Throwback Thursday: Round House

Posted on April 30, 2020 by Kayla Henzel

Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

This 4×7 inch black and white photograph features the McCook round house with eighteen stalls.

This image is owned by the High Plains Historical Society and Museum. The High Plains Historical Society and Museum and the McCook Public Library worked in partnership to digitize photographic images from the historical society’s collection. These images document early growth of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad in McCook, Nebraska, and the surrounding area. The collection spans a time period from the early 1880s through the 1960s.

Check out the full collection on the Nebraska Memories archive.

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 this project, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.

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Regional Library Systems Newsletters

Posted on April 29, 2020 by Tessa Timperley

Stay informed with your Regional Library System’s most recent newsletter, or find out what libraries across the state are up to! You can find all archived newsletters on the NLC Regional Library Systems’ Newsletter webpage.









The Nebraska Regional Library Systems consist of four non-profit corporations governed by boards representative of libraries and citizens in the region. The four systems were established to provide access to improved library services through the cooperation of all types of libraries and media centers within the counties included in each System area. Each system offers a variety of services such as regular newsletters, meetings of library staff, workshops, consulting, and planning reflective of the needs within the region. The systems help the Nebraska Library Commission meet its goals on a more localized level.

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The 2020 Census is Still Going Strong!

Posted on April 29, 2020 by Mary Sauers


2020 Census Infogram

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What’s Sally Reading?

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Sally Snyder

Teens’ Top Ten!

The Teens’ Top Ten overall list was announced yesterday. The 25 titles are listed on YALSA’s blog, The Hub, and on the YALSA website. Titles must have been published between Jan. 1, 2019 and Dec. 31, 2019 to be selected for the overall list by designated teen book groups. Encourage your teens to read from this list so they can vote for their favorite when voting is opened: August 15 – October 12, 2020.

Some of the listed titles I have read are Pumpkinheads by Nebraska author Rainbow Rowell, The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe, and With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo. I talked about Pumpkinheads in my post about the 2020 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (on 1/9/20), so now I will share my thoughts about the other two titles.

Ben Phillippe, was born in Haiti and grew up in Montreal, Canada. The Field Guide to the North American Teenager tells of Norris Kaplan, a Black French Canadian, now living in Austin, Texas. He is smart, clever, and a little pessimistic – a tough combination for the Texans to handle. Norris, in a new high school, is constantly sweating profusely (he is unaccustomed to the hot weather). He steps back from everyone and judges who they are and what they do. Over time he begins to see the other students as people, some he likes and some he does not. After he makes a bad mistake, he realizes he has to step up, face the music, and see what he can do with his life. In January this book was named the winner of the 2020 Morris Award, for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens.

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo shares the life of Emoni Santiago, who is Afro-Latina, now in her senior year at high school. She is thinking of the future but also about her daughter Emma, 2, and her abuela, with whom they live. She loves cooking in the kitchen and has an almost magical touch. Those who eat what she has cooked always comment on how the food helps them with whatever issue is in their lives. She wants to become a chef, but is aware of all the factors that make it impossible.

A new elective offered during her senior year is just what she needs, including a chance to go with the class to Spain and work with a chef there for a week. Emoni takes on so much, and is still not sure it will result in what she wishes for, until the very end of the book.

(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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A Phased Library Reopening Plan

Posted on April 27, 2020 by Aimee Owen

Many Nebraska libraries have closed their buildings to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic; some stopped all physical services completely, and others developed alternative services. The Nebraska Library Commission has put together some guidance of how libraries can begin to reopen their buildings and restore services.

Phased Plan for Reopening Nebraska Libraries

This plan will provide a phased outline of how full services could be restored as the health crisis eases and social distancing measures end. It can be used as a starting point for library directors and their boards to determine the specific course of action their library will take to serve their community during and after the pandemic.

Disclaimer: This document is intended as guidance only. The Nebraska Library Commission does not have the authority to mandate that libraries close or open in any capacity. Library directors should work with their library boards, local government, and local health departments to determine their course of action. Libraries may modify this plan to suit their needs.

We will continue to update this plan as new information is available. See all of our COVID-19 resources for libraries and Nebraskans here: http://nlc.nebraska.gov/libman/pandemic.aspx

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#BookFaceFriday “Undercover Princess” by Connie Glynn

Posted on April 24, 2020 by Tessa Timperley

Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo it’s #BookFaceFriday!

Life isn’t exactly a fairytale right now, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get lost in one. Is your little prince or princess in need of a mental escape? Don’t forget eBooks and Audiobooks are for kids too! Nebraska OverDrive is full of YA, Juvenile, and Children’s books, like this week’s #BookFaceFriday! “Undercover Princess” by Connie Glynn (HarperCollins, 2018) is available to all Nebraska OverDrive Libraries in both eBook and Audiobook format. 173 libraries across the state share this collection of 16,670 audiobooks and 28,473 eBooks. As an added bonus it includes 130 podcasts that are always available with simultaneous use.

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!

“With a message of kindness, YouTube star Glynn’s middle grade debut, a series opener, is a story of devoted friendship and fierce loyalty that is sure to win readers over.” (Publishers Weekly)

This week’s #BookFaceFriday model is Princess Elsa! Or maybe it’s princess Margot, disguised as Elsa…. we may never know.

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

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Throwback Thursday: Airplane

Posted on April 23, 2020 by Kayla Henzel

This week’s #throwback is plane awesome!

This image was created by John Nelson and is provided by History Nebraska. John Nelson was born in Harestad, Sweden, in 1864. He came to Nebraska with his parents at the age of seventeen. His photographs tell the story of small town life in Nebraska during the first decades of the twentieth century. His subjects included local businesses, community activities, and early automobiles.

Check out the Nebraska Memories archive to see more Nebraska history!

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 this project, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.

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OverDrive Data

Posted on April 22, 2020 by Sam Shaw

For today, we are looking at some data as it relates to libraries offering alternative services during the COVID-19 crisis. Specifically, we are looking at a potential shift to electronic resources, in this case, OverDrive. But first, I want to provide a link to the fantastic data that is being put out by the Nebraska Department of Labor. From the DOL main page, I was looking mostly under their resources, then INFOLink pages, for raw data about unemployment statistics and claims. Next, I found their visualizations, which are excellent, and detail unemployment claims by county with maps, and some very illustrative charts. If you have a chance, visit their visualizations HERE.

Now, to OverDrive. From my colleague here at NLC, I got some data about new OverDrive users, and OverDrive circulations. I was curious to see if there was a correlation between new users and circulations as many libraries shut down operations or offered modified services, such as curbside pickups. The first graphic illustrates libraries with new OverDrive users, and the total number of new users, for the weeks beginning in January, 2020:

As the chart illustrates, there was a spike during the week of March 14 – 21, then a leveling off. Next, I looked at OverDrive circulations, and you guessed it, they increased:

But wait. There’s more to this chart. For this one, I visualized the data from the previous 2 years, 2018 and 2019. If we look at March, we see the large spike in OverDrive circulations from 2019 to 2020, but it helps to put this in perspective. Between March, 2018 and March, 2019, circulations increased at a rate of 15.07%. From March, 2019 to March, 2020, circulations increased at a rate of 17.33%. So a slightly higher percentage of circulation growth compared to the prior year. For February, the 18-19 increase (17.98%) was higher than the 19-20 increase (12.15%). April data might be the telling point to look at, and I intend to post about that when it becomes available.

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NCompass Live: Escaping Online – Virtual Escape Rooms and Other Online Programs

Posted on April 17, 2020 by Christa Porter

Hop on the Hogwarts Express! On next week’s FREE NCompass Live webinar we’ll be ‘Escaping Online’ to learn about ‘Virtual Escape Rooms and Other Online Programs’ on Wednesday, April 22 at 10am Central Time.

The current health crisis has caused libraries and schools around the world to shut their doors and turn to virtual programming and learning opportunities online. Libraries and educators have responded with innovative programming that is shared and viewed beyond their own communities. One such program that has made its rounds has been the Hogwarts Digital Escape Room. Learn about the inspiration, creation, and challenges of this virtual experience from its creator Sydney Krawiec.

Presenter: Sydney Krawiec, Youth Services Librarian, Peters Township (PA) Public Library.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • April 29 – Pretty Sweet Tech – HTML5 & CSS3: Basic Building Blocks of the Web
  • May 20 – Reading for Justice: A Database for YA & Youth Literature
  • June 3 – Automating Virtual Student Library Cards
  • June 10 – Identity and Impostor Syndrome in Library Makerspaces

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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Friday Reads: Buried to the Brim by Jenn McKinlay

Posted on April 17, 2020 by Shoshana Patocka

In these interesting times we find ourselves living in I figured a nice fluffy read was in order, and in this case it’s literal!

Buried to the Brim by Jenn McKinlay is part of the “Hat Shop Mystery” series that follow Scarlett Parker on her adventures. Originally from the states Scarlett and her cousin Viv run the hat shop, Mim’s Whims, that was left to the both of them by their grandmother. This book begins with Scarlett’s fiance coming to the shop needing a favor for his Aunt Betty and her dog Freddy. (I told you it was a fluffy read.)

Aunt Betty and Freddy have been competing in the local charity dog show for the last few years and have always managed to only come in second. Wanting something that will give them an edge in this years competition they’ve come to ask if Mim’s Whims will make a hat for Freddy to wear while competing.

My only disappointment with this book is that aren’t any illustrations! Viv, after some convincing, ends up making multiple hats not only for Freddy but matching ones for Aunt Betty as well. To see those creations atop Freddy’s fluffy little head fills my corgi loving heart with glee.

I’m usually not much of a mystery reader but seeing as Jenn McKinlay also has written a few romance novels this definitely didn’t have much of a “who-done-it” feel to it. I also enjoyed the fact that even though this was the sixth book in the series it stands well on it’s own and I never felt like I was missing anything by not having read the other books. Now that I’ve finished Buried to the Brim I definitely want to read the other books in the series, although they can’t be nearly as good without a corgi in them.

But it’s okay though, I have a corgi of my very own. Anyone know where I can pick up a top hat for Charlie?

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#BookFaceFriday – “This is Not the Tropics”

Posted on April 17, 2020 by Tessa Timperley

Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take ya to #BookFaceFriday!

Since it snowed yesterday in much of Nebraska, this title couldn’t be more right. But unlike the fickle ways of Nebraska weather, NLC Book Club Kits never let you down. The Commission’s Book Club Kit service is still running like clockwork, and sending out titles like “This Is Not the Tropics: Stories” by Nebraska author, Ladette Randolph (University of Wisconsin Press, 2005.) While many library services have changed, we realize your book club groups may be functioning a little differently right now. But with book pick-ups and online group discussions, book clubs are still going strong. Of course with your health in mind, we strongly encourage you to keep any in-person book club meetings to ten people or fewer.

“Ladette Randolph’s stories sink their teeth into the deep Nebraska Midwest the way that Flannery O’Connor tore into the heart of Georgia. There’s a wonderfully sly, deadpan sweetness at work here, so that it may take a moment to realize how odd and twisty the stories are. Randolph seems like such a nice, earnestly polite young woman—and then suddenly your wallet is missing and she’s driving away in your car! These are beautifully crafty, beguiling stories: witty, wise, and wicked.”—Dan Chaon, author of You Remind Me of Me and Among the Missing

This week’s #BookFace model is one of our NLC Commissioners, Lois Todd-Meyer!

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

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Throwback Thursday: “Driving Miss Daisy,” 1996

Posted on April 16, 2020 by Kayla Henzel

Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

In 1996, Omaha actors John Beasley and Elaine Jabenis starred in the Omaha Community Playhouse presentation of “Driving Miss Daisy.” During the run of performances, John Beasley was called out of town to audition for a role in the movie, “The Apostle” starring Robert Duvall. The Playhouse cancelled the show for one night so that he could go to Georgia for the audition. He won the part, and has since become famous for roles in television series and movies.

This 8.5″ x 11″ black and white photograph is provided and owned by the Omaha Community Playhouse. This collection includes digitized images of the Playhouse and some of its performances. Some of the actors in these images are Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda, and Dorothy McGuire. The Playhouse partnered with a University of Nebraska at Omaha Advanced Cataloging class, with the help of John Seyfarth, to digitize a portion of their extensive collection of photographs and create the metadata records for Nebraska Memories.

Want to see more Nebraska history? Check out all the collections on the Nebraska Memories archive! It’s 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 this project, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.

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Getting Started with NebraskAccess

Posted on April 15, 2020 by Tessa Timperley

Learn more about using NebraskAccess databases and share this information with all of your library users!

NebraskAccess provides Nebraska residents with free 24/7 access to premium databases containing thousands of full text popular magazine and journal articles; primary source documents; genealogical, health, legal, small business, and science resources; reading recommendations; and research resources for K-12 students. These resources are available to Nebraska residents at no cost. The Nebraska Library Commission purchases subscriptions for Nebraskans with funding from the State of Nebraska and the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services.

NebraskAccess also offers ALL site visitors access to a directory of topically-arranged websites evaluated and compiled by Nebraska Library Commission reference librarians, and links to full text Nebraska state government publications and digitized Nebraska historical resources.

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2020 Census Operational Adjustments

Posted on April 15, 2020 by Mary Sauers

The 2020 Census is underway and more households across America are responding every day. Over 70 million households have responded to date, representing over 48% of all households in America. In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the U.S. Census Bureau is adjusting 2020 Census operations in order to:


• Protect the health and safety of the American public and Census Bureau employees.
• Implement guidance from federal, state and local authorities.
• Ensure a complete and accurate count of all communities.


The Census Bureau temporarily suspended 2020 Census field data collection activities in March. Steps are already being taken to reactivate field offices beginning June 1, 2020, in preparation for the resumption of field data collection operations as quickly as possible following June 1.


In-person activities, including all interaction with the public, enumeration, office work and processing activities, will incorporate the most current guidance to promote the health and safety of staff and the public. This will include recommended personal protective equipment (PPE) and social distancing practices.

Once 2020 Census data collection is complete, the Census Bureau begins a lengthy, thorough and scientifically rigorous process to produce the apportionment counts, redistricting information and other statistical data products that help guide hundreds of billions of dollars in public and private sector spending per year.

In order to ensure the completeness and accuracy of the 2020 Census, the Census Bureau is seeking statutory relief from Congress of 120 additional calendar days to deliver final apportionment counts.

Under this plan, the Census Bureau would extend the window for field data collection and self-response to October 31, 2020, which will allow for apportionment counts to be delivered to the President by April 30, 2021, and redistricting data to be delivered to the states no later than July 31, 2021.

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American Democracy Project–Video Contest to Promote the 2020 Census

Posted on April 13, 2020 by Mary Sauers

When: April 08, 2020 – April 24, 2020

Time:01:00 PM – 05:00 PM:

The American Democracy Project is sponsoring a video contest to promote awareness for the U.S. Census! Prizes will be awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place entries; all videos will be judged on accuracy, creativity, and use of visuals/sound. All entries should be submitted to adp@unk.edu by April 24, 2020.

For more instructions, visit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1z3uFwe4jtJgN25Ju2CAE-ovybZ-8UdMIvMFmfEtXrU8/edit?usp=sharing.

Good luck!

Contact:Lydia Behnk
(402) 843-6801
behnkll@lopers.unk.edu

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NCompass Live: Amplified Advisory with Video Book Talks

Posted on April 10, 2020 by Christa Porter

Learn how to do ‘Amplified Advisory with Video Book Talks’ on next week’s FREE NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, April 15 at 10am Central Time.

Take your Readers Advisory and library marketing to the next level with social media Book Talks. Learn tips and tricks to efficiently and economically craft, record, publish, and curate videos which promote your library’s collection and programming. Take home a solid plan to provide new, exciting space for your patrons to explore your collection, encounter you library’s strategic narrative, and share the library’s marketing message with others.

Presenter: Sam Helmick, Public Services Manager, Burlington (IA) Public Library.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • April 22 – Escaping Online – Virtual Escape Rooms and Other Online Programs
  • April 29 – Pretty Sweet Tech – HTML5 & CSS3: Basic Building Blocks of the Web

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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#BookFaceFriday “The Light in Hidden Places” by Sharon Cameron

Posted on April 10, 2020 by Tessa Timperley

Hello, is it a #BookFace you’re looking for?

Feeling a little bit trapped lately? A little panicked as your TBR pile grows smaller and smaller? Don’t worry, you will never run out of books to read with Nebraska OverDrive Libraries. New titles are added almost daily, like this week’s #BookFaceFriday! “The Light in Hidden Places” by Sharon Cameron (Scholastic Press, 2020) is available to all Nebraska OverDrive Libraries in both eBook and Audiobook format. 173 libraries across the state share this collection of 16,670 audiobooks and 28,473 eBooks. As an added bonus it includes 130 podcasts that are always available with simultaneous use.

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!

“Both a politically charged adventure and culture study, this thought-provoking dystopia stands firmly on its own.” — Booklist, starred review

This week’s #BookFaceFriday model is Mary Sauers, our Government Information Services Librarian!

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

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Friday Reads: Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope, by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

Posted on April 10, 2020 by Susan Knisely

Tightrope, by married, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, is one of a number of recent books spotlighting the hopelessness and dysfunction that have decimated working-class America. In the 1970s, when Kristof was growing up in Yamhill, Oregon, working-class parents with good-paying union jobs had better lives than their parents did; everyone anticipated their children, with more education, would do better still. Sadly, that wasn’t the case. And, as the authors argue, this squandered potential hurts not just individuals who find themselves on a downward trajectory; it hurts the country as a whole.

Kristof and WuDunn document this reversal of fortune with extensive data, tracking declining median wages, life expectancy, educational achievement, and more. Citing the Social Progress Index, they point out that the United States now “rank[s] number 32 in internet access, number 39 in access to clean drinking water, number 50 in personal safety and number 61 in high-school enrollment…. Overall, the Social Progress Index ranks the United States number 25 in well-being of citizens, behind all the other members of the G7 as well as significantly poorer countries like Portugal and Slovenia” (13-14).

Kristof and WuDunn approach this topic not just through statistics, though. They humanize the crisis by sharing stories of friends and neighbors Kristof grew up with in Yamhill, Oregon, many of whose lives unraveled due to poverty, unemployment, substance abuse, incarceration, and despair. Here’s one stark metric they use to illustrate the extent of the problem: “About one-fourth of the kids who rode with Nick on the [school] bus are dead from drugs, suicide, alcohol, obesity, reckless accidents and other pathologies” (8).

Because Kristof grew up with many of his subjects and has had a lifelong relationship with them, he sees and portrays them as individuals possessing strengths and weaknesses. He acknowledges the bad choices they’ve made, but he’s also aware of their talents, their untapped potential, and the points at which their families, their schools, and punitive social policies let them down. Based on this insight, Kristoff and WuDunn contend that to address this crisis, we need to “transcend the customary narrative that focuses only on ‘personal responsibility’ and on glib talk about lifting oneself up by the bootstraps” (19). Additionally, we need to consider seriously what our collective responsibility is and should be.

Kristof, Nicholas D., and Sheryl WuDunn. Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope. New York. Alfred A. Knopf, 2020.

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2020 State Aid Information Has Been Posted

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Sam Shaw

The 2020 state aid calculations are now complete. This year, we’ve transitioned from paper state aid letters to electronic distribution of information to public libraries. You should have received an e-mail notification about your aid if you are an accredited public library. Here is some general information about the state aid program and eligibility, and how it is distributed. There is also a posted list of the state aid distributions for 2020 (including this year’s formula, the payment amounts, and aid per capita). Finally, here is a link to a press release you can customize and use for your particular library.

This year, there were 46 libraries that will be receiving Dollar$ for Data payments. Those libraries are now eligible to apply for accreditation.

The next public library survey collection cycle (required to maintain accreditation for accredited libraries and required for unaccredited libraries to receive Dollar$ for Data payments) begins in November.

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Throwback Thursday: Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Kayla Henzel

Welcome to Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show!

This week’s #ThrowbackThursday takes us back to Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show in 1894. This specific show is taking place in a Brooklyn, New York arena. The performers include both Native Americans and white men dressed as either cowboys or United States Army soldiers. The participant on the left side center of the photograph, identified with an X, is George W. Johnson of Holdrege.

This 12″x16″ sepia-toned photograph is owned by the Phelps County Historical Society and is published by the Holdrege Area Public Library. The library partnered with the Historical Society to digitize a collection of images portraying the history of Phelps County since the mid 1880’s. Subsets of this collection depict the Atlanta POW Camp which housed German prisoners of war during WWII, photos of Dr. Frank A. Brewster, known as the “Flying Doctor,” and the Christian Children’s Home. There are also several photographs from the George W. Johnson collection at the Museum that show typical scenes from the Buffalo Bill Wild West show in which Johnson was a performer.

If you want to see more Nebraska history, check out the Nebraska Memories archive! It’s 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 this project, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.

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