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.

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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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What’s Sally Reading?

Posted on May 22, 2014 by Sally Snyder

Start Now and Be Ready for Teen Read Week

Teen Read Week is October 12-18 this year, the theme is Turn Dreams into Reality @ your library, and YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) has a website with a variety of items to help you and your teens be ready. Resources and incentives include:

  • Downloadable low-resolution theme logo
  • Forums: Discuss and share TRW related resources and experiences
  • Ready to use planning and publicity tools
  • Products: Posters, bookmarks, manuals, and more
  • Showcase: Share your planned events
  • Webinars : Free access to a live webinar to help you prepare for TRW, as well as archived webinars
  • And more resources and perks to come

And remember the Teens Top Ten will be announced the week after Teen Read Week.  Your teens can read the nominated books and vote for their favorites.  Visit their website to find a PDF of the 25 nominated titles with descriptions.

Jinks195How to Catch a Bogle by Catherine Jinks finds orphan Birdie (10), in Victorian London, proud to be an apprentice to Alfred Bunce, the Bogler, this life is much better than being a rag picker.  Her job is to act as bait to lure the bogle out for Alfred to catch and kill.  Alfred lost one assistant to a bogle and is determined to never have that happen again. He is not the expected cruel master, he worries for Birdie’s safety however this is the only way he knows to catch the deadly bogles.  Now something odd is about, orphans are disappearing and Alfred and Birdie may be in more danger than usual.  This title has spookiness, concern for Birdie’s well-being, the social divisions in London, and the concept of considering other options for catching and killing dangerous bogles.  For grades 4-7.

(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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NCompass Live: Doing Smart ‘Social’ Media

Posted on May 16, 2014 by Christa Porter

untitledJoin us for next week’s NCompass Live: “Doing Smart ‘Social’ Media”, on Wednesday, May 21, 10:00-11:00 am Central Time.

Have a Twitter/Google Plus/Facebook account and don’t know what to do with them? Do you want to effectively incorporate social media into your library’s online presence? This hour will cover the how and why of your library’s media presence and how to effectively incorporate newer promotion outlets into your library’s marketing plan. Also tips on how to make your library stand out via these new media outlets.

Maurice Coleman, host of T is for Training, member of the ALA Learning Round Table and 2010 Library Journal Mover and Shaker will show you practical tips and tricks of managing and designing your new media presence.

Upcoming NCompass Live events:

  • May 28 – Tech Talk with Michael Sauers: Introducing GAFE (Google Apps for Education) to Elementary Students
  • June 18 – EDGE: Connecting Technology and Community
  • July 9 – Is It Copyrighted? Can I Use It?

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 NCompass live smallonline 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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Kooser Book Chosen to Represent Nebraska

Posted on May 15, 2014 by Jennifer Wrampe

House Held Up by Trees, by Ted Kooser with Jon Klassen (Illustrator), will represent Nebraska at the 2014 National Book Festival in Washington, DC. The book is the state’s selection for the National Book Festival’s “Discover Great Places through Reading Map.” Each state selects one title of fiction or non-fiction, a book about the state or by an author from the state that is a good read for children or young adults. The map is distributed at the Pavilion of the States at the Festival and lists “Great Reads about Great Places.”

Kooser’s children’s picture book offers a powerful view of the natural world. Though there’s a family involved, the real star of this multilayered modern parable is a plot of land…the artwork initially functions as stoic backdrop for the story, with wide-angle perspectives filled with plenty of open space and muted colors. But in the second part, as the trees take over, Klassen’s compositions command more and more attention, elbowing the text into the periphery and subtly reinforcing the themes in play… Unfolding with uncommon grace, the environmental heart of this story is revealed obliquely but powerfully.
Ages 5-8. -Publishers Weekly

Ted Kooser was the United States Poet Laureate from 2004 to 2006 and won a Pulitzer Prize for his book of poems Delights and Shadows. He is the author of twelve full-length volumes of poetry and several books of nonfiction, including Nebraska Book Award winner Local Wonders, Seasons in the Bohemian Alps. His work has appeared in many periodicals. He is also the author of Bag in the Wind, his first picture book. Kooser lives in Garland, NE. For more information see http://tedkooser.net. Jon Klassen is the author-illustrator of I Want My Hat Back. The first picture book he illustrated, Cats’ Night Out by Caroline Stutson, won the Governor General’s Award for illustration in his native Canada. Klassen now lives in Los Angeles.

The National Book Festival will be held in Washington, DC at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Saturday August 30, 2014. This year’s festival will feature authors, poets and illustrators in several pavilions. Festival-goers can meet and hear firsthand from their favorite poets and authors, get books signed, hear special entertainment, have photos taken with storybook characters, and participate in a variety of activities. The Pavilion of the States will represent reading and library programs and literary events in all fifty states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. trusts and territories. Children attending the festival are given maps to take to each state’s table to be stamped to receive a prize. Representatives from the Nebraska Library Commission and Nebraska Center for the Book will staff Nebraska’s table in the Pavilion. For more information see loc.gov/bookfest.

The Nebraska Center for the Book is housed at the Nebraska Library Commission and brings together the state’s readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, printers, educators, and scholars to build the community of the book, supporting programs to celebrate and stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the written word. The Nebraska Center for the Book is supported by the Nebraska Library Commission. As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, bringing together people and information.

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.

 

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Over $5.7 Million in E-rate Funding Awarded to Nebraska Schools and Libraries

Posted on May 15, 2014 by Christa Porter

Today, USAC released the first Wave of Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs) for E-rate Funding Year 2014.

Wave 1 includes $5,742,491.16 in funding commitments for approved Priority 1 requests (Telecommunications Services and Internet Access) for 380 Nebraska school and library applicants.

Congratulations to all Nebraska schools and libraries funded in Wave 1!

You can check to see if you have a commitment by using USAC’s Automated Search of Commitments tool.

If you are on the list, watch your mail for your Funding Commitment Decision Letter (FCDL). After you receive your letter, you can go on to the next step in the E-rate process, filing your Form 486. Information and instructions on how to do that can be found on the USAC website.

If you are not on the Wave 1 list, don’t panic! There are many more weekly Waves to come as USAC processes more applications. This is just the start of Funding Year 2014, more approvals are coming.

If you have any questions or need any assistance with your E-rate forms, visit the NLC E-rate webpage or contact Christa Burns, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.

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SBA Launches Accelerator Competition to Award $2.5 Million for Small Business Startups

Posted on May 15, 2014 by Mary Sauers

SBAThe Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that the SBA is launching a $2.5 million competition for accelerators and other entrepreneurial ecosystem models to compete for monetary prizes of $50,000 each. To award the prizes, an expert panel of judges will consider each applicant’s stated mission, founding team members and business goals among other core components. The deadline for applying is August 2, 2014.

The panel will give particular attention to, and the SBA encourages, applicants that fill geographic gaps in the accelerator and entrepreneurial ecosystem space. It is well known that the most successful accelerators to date were founded on the coasts. Through this competition, we are looking to support the development of accelerators and thus startups in parts of the country where there are fewer conventional sources of access to capital (i.e., venture capital and other investors).

In addition to accelerators which fill the gaps described above, we are also seeking accelerators which are run by and support women or other underrepresented groups. Lastly, special consideration will be given to any accelerator models which support manufacturing.

For the purposes of this competition, Growth Accelerators include accelerators, incubators, co-working startup communities, shared tinker-spaces or other models to accomplish similar goals.

Over the coming months, SBA will be working with a number of partners such as the Global Accelerator Network (GAN) and others to host a number of Demo Days across the country. Demo Days provide opportunities for networking and the sharing of best practices among accelerators and other entrepreneurial ecosystem models. The first Demo Day of 2014 was held in Austin, Texas at the Capital Factory and concurrent with the South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival.  Thirteen accelerators across multiple industries and geographies gave five minute pitches to a room full of their peers. SBA is working to develop more of these events to happen in different cities around the country in 2014. Finalists in the competition will also be participating in a Demo Day remotely, thus there is no requirement for applicants to participate in the in-person events.

To apply visit sba.gov or challenge.gov. For additional questions, contact accelerators@sba.gov.

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New Government Publications Received at the Library Commission

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Mary Sauers

State government publications ranging from Administrative Services to Nebraska Press, received March and April, 2014.

http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/archives/WhatsUpDoc/WUDMarApril2014.pdf

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Join the Nebraska CatExpress Group: A Fast, Easy, and Affordable Cataloging Solution for Your Library

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Christa Porter

If your library needs basic copy cataloging and MARC record delivery for up to 7,000 titles per year, OCLC CatExpress may be right for you. CatExpress provides web-based copy cataloging, with basic editing capabilities, at a low, flat-fee subscription price. And, when you join the Nebraska Group, you will receive discounted pricing on your CatExpress Subscription.

OCLC CatExpress is an annual subscription based on the maximum number of titles your library may catalog in a year. Subscriptions run from July 1 to June 30 each year. But you can join the group at any time, as subscriptions and pricing can be prorated.

The 2014-2015 group subscription cost is $1.07 per title.

Even if you have little or no cataloging experience, you’ll be amazed at how simple it is to use CatExpress with minimal training. And since it’s a Web-based product, there is no special software to install or maintain.

CatExpress accesses records in WorldCat, the OCLC Online Catalog, which contains over 319 million bibliographic records. By accessing WorldCat through CatExpress, you have available to you records for all formats, including sound recordings (spoken and music), videos, electronic resources, journals, maps, and microforms. You can achieve hit rates of over 98 percent for English-language materials – all through an easy-to-use Web interface. You also may expand your resource sharing capabilities by adding your own holdings information to bibliographic records.

CatExpress Features:

• Full search capabilities in WorldCat

• The ability to set or delete holdings in WorldCat

• Delivery of OCLC-MARC records for you to load into your local system

• Basic editing of your MARC records and printing of labels for your items.

• Affordable, predictable pricing options for all sizes of libraries

To learn more about CatExpress, and to join the Nebraska CatExpress Group, go to the NLC’s CatExpress webpage.

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NCompass Live: A Conversation with Nebraska’s New State Poet, Twyla Hansen

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Christa Porter

HansenJoin us for next week’s NCompass Live: “A Conversation with Nebraska’s New State Poet, Twyla Hansen”, on Wednesday, May 14, 10:00-11:00 am Central Time.

Rod Wagner and Mary Jo Ryan, from the Nebraska Library Commission, will chat with Twyla M. Hansen, Nebraska’s new State Poet.

Upcoming NCompass Live events:

  • May 21 – Doing Smart ‘Social’ Media
  • May 28 – Tech Talk with Michael Sauers: Introducing GAFE (Google Apps for Education) to Elementary Students
  • July 9: Is It Copyrighted? Can I Use It?

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 NCompass live smallonline 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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$32,000 in Internship Grants Awarded to Nebraska Public Libraries

Posted on May 7, 2014 by Jennifer Wrampe

The Nebraska Library Commission and the Nebraska Library Association recently awarded 21st Century Librarian internship grants totaling $32,000 to twenty-one Nebraska public libraries. These internship grants will support public library interns, who will contribute to the scope and value of the diverse programs and activities in Nebraska’s public libraries.

“The internships offer valuable work and learning experiences for the interns and helpful assistance to the participating libraries. We thank the participating libraries for their contributions to the internship program and we wish this year’s group of interns the very best for great and worthwhile experiences,” said Nebraska Library Commission Director Rod Wagner.

Funding for the project is provided through a Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), administered through the Nebraska Library Commission. Such funding helps the Nebraska Library Commission and the Nebraska Library Association continue to support the missions and goals of libraries across Nebraska and statewide efforts to recruit the next generation of Nebraska’s librarians.

Student interns will learn about library work as they shadow and assist with day-to-day library operations and implement special projects. Interns will lead youth summer reading program activities, conduct training sessions to teach senior citizens to use technology, facilitate book discussion activities, help develop and update library Website and Facebook pages, create young adult library programs and spaces, work on publicity materials for library programs, sort and preserve archival materials, and assist in a host of other worthwhile activities.

In 2013, interns brought their technology skills to the forefront, much to the appreciation of the library staff, library customers, and their communities:

  • One intern completed videos of summer reading activities as a promotional tool.
  • Another intern created an instructional video on Overdrive (downloadable eBook and audio book collections) use, and added to the website.
  • A third intern started a library Facebook page.

Said one intern: “I learned that librarians need to have very extensive knowledge regarding the operations of computers and their programs. It was very surprising, but I can see how necessary this knowledge is now that books, journals and magazines are becoming digitized.”

The following Nebraska libraries received internship grant funding in March 2014:

  • Atkinson Public Library
  • Bassett, Rock County Public Library
  • Cozad Public Library
  • Emerson Public Library
  • Grand Island Public Library
  • Grant, Hastings Memorial Library
  • Howells Public Library
  • Kimball Public Library
  • La Vista Public Library
  • Lincoln City Libraries
  • McCook Public Library
  • Neligh Public Library
  • Norfolk Public Library
  • North Bend Public Library
  • Omaha Public Library
  • Papillion, Sump Memorial Library
  • Ponca Carnegie Library
  • Schuyler Public Library
  • Shelby Public Library
  • Valparaiso Public Library
  • Verdigre Public Library

As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, bringing together people and information. For more information, visit http://nlc.nebraska.gov/.

The Nebraska Library Association is the cornerstone of the Nebraska library community. The Association advocates for its members, enriches their professional lives, advances the lifelong learning of all Nebraskans, and promotes all library interests in Nebraska. For more information, visit http://nebraskalibraries.org.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit http://www.imls.gov.

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Storytelling through digital and traditional media

Posted on May 6, 2014 by Laura Johnson

Harlequin publishers has begun an experimental project, spinning a romance through ebooks, video, mobile and social media.

The fictional Chatsfield hotel, based in London, is the setting for stories that will “develop the characters that the consumers interact with most.”  Four main characters will tell their stories using multiple digital, social and mobile channels – including their own Facebook, YouTube, blogs and Twitter accounts, as well as traditional publishing.  It is up to the reader to gather various parts of the stories as they unfold.

The Chatsfield miniseries begins with prequel novella Engaged at The Chatsfield, currently available for download and with the novel Sheikh’s Scandal by Lucy Monroe. Monthly novels through November are listed at Harlequin.com.

The Chatsfield will also have a Lounge where readers can contribute their own stories and hotel adventures.

Harlequin UK Managing Director, Tim Cooper says, “We don’t really know how this project will end or where it will take us – but isn’t that the whole point of a great story?” The aim of The Chatsfield is to attract a younger audience which is already involved with social media.

Over the next three months, Harlequin plans to distribute more than 800 pieces of content involving the four character storylines over multiple platforms.

You can check in to the Chatsfield and check it out.

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Gardens Galore

Posted on May 6, 2014 by Beth Goble

J.F. Rosenfield Peony Gardens, Omaha, Nebraska on Lincoln Highway

I think the great botanist Luther Burbank had it right when he wrote: “Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful: they are sunshine, food and medicine to the soul.” This is the time of year when the gardeners amongst us delight in planning, purchasing for, and planting their gardens. In eastern Nebraska the onions, spuds and peas were planted weeks ago and the daffodils are over until next spring. Vegetable and flower seedlings are on sale everywhere–markets, grocery stores, building supply stores, and nurseries. Nebraskans of earlier times loved gardening too, as photos of gardens and nurseries in Nebraska Memories tell us. The color postcard above feaures  25 acres of gorgeous  peonies  abloom in the  J.F. Rosenfield Peony Gardens in Omaha. Rosenfield had a farm near West Point, Nebraska, and bred many peonies, which he  sold from his nursery.

Plumfield NurseriesPlumfield Nurseries in Fremont was in business for many years.   In the photo on the left cannas are planted in front of the  nursery wall.    Westfield Acres flower bedA mass planting of cannas is the centerpiece of the photo on the right at Westfield Acres, home of Frank and Jessie Fowler of Fremont.

McKinley School GardenGardening is also good for the mind, and several Lincoln schools had gardens that students worked in.  The  McKinley School was located at 230 S. 15th Street and the children are shown posing with hoes and trowels in this 1913 photo.
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 information, or contact Beth Goble, Historical Services Librarian, or Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.

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Recently on the NCompass Podcast

Posted on May 5, 2014 by Michael Sauers

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

 

 

Episode 278: Fizz, Boom, Read! : Summer Reading Program 2014

Episode 279: Paws to Read at Kearney Public Library

Episode 280: Killing Dewey

Episode 281: Tech Talk with Michael Sauers: Playful Pedagogy: Using Game Components to Change the Student Experience

Episode 282: Smart Investing: Reference Strategies and Resources

 

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Nebraska Learns 2.0: Online Cartography and ‘Drive’

Posted on May 2, 2014 by Christa Porter

The Nebraska Learns 2.0 Thing for May is Mapping & Geolocation Tools. 

For this month’s Thing, we’re going to explore online maps and geolocation tools focusing on geography, history and literature.

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.

The BookThing for May is Drive by Daniel H. Pink. 

Nebraska Learns 2.0 is the Nebraska Library Commission’s ongoing online learning CarhengeCrop5program. 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. 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