Author Archives: Jennifer Wrampe

NEST 529 College Savings Encourages Nebraska Children, Teens to Embrace Summer Reading

Media Contacts:
Terry Severson                               Jana Langemach
Director of Marketing                    Director of Communications
First National Bank                        Nebraska State Treasurer’s Office
tseverson@fnni.com                      Jana.langemach@nebraska.gov
402-602-6549                                 402-471-8884

NEST 529 College Savings Encourages Nebraska
Children, Teens to Embrace Summer
Reading

Read to Win $529! Drawing to Award 15 Summer Readers with
$529 Each in College Savings

 Lincoln, Neb. (May 10, 2017) – First National Bank of Omaha, Nebraska State Treasurer Don Stenberg and the Nebraska Library Commission today announced the Read to Win $529! Drawing, which will award 15 Nebraska children and teenagers each with a $529 contribution to a NEST 529 College Savings account. Each winner’s respective library branch will receive $250.

“The Read to Win Drawing adds to the already countless benefits of reading,” said Treasurer Stenberg, Trustee of NEST. “This drawing invests in 15 Nebraska children and in libraries across our state that assist and engage kids and their local communities.”

Beginning May 15 and ending August 23, a child or teen between the ages of 3 and 18 who registers for the Nebraska Summer Reading Program at a local library and who completes local requirements for the program will be automatically entered in the drawing.

“Nebraska public libraries’ summer reading programs are great opportunities for children and teens to take time to enjoy reading while maintaining and improving reading skills. They can also enjoy the many activities that are part of this year’s Build a Better World summer reading program,” said Nebraska Library Commission Director Rod Wagner.

“As places for learning, libraries are a natural partner for NEST—helping to illustrate the importance of children and their parents setting aside money for college education. The Nebraska Library Commission is pleased to join with the Nebraska State Treasurer, First National Bank of Omaha, Regional Library Systems, and Nebraska public libraries to promote lifelong learning, financial education and planning,” Wagner said.

“This is our third year partnering with the Nebraska Library Commission, and we are thrilled to continue our joint mission to motivate our state’s children and teens to prepare for college—both academically and financially,” said Deborah Goodkin, Managing Director, Savings Plans, First National Bank of Omaha. “We encourage children and teens to participate and look forward to rewarding 15 summer readers with savings that will advance their educations.”

On or about September 15, 2017, five winners from each of Nebraska’s three U.S. Congressional Districts will be chosen in a random drawing.

For complete scholarship contest rules and regulations, visit www.NEST529.com and click on Grow. Then select Scholarships & Rewards. Contest rules also are available at https://treasurer.nebraska.gov/csp/scholarships/.

For more information on the Nebraska Summer Reading Program, visit the Nebraska Library Commission’s website at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/youth/summerreading/ or contact a local library.

To find out more about NEST College Savings Plans, visit www.NEST529.com or treasurer.nebraska.gov.

About NEST
NEST is a tax-advantaged 529 college savings plan and provides four plans to help make saving for college simple and affordable: NEST Direct College Savings Plan, the NEST Advisor College Savings Plan, the TD Ameritrade 529 College Savings Plan, and the State Farm College Savings Plan. The Nebraska State Treasurer serves as Program Trustee. First National Bank of Omaha serves as Program Manager, and all investments are approved by the Nebraska Investment Council. Families nationwide are saving for college using Nebraska’s 529 College Savings Plans, which have more than 249,000 accounts, including 75,000 in Nebraska. Visit NEST529.com and treasurer.nebraska.gov for more information.

About First National Bank of Omaha
First National Bank is a subsidiary of First National of Nebraska. First National of Nebraska is the largest privately owned banking company in the United States. First National and its affiliates have more than $21 billion in assets and 5,000 employee associates. Primary banking offices are located in Nebraska, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota and Texas.

Investments Are Not FDIC Insured* – No Bank, State or Federal Guarantee – May Lose Value
*Except the Bank Savings Individual Investment Option

# # #

 

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2018 One Book One Nebraska Book Nominations Sought

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 5, 2017

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Mary Jo Ryan
402-471-3434
800-307-2665

2018 One Book One Nebraska Book Nominations Sought

What book would you suggest that all Nebraskans read next year? Nebraska readers are invited to make recommendations for the 2018 One Book One Nebraska book selection. The Nebraska Center for the Book will consider books written by a Nebraska author (living or dead/with current or former residence in the state) or books that have a Nebraska theme or setting. Books should have a broad appeal to readers across Nebraska and lend well to group book discussion. Books may be fiction, non-fiction, biography, memoir, or poetry. They must be in print and readily available.

The deadline for nominations is June 15, 2017. Book recommendations can be sent via e-mail at nlc.ask@nebraska.gov or via the U.S. Postal Service to The Nebraska Center for the Book One Book One Nebraska, c/o Nebraska Library Commission Reference Services, 1200 N Street, Suite 120, Lincoln, NE, 68508-2023. Nominations can also be submitted online at http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/obon-nomination.asp.

The Nebraska Center for the Book will announce the 2018 One Book One Nebraska choice at the Fall Celebration of Nebraska Books. The Celebration will include a 2017 One Book One Nebraska program, Jane Pope Geske Award and Mildred Bennett Award presentations, and the Nebraska Book Awards Ceremony, with author readings and signings. The Celebration will be preceded by the Nebraska Center for the Book Annual Meeting.

The One Book One Nebraska reading program is enjoying its thirteenth year. Nebraskans across the state are reading and discussing Black Elk Speaks by John G. Neihardt (1881-1973), the story of the Oglala Lakota visionary and healer Nicholas Black Elk (1863–1950) and his people. The Nebraska Center for the Book sponsors One Book One Nebraska to demonstrate how books and reading connect people across time and place. The 2017 One Book One Nebraska program is co-sponsored by Nebraska Center for the Book, Humanities Nebraska, University of Nebraska Press, The John G. Neihardt Foundation, and Nebraska Library Commission. For information about One Book One Nebraska, including current and previous book selections, see http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/programs/onebook.html or join us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/OneBookOneNebraska.

The Nebraska Center for the Book is housed at the Nebraska Library Commission and brings together the state’s readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, printers, educators, and scholars to build the community of the book, supporting programs to celebrate and stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the written word. The Nebraska Center for the Book is supported by the Nebraska Library Commission. As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, bringing together people and information.

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.

 

 

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Librarians and Teachers to Host Letter Writing Clinics

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                              
May 2, 2017

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  
Mary Jo Ryan
402-471-3434
800-307-2665

Librarians and Teachers to Host Letter Writing Clinics   

What could motivate Nebraska young people to write letters? A great story and the opportunity to tell an author about how a book made a difference in their own life can provide just the right encouragement. Teachers and librarians across Nebraska were recently awarded grants to host pilot Letter Writing Clinics for students in their area. The clinics will introduce students to the Letters About Literature contest and letter writing techniques. Students will get ideas for selecting books and learn how to craft letters that can be submitted to the Letters About Literature contest, a national reading and writing promotion program that engages nearly 50,000 adolescent and young readers nationwide in grades four through twelve. The competition encourages young people to read, be inspired, and write back to the author (living or dead) who had an impact on their lives.

The Letter Writing Clinic grants were sponsored by Humanities Nebraska, Nebraska Center for the Book, Nebraska Cultural Endowment, and Nebraska Library Commission. The winning applicants are:

  • Lisa Guenther, Norfolk Catholic Elementary School Director of Reading, Norfolk
  • Jennifer Van Winkle, Lux Middle School Teacher, Lincoln
  • Lori Springer, Valparaiso Public Library Director, Valparaiso
  • Noelle Thompson, Lied Scottsbluff Public Library Director, Scottsbluff Library Foundation, Scottsbluff
  • Denise Ketchens, Oshkosh Public Library Director, Oshkosh

This annual writing competition is sponsored nationally by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, with funding from Dollar General Literacy Foundation. The Center for the Book was established in 1977 as a public-private partnership to use the resources of the Library of Congress to stimulate public interest in books and reading. The Nebraska competition is coordinated and sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, Nebraska Library Commission, Houchen Bindery Ltd., and Chapters Bookstore in Seward.

For more information about Letters About Literature, see http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/programs/LAL.html. To learn more about Letter Writing Clinics, see http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/LALwritingclinics.

The Nebraska Center for the Book is housed at the Nebraska Library Commission and brings together the state’s readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, printers, educators, and scholars to build the community of the book—supporting programs to celebrate and stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the written word. The Nebraska Center for the Book is supported by the Nebraska Library Commission. As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services—bringing together people and information. Humanities Nebraska inspires and enriches personal and public life by offering opportunities to thoughtfully engage with history and culture. Humanities Nebraska was established as a state-based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1973.

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.

2017_LAL_header_clinic

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Young Nebraskans Win Writing Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                                  
April 5, 2017

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Mary Jo Ryan
402-471-3434
800-307-2665

Young Nebraskans Win Writing Competition

Do young people still write letters? They do if they want to tell an author about how books can make a difference in a young person’s life. Young Nebraska writers who wrote winning letters in the Letters About Literature competition will receive award certificates from Gov. Pete Ricketts on April 12, 2017 at a proclamation-signing ceremony celebrating National Library Week, April 9-15, 2017. Letters About Literature is a national reading and writing promotion program. Nearly 50,000 adolescent and young readers nationwide, in grades four through twelve, participated in this year’s Letters About Literature program—hundreds of them from Nebraska. The competition encourages young people to read, be inspired, and write back to the author (living or dead) who had an impact on their lives.

This annual contest is sponsored nationally by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, with funding from Dollar General Literacy Foundation. The Center for the Book was established in 1977 as a public-private partnership to use the resources of the Library of Congress to stimulate public interest in books and reading. The Nebraska competition is coordinated and sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, Nebraska Library Commission, Houchen Bindery Ltd., and Chapters Bookstore in Seward.

Young Nebraska writers to be honored are:

Winners
Caleb Hamilton, Falls City, for a letter to John David Anderson
Ethan Morrow, Omaha, for a letter to Andy Weir
Matthew Heaney, Omaha, for a letter to Theodore Gray

Alternate Winners
Lexi Miller, Falls City, for a letter to R. J.  Palacio
Madelyn Stoffel, Omaha, for a letter R. J.  Palacio
Jack Slagle, Omaha, for a letter to John L. Parker Jr.

The students wrote personal letters to authors explaining how his or her work changed their view of themselves or the world. They selected authors from any genre, fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic. Winners were chosen from three competition levels: upper elementary, middle, and secondary school.

The Nebraska winners will be honored at a luncheon and receive cash prizes and gift certificates. Their winning letters will be placed in the Jane Pope Geske Heritage Room of Nebraska Authors at Bennett Martin Public Library in Lincoln. They will advance to the national competition, with a chance to win a trip to Washington, D.C. for themselves and their parents. For more information see http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/programs/LAL.html.

The Nebraska Center for the Book is housed at the Nebraska Library Commission and brings together the state’s readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, printers, educators, and scholars to build the community of the book, supporting programs to celebrate and stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the written word. The Nebraska Center for the Book is supported by the Nebraska Library Commission. As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, bringing together people and information.

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.

 

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Talking Book Advisory Committee Seeks Nominees

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 17, 2016

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Scott Scholz
402-471-6553
800-742-7691

Talking Book Advisory Committee Seeks Nominees

Two vacancies currently exist on the Advisory Committee to the Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service. The purpose of the committee is to represent the needs of talking book and Braille borrowers and to make recommendations concerning library policies, services, and programs. Membership consists primarily of library users but may include librarians, educators, health care providers, and others who understand the needs of individuals with disabilities. The committee normally meets twice a year.

The Talking Book and Braille Service provides free talking books, magazines, playback equipment, and Braille to any resident of Nebraska who cannot see regular print, or hold a book, or turn its pages. Books and magazines are received and returned through the mail postage-free or downloaded directly from the Internet. Persons interested in serving on the committee should contact Scott Scholz, Talking Book and Braille Service Director, 1200 N Street, Suite 120, Lincoln, NE 68508-2023. Phone: 402-471-6553 or 800-742-7691, fax: 402-471-6244, email: nlc.talkingbook@nebraska.gov. Deadline: March 20, 2017.
As Nebraska’s state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans.  The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services-“bringing together people and information.”

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.

 

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Nebraska Library Commission Announces Public Library Accreditation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 22, 2016

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Richard Miller
402-471-3175
800-307-2665

Nebraska Library Commission Announces Public Library Accreditation

Nebraska Library Commission Library Development Director Richard Miller recently announced the accreditation of public libraries across Nebraska. Miller stated, “We are dedicated to helping Nebraska libraries meet Nebraskans’ information needs, opening up the world of information for citizens of all ages. The Library Commission continues to work in partnership with Nebraska libraries and the regional library systems, using the Public Library Accreditation program to help public libraries grow and develop.”

Public libraries in Nebraska are accredited for a three-year period, from October 1 of the first year, through September 30 of the third year. To learn more about this process and to see a complete list of all accredited Nebraska libraries on the Nebraska Library Commission, go to http://nlc.nebraska.gov/LibAccred/Standings.asp.

The Nebraska Library Commission congratulates the public libraries listed below as they move forward toward the realization of this vision for the future: “All Nebraskans will have improved access to enhanced library and information services, provided and facilitated by qualified library personnel, boards, and supporters with the knowledge, skills, abilities and attitudes necessary to provide excellent library and information services.”

Nebraska Public Libraries Accredited through September 30, 2019

Alliance Public Library
Ashland Public Library
Atkinson Public Library
Rock County Public Library (Bassett)
Lied Battle Creek Public Library
Beaver City Public Library
Bellevue Public Library
Dundy County Library (Benkelman)
Blair Public Library
Bloomfield Public Library
Blue Hill Public Library
Bridgeport Public Library
Butler Memorial Library (Cambridge)
Cedar Rapids Public Library
Ceresco Community Library
Chadron Public Library
Chappell Memorial Library & Art Gallery
Creighton Public Library
Hruska Memorial Library (David City)
Jennifer Reinke Public Library (Deshler)
John Rogers Memorial Library (Dodge)
Elgin Public Library
Elwood Public Library
Fairmont Public Library
Fall City Library & Arts Center
Franklin Public Library
Gilbert Public Library (Friend)
Fullerton Public Library
Gering Public Library
Gordon City Library
Gretna Public Library
Hemingford Public Library
Bruun Memorial Library (Humboldt)
Grant County Library (Hyannis)
La Vista Public Library
Laurel Community Learning Center
Leigh Public Library
Lexington Public Library
Nancy Fawcett Memorial Library (Lodgepole)
Lyman Public Library
McCook Public Library
Mead Public Library
Meadow Grove Public Library
Webermeier Memorial Library (Milford)
Neligh Public Library
Nelson Public Library
North Bend Public Library
Lois Johnson Memorial Library (Oakdale)
Omaha Public Library
Orchard Public Library
Ord Township Library
Cordelia B Preston Memorial Library (Orleans)
Osceola Public Library
Osmond Public Library
Oxford Public Library
Paxton Public Library
House Memorial Library (Pender)
Lied Pierce Public Library
Plattsmouth Public Library
Baright Public Library (Ralston)
Ravenna Public Library
Seward Memorial Library
Shelby Community Library
Sidney Public Library
Stanton Public Library
Sutton Memorial Library
Lied Tekamah Public Library
Trenton Public Library
Ulysses Township Library
Valley Public Library
Valparaiso Public Library
Agnes Robinson Waterloo Public Library
Wauneta Public Library
Lied Lincoln Township Library (Wausa)
Wayne Public Library
Wisner Public Library
Wymore Public Library
Kilgore Memorial Library (York)

As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, “bringing together people and information.”

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.

 

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Registration Now Open for Spring Library and Information Services Online Classes

Library & Information Services ccc-50yrs
Online Course Offerings
Spring 2017
January 9, 2017 – May 4, 2017

Registration for Spring Semester opens Nov. 16, 2016

 LIBR 2150 Managing Collections in Libraries and Information Agencies
Patty Birch, Instructor
This course will provide students with an understanding of managing collections in libraries and information agencies, including: 

  • Basics of Collection Management (terminology, models)
  • 21st Century Literacies
  • Selection (All resources, for all age levels)
  • Acquisition and Deselection/Weeding
  • Intellectual Freedom
  • Copyright

Suggested prerequisite: LIBR 1010 Foundations of Library & Information Services.
For information regarding course content, contact the instructor at
pbirch@cccneb.edu


LIBR 2210 Cataloging and Classification
Ruth Carlock, Instructor
This course will include theories, concepts and activities for cataloging and classifying materials in the 21st Century.  It includes the following topics:

  • The bibliographic record
  • Sears and Library of Congress subject headings
  • Dewey Decimal and Library of Congress classification systems
  • The MARC record
  • Resource Description and Access Instructions

Suggested prerequisite: LIBR 1010 Foundations of Library & Information Services
For information regarding this course, contact the instructor at
rcarlock@cccneb.edu

 

LIBR 2940 Library and Information Services Capstone Practicum
Erica Rose, Instructor
This capstone course is the last course in the Library & Information Services program. Students will complete 40 hours of service learning in a host library. The course also includes a review of the principle pieces of learning from the LIS program.

Prerequisites:  LIBR 1010, 2100, 2150, 2210, & 2250
For information regarding this course, contact the instructor at
erose@cccneb.edu

 

 

For information concerning Admissions or Registration, contact: Dee Johnson, djohnson@cccneb.edu, 402-562-1418 or Toll Free at 877-222-0780 ext. 1418

 

 

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Grants Available for Community-Wide Reading Programs

nealogocarouselslidecolor

A Big Read is a month-long series of programs centered around one NEA Big Read title.  Programs should include a kickoff, a keynote, book discussions, and other artistic events to foster engagement with the selected title and encourage reading.

NEA Big Read is accepting applications from libraries to develop community-wide reading programs between September 2017 and June 2018.  13 new titles are available!

Organizations selected to participate in the NEA Big Read receive a grant, access to educational and promotional materials, and online training resources and opportunities.  Approximately 75 organizations from across the country will be selected.

Application deadline: January 26, 2017

Review the guidelines and application instructions, and discover all 28 titles available for selection at www.neabigread.org.

Not sure where to start?
visit neabigread.org/grantsfaq.php

Questions? Call Arts Midwest at 612-238-8010
or email neabigread@artsmidwest.org

Posted in Books & Reading, General, Grants | Leave a comment

Black Elk Speaks Chosen as 2017 One Book One Nebraska

NCB logo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 1, 2016

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Mary Jo Ryan
402-471-3434
800-307-2665

 

Black Elk Speaks Chosen as 2017 One Book One Nebraska

Wouldn’t it be great if people across Nebraska read an inspirational, redemptive story in 2017—and then talk about it with their friends and neighbors? That is exactly what will be happening throughout the state, with Black Elk Speaks by John G. Neihardt (1881-1973) selected as the 2017 One Book One Nebraska. Black Elk Speaks, the story of the Oglala Lakota visionary and healer Nicholas Black Elk (1863–1950) and his people, offers readers much more than a glimpse of a vanished time. Black Elk’s searing visions of the unity of humanity and Earth, conveyed by John G. Neihardt, have made this book a classic that crosses multiple genres and generations. Black Elk met the distinguished Nebraska poet, writer, and critic John G. Neihardt in 1930 on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, and he asked Neihardt to share his story with the world.

John G. Neihardt was named Nebraska’s first Poet Laureate in 1921 by the Nebraska legislature. He was the author of more than twenty-five volumes of poetry, fiction, and philosophy. He also co-owned and edited the Bancroft Blade newspaper in Bancroft, NE. Neihardt served as a professor of poetry at the University of Nebraska and a literary editor in St. Louis, MO. He was a poet-in-residence and lecturer at the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO. Neihardt was inducted posthumously into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 1974. His house has been preserved as the John G. Neihardt State Historic Site, also known as the Neihardt Center in Bancroft, NE. The house museum site includes a prayer garden, Neihardt’s study, and a library.

Black Elk Speaks, originally published in 1932, is available in several editions. The newest was published in 2014 by University of Nebraska Press. It features a new introduction by historian Philip J. Deloria and annotations of Black Elk’s story by renowned Lakota scholar Raymond J. DeMallie. Three essays by John G. Neihardt provide background on this landmark work along with pieces by Vine Deloria Jr., Raymond J. DeMallie, Alexis Petri, and Lori Utecht. Maps, original illustrations by Standing Bear, and a set of appendixes round out the edition.

Libraries across Nebraska will join the John G. Neihardt Foundation (http://neihardtcenter.org/foundation) and other literary and cultural organizations in planning book discussions, activities, and events that will encourage Nebraskans to read and discuss this book. Support materials to assist with local reading/discussion activities will be available after January 1, 2017 at http://onebook.nebraska.gov. Updates and activity listings will be posted on the One Book One Nebraska Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/onebookonenebraska.

The One Book One Nebraska reading program, sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, is entering its thirteenth year. It encourages Nebraskans across the state to read and discuss one book, chosen from books written by Nebraska authors or that have a Nebraska theme or setting. Black Elk Speaks was announced as the 2017 selection at the Celebration of Nebraska Books on October 29 in Lincoln.

One Book One Nebraska is sponsored by Nebraska Center for the Book, Humanities Nebraska, and Nebraska Library Commission. The Nebraska Center for the Book brings together the state’s readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, printers, educators, and scholars to build the community of the book, supporting programs to celebrate and stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the written word. The Nebraska Center for the Book is housed at and supported by the Nebraska Library Commission.

As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, “bringing together people and information.”

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.

 

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Eleanor & Park to Represent Nebraska at National Book Festival

NCB logoFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 1, 2016

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Mary Jo Ryan
402-471-3434
800-307-2665

Eleanor & Park to Represent Nebraska at National Book Festival

The Nebraska Center for the Book selected Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2013) to represent Nebraska at the 2016 National Book Festival. The book is the state’s selection for the National Book Festival’s “Discover Great Places through Reading” brochure and map. Each state selects one book about the state, or by an author from the state, that is a good read for children or young adults. The brochure and map will be distributed at the Festival on September 24 and featured in the “Great Reads about Great Places” links on the websites of both the National and Nebraska Centers for the Book.

Set over the course of one school year, Eleanor & Park is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—outsiders that meet on the school bus who are smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but are brave enough to try. Nebraska’s “Great Reads about Great Places” book is chosen from former Nebraska Book Award winners and this book was awarded the 2014 Nebraska Book Award in the Young Adult Fiction category. Entries for this year’s Nebraska Book Awards will be accepted until June 30—see http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/awards/nebookawards.html.

The National Book Festival will feature presentations by award-winning authors, poets, and illustrators at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. Festival goers can meet their favorite authors, get books signed, have photos taken with mascots and storybook characters, and participate in a variety of learning activities. States will staff exhibit booths to promote reading, library programs, and literary events. Find out more about the 2016 National Book Festival (including a list of featured authors) at http://www.loc.gov/bookfest.

The Nebraska Center for the Book is housed at the Nebraska Library Commission and brings together the state’s readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, printers, educators, and scholars to build the community of the book, supporting programs to celebrate and stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the written word. The Nebraska Center for the Book is supported by the Nebraska Library Commission. As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, bringing together people and information.

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.

 

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Reading List Released for Nebraska’s Sesquicentennial

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  May 6, 2016

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Erin Willis, Lincoln City Libraries, 402-441-8516

Reading List Released for Nebraska’s Sesquicentennial

The Nebraska Literary Heritage Association, in partnership with the Nebraska State Historical Society and the Nebraska Library Commission, has released the Nebraska 150 Book List, the authorized reading list for the celebration of Nebraska’s 150th anniversary or sesquicentennial in 2017. The list of 150 books can be found at nebraska150books.org, and the Nebraska Library Commission will mail reading resources to libraries, museums, historical societies and bookstores statewide.

The Nebraska 150 Book List is an ongoing statewide community reading initiative endorsed by the Nebraska 150 Commission. The purpose of the book list is to represent the spectrum of Nebraska books; to increase the understanding of the different cultural aspects of the state, past and present; to inform Nebraskans of the literature of the state; and to encourage readership of books from the list in preparation for the celebration activities.

Nebraska 150 Books is one of many programs funded by Humanities Nebraska, which awards about $300,000 in grants each year. Created in 1973 as a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Humanities Nebraska is an independent, nonprofit organization governed by a volunteer board of public and academic members. Humanities Nebraska funds programs that explore Nebraska’s heritage, build community awareness and strengthen our ties to cultural traditions at home and abroad.

The Nebraska Cultural Endowment is a public/private partnership that allocates funds to Humanities Nebraska for programming and grant making. For a copy of Humanities Nebraska grant guidelines, visit humanitiesnebraska.org; call 402-474-2131; or email info@humanitiesnebraska.org. The address is 215 Centennial Mall South, Suite 330, Lincoln, NE, 68508.

Additional support for the Nebraska 150 Book List is provided by Firespring, the Nebraska Library Commission, Lincoln City Libraries and the Nebraska 150 Commission. For more information on the sesquicentennial celebration, visit ne150.org.

As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, bringing together people and information.

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.

 

 

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Young Nebraskans Win Writing Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NCB logo
April 1, 2016

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Mary Jo Ryan
402-471-3434
800-307-2665

Young Nebraskans Win Writing Competition

Young Nebraska writers will receive Letters about Literature award certificates from Gov. Pete Ricketts on April 6, 2016 at a proclamation-signing ceremony celebrating National Library Week, April 10-16, 2016. Letters about Literature is a national reading and writing promotion program. Nearly 50,000 adolescent and young readers nationwide in grades four through twelve participated in this year’s Letters about Literature program, hundreds of them from Nebraska. The competition encourages young people to read, be inspired, and write back to the author (living or dead) who had an impact on their lives.

This annual contest is sponsored nationally by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, with funding from Dollar General Literacy Foundation. The Center for the Book was established in 1977 as a public-private partnership to use the resources of the Library of Congress to stimulate public interest in books and reading. The Nebraska competition is coordinated and sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, Nebraska Library Commission, and Houchen Bindery Ltd.

Young Nebraska writers to be honored are:

Winners
Conleigh Hemmer, Lincoln, for a letter to Patricia McKissack
Madeline Walker, Lincoln, for a letter to Ray Bradbury
Colette Mahr, Chadron, for a letter to Laurie Halse Anderson

Alternate Winners
Carson Bredemeier,
Falls City, for a letter to Laura Hillenbrand
Janna Marley, Lincoln, for a letter to Kate DiCamillo
Julia Briones, Lexington, for a letter to Khaled Hosseini

The students wrote personal letters to authors explaining how his or her work changed their view of themselves or the world. They selected authors from any genre, fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic. Winners were chosen from three competition levels: upper elementary, middle, and secondary school.

The Nebraska winners will be honored at a luncheon and receive cash prizes and gift certificates. Their winning letters will be placed in the Jane Pope Geske Heritage Room of Nebraska Authors at Bennett Martin Public Library in Lincoln. They will advance to the national competition, with a chance to win a trip to Washington, D.C. for themselves and their parents. For more information see http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/programs/LAL.html.

The Nebraska Center for the Book is housed at the Nebraska Library Commission and brings together the state’s readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, printers, educators, and scholars to build the community of the book, supporting programs to celebrate and stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the written word. The Nebraska Center for the Book is supported by the Nebraska Library Commission. As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, bringing together people and information.

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.

 

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Talking Book Advisory Committee Seeks Nominees

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 5, 2016

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Scott Scholz
402-471-6553
800-742-7691

Talking Book Advisory Committee Seeks Nominees

Three vacancies currently exist on the Advisory Committee to the Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service. The purpose of the committee is to represent the needs of talking book and Braille borrowers and to make recommendations concerning library policies, services, and programs. Membership consists primarily of library users but may include librarians, educators, health care providers, and others who understand the needs of individuals with disabilities. The committee normally meets twice a year.

The Talking Book and Braille Service provides free talking books, magazines, playback equipment, and Braille to any resident of Nebraska who cannot see regular print, or hold a book, or turn its pages. Books and magazines are received and returned through the mail postage-free or downloaded directly from the Internet. Persons interested in serving on the committee should contact Talking Book and Braille Service, 1200 N Street, Suite 120, Lincoln, NE 68508-2023. Phone: 402-471-6553 or 800-742-7691, fax: 402-471-6244, email: nlc.talkingbook@nebraska.gov.  Deadline: March 15, 2016.

As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, “bringing together people and information.”

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.

 

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Lincoln City Libraries One Book-One Lincoln to Receive Award for Promotion of Literature

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NCB logo
October 26, 2015

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Mary Jo Ryan
402-471-3434
800-307-2665

Lincoln City Libraries One Book-One Lincoln to Receive Award for Promotion of Literature

The Nebraska Center for the Book will present the 2015 Jane Geske Award at the November 14 Celebration of Nebraska Books in downtown Lincoln. Lincoln City Libraries’ One Book-One Lincoln Community Reading Program will be honored for their extraordinary contribution to Nebraska’s community of the book. One Book-One Lincoln began in 2002 and has been conducted every year by library staff and volunteers. They help select and purchase the titles, plan the programming, and create this constant and steady feature of the reading community for Lincoln, and Nebraska. The letter of nomination points out, “While entertainment and sporting options pull people in different directions, reading the same book together gives us a common experience. Reading—generally a private activity—changes completely when shared as a group, and discussing a book as a community brings us together.”

The Nebraska Center for the Book annually presents the Jane Geske Award to an organization, business, library, school, association, or other group that has made an exceptional contribution to literacy, books, reading, bookselling, libraries, or Nebraska literature. The Jane Geske Award commemorates Geske’s passion for books, and was established in recognition of her contributions to the well-being of the libraries of Nebraska. Jane Geske was the director of the Nebraska Library Commission, a founding member of the Nebraska Center for the Book, a Lincoln bookseller, and a long-time leader in Nebraska library and literary activities. The 2015 award is a framed photograph by Steve Ryan entitled, “Woodcliff Lakes, NE.27.”

The November 14 Celebration, free and open to the public, will also feature presentation of the 2015 Nebraska Book Awards, and some of the winning authors will read from their work. A list of winners is posted at http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/awards.html. The Celebration of Nebraska Books is scheduled for 2:30 – 6:30 p.m. at 1200 N Street, with this year’s One Book One Nebraska, Death Zones & Darling Spies: Seven Years of Vietnam War Reporting, by Beverly Deepe Keever, featured at the Celebration in a presentation, “Beverly Deepe Keever: An Unconventional Woman for An Unconventional War,” by Thomas Berg, Ph.D., Dept. of History, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The Nebraska Center for the Book Annual Meeting will be held at 1:30 p.m. and an Awards Reception, book signings, and announcement of the 2016 One Book One Nebraska book choice conclude the festivities. The Celebration of Nebraska Books (http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/programs/celebration.html) is sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book and the Nebraska Library Commission, with support from the Friends of the University of Nebraska Press.

The Nebraska Center for the Book is housed at the Nebraska Library Commission and brings together the state’s readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, printers, educators, and scholars to build the community of the book, supporting programs to celebrate and stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the written word. The Nebraska Center for the Book is supported by the Nebraska Library Commission.

As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, bringing together people and information.

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.

 

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Finalists for 2016 One Book One Nebraska Announced

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Finalists for 2016 One Book One Nebraska Announced

Two nonfiction books, one poetry collection, and three novels—all stories with ties to Nebraska and the Great Plains—are the finalists for the 2016 One Book One Nebraska statewide reading program. The finalists are:

  • Backstage: Stories from My Life in Public Television by Ron Hull. University of Nebraska Press (2012)
  • The Meaning of Names by Karen Shoemaker. Red Hen Press (2014)
  • The Naked Mountaineer: Misadventures of an Alpine Traveler by Stephen Sieberson. University of Nebraska Press (2014)
  • Nebraska Presence: An Anthology of Poetry edited by Greg Kosmicki and Mary K. Stillwell. The Backwaters Press (2007)
  • The Plain Sense of Things by Pamela Carter Joern. University of Nebraska Press (2008)
  • While the Patient Slept by Mignon Eberhart. University of Nebraska Press (1995)

 The One Book One Nebraska reading program, now in its twelfth year, is sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, Humanities Nebraska, and Nebraska Library Commission. It encourages Nebraskans across the state to read and discuss the same book, chosen from books written by Nebraska authors or that have a Nebraska theme or setting. A Nebraska Center for the Book committee selected the six finalists from a list of twenty-seven titles nominated by Nebraskans. In the coming weeks, Nebraska Center for the Book board members will vote on the 2016 selection.

Nebraskans are invited to attend the Celebration of Nebraska Books on November 14, where the choice for the 2016 One Book One Nebraska will be announced at 5:30 p.m. at the Nebraska Library Commission, 1200 N Street in downtown Lincoln. This year’s One Book One Nebraska, Death Zones & Darling Spies: Seven Years of Vietnam War Reporting, by Beverly Deepe Keever, will be featured at the Celebration in a presentation, “Beverly Deepe Keever: An Unconventional Woman for An Unconventional War,” by Thomas Berg, PhD, Dept. of History, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. See http://onebook.nebraska.gov or https://www.facebook.com/OneBookOneNebraska for more information about ongoing 2015 One Book One Nebraska activities.

The November 14 Celebration of Nebraska Books is scheduled for 2:30 – 6:30 p.m., with the Nebraska Center for the Book Annual Meeting to be held at 1:30 p.m. Awards will be presented to the winners of the 2015 Nebraska Book Awards, and some of the winning authors will read from their work. A list of Nebraska Book Award winners is posted at http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/awards.html. The Celebration of Nebraska Books is sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book and Nebraska Library Commission, with support from Friends of University of Nebraska Press. For more information, contact Mary Jo Ryan, maryjo.ryan@nebraska.gov, 402-471-3434 or 800-307-2665. Confirmed presenters will be announced at www.centerforthebook.nebraska.gov and http://www.facebook.com/NebraskaCenterfortheBook

The Nebraska Center for the Book is housed at the Nebraska Library Commission and brings together the state’s readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, printers, educators, and scholars to build the community of the book, supporting programs to celebrate and stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the written word. The Nebraska Center for the Book is supported by the Nebraska Library Commission.

As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, bringing together people and information.

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.

 

 

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Book Award Winners to be Honored at November 14 Celebration of Nebraska Books

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Book Award Winners to be Honored at November 14 Celebration of Nebraska Books

An awards presentation ceremony will highlight the Nebraska Center for the Book’s Celebration of Nebraska Books on November 14 at the Nebraska Library Commission, 1200 N Street, The Atrium, in downtown Lincoln. Winners of the 2015 Nebraska Book Awards will be honored and the celebration will include readings by some of the winning authors, designers and illustrators. And the winners are:

2015 Nebraska Book Award Winners

Anthology

The Wheeling Year: A Poet’s Field Book by Ted Kooser. University of Nebraska Press.

 Cover/Design/Illustration

As All My Fathers Were: A Novel by James A. Misko. Cover and design by Jonathan Friedman. Northwest Ventures Press.

Cover/Design/Illustration Honor

Intimates and Fools by Laura Madeline Wiseman. Art by Sally Deskins. Internal layout and design by Adam Wagler. Les Femmes Folles Books.

Fiction

Last Night at the Blue Angel by Rebecca Rotert. William Morrow.

Fiction: Short Story

In Reach by Pamela Carter Joern. University of Nebraska Press.

Non-Fiction: Investigative Journalism

The Chain: Farm, Factory, and the Fate of Our Food by Ted Genoways. Harper.

Non-Fiction: Memoir

Leaving the Pink House: A Memoir by Ladette Randolph. University of Iowa Press.

Non-Fiction: Nebraska as Place

This Place, These People: Life and Shadow on the Great Plains by David Stark and Nancy Warner. Columbia University Press.

Non-Fiction: Nebraska History

Nebraska POW Camps: A History of World War II Prisoners in the Heartland by Melissa Amateis Marsh. The History Press.

 Non-Fiction: Nebraska Spirit

Prairie Forge: The Extraordinary Story of the Nebraska Scrap Metal Drive of World War II by James J. Kimble. University of Nebraska Press.

 Non-Fiction: Reference

History of Nebraska by Ronald C. Naugle, John J. Montag, and James C. Olson. University of Nebraska Press.

Poetry

Morning: Last Poems by Don Welch. pigeonpress.

Poetry Honor

Always the Detail by Barbara Schmitz. Stephen F. Austin State University Press.

The celebration, free and open to the public, will also feature presentation of the Nebraska Center for the Book’s Jane Geske Award to a Nebraska organization for exceptional contribution to literacy, books, reading, libraries, and literature in Nebraska. The Jane Geske Award commemorates Geske’s passion for books, and was established in recognition of her contributions to the well-being of the libraries of Nebraska. Jane Pope Geske was a founding member of the Nebraska Center for the Book, former director of the Nebraska Library Commission, and a long-time leader in Nebraska library and literary activities.

This year the Celebration marks the eleventh year of One Book One Nebraska, selecting and promoting a book title for Nebraskans to read to celebrate the literary richness of our state. Death Zones & Darling Spies: Seven Years of Vietnam War Reporting, by Beverly Deepe Keever is the 2015 One Book One Nebraska, and Nebraska libraries and other literary and cultural organizations across the state are hosting activities and events to encourage all Nebraskans to read and discuss this book (see http://onebook.nebraska.gov.) The Celebration keynote will be presented by Thomas Berg, PhD, Dept. of History, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, on “Beverly Deepe Keever: An Unconventional Woman for An Unconventional War” at 2:45 p.m.
The Nebraska Center for the Book Annual Meeting will be held at 1:30 p.m.—just prior to the 2:30-6:30 p.m. Celebration. An awards reception honoring the winning authors, book signings, and announcement of the 2016 One Book One Nebraska book choice will conclude the festivities.

The Celebration of Nebraska Books is sponsored by Nebraska Center for the Book and Nebraska Library Commission, with support from the Friends of the University of Nebraska Press. Humanities Nebraska provides support for One Book One Nebraska. The Nebraska Center for the Book is housed at the Nebraska Library Commission and brings together the state’s readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, printers, educators, and scholars to build the community of the book, supporting programs to celebrate and stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the written word. The Nebraska Center for the Book is supported by the Nebraska Library Commission.

As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, “bringing together people and information.”

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.

 

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Winners of NEST $529 Read to Win Recognized in Capitol Ceremony

 

Statewide Winners of NEST $529 Read to Win Drawing Recognized in Capitol Ceremony

More than $11,500 awarded to children and libraries across Nebraska

Lincoln, Neb. (October 5, 2015) – Treasurer Don Stenberg and First National Bank of Omaha presented $529 NEST college savings scholarships today to winners from Nebraska’s three congressional districts in the NEST Read to Win $529 Drawing, sponsored by the Nebraska Educational Savings Trust (NEST), First National Bank of Omaha, and the Nebraska Library Commission.

Winners were recognized today in the Capitol Rotunda. Not all winners were able to attend the ceremony.

More than 20,000 children and teens were entered in the drawing after completing summer reading programs at their local libraries across the state. Five winners were chosen in a random drawing from each of Nebraska’s three U.S. Congressional Districts. They were awarded $529 each in a NEST 529 College Savings account, and their respective library branches received $250 each.

First National Bank of Omaha, program manager for NEST, provided the prizes.

Winners and the libraries where they took part in summer reading are as follows:

District 1

Calleigh Chmelka, 5, Lincoln, Victor E. Anderson Library
Landon Bliss, 7, Lincoln, Charles H. Gere Library
Andrew Furasek, 10, Lincoln, Bethany Library
Taylor Searcey, 13, Lincoln, Victor E. Anderson Library
Haylee Young, 13, Lincoln, Victory E. Anderson Library

District 2

Ava Brooks, 4, Omaha, Millard Library
Keaton Irwin, 5, Omaha, Swanson Branch
Brayden Sanchez, 7, Omaha, Saddlebrook Branch
Landon Flora, 11, Omaha, Millard Library
Melia Minnich, 11, Omaha, Elkhorn Branch

District 3

Grace Eickhoff, 5, Grand Island, Grand Island Public Library
Jack Reents, 7, Hastings, Hastings Public Library
Taylin Rhoads, 8 Grand Island, Grand Island Public Library
Aydrien Vetter, 8 Ravenna. Ravenna Public Library
Lened Reyes Estrada, 10, Grand Island, Grand Island Public Library

Libraries receiving donations in the Read to Win event are as follows:

 

Omaha Public Libraries, $1,000, for four branch libraries
Lincoln City Libraries, $750, for three branch libraries
Grand Island Public Library, $250
Hastings Public Library, $250
Ravenna Public Library, $250

NLC LogoSeal_RGB_CollegeSavingsProgramNEST-529-wTag-colorCSP-FNB-1line-PM-color

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Simpson’s Sheep Won’t Go to Sleep! to Represent Nebraska at National Book Festival

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NCB logo
June 9, 2015

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Mary Jo Ryan
402-471-3434
800-307-2665

Simpson’s Sheep Won’t Go to Sleep! to Represent Nebraska at National Book Festival

The Nebraska Center for the Book selected Simpson’s Sheep Won’t Go to Sleep! by Bruce Arant (Peter Pauper Press, Inc., 2013) to represent Nebraska at the 2015 National Book Festival. The book is the state’s selection for the National Book Festival’s “Discover Great Places through Reading” map. Each state selects one book about the state, or by an author from the state, that is a good read for children or young adults. The map will be distributed at the Festival on September 5 and listed in “Great Reads about Great Places” on the websites of both the National and Nebraska Centers for the Book.

Will poor Farmer Simpson ever find a way to lull his sheep to sleep? Illustrated with soft pastel drawings, Simpson’s Sheep Won’t Go to Sleep! is a story for every parent or grandparent who has put a child to bed—and every child who has creatively resisted. The selection was awarded the 2014 Nebraska Book Award in the Children’s category. NOTE: Entries for the 2015 Nebraska Book Awards will be accepted until June 30—see http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/awards/nebookawards.html.

The National Book Festival will feature award-winning authors, poets, and illustrators at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. Festival goers can meet their favorite authors, get books signed, have photos taken with mascots and storybook characters, and participate in a variety of learning activities. States will staff exhibit booths to promote reading, library programs, and literary events.

The Nebraska Center for the Book is housed at the Nebraska Library Commission and brings together the state’s readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, printers, educators, and scholars to build the community of the book, supporting programs to celebrate and stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the written word. The Nebraska Center for the Book is supported by the Nebraska Library Commission. As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, bringing together people and information.

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.

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2016 One Book One Nebraska Book Suggestions Accepted until June 15

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 1, 2015

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Mary Jo Ryan
402-471-3434
800-307-2665

2016 One Book One Nebraska Book Suggestions Accepted until June 15

Nebraskans are reminded that there is still time to make recommendations for the 2016 One Book One Nebraska book selection. The Nebraska Center for the Book will consider books written by a Nebraska author (living or dead/with current or former residence in the state), or that have a Nebraska theme or setting. Books should have a broad appeal to readers across Nebraska and lend well to group book discussion. Books may be fiction, non-fiction, biography, memoir, or poetry. They must be in print and readily available.

The deadline for nominations is June 15, 2015. Book recommendations can be sent via e-mail at nlc.ask@nebraska.gov or the U.S. Postal Service to The Nebraska Center for the Book One Book One Nebraska, c/o Nebraska Library Commission Reference Services, 1200 N Street, Suite 120, Lincoln, NE 68508-2023. Nominations can also be made online at: http://ncb.nebraska.gov/obon-nomination.asp.

The Nebraska Center for the Book will announce the 2016 One Book One Nebraska choice at the Fall Celebration of Nebraska Books. The Celebration will include a 2015 One Book One Nebraska program, Jane Pope Geske Award presentation, and Nebraska Book Awards Ceremony, with author readings and signings. The Celebration is preceded by the Nebraska Center for the Book Annual Meeting.

The 2015 One Book One Nebraska selection is Death Zones and Darling Spies: Seven Years of Vietnam War Reporting (University of Nebraska Press, 2013) by Beverly Deepe Keever, who was born and raised in Hebron, NE. Keever was the longest-serving American correspondent covering the Vietnam War and earned a Pulitzer Prize nomination for reporting.

The Nebraska Center for the Book, Nebraska Humanities Council, Nebraska Library Commission, and other statewide organizations sponsor One Book One Nebraska to demonstrate how books and reading connect people across time and place. For information about One Book One Nebraska, including current and previous book selections, see http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/programs/onebook.html or join us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/OneBookOneNebraska.

The Nebraska Center for the Book is housed at the Nebraska Library Commission and brings together the state’s readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, printers, educators, and scholars to build the community of the book, supporting programs to celebrate and stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the written word. The Nebraska Center for the Book is supported by the Nebraska Library Commission. As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, bringing together people and information.

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.

 

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Free Unbiased Online Financial Education Class Available

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
NLC Logo 500x500May 26, 2015

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Mary Jo Ryan
402-471-3434
800-307-2665


Free Unbiased Online Financial Education Class Available

Money for college?…for retirement?…to buy a home? Free online financial education classes are available for all Nebraskans.

The Nebraska Library Commission is pleased to announce that access to better financial and investor information resources is now available through a free unbiased online financial education class
offered through the Smart Investing@your library® Builds Nebraska Communities project.
Get a login password at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/FinancialEducation and learn more about how to make informed decisions about budgeting, money management, saving for college, buying a home, retirement planning, and more. This online class is offered as part of a statewide grant awarded by the American Library Association and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation to the Nebraska Library Commission and the Northeast Library System (now Three Rivers Library System). This prestigious grant is helping to build the capacity of Nebraska libraries to provide effective, unbiased financial resources, including Books, DVDs, downloadable audiobooks and ebooks, and access to librarian-selected online sources at http://nebraskaccess.ne.gov/moneyandinvesting.asp.

This program is made possible by a grant from the FINRA Investor Education Foundation through Smart investing @ your library®, a partnership with the American Library Association.

The FINRA Investor Education Foundation supports innovative research and educational projects that give underserved Americans the knowledge, skills and tools necessary for financial success throughout life. For details about grant programs and other FINRA Foundation initiatives, visit www.finrafoundation.org .

FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, is the largest non-governmental regulator for all securities firms doing business in the United States. FINRA is dedicated to investor protection and market integrity through effective and efficient regulation and complementary compliance and technology-based services. FINRA touches virtually every aspect of the securities business — from registering and educating all industry participants to examining securities firms, writing and enforcing rules and the federal securities laws, informing and educating the investing public, providing trade reporting and other industry utilities and administering the largest dispute resolution forum for investors and registered firms. For more information, please visit www.finra.org.

Smart investing @ your library® is a partnership between the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association, and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation. The program supports public libraries and community college libraries across the country in their efforts to meet financial education needs at the local level. Visit http://smartinvesting.ala.org for details.

The Reference and User Services Association, a division of the American Library Association, is the foremost organization of reference and information professionals who make the connections between people and the information sources, services and collection materials they need. For more information, please visit www.ala.org/rusa. The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 60,000 members. Its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information. For more information, please visit www.ala.org or call (800) 545-2433 ext. 4279.

As Nebraska’s state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services-“bringing together people and information.” Visit http://booksarejustthebeginning.com/ for more examples of how Books Are Just the Beginning at Nebraska libraries.

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.

 

 

 

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