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Author Archives: Christa Porter
NCompass Live: Public Libraries & Wikipedia: Creative Collaborations
Learn about the Wikipedian in Residence program at the Kansas City Public Library on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, ‘Public Libraries & Wikipedia: Creative Collaborations’, on Wednesday, May 3 at 10am CT.
Kansas City Public Library hosted the first Wikipedian in Residence (WiR) at a public library in the country. Explore what a WiR is, how WiRs collaborate with community members and GLAM institutions (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums), and why collaborations between Wikipedia and public libraries are mutually beneficial and have an impact.
Kim Gile, Director of Branch Services & Engagement, will reflect on the residency at KCPL and give an update on the Library’s Wikipedia journey that started in 2018.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- May 10 – The 2023 Public Library Accreditation Process
- May 17 – Read the Rainbow: Serving the LGBTQ+ Community in Your Library
- May 24 – La Biblioteca Es Para Ti – Building Community Relationships in a Different Language
- May 31 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Bots for the Community!
- June 7 – In Search of the Obscure – Using Library & Online Sources to Find Resources that are Out of the Ordinary
- June 14 – Transforming Library Staff Learning Through Technology Skills Assessments
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.
Posted in Education & Training, Pretty Sweet Tech, Technology
Tagged CILDC, NCompLive, prettysweettech
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Friday Reads: The Ancient One by T.A. Barron
Today is Arbor Day – go out and plant a tree! To celebrate the day, I decided to read a book about saving trees. Giant, magical redwood trees.
The Ancient One, by T.A. Barron is the second book in a trilogy about the adventures of thirteen year old Kate, but it is an entirely stand-alone novel. You don’t need to read the other books in the series to understand and enjoy this one.
Kate is visiting her Great Aunt Melanie, who lives in a rural town in Oregon where logging companies have done so much clear cutting of the forest that they are running out of trees to cut down, and work is almost impossible to find anymore. Tensions are high and many citizens are angry about the loss of income.
But, a new source of trees has recently been discovered – an ancient redwood forest in the Lost Crater, a previously inaccessible extinct volcano. Aunt Melanie has been working to protect the trees from the loggers – they may be the oldest redwoods on the planet and they were a sacred place to a lost Native American tribe, the Halamis.
Aunt Melanie is quite the mysterious figure, loving and supportive, but also full of secrets. There’s something just a bit different about her. And she has a special connection to her walking stick, with its carved owl’s head handle. Strange things seem to happen when she is around. As Kate is being chased by some boys in town, she trips and falls, but the boys keep running right past her, as if they didn’t see her laying in the mud, as if she wasn’t even there. And suddenly, Aunt Melanie is there, dismissing Kate’s confusion and making curious comments about being … invisible?
Kate and Aunt Melanie hike into the Lost Crater, to hopefully stop the loggers from cutting down the redwoods. When Kate must return to the redwood grove to retrieve Aunt Melanie’s accidentally left behind walking stick, she is transported back in time, where she becomes involved in a battle to save the same forest from an evil force.
I truly enjoyed this fantasy novel with its strong environmental message, it’s a combination that I haven’t read before. The world of the past is well developed and Kate’s encounters, unfortunately, mirror the struggles in our own time over climate change. It will definitely make you think about nature and how we should be protecting it, for our future.
Posted in Books & Reading, Youth Services
Tagged #arborday, #FridayReads, Friday Reads, FridayReads
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NCompass Live: Pretty Sweet Tech – Computers in Libraries 2023 Highlights & Trends
Highlights and Trends from Computers in Libraries 2023 will be shared on next week’s Pretty Sweet Tech NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, April 26 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.
Computers in Libraries is the world’s leading technology and innovation conference for librarians! In this session I will cover come of the awesome ideas, tools, tips and tricks of the trade I picked up while in D.C. this year. I was a moderator for one of the tracks this year, so some of the highlights are skewed heavily towards UX Design and Website Revamps, but that is not a bad thing!
Here’s a preview of some of the trends I will cover:
- New User Experience Library Trends
- Partnerships to Expand Services
- Workforce Development & Business Librarianship
- Techy Goodness (obviously!)
I hope to see you there! As a side note, if you’re looking for more emerging tech trends in the library, check out Computers in Libraries magazine.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- May 3 – Public Libraries & Wikipedia: Creative Collaborations
- May 10 – The 2023 Public Library Accreditation Process
- May 17 – Read the Rainbow: Serving the LGBTQ+ Community in Your Library
- May 24 – La Biblioteca Es Para Ti – Building Community Relationships in a Different Language
- May 31 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Bots for the Community!
- June 7 – In Search of the Obscure – Using Library & Online Sources to Find Resources that are Out of the Ordinary
- June 14 – Transforming Library Staff Learning Through Technology Skills Assessments
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.
Posted in Education & Training, Pretty Sweet Tech, Technology
Tagged CILDC, NCompLive, prettysweettech
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Proposals for United for Libraries Virtual: Trustees – Friends – Foundations – DEADLINE EXTENDED to April 25
The deadline to submit proposals for the 2023 United for Libraries Virtual: Trustees – Friends – Foundations from Aug. 1-3, the fourth annual virtual conference for library Trustees, Friends, Foundations, and staff who work with them, has been extended to Tues., April 25.
United for Libraries Virtual is an interactive, three-day virtual event featuring expert speakers on current topics facing library Trustees, Friends, Foundations, and staff who work with them. Programming runs from 11:00 am Eastern to approximately 4:00 pm Eastern daily with scheduled breaks. Registrants may participate in some or all program sessions live, and/or watch recordings on-demand.
Past program topics have included fundraising, board development, EDI/social justice, advocacy, policies, and more. All accepted program speakers will receive FREE registration for 2023 United for Libraries Virtual.
For more information, contact:
Jillian Wentworth
Manager of Marketing & Membership
(she/her/hers)
United for Libraries
The Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations
A division of the American Library Association
312-280-2160
Website: www.ala.org/united
News & Updates: united.ala.org
NCompass Live: Creative Aging Arts Program for Nebraska Libraries
Learn how to host a Creative Aging Arts Program for older adults at your public library, with grants available from the Nebraska Arts Council, on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, April 19 at 10am CT.
A happy surprise during the Nebraska Arts Council’s pilot year of the Creative Aging Arts Program (CAAP) was the interest shown by public libraries around our state and engagement with them. Now in its second year, CAAP is going strong, with grants available to libraries throughout Nebraska. These grants support sequential, interactive workshops that are led by teaching artists who’ve completed training to work with older adults. Join us to learn about why the Nebraska Arts Council (NAC) supports creative programming that engages older adults. We’ll also share experiences from libraries that have already hosted artist residencies, learn about the variety of visual and performing artists who are involved in this program, and discuss the grants that are available to libraries and how to apply for those grants.
Join NAC Program Specialist Anne Alston and NAC Program Coordinator Joshua Brown, as well as the Lincoln Lied Township Library Director, Wendy Ketelsen – who is also a CAAP artist herself!
- Hear what NAC has learned about the importance of socialization and creative skill building for older adults.
- Tell us about programming that you would like to see in YOUR libraries.
- Learn about the steps involved with applying for a grant, hiring an artist, and hosting a series of artist-led workshops for older adults.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- April 26 – Pretty Sweet Tech – Computers in Libraries 2023 Highlights & Trends
- May 3 – Public Libraries & Wikipedia: Creative Collaborations
- May 10 – The 2023 Public Library Accreditation Process
- May 17 – Read the Rainbow: Serving the LGBTQ+ Community in Your Library
- May 24 – La Biblioteca Es Para Ti – Building Community Relationships in a Different Language
- May 31 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Bots for the Community!
- June 7 – In Search of the Obscure – Using Library & Online Sources to Find Resources that are Out of the Ordinary
- June 14 – Transforming Library Staff Learning Through Technology Skills Assessments
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.
Union Pacific Foundation: 2023 Community Ties Giving Program
For more grants like this one, check out the NLC’s Grant Opportunities for Nebraska Libraries at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/grants/index.aspx
The Union Pacific Foundation’s 2023 Community Ties Giving Program aims to build safe, prosperous, vibrant, and inclusive communities where Union Pacific Railroad operates, primarily in the midwestern and western United States. Through the Community Ties Giving Program, Local Grants from $2,500 to $25,000 provide support to local nonprofit organizations spread widely across Union Pacific’s footprint. A map and list of eligible communities is available on the Union Pacific website.
The application deadline is May 31, 2023.
Funding is provided for direct services and efforts that build the capacity of organizations focused on the following causes: Safety, Workforce Development, Community Spaces, Environmental Sustainability, and Local Needs. Libraries fall under the Community Spaces funding priority – supporting the local economy by building and enhancing community spaces that contribute to the distinct identity of a city or town, creating diverse and inclusive destinations where families, businesses, and visitors want to be.
Within each focus area, the aim is to support programs and organizations working to advance the diversity, equity, and inclusion of underrepresented populations:
“Vibrant, diverse and inclusive communities are essential in attracting businesses and tourism, and establishing a desirable place for skilled workers and their families to call home. Just as the railroad opened avenues for sharing different cultures and experiences, we seek to ensure all residents within our operating locations – particularly underrepresented populations, BIPOC communities, and people with disabilities – have equitable access to special places in the community that celebrate cultural diversity, artistic expression, our natural environment, and the social interactions that enrich our lives.”
Visit the Union Pacific website for the Application and grant guidelines.
Posted in Grants, Programming
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ALA Great Stories Club Grants for Teens – New theme: “Imagining Tomorrow: Building Inclusive Futures”
For more grants like this one, check out the NLC’s Grant Opportunities for Nebraska Libraries at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/grants/index.aspx
ALA invites library workers to apply for “Imagining Tomorrow: Building Inclusive Futures.” This brand-new series in ALA’s Great Stories Club will feature science fiction books that explore questions of equity, identity, and alternate futures.
Applications are due May 10, 2023. For more details and to apply, visit the website: https://www.ala.org/tools/programming/greatstories/apply
This GSC theme asks: How can we imagine and dream of our shared futures together, alongside each other, in order to create better tomorrows? The books in this series point toward the ways that we might build shared futures while acknowledging the lessons of our origin stories.
Participating libraries will work with small groups of approximately 10 teens; provide four theme-related books for each participant to keep as their own; and convene opportunities for exploration and discussion of relevant humanities content among peers. Book discussions will be led by an experienced programming librarian, often in cooperation with staff from a partner organization or department, such as teachers and counselors.
Libraries will receive 11 paperback copies of up to four books on the reading list to use in reading and discussion groups; a programming grant of up to $500; a virtual orientation training workshop for library project directors; and additional resources, training, and support from ALA’s Public Programs Office.
Applications will be accepted from all types of libraries (public, school, academic, special, etc.) in the United States and its territories that are located within an organization that reaches underserved, under-resourced, and/or at-risk teens (e.g., alternative high school, juvenile detention facility, tribal library) or working with a partner organization that reaches underserved, under-resourced, and/or at-risk teens.
Public Library Accreditation 2023 Workshops Scheduled
‘Public Library Accreditation 2023’ workshops are now open for registration! All workshops will be held online only, via GoTo Webinar. To register for a session, go to the Nebraska Library Commission’s Training & Events Calendar and search for ‘accreditation 2023’.
NOTE: This online workshop is being offered on several days and at varied times, to give attendees multiple opportunities to find a convenient time to attend. The same information will be provided at each workshop, so you only need to register for one session. A recorded version will also be made available after all of the live sessions have been held.
The purpose of Nebraska Public Library Accreditation is to encourage excellent library service in Nebraska communities. The guidelines used to evaluate libraries and their services are community-based, so libraries need to know their communities’ needs in order to provide appropriate library services that meet those unique needs. That’s where Community Needs Response Planning comes in!
In this workshop, Christa Porter, NLC’s Library Development Director, will answer all of your accreditation questions, such as:
- What is Nebraska Public Library Accreditation?
- What are the benefits of accreditation?
- How does my library become accredited?
- What’s a Community Needs Response Plan? And why does my library need one?
Public Library Directors, Staff, and Library Board Members are encouraged to attend.
Dates and times:
- May 16 – 1:00-4:00pm Central / 12:00noon-3pm Mountain
- May 18 – 9:30am-12:30pm Central / 8:30-11:30am Mountain
- May 23 – 9:30am-12:30pm Central / 8:30-11:30am Mountain
- May 24 – 1:00-4:00pm Central / 12:00noon-3pm Mountain
To register for a session, go to the Nebraska Library Commission’s Training & Events Calendar and search for ‘accreditation 2023’.
NCompass Live: Art Show! Where Art and Science Meet to Bring the Community Together
Learn how a planned celebration of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launch evolved into a community-wide art show and led to new opportunities for collaboration on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, ‘Art Show! Where Art and Science Meet to Bring the Community Together’ on Wednesday, April 12 at 10am CT.
In 2022 our library was an official NASA host site for the JWST launch. We worked with a geoscience professor at Chadron State College to promote the launch through a variety of events, including an art show. We invited the community to imagine what the JWST might see and to express that as visual art.
The community and the organizers had a great time so we decided keep going. We held our second community art show in February 2023. Learn how we worked with the schools and community groups to plan, publicize and set up the show, and how a collaboration among scientists and artists led to an ongoing exploration of the intersection of science and art.
Presenters: Susan J. Rolfsmeier, Assistant Director, Chadron (NE) Public Library; Whitney Tewahade, K – 8 Art & Design Teacher, Chadron Public Schools; and Dr. Tawny Tibbits, Geosciences Professor, Chadron State College.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- April 19 – Creative Aging Arts Program for Nebraska Libraries
- April 26 – Pretty Sweet Tech
- May 3 – Public Libraries & Wikipedia: Creative Collaborations
- May 10 – The 2023 Public Library Accreditation Process
- May 17 – Read the Rainbow: Serving the LGBTQ+ Community in Your Library
- May 24 – La Biblioteca Es Para Ti – Building Community Relationships in a Different Language
- May 31 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Bots for the Community!
- June 14 – Transforming Library Staff Learning Through Technology Skills Assessments
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.
ARSL 2023 needs YOU: Conference Session Proposal Submissions NOW OPEN!
From ARSL:
Request for Proposals: 2023 ARSL Conference Sessions
ARSL Conference | September 20-23, 2023 | Wichita, KS
This year’s conference theme is “Unite & Ignite”! Our conference provides an opportunity to unite as a professional community and foster a sense of togetherness across a nation of small but mighty libraries. When we come together to share and learn we’ll light fires of innovation and change that can burn bright all year long.
The Request for Proposals (RFP) for 2023 ARSL Conference Sessions is now open!
Are you a community engagement superstar? Have a storytime formula that can’t be beat? Do your reader’s advisory recommendations always hit the mark? We need YOU to present at ARSL 2023! The program presenters are the heart of the conference, bringing valuable skills and experience to share with fellow attendees.
Submission Deadline: April 25, 2023, 5:00 pm CT Submit a Conference Session Proposal
Ready to get started? Download the sample RFP form to preview the questions. Check out our Tips for a Great Program Proposal to help polish your submission!
New this year: Pop-Up Program Demos If the thought of lecturing at the front of the room turns your legs to jelly our pop-up program demos might be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for! These 20-minute sessions will give presenters the opportunity to demo a craft or other library program piece for small groups of attendees. These practical, actionable demo sessions will let programming pros share their ideas in a less intimidating, more familiar environment. Special consideration will be given to pop-up demos that incorporate intentional accessibility for patrons of different ages and ability levels.
NCompass Live: T(w)eens: Programming, Partnership, and Burnout
You can create successful teen library programs without burnout! Learn how on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, ‘T(w)eens: Programming, Partnership, and Burnout’ on Wednesday, April 5 at 10am CT.
There’s a lot to consider when we are planning teen and tween programming. In this presentation you will learn about using connected learning principals and co-designing to develop programs with teen patrons. We’ll learn the difference between partnerships and supporters, and how to identify them using community asset mapping. Create successful teen programs without burnout!
Presenter: Kymberlee Powe, Children and YA Consultant, Connecticut State Library.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- April 12 – Art Show! Where Art and Science Meet to Bring the Community Together
- April 19 – Creative Aging Arts Program for Nebraska Libraries
- April 26 – Pretty Sweet Tech
- May 3 – Public Libraries & Wikipedia: Creative Collaborations
- May 17 – Read the Rainbow: Serving the LGBTQ+ Community in Your Library
- May 24 – La Biblioteca Es Para Ti – Building Community Relationships in a Different Language
- May 31 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Bots for the Community!
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.
United for Libraries Outstanding Friend Conference Grant
The 2023 United for Libraries Outstanding Friend Conference Grant sponsored by ThriftBooks enables one member of a Friends of the Library group at a public library to attend the 2023 ALA Annual Conference.
Applications are due April 10, 2023. Applicants will be notified by April 24, 2023.
Applicants must be first-time attendees of the ALA Annual Conference, and must be active in their public library Friends group. The winner will receive a grant of $1000, plus full ALA Annual Conference registration. The ALA Annual Conference will take place June 22-27, 2023, in Chicago, IL.
Apply now at https://www.ala.org/united/grants_awards/friends/thriftbooks
For more grants like this one, check out the NLC’s Grant Opportunities for Nebraska Libraries.
Posted in Education & Training, Grants
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NCompass Live: Pretty Sweet Tech: GrandPads: Creating Digital Connections for Older Adults
Learn how to plan and implement a GrandPad program, with tablets designed by older adults for older adults, on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, ‘GrandPads: Creating Digital Connections for Older Adults’, on Wednesday, March 29 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.
During the pandemic, social isolation became a significant problem for many seniors, who were also the most vulnerable to COVID-19. On top of the isolation, the persistent digital divide left many older adults in the St. Louis area either without internet access, a device, the skills to use digital technology, or all three. St. Louis County Library devised a way to serve the digital needs of the community through an innovative program of lending GrandPads to isolated, low-income older adults. GrandPads are tablets designed by older adults for older adults with a simple, intuitive, and decluttered design. In this session, learn how St. Louis County Library planned and implemented the GrandPad program, including securing $1,000,000 in funding from local government, reviewing applications, and distributing and administering the GrandPads.
Guest Presenter: Eric Button, Deputy Director, St. Louis County Library.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- April 5 – T(w)eens: Programming, Partnership, and Burnout
- April 12 – Art Show! Where Art and Science Meet to Bring the Community Together
- April 19 – Creative Aging Arts Program for Nebraska Libraries
- April 26 – Pretty Sweet Tech
- May 17 – Read the Rainbow: Serving the LGBTQ+ Community in Your Library
- May 24 – La Biblioteca Es Para Ti – Building Community Relationships in a Different Language
- May 31 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Bots for the Community!
For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website. The show is presented online using the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Posted in Education & Training, Pretty Sweet Tech, Technology
Tagged NCompLive, prettysweettech
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NCompass Live: New Technology for the Visually Impaired of Nebraska: Magnifiers and e-readers
Electronic video magnifiers and Braille e-readers will improve services to your blind and visually impaired patrons, and they are available via public libraries across the state. Learn about this equipment on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, March 22 at 10am CT.
Erin Brandyberry and Mickie Saltzman, from the Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and Pat Fischer from NanoPac, will talk about and demonstrate how to use equipment that will improve services to your blind and visually impaired patrons. Electronic video magnifiers were placed in Nebraska public libraries by the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired and Braille e-readers are available to Nebraska patrons from the Talking Book and Braille Service (TBBS) at the Nebraska Library Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- March 29 – Pretty Sweet Tech: GrandPads: Creating Digital Connections for Older Adults
- April 5 – T(w)eens: Programming, Partnership, and Burnout
- April 12 – Art Show! Where Art and Science Meet to Bring the Community Together
- April 19 – Creative Aging Arts Program for Nebraska Libraries
- April 26 – Pretty Sweet Tech
- May 17 – Read the Rainbow: Serving the LGBTQ+ Community in Your Library
- May 24 – La Biblioteca Es Para Ti – Building Community Relationships in a Different Language
- May 31 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Bots for the Community!
For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website. The show is presented online using the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Posted in Education & Training, Talking Book & Braille Service (TBBS), Technology
Tagged NCompLive
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E-rate Form 471 Deadline is March 28
Tuesday, March 28 is the deadline to submit the second form in the E-rate process, Form 471, for Funding Year 2023. The application filing window for Form 471 opened on January 18.
However, we do not recommend waiting until the last day to submit your Form 471! If there are any issues that day, like the E-rate servers are slowed down because it is the last day to submit, or you can’t submit the form due to reasons on your end, such as illness, weather, power outage, etc., then you could miss the deadline and lose out on E-rate altogether.
So, log into your E-rate Productivity Center (EPC) account and submit your Form 471 as soon as you are allowed!
IMPORTANT: Before you file your Form 471, check your Form 470 Receipt Notification for your Allowable Contract Date – the first date you are allowed to submit your 471. Do not submit your 471 before that date! Remember, after you submit your Form 470, you must wait 28 days to submit your Form 471. You can find your Notification within the EPC portal in your News feed.
Do you need help completing your forms? Do you have questions about E-rate? You’re in luck!
The March 16 E-rate News Brief has last-minute tips and links to instructional videos. USAC also conducted a series of office hour webinars focused on E-Rate topics related to FCC Forms 470 and 471 – you can watch the recordings on the USAC Webinars webpage. To keep up on E-rate news, subscribe to the USAC E-rate News Brief.
USAC has a series of video tutorials on the FCC Form 471 Video Series: https://www.usac.org/e-rate/learn/videos/#FCC-Form-471
And more recorded webinars, demos, and training materials are available on the NLC E-rate webpage.
If you have any questions or need any assistance with your E-rate forms, please contact the State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries in Nebraska, Christa Porter, 800-307-2665, 402-471-3107.
Posted in Broadband Buzz, Education & Training, Library Management, Technology
Tagged e-rate, erate
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NCompass Live: Read the Rainbow: Serving the LGBTQ+ Community in Your Library
LGBTQIA…BCDEFG? What do all those letters even mean, and why should you care? Find out on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, March 8 at 10am CT.
Join Lane for a primer on all things LGBTQ, and learn about how (and why) you can begin to build a more inclusive and welcoming library for both customers and staff, and why it matters.
Presenter: Lane Gibson, Library Service Associate, Gere Branch Library, Lincoln (NE) City Libraries.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- March 29 – Pretty Sweet Tech: GrandPads: Creating Digital Connections for Older Adults
- April 19 – Creative Aging Arts Program for Nebraska Libraries
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.
ALA Games & Gaming Round Table Game On! Grant
The Games and Gaming Round Table of the American Library Association is proud to sponsor its annual grant program to enable libraries to develop gaming programs or collections for their public.
Applications are due March 15, 2023.
Through the Game On! grant, $500.00 will be available to be awarded either as one grant of $500 or two of $250 each to assist a library (or libraries) in developing gaming programs or collections for their communities.
ALA members in good standing currently employed at a public, school, academic or special library in the United States or Canada are eligible to apply. Libraries will need to illustrate a plan for a sustainable gaming program created with the funds as well as financial need and institutional support for the proposed program.
For more grants like this one, check out the NLC’s Grant Opportunities for Nebraska Libraries.
Posted in Grants, Programming
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ALA Great Stories Club Grants for Teens
ALA is accepting applications for the Great Stories Club, is a thematic reading and discussion program that engages teens facing difficult challenges through literature-based library outreach programs. Applicants may choose to apply for one of the following themes: “Deeper Than Our Skins: The Present is a Conversation with the Past” and “Finding Your Voice.”
Application Deadline extended to March 29! Applications are due March 15, 2023.
Libraries will receive 11 paperback copies of up to four books on the reading list that explore questions of race, equity, identity and history to use in reading and discussion groups; a programming grant of up to $500; a virtual orientation training workshop for library project directors; and additional resources, training, and support from ALA’s Public Programs Office.
Applications will be accepted from all types of libraries (public, school, academic, special, etc.) in the United States and its territories that are located within an organization that reaches underserved, under-resourced, and/or at-risk teens (e.g., alternative high school, juvenile detention facility, tribal library) or working with a partner organization that reaches underserved, under-resourced, and/or at-risk teens.
Implementation is supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. For more details and to apply, visit the website: https://www.ala.org/tools/programming/greatstories/apply
For more grants like this one, check out the NLC’s Grant Opportunities for Nebraska Libraries.
Posted in Books & Reading, Grants, Programming, Youth Services
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NCompass Live: 2023 One Book One Nebraska: The Mystery of Hunting’s End
Celebrate the 2023 One Book One Nebraska selection, The Mystery of Hunting’s End, with us on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, March 1 at 10am CT.
In this nineteenth year of One Book One Nebraska, Nebraska libraries and other literary and cultural organizations continue to plan activities and events to encourage all Nebraskans to read and discuss the same book. Join us to hear more about this state reading promotion activity, sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, Humanities Nebraska, and the Nebraska Library Commission.
We are excited to talk about the 2023 selection The Mystery of Hunting’s End by Mignon Eberhart (University of Nebraska Press, 1998).
Join Nebraska Library Commission Communication Coordinator Tessa Terry, Nebraska Center for the Book President Christine Walsh, and Nebraska Center for the Book Board Member Becky Faber to:
- Learn about how to create a successful local reading promotion using Nebraska’s year-long, statewide celebration featuring The Mystery of Hunting’s End, by Mignon Eberhart.
- Brainstorm strategies to read and discuss The Mystery of Hunting’s End.
- Find tools to help engage your community in local activities to encourage them to come together through literature to explore this work in community-wide reading programs.
- Learn about the 2023 Celebration of Nebraska Books, which will celebrate this book, along with the winners of the 2023 Nebraska Book Awards.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- March 8 – Read the Rainbow: Serving the LGBTQ+ Community in Your Library
- March 29 – Pretty Sweet Tech
- April 19 – Creative Aging Arts Program for Nebraska Libraries
For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website. The show is presented online using the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Posted in Books & Reading, Education & Training, Nebraska Center for the Book, Programming
Tagged NCompLive
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Big Talk From Small Libraries 2023 is tomorrow!
Small libraries! Awesome ideas! FREE!
Join us tomorrow for the 2023 Big Talk From Small Libraries online conference. Registration is still open, so head over to the Registration page and sign up!
We have a full agenda for the day, with speakers from academic and public libraries presenting on a wide variety of topics: Zombie Prom, staff evaluations, adapting big outreach for small libraries, book challenges in small libraries, library playgrounds, programming for adults with disabilities, and much more.
This event is a great opportunity to learn about the innovative things your colleagues are doing in their small libraries.
And, Nebraska library staff and board members can earn 1 hour of CE Credit for each hour of the conference you attend! A special Big Talk From Small Libraries CE Report form has been made available for you to submit your C.E. credits.
So, come join us for a day of big ideas from small libraries!
