The EPC (E-rate Productivity Center) Administrative Window opened today, October 15, 2025.
The EPC Administrative Window is the period during which E-rate applicants can make updates to their organizational profile information in EPC to prepare for the upcoming FY2026 FCC Form 471 Application Filing Window. This includes library square footage, as well as the individuals associated with your entity.
The Administrative Window opened today and will close shortly before the Application Filing Window opens in early 2026. After this time, applicant profiles will be locked and you will not be able to make changes to your profile information.
FY2026 will be the first year of the FY2026-2030 Category Two (C2) budget cycle, so applicants should update their student counts or library square footage if needed. The information in your EPC profile will be used to calculate a forecasted C2 budget for the FY2026-2030 cycle.
We’ll be ‘Discovering New Grants for Your Library’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, October 15 at 10am CT..
Due to insufficient budgets, libraries often struggle to provide the services, materials, engaging programming, and professional development that library staff need. Luckily, there are other funding opportunities available, if you just know where to look.
You may know about many library specific grants, but libraries are also eligible for other grants that might not be so obvious. In this session, we will learn how to find grants for your library in unexpected places.
Presenter: Christa Porter, Library Development Director, Nebraska Library Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Oct. 22 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE THIS WEEK – ENJOY NLA!
Oct. 29 – Nebraska Celebration of Books 2025
Nov. 5 – From Rotary to the Local Bar: Unexpected Allies in Library Outreach
Nov. 12 – There’s Always Something Happening at the Library: Becoming a Daily Destination for Your Community
Nov. 19 – Summer Reading Program 2026: Unearth a Story
Nov. 26 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Internet Librarian 2025 Highlights
Dec. 3 – Social Media Show & Tell!
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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 GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) – Region 4’s Science Kits for Public Libraries (SKPL) Grant program is offering up to $2,000 in funding to public libraries to establish a circulating science kits collection. Libraries must be located within the IEEE Region 4 – this includes central and eastern portions of Nebraska – see the green-shaded area of this map: IEEE Regions in the USA
The Application deadline is January 15, 2026. Those libraries which have previously applied for the grant but did not receive funding are invited to submit again.
Public Libraries have a long tradition of building stronger communities by providing life-long learning opportunities for children and teens. The SKPL Team is honored to have the opportunity to enrich the services that public libraries offer. SKPL enables children, parents, and teachers the chance to borrow library kits for hands-on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) learning at home or in classroom.
Region 4, Science Kits for Public Libraries (SKPL) organization is a volunteer-based organization affiliated with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). SKPL believes all children – regardless of race, gender, financial condition, or home environment – should have access to high-quality, hands-on STEM learning experiences. By making catalyst grants available to public libraries, we empower them to start their own science kit collections that are free and accessible to the public.
Grab your dice and character sheet! It’s time to learn all about ‘The Do’s & Don’ts of D&D’, on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, October 8 at 10am CT.
Want to know more about Dungeons & Dragons and TTRPGs in general? Want to know of ways to integrate it into your library – and other ways of playing the game? Tune in and settle down for a sesh with Liz the Librarian to learn more!
Nov. 5 – From Rotary to the Local Bar: Unexpected Allies in Library Outreach
Nov. 19 – Summer Reading Program 2026: Unearth a Story
Nov. 26 – Pretty Sweet Tech
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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 GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
‘E-rate: What’s New for 2026?’ workshops are now open for registration! All workshops will be held online only, via GoTo Webinar.
NOTE: This online workshop is being offered on several days and at varied times, to give participants multiple opportunities to find a convenient time to attend. The same information will be provided at each workshop, so you only need to attend one session. A recorded version will also be made available after all of the live sessions have been held.
What is E-rate? How can my library benefit from E-rate? How do I apply for E-rate?
E-rate is a federal program that provides discounts to schools and public libraries on the cost of their Internet Access and Connections to make these services more affordable. This includes Broadband, Fiber, and Wi-Fi Internet access as well as Internal Connections, such as wiring, routers, switches, and other network equipment.
The E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC) is your online portal for all E-rate interactions. With your organizational account you can use EPC to file forms, track your application status, communicate with USAC, and more.
In this workshop, Christa Porter, Nebraska’s State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries, will explain the E-rate program and show you how to access and use your account in EPC to submit your Funding Year 2026 E-rate application.
Dates and times:
November 7 – 9:30am-12:30pm Central / 8:30-11:30am Mountain
November 13 – 1:00-4:00pm Central / 12:00noon-3pm Mountain
November 17 – 1:00-4:00pm Central / 12:00noon-3pm Mountain
November 18 – 9:30am-12:30pm Central / 8:30-11:30am Mountain
To register for any of these sessions, go to the Nebraska Library Commission’s Training & Events Calendar and search for ‘e-rate 2026’.
Learn about Nebraska’s state reading and writing contest for youth, Letters About Literature, on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, October 1 at 10am CT.
The Nebraska Center for the Book is a statewide organization dedicated to the promotion of reading in all its forms. Its annual Nebraska Letters About Literature contest allows students in 4th through 12th grade to write to authors (living or deceased) about their favorite book or poem about how his or her book affected their lives.
This session will provide helpful information for teachers and librarians interested in the competition. It will also cover the submission process and be an excellent opportunity to ask questions about the entire competition process. Teachers will be interested in this program that will help enhance and extend their classroom instruction.
Presenters: Tessa Timperley, Communications Coordinator, and Sally Snyder, Coordinator of Children and Young Adult Library Services, Nebraska Library Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Oct. 8 – The Do’s and Don’ts of D&D
Oct. 22 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE THIS WEEK – ENJOY NLA!
Oct. 29 – Nebraska Celebration of Books 2025
Nov. 19 – Summer Reading Program 2026: Unearth a Story
Nov. 26 – Pretty Sweet Tech
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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 GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
If you’re looking for a serious baking cookbook of well known, classic recipes, Baking Yesteryear is not the cookbook for you. And I mean that in the best way.
You may have heard of some of these recipes, they might be your own family favorites. But, you will also find flavor and ingredient combinations that you would never have thought of yourself. Luckily, B. Dylan Hollis has done the experimenting for us.
Baking Yesteryear, The Best Recipes from the 1900s to the 1980s was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic hit while Hollis was in college studying music. Classes at the university he attended went completely online and like many of us, he was stuck at home. To pass the time, he started posting non-baking videos to TikTok.
Looking for other video ideas, he went to his vintage cookbook collection of community cookbooks from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Bermuda. In August 2020, Hollis uploaded his first baking video: Pork Cake. Yes, the recipe is in the book, on page 50. Yes, there is ground pork in it. No, I haven’t been brave enough to try it.
With no baking or cooking experience, he learned as he went. And the internet loved it – he has millions of followers on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. Sometimes, he tries out recipes and taste tests them for the first time on camera. Some are good, some are terrible. But, it’s all entertaining.
The cookbook is arranged by decade, one chapter for each decade from the 1900s to the 1980s. There are also introductory sections for novice bakers, explaining common baking terms, equipment, and ingredients. Each recipe starts with a commentary by Hollis about the history of the item or his experience with it.
Hollis is funny, irreverent, sometimes outright raunchy. His online personality is perfectly reflected in his writing – it’s obvious that he was intimately involved in creating his cookbook. This is one of my favorite cookbooks to just sit down and read through. One classic example of his style of humor: the section on the 1960s starts off with, “In many ways, the 1960s were just like the 1950s – they were both decades.”
And, for those of you looking for a real adventure, there is a small Worst of the Worst section. Bake at your own risk!
What is a data center? Find out on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, ‘Data Center 101 for Librarians’, on Wednesday, September 24 at 10am CT.
Special monthly episodes of NCompass Live! Join the NLC’s Technology Innovation Librarian, Amanda Sweet, as she guides us through the world of library-related Pretty Sweet Tech.
Data centers are cropping up in the headlines alongside AI, but how many people really know how data centers work? This session will help your library field questions about data centers, especially if there are plans to build a data center in or near your community. Here’s what we’ll cover:
What is a data center?
Job creation & training
Impact on infrastructure & environment
Trends & Innovations
Common Questions
I’ll put everything in a handy slide deck with helpful talking points and links so your library is prepared to share good information and ask the right questions if a data center is coming to town.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Oct. 1 – Letters About Literature 2025
Oct. 8 – The Do’s and Don’ts of D&D
Oct. 22 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE THIS WEEK – ENJOY NLA!
Nov. 19 – Summer Reading Program 2026: Unearth a Story
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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 GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Nebraska Accredited Public Libraries and State-run Institutions! Do you have an idea for a program or project you would like to see funded? Apply for an NLC Grant!
Applications are now open for NLC Grants for 2026. Don’t let your library miss out on these opportunities!
The Nebraska Library Commission has made funding available for four grants for 2026: Continuing Education & Training, Internship, Library Improvement, and Youth Grants for Excellence.
Grant applications for these 2026 NLC grants are due November 14, 2025.
For more information about these grants, watch the recording of the NCompass Live webinar, NLC Grants for 2026.
Continuing Education & Training to assist Nebraska libraries in improving the library services provided to their communities through continuing education and training for their library personnel and supporters. Successful applications will show how the continuing education and/or training proposed will support the library’s mission. For this round of CE and training grants, applications should be for events happening before June 2026.
Internship grants work to introduce high school and college students to the varied and exciting work of Nebraska libraries. The internships are intended to function as a recruitment tool, helping the student to view the library as a viable career opportunity while providing the public library with the finances to provide stipends to the student interns.
Library Improvement grants facilitate growth and development of library programs and services in Nebraska public and institutional libraries, by supplementing local funding with state funds designated for these purposes.
Youth Grants for Excellence are available specifically for innovative projects for children and young adults in your community. The program encourages creative thinking, risk-taking, and new approaches to enable youth librarians to begin needed programs and try projects which they have been unable to undertake, and to offer an opportunity to expand youth service capabilities in new and different directions.
Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities is offering grants ranging from $10,000 to $20,000 to small and rural libraries to increase the accessibility of facilities, services, and programs to better serve people with disabilities.
Applications will be accepted through December 11, 2025 at ala.org/LTCAccess.
The opportunity is open to any type of library in the U.S. and U.S. territories that serves a small and rural community – to be eligible, a library must have a legal service area population of 25,000 or less and be located at least five miles from an urbanized area (town/city with a population of 25,000 or greater).
Participating libraries will first conduct community input-gathering sessions to assure that their work aligns with local needs. Libraries will be required to identify the primary audience they are hoping to reach (e.g., homebound seniors, children with autism, Deaf community members) and facilitate a community conversation with the impacted populations in order to guide improvement of the library’s services. Grantees would then use the funds to create services or improve their facilities based on the needs identified by their audience.
Selected libraries will receive $10,000 or $20,000 to support costs related to their community engagement project; virtual training to assist project directors in developing their community engagement, facilitation, and disability service skills; a suite of online resources developed to support local programs; and technical and project support from the ALA Public Programs Office throughout the grant term.
For a review of the LTC Access initiative and application process, register for the Pre-Application Webinar on October 1, 2025, and take a look at the Reviewer Rubric that will be used to evaluate your application.
Questions? Contact the American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office staff at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5045, or publicprograms@ala.org
Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities is part of ALA’s longtime commitment to preparing library workers for the expanding role of libraries. The initiative is offered in partnership with the Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL).
Learn how ‘Powerful Partnerships Are Easier Than You Think’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, September 17 at 10am CT.
The Hastings Public Library has developed a model of providing outreach services through building partnerships. In doing so, programming has been elevated to a higher level and allows us to offer engaging programs that promote learning, create social connections, and stir up fun in several areas across the county.
Presenter: Sam Rundle, Programming & Collections Supervisor, Hastings (NE) Public Library.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Sept. 24 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Data Center 101 for Librarians
Oct. 1 – Letters About Literature 2025
Oct. 8 – The Do’s and Don’ts of D&D
Oct. 22 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE THIS WEEK – ENJOY NLA!
Nov. 19 – Summer Reading Program 2026: Unearth a Story
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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 GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
The Infinite Sums Rural & Small Libraries Cohort Grant Program is supported by the Simons Foundation as part of its Infinite Sums national initiative and offered in partnership with SciStarter. The Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL) is proud to offer this educational training experience and financial support to small and rural libraries across the U.S.
Fifteen library workers will be selected to receive $10,000 grants to host math inspired community-wide events for patrons of all ages on Pi Day, Infinity Day, and Fibonacci Day in 2026. Cohort members will attend monthly virtual training sessions and two in-person gatherings.
Apply by September 30, 2025 for a chance to receive:
$10,000 program grant
A year-long learning cohort experience
Support for events on Pi Day (3/14), Infinity Day (8/8), and Fibonacci Day (11/23) in 2026
This free one-day online conference is tailored for staff from small libraries; the smaller the better!
Small libraries of all types – public, academic, school, museum, special, etc. – are encouraged to submit a proposal.
We’re looking for seven 50-minute presentations and four 10-minute “lightning round” presentations.
Do you offer a service or program at your small library that other librarians might like to hear about? Have you implemented a new (or old) technology, hosted an event, partnered with others in your community, or just done something really cool? The Big Talk From Small Libraries online conference gives you the opportunity to share what you’ve done, while learning what your colleagues in other small libraries are doing.
Here are some possible topics to get you thinking:
Unique Libraries
Special Collections
New buildings
Fundraising
Improved Workflows
Staff Development
Advocacy Efforts
Community Partnerships
That great thing you’re doing at your library!
Speakers must be from small libraries or directly partnered with a small library and submitting a proposal to co-present with the library. Speakers from libraries serving fewer than 10,000 people will be preferred, but presentations from libraries with larger service populations will be considered.
Big Talk From Small Libraries 2026 will be held on Friday, February 27, 2026 between 8:45 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (CT) via the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Speakers will present their programs from their own desktops. The schedule will accommodate speakers’ time-zones.
Nebraska Public Libraries and State-run Institutions! Do you have an idea for a program or project you would like to see funded? Apply for an NLC Grant! Learn all about the ‘NLC Grants for 2026’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, September 10 at 10am CT.
The Nebraska Library Commission has made funding available for four grants for 2026: Continuing Education & Training, Internship, Library Improvement, and Youth Grants for Excellence. Don’t let your library miss out on these opportunities!
Grant applications for all 2026 NLC grants will open on September 19 and will be due November 14, 2025.
Join Christa Porter, Sally Snyder, and Holli Duggan, from the Nebraska Library Commission’s Library Development Team, as they provide an overview of the grants, including eligibility requirements and grant guidelines, the application process and grant review, timelines and deadlines. They will also share some tips on writing effective grants.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Sept. 24 – Pretty Sweet Tech
Oct. 1 – Letters About Literature 2025
Oct. 8 – The Do’s and Don’ts of D&D
Oct. 22 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE THIS WEEK – ENJOY NLA!
Nov. 19 – Summer Reading Program 2026: Unearth a Story
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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 GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
USAC has announced Fall 2025 E-rate Training dates for applicants to learn more about the program and how to participate.
Both in-person training and online webinars are available, and registration for each session is now available on the Learn E-rate page. You can also click the links below for each session to register for that specific training.
The sessions are for E-Rate program participants at all levels and will include a question-and-answer session.
In-Person training:
Denver: September 9, 2025, at the Lowry Conference Center located in the Community College of Aurora – Lowry Campus, 1061 Akron Way, Denver, Colorado.
Washington, DC: September 16, 2025, at the Federal Communication Commission headquarters, 45 L Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. NOTE: There will be an option to watch a livestream of this training.
This webinar will provide an overview of the E-Rate application process and explain basic program concepts. We will also highlight the recent FCC Form 470 updates and managing your Category Two budget.
USAC will discuss the E-Rate Pre-Commitment process. This includes how to get started, competitive bidding, applying for funding, and Program Integrity Assurance (PIA) review.
Other webinars may be announced – sign up for the E-Rate News Brief to receive webinar announcements via e-mail.
The NLC will also be holding our regular fall E-rate online workshops. Those dates will be announced soon.
If you have any questions or need any assistance with your public library’s E-rate forms, visit the NLC E-rate webpage or contact Christa Porter, State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.
What is E-rate? How can my library benefit from E-rate? How do I apply for E-rate? Find out on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, ‘E-rate 101: Just the Basics for 2026’ on Wednesday, September 3 at 10am CT.
E-rate is a federal program that provides discounts to schools and public libraries on the cost of their Internet Access and Connections to make these services more affordable. This includes Broadband, Fiber, and Wi-Fi Internet access as well as Internal Connections, such as wiring, routers, switches, and other network equipment.
This session will be a general overview of the E-rate program. Full in-depth E-rate workshops will be held later in the year. It will be useful to libraries who have never applied for E-rate, libraries who are new to E-rate, and current E-rate libraries who just want a short refresher on what E-rate is all about.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The dates and rules in this session will be specific to E-rate Funding Year 2026.
Presenter: Christa Porter, Nebraska’s State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries, Nebraska Library Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Sept. 10 – NLC Grants for 2026
Sept. 24 – Pretty Sweet Tech
Oct. 1 – Letters About Literature 2025
Oct. 22 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE THIS WEEK – ENJOY NLA!
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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 GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Learn about ‘Upcoming Changes to the Nebraska Libraries on the Web Service’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, August 27 at 10am CT.
Special monthly episodes of NCompass Live! Join the NLC’s Technology Innovation Librarian, Amanda Sweet, as she guides us through the world of library-related Pretty Sweet Tech.
Due to software and budgetary issues, the Nebraska Library Commission can no longer offer free WordPress web hosting. We apologize for any inconvenience. This service has been around for a long time and it’s unfortunate that we were not able to maintain the service.
To make the transition easier for libraries, we are offering free basic website hosting through the NLC, and reduced rate web hosting through LibChalk. The current service will be supported through September 30, 2026 to give you time to budget and decide on next steps.
Attend this session to learn more details about how the free hosting works, and explore hosting options through LibChalk.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Sept. 3 – E-rate 101: Just the Basics for 2026
Sept. 10 – NLC Grants for 2026
Sept. 24 – Pretty Sweet Tech
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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 GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Are you looking to develop your leadership skills? Join us for ‘Banding Together: Lessons from the MPLA Leadership Institute’, on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, August 20 at 10am CT.
At the MPLA Leadership Institute you can engage in hands-on projects and collaborate with peers from across the MPLA region, all while building a strong foundation for your future leadership in the library community.
Aug. 27 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Upcoming Changes to Nebraska Libraries on the Web Service
Sept. 3 – E-rate 101: Just the Basics for 2026
Sept. 10 – NLC Grants for 2026
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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 GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Help Us Inspire the Next Generation of AI Innovators – Announcing the Presidential AI Challenge
We’re excited to share that the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is supporting the launch of the Presidential AI Challenge.
We’re reaching out to ask for your support in helping us spread the word about this incredible opportunity.
About the Challenge
The Presidential AI Challenge is a national challenge where K-12 youth, educators, mentors, and community teams come together to solve real-world problems in their communities using AI-powered solutions, with an opportunity to showcase their solutions at a national level. Students and educators of all backgrounds and expertise are encouraged to participate and ignite a new spirit of innovation as we celebrate 250 years of independence and look forward to the next 250 years.
Why It Matters
“In the coming years, artificial intelligence will revolutionize the ways that Americans work, learn, and communicate. Initiatives like the Presidential AI Challenge ensure that our young people are prepared to meet these changes” – Keith Sonderling, IMLS Acting Director.
The Presidential AI Challenge will:
Equip youth with foundational knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in an increasingly digital society.
Empower educators to confidently guide students through this complex and evolving field.
Connect students and educators with AI experts from industry and government for guidance, coaching, inspiration, and collaboration.
Provide widespread access to resources, training, and support.
How You Can Help
“Libraries are often the de facto provider of public computing resources and offer spaces to gather and prepare for rapidly shifting workforce needs. We hope community members will look for ways to get involved in the Presidential AI Challenge and consider the natural role of libraries in solving real-world problems” – Teri DeVoe, IMLS Associate Deputy Director for Libraries.
Support the challenge by:
Sharing the Challenge with your networks—schools, youth programs, educators, parents, and community leaders.
Encouraging local schools, afterschool and out-of-school programs, or youth-serving organizations to participate and/or support team formation.
Promoting registration via newsletters, social media, and events.
Key Information
Open To: Youth teams in grades K–12; each team must have a supervising adult such as a parent, mentor, educator, or community leader. Educator teams are also eligible.
Registration Opens: September 2025
Challenge Website:AI.GOV > Presidential AI Challenge > Read More
View and share key details with the Challenge campaign materials.
Together, we can empower the next generation to explore AI, build innovative solutions, and shape the future.
Thank you for helping us make this vision a reality! Learn more.
Join us to learn about ‘Read for 20’, a new children’s reading challenge, on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, August 13 at 10am CT.
Read for 20 is an innovative new reading program designed by the Ritter Public Library in Vermilion, Ohio, to push back against the intimidation factor of 1000 Books Before Kindergarten. Launched June 2024 and targeted at children birth-18, this yearlong reading program is designed to parallel the Science of Reading initiative in Ohio and gamify the experience for children and their grownups. Session attendees will learn how to implement this program including adapting the structure, incentive ideas, and where to find deals. Join this revolutionary new movement!
Aug. 20 – Banding Together: Lessons from the MPLA Leadership Institute
Aug. 27 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Upcoming Changes to Nebraska Libraries on the Web Service
Sept. 3 – E-rate 101: Just the Basics for 2026
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, 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 GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
