRS Webinar

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Mary Jo Ryan
This Thursday, May 29 at 1:00 p.m. CT, the IRS will host a free Webinar on Form 990-N and 990-EZ Filing Tips.  Topics include:

  • Tips to help you save time preparing the forms
  • Steps to avoid penalties
  • Discussion of automatic revocation
  • New reinstatement procedures under Rev. Proc. 2014-11
  • Online resources that will help your library Friends Group and/or Foundation

To receive CE credit (and a certificate of completion) you must view the presentation for a minimum of 50 minutes. Register for this presentation.

If you have a technical or procedural question relating to Exempt Organizations, visit the Charities and Nonprofits homepage on the IRS.gov Web site.

If you have a specific question about exempt organizations, call EO Customer Account Services at 877-829-5500.
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Participate in a survey on small and rural academic libraries

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Michael Sauers

PrintAre you an academic librarian at a small or rural library? Do you work (or want to work) with cloud computing technologies? If so, we invite you to participate in a research study about the impact of cloud computing on librarians at small or rural academic libraries.

The purpose of this study is to understand:

  1. Impact of cloud computing on librarians at small and rural academic libraries;
  2. The nature and use of cloud computing technologies by small and rural academic librarians; and
  3. Concerns about cloud computing by librarians at small and rural academic libraries.

Please visit http://bit.ly/R7NMF3 to take the online survey. The survey will be open until May 30, 2014.

If you’ve already participated in this survey, thank you. Please consider forwarding it to colleagues who may be interested.

Thank you for your interest in and support of this research.

Sincerely,
Deborah Tritt, M.L.I.S., M.S.I.T. (PI)
University of South Carolina AIken
deboraht@usca.edu

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Spotlight! on National Library of Medicine Resources – Mobile Resources

Posted on May 22, 2014 by Michael Sauers

NLM LogoWednesday, May 28 – 1:00 MT/2:00 CT
John Bramble will be presenting on many of the free mobile apps available in National Library of Medicine Gallery of Mobile Apps (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mobile/). If you’d like to follow along with John as he demos apps, be sure and download the apps before the session. If you have any questions or need help with this prior to the session, please do not hesitate to contact John , john.bramble@utah.edu,  800-338-7657 toll free in region, 801-585-5743 office).

URL :  https://webmeeting.nih.gov/mcr2
Equipment: connection to the Internet and a phone
Login: as a guest with your first and last name. Instructions to connect to the audio will show up once you’ve logged in.

No registration required. Captioning will be provided and the sessions will be recorded.  Questions to mmagee@unmc.edu (mm)

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