The ongoing wildfires in the western half of the state are a good reminder that having a disaster plan in place is crucial for libraries.
If your library is looking for information on disaster planning and materials preservation, check out our page of library-specific resources: http://nlc.nebraska.gov/libman/preservation.aspx
If you haven’t already, register for the upcoming NCompass Live webinar on April 22, 2026, “Emergency Management in Libraries,” presented by Brian Kendall, Community Resources Coordinator, Arkansas River Valley Regional Library System. We also have several archived webinars on emergency and disaster planning
If you are helping residents find information on disaster recovery, we have compiled this page of resources on NebraskAccess: http://nebraskaccess.nebraska.gov/emergency.asp. Of note:
- The nonprofit group Watch Duty has a fire-tracking map: https://app.watchduty.org/
- The Nebraska Department of Agriculture Fire Response Resources, including donations needed, how to volunteer, and how to get help for people, livestock, and property damage: https://nda.nebraska.gov/disasterresources
- Nebraska Cattlemen Disaster Relief Fund: https://www.nebraskacattlemen.org/disaster-relief-fund
To follow the status of these wildfires on social media, here are some Facebook pages to watch:
- https://www.facebook.com/cottonwoodfire
- https://www.facebook.com/Morrillfire
- https://www.facebook.com/Road203Fire2026 (no longer updated after 3/19/26)
- https://www.facebook.com/NebraskaForestsGrasslands
We are always updating our pages, so if you notice that we are missing a resource, please reach out to us.
