Learn about the benefits of library tours on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, ‘Tour de Force: Build Bridges by Leading Tours of Your Library’, on Wednesday, March 4 at 10am CT.
By inviting community partners to visit the library for a tour, you can show them the many unique ways that libraries positively impact communities. Library tours are a powerful tool to build relationships, gain support, and publicize the library’s programs and services. I started leading tours at my library as a way to orient new board members, and now we invite everyone from the police chief to senators to look “behind the scenes” at the library. As a result, we have gained new advocates and deepened the support of those who already love the library! Leading a tour of your library is a quick, free, manageable way to build wide community support.
March 18 – Modernizing a Small Library on a Small Budget: Systems, Culture, and Community in Year One
March 25 – Pretty Sweet Tech
April 8 – Programming with Purpose: Adult Programs and Community Partnerships
April 22 – Emergency Management in Libraries
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.
Join us tomorrow for the 15th annual 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 specifically tailored for small libraries: intellectual freedom, mental health, food insecurity, STEAM, serving disabled patrons, school/university/public library partnerships, a Tiny Art Show, and much more.
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.
This event is a great opportunity to learn about the innovative things your colleagues are doing in their small libraries serving fewer than 10,000 people.
So, come join us for a day of big ideas from small libraries!
Sponsored by the Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL) and the Nebraska Library Commission, this free one-day online conference is tailored for staff from small libraries – the smaller the better! All of our presenters are from libraries serving fewer than 10,000 people. This event is a great opportunity to learn about the innovative things your colleagues are doing in their small libraries.
Everyone is welcome to register and attend, regardless of how big or small your library. But, if your library serves a few hundred to a few thousand people, this is the day for you!
It’s time to submit the Public Library Survey! Learn about Nebraska’s New Data Collection Tool for the Survey on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, February 25 at 10am CT.
Every year, the Nebraska Library Commission participates in a national program of public library data collection called the Public Library Survey.
In 2025, the Library Commission developed a homegrown online program to collect the data, switching from the Bibliostat platform. The questions and data collected remain the same, but the survey will look different on the new platform. This workshop will provide an overview of the data collection program and cover the basics of the new data collection tool used in Nebraska.
Submitting this annual statistical survey is required for Accredited Public libraries. Unaccredited public libraries are also encouraged to complete the survey and are eligible for a payment of $200 through the Dollars for Data program. The deadline to complete the 2025 Public Library Survey is April 1, 2026.
Presenter: Sam Shaw, Planning and Data Services Coordinator, Nebraska Library Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
March 4 – Tour de Force: Build Bridges by Leading Tours of Your Library
March 18 – Modernizing a Small Library on a Small Budget: Systems, Culture, and Community in Year One
March 25 – Pretty Sweet Tech
April 8 – Programming with Purpose: Adult Programs and Community Partnerships
April 22 – Emergency Management in Libraries
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.
How do you let your community know how valuable your library is? Learn about ‘Communicating Your Library’s Value and Getting your Board “On Board” to Help!’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, February 18 at 10am CT..
Come hear some ideas for communicating your value and how to encourage your library board to be involved in your efforts. There will be time for Q&A as well as for sharing your own examples of what has worked well in your community.
Feb. 25 – Public Library Survey: Nebraska’s New Data Collection Tool
Feb. 25 – Pretty Sweet Tech Canceled
March 4 – Tour de Force: Build Bridges by Leading Tours of Your Library
March 18 – Modernizing a Small Library on a Small Budget: Systems, Culture, and Community in Year One
March 25 – Pretty Sweet Tech
April 8 – Programming with Purpose: Adult Programs and Community Partnerships
April 22 – Emergency Management in Libraries
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.
Hear about ‘Empowering Families Through Literacy: Tools and Strategies from Nebraska’s Statewide Initiative’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, February 11 at 10am CT.
Join us for an engaging session highlighting Nebraska’s statewide efforts to strengthen family literacy through cross-sector collaboration, inclusive practices, and accessible tools. This presentation will showcase the work of the Nebraska Department of Education’s Family Literacy Advisory Committee, including a newly developed implementation guide and centralized resource hub designed to support schools, libraries, and community organizations. Participants will explore practical strategies and adaptable tools that librarians can use to deepen their role as literacy leaders in their communities. Whether you serve young children, adult learners, or multilingual families, this session will offer valuable insights and resources to support and enrich your local literacy efforts.
Feb. 18 – Communicating Your Library’s Value and Getting your Board “On Board” to Help!
Feb. 25 – Pretty Sweet Tech
March 4 – Tour de Force: Build Bridges by Leading Tours of Your Library
March 11 – Public Library Survey: Nebraska’s New Data Collection Tool
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 how to implement ‘Homesteading at Your Library’ programming on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, February 4 at 10am CT.
This hands-on series of programming offers library patrons the chance to explore essential homesteading skills such as starting a garden, fermenting, raising backyard chickens, vinegar making, canning, and more. Patrons gain practical knowledge for sustainable living in a modern world, from basic techniques to tips for successful practice at home. Homesteading sessions include interactive demonstrations led by knowledgeable staff, volunteers, or local experts, and provide take-home materials to help participants implement what they’ve learned. The homesteading program fosters community engagement and empowers individuals to embrace self-sufficiency in their everyday lives. Leave this session with ideas for implementing similar programs tailored to your own community’s needs.
Feb. 11 – Empowering Families Through Literacy: Tools and Strategies from Nebraska’s Statewide Initiative
Feb. 18 – Communicating Your Library’s Value and Getting your Board “On Board” to Help!
Feb. 25 – 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.
Underfunded libraries, schools, and organizations that provide educational services to children or youth are invited to apply for a Coretta Scott King Book Donation Grant.
Every year, in the process of choosing the Coretta Scott King Book Award winners and honor books, the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Round Table Jury Committee receives multiple copies of over 100 titles by African American authors and illustrators.
Awarded
by the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Committee, the grant program provides
books submitted for consideration for the Coretta Scott King Book Awards to
libraries and other organizations to expand their collections.
Applicants must demonstrate the following:
Why the collection is needed in their community?
Why the collection is needed in their agency or institution?
How would acquiring the collection will help to better serve the children and youth of their community?
That the materials will be made freely available to children and youth without censorship
A committee appointed by the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Committee Chair will review the applications and based on the total number of points, determine the recipient or recipients of the materials. To assure agencies and institutions receive age appropriate books, the committee reserves the right to divide a single grant among two or more agencies or institutions.
The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. The award commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and honors his wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace and world brotherhood.
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation is currently accepting grant applications for programs aimed at enhancing Adult, Family, and Summer Reading Literacy programs. The Foundation will also accept applications for its Youth Literacy grant program starting on March 5, 2026.
The application deadline for Adult, Family, and Summer Reading Literacy Grant applications is February 5, 2026. Interested applicants may find eligibility information and apply by visiting the Dollar General Literacy Foundation Grant Programs website.
To be eligible for a grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, your organization must be a nonprofit organization as determined by the IRS, a public library, school or college providing direct literacy services within a state that Dollar General Corporation operates in and is within 15 miles of a Dollar General store. Other eligibility requirements are specific to each grant type and can be found within the grants themselves.
For the Adult and Family literacy grant programs, the maximum grant amount is up to $10,000. The Summer Reading maximum is $3,000 and the Youth Literacy grant is $4,000. Applying for a grant does not guarantee that amount due to the large volume of requests we receive.
Adult Literacy Grants– Grant Application deadline: February 5, 2026. Funding is awarded to organizations that provide direct services to adults in need of literacy assistance in one of the following areas:
Adult basic education
GED or high school equivalency preparation
English language acquisition
Family Literacy Grants– Grant Application deadline: February 5, 2026. Funding is awarded to nonprofit organizations who support the whole family in literacy, providing:
Adult education instruction
Children’s education
Parent and Child Together Time (PACT)
Summer Reading Grants– Grant Application deadline: February 5, 2026. Local nonprofit organizations, schools, and libraries can receive funding to support the creation or expansion of summer reading programs that meet the following criteria:
Target pre-K to 12th grade students who are new readers
Target below grade level readers
Assist readers with learning disabilities
Youth Literacy Grants – Grant Applications will open on March 5, 2026. Application deadline: April 2, 2026. Schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations who help students that are below grade level or having trouble reading may apply with funding provided to assist in the following areas:
Implementing new or expanding existing literacy programs
Purchasing new technology or equipment to support literacy initiatives
Purchasing books, materials or software for literacy programs
The Games and Gaming Round Table of the American Library Association is proud to announce its annual grant program, the Game On! Grant, to enable libraries to develop gaming programs or collections for their public.
Applications are due March 15, 2026.
Through the Game On! Grant, $2,000.00 will be available to be awarded either as one grant of $2,000 or two of $1,000 each to assist a library (or libraries) in developing gaming programs or collections for their communities.
GameRT members in good standing currently employed at a public, school, academic, or special library in the United States or Canada are eligible to apply. GameRT membership requires ALA membership.
Libraries will need to illustrate a plan for a sustainable gaming program or collection created with the funds as well as financial need and institutional support for the proposed project. Previous winners have received support for chess tournaments materials, a circulating multilingual board game collection, video games for after school clubs, and more.
GameRT currently provides $1000 of annual grant funds for the Game On! Grant. The rest of the annual grant funds are provided by gracious donors.
This makes Wednesday, March 4, the deadline to post your Form 470 to the USAC website, meet the 28-day posting requirement for the competitive bidding process, and submit a Form 471 by the filing window closing date.
However, we do not recommend waiting until the last day to submit your Form 470! 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 would miss the deadline and lose out on E-rate altogether.
So, if you haven’t already done so, and you are not exempt, get your E-rate Form 470 submitted as soon as possible!
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!
Today’s E-rate Special Edition News Brief has detailed tips and instructions, as well as information about upcoming online training opportunities from USAC.
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.
The schedule for the 15th annual Big Talk From Small Libraries online conference is now available!
You will find all the details on the Schedule page. Information about our presenters is available on the Speakers page.
If you haven’t registered yet, now is the time to jump over to the Registration page and sign up – the conference is free and open to anyone in the world to attend! Please be aware that all times are listed in US Central Time – UTC-6.
You are welcome to watch as an
individual or to host a group viewing of the conference. If several staff
members from the same library want to attend, you can just register for one
seat and have staff members view/listen together via one workstation.
You can also host a viewing party this same way and invite staff from other libraries. For any group viewings, if you know who will be there, you can list your Additional Attendees on your one registration or you can send us a list after the event. Be sure to take all necessary health and safety precautions into account when planning group viewings.
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.
Celebrate the 2026 One Book One Nebraska selection, The Antidote, with us on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, January 21 at 10am CT.
The One Book One Nebraska reading program is entering its twenty-second year. 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 2026 selection The Antidote: A Novel by Karen Russell (Knopf, 2025).
Join Nebraska Center for the Book Board Member Becky Faber; Nebraska State Historical Society Director of Historic Sites, Broc Anderson; and Nebraska Library Commission Communications Coordinator Tessa Timperley to:
Hear about this year’s selected book and ask questions.
Learn about how to create a successful local reading promotion using Nebraska’s year-long, statewide celebration featuring The Antidote.
Brainstorm strategies to read and discuss The Antidote.
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.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Jan. 28 – Pretty Sweet Tech: How to Build a Virtual Makerspace
Feb. 4 – Homesteading at Your Library
Feb. 11 – Empowering Families Through Literacy: Tools and Strategies from Nebraska’s Statewide Initiative
Feb. 18 – Communicating Your Library’s Value and Getting your Board “On Board” to Help!
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.
