Search the Blog
Categories
- Books & Reading
- Broadband Buzz
- Census
- Education & Training
- General
- Grants
- Information Resources
- Library Management
- Nebraska Center for the Book
- Nebraska Libraries on the Web
- Nebraska Memories
- Now hiring @ your library
- Preservation
- Pretty Sweet Tech
- Programming
- Public Library Boards of Trustees
- Public Relations
- Talking Book & Braille Service (TBBS)
- Technology
- Uncategorized
- What's Up Doc / Govdocs
- Youth Services
Archives
Subscribe
Author Archives: Kayla Henzel
Throwback Thursday: Bunker Hill Baseball Team
Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!
This black and white photograph shows the 1952 players on the Bunker Hill Baseball Team. Home games were played on the Brownson baseball field that was located seven miles west of Sidney, Nebraska. The players on this team came from five different precincts: Bunker Hill, Potter, Gurley, Dalton, and Brownson.
This week’s photograph is published and owned by the Cheyenne County Historical Society and Museum. Items in this collection represent the people and places of Sidney, Fort Sidney, Potter, Dalton, and other communities and sites in the county.
Check out this collection on the Nebraska Memories archive.
The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.
2023 NLS Summer Reading Story Time and Music
Join us on Zoom for an exciting story time and music with Matt Mazur of Turtle Dance Music! Come prepared to have lots of fun with stories, songs, and silly dances.
This event is geared toward K-3rd grade, but all are still welcome.
- Thursday, July 6 at 7:00 pm EDT
- Webinar registration: Story Time and Music
Mark your calendars for the following events happening this summer as part of the NLS Summer Reading program:
- Tuesday, July 11 at 7:00 pm EDT: Author Talk (Middle Grades) – Celia C. Perez, The First Rule of Punk
- Saturday, July 22 at 1:00 pm EDT: Author Talk (K-5th Grade) – Annette Bay Pimentel and Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, All the Way to the Top: How One Girls’ Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything
- Thursday, July 27 at 7:00 pm EDT: Author Talk (YA and Middle Grades) – Kwame Alexander, The Crossover
- Thursday, August 3 at 7:00 pm EDT: Author Talk (YA) – Jenny Torres Sanchez, We Are Not From Here
For more information:
Annette Hall
402-471-4033
annette.hall@nebraska.gov
Throwback Thursday: Splash Day
This week’s #ThrowbackThursday is making a splash!
This 9 1/2″ x 7 1/2″ black and white photograph shows three children at the Nebraska Children’s Home Society during the 1950s. The children at the Nebraska Children’s Home were provided with many activities to participate in, including playing in the sprinklers during the hot summer months.
This image is published and owned by the Nebraska Children’s Home Society. Chartered on September 1, 1893, the Nebraska Children’s Home Society founders had a vision for a better future and believed that every child deserved a family. NCHS offered support and assistance to parents committed to keeping their family together, and provided foster and adoptive homes for children who could not stay with their families. The agency has never charged fees for adoptions services, and still today relies primarily on private donations to fund its services. The commitment to “safe and loving care” in a family setting remains a hallmark of NCHS services.
See the full collection on the Nebraska Memories archive.
The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.
2023 NLS Summer Reading Author Talk: Shelby Van Pelt
Join us on Zoom for an exciting author talk with New York Times best-selling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures, Shelby Van Pelt!
This event in the National Library Service Summer Reading Program is specially designed for adults, but all are welcome.
- Thursday, June 29 at 7:00 pm EDT
- Webinar registration: Author Talk – Shelby Van Pelt
Mark your calendars for the following events happening this summer as part of the NLS Summer Reading program:
- Thursday, July 6 at 7:00 pm EDT: Story Time and Music (K-3rd Grade) – Matt Mazur
- Tuesday, July 11 at 7:00 pm EDT: Author Talk (Middle Grades) – Celia C. Perez, The First Rule of Punk
- Saturday, July 22 at 1:00 pm EDT: Author Talk (K-5th Grade) – Annette Bay Pimentel and Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, All the Way to the Top: How One Girls’ Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything
- Thursday, July 27 at 7:00 pm EDT: Author Talk (YA and Middle Grades) – Kwame Alexander, The Crossover
- Thursday, August 3 at 7:00 pm EDT: Author Talk (YA) – Jenny Torres Sanchez, We Are Not From Here
For more information:
Annette Hall
402-471-4033
annette.hall@nebraska.gov
Throwback Thursday: David City Municipal Swimming Pool
What better way to celebrate summer than with #ThrowbackThursday!
This week, we have an early 1900’s photograph of the David City Municipal Swimming Pool. This image is part of the Boston Studio Project. It is owned by the Thorpe Opera House Foundation.
The Boston Studio Collection consists of over 68,000 negatives that record life in and around David City, Nebraska from 1893 to 1979. Harvey Boston, a professional photographer in David City, owned a portrait studio business from 1893 until his death in 1927. The business was later run by his daughter Edith Boston Proskovec and then by his son-in-law Audrey Hurlbert, before being sold to John and Fred McVay in 1973.
Check out this collection and many more on the Nebraska Memories archive.
The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.
2023 NLS Summer Reading Kickoff Program
You’re invited to attend the very first National Library Service Summer Reading Program!
It begins on Monday, June 26 with a kickoff event featuring Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden, who will welcome everyone and read a picture book for the younger participants. All ages are welcome!
- Monday, June 26 at 4:00 pm EDT
- Webinar registration: Summer Reading Kickoff Event
The kickoff event will be followed by these weekly author talks and story times and music:
- Thursday, June 29 at 7:00 pm EDT: Author Talk (Adult) – Shelby Van Pelt, Remarkably Bright Creatures
- Thursday, July 6 at 7:00 pm EDT: Story Time and Music (K-3rd Grade) – Matt Mazur
- Tuesday, July 11 at 7:00 pm EDT: Author Talk (Middle Grades) – Celia C. Perez, The First Rule of Punk
- Saturday, July 22 at 1:00 pm EDT: Author Talk (K-5th Grade) – Annette Bay Pimentel and Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, All the Way to the Top: How One Girls’ Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything
- Thursday, July 27 at 7:00 pm EDT: Author Talk (YA and Middle Grades) – Kwame Alexander, The Crossover
- Thursday, August 3 at 7:00 pm EDT: Author Talk (YA) – Jenny Torres Sanchez, We Are Not From Here
For more information:
Annette Hall
402-471-4033
annette.hall@nebraska.gov
Throwback Thursday: John Neihardt and Mamie McCorkindale
Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!
This black and white photograph features Mamie McCorkindale and John Neihardt. It is published and owned by Wayne State College.
One of three state colleges in Nebraska, Wayne State College, originally the State Normal College at Wayne, held its first session September 19, 1910. Photographs from the early 1900s included in Nebraska Memories show the buildings and grounds of the campus, athletic teams, the Student Army Training Corps, and other groups while slightly later images show famous visitors to the campus.
Check out this collection on the Nebraska Memories archive.
The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.
Throwback Thursday: Summer School
It’s time for another #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!
Pictured in this week’s #Throwback are some students attending Summer School at the Nebraska State School at Kearney in the early 1900s. The school was founded in 1905. In 1921, it became Nebraska State Teachers college and then renamed to Kearney State College in 1963. The institution joined the Nebraska University system in 1991.
This black and white photograph is published and owned by the Calvin T. Ryan Library at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Items in this collection feature faculty, students, buildings, and activities from the first years of the school’s existence.
If you or someone you know likes history, especially Nebraska History, check out the Nebraska Memories archive! It’s a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural materials and make them available to researchers of all ages.
The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.
Throwback Thursday: Aerial View of Wayne State College
Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!
This week, we have a black and white photograph of the Wayne State College campus in 1950.
This image is published and owned by Wayne State College. The Wayne State College Library digitized selected photographs from its archives in a continuing effort to preserve and make accessible photographs depicting the history of Wayne State College and the region it serves. Photographs included in this archive show the buildings and grounds of the campus, athletic teams, the Student Army Training Corps, and other groups while slightly later images show famous visitors to the campus.
See the full collection on the Nebraska Memories archive.
The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information
New Summer Book Available on BARD!
“Jack and Noah’s Big Day: The Summer When Everything Happened Just Like No One Had Imagined” by Jay Patrick Slagle has been recorded by our Talking Book and Braille Service and is perfect for summer!
Best friends Jack and Noah are facing what promises to be a long boring summer. They decide that Jack needs the world’s greatest birthday party, for which they will need to raise a lot of money. As fundraisers, they start a summer camp, staff a slushie stand, and try to sell glow-in-the-dark necklaces at the city’s July 4th fireworks show. Along the way, a house is blown up; there are visits by police, foremen, and news reporters; and an elephant marches down the driveway.
TBBS borrowers can request “Jack and Noah’s Big Day,” DBC01984, or download it from the National Library Service BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download) website. If you have high-speed internet access, you can download books to your smartphone or tablet, or onto a flash drive for use with your player. You may also contact your reader’s advisor to have the book mailed to you on cartridge.
Throwback Thursday: Beet Field
Check out what we found on the Nebraska Memories archive!
This #ThrowbackThursday shows a long line of boys standing in a beet field at the Nebraska State Industrial School in Kearney. In addition to their school studies and training in trades such as carpentry, shoe repair, and tailoring, the boys helped raise farm animals and crops for their table and for sale. 1,000 bushels of table beets and 941 tons of sugar beets were harvested at the school.
This image is published and owned by the Nebraska Library Commission. Check out this collection and many more on the Nebraska Memories archive.
The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.
Posted in General, Nebraska Memories, Preservation
Tagged Archives, Farming, Nebraska History, Nebraska Memories, Throwback Thursday
Leave a comment
Throwback Thursday: Illinois Street, Sidney, NE
It’s time for another #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!
This week, we have a 5 3/8″ x 3 1/2″ postcard of Illinois Street in Sidney, Nebraska. This main street is lined with many businesses including the Fox Theatre, Overland Cafe, US Tires, and B.F. Goodrich.
This image is published and owned by Cheyenne County Historical Society and Museum. Located in Sidney, this collection features historical photographs that represent the people and places of the county.
If you or someone you know likes history, especially Nebraska History, check out the Nebraska Memories archive! It’s a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural materials and make them available to researchers of all ages.
The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.
New Autobiography Available on BARD!
“Behind the 8-Ball“ by Nebraska author Tom Frye is now available on cartridge and for download on BARD!
“This is the story behind all of my stories, starting from when I was a kid growing up in Havelock and moving on through the 45 years I spent in the field of youth work. I may have a wild imagination, but this one is non-fiction and filled with true stories of my life and times.”
Author, Tom Frye
TBBS borrowers can request “Behind the 8-Ball,” DBC01988, or download it from the National Library Service BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download) website. If you have high-speed internet access, you can download books to your smartphone or tablet, or onto a flash drive for use with your player. You may also contact your reader’s advisor to have the book mailed to you on cartridge.
Throwback Thursday: Automobile at Elmwood Park
Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!
In this black and white photograph, three people are seated in a Velie automobile in front of a pavilion at Elmwood Park, located at 802 S. 60th Street in Omaha, Nebraska. This pavilion was one of Omaha’s first cast concrete structures.
This early 1900s image is published and owned by Omaha Public Library. Items in this collection feature early Omaha-related maps dating from 1825 to 1922. Also included in this collection are over 1,100 postcards and photographs of the area.
See this collection and many more on the Nebraska Memories archive!
The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.
ARPA Report – Plainview Public Library
Plainview Public Library used ARPA funds to add new items to its collection and show patrons the value of returning to the library!
When the COVID pandemic hit, patrons did not use the library as much. The purchase of new items and equipment show patrons all that the library has to offer. Some of these new items include a cricut maker and mug press, sublimation printer and supplies. The cricut maker and printer provide patrons with the option to make gifts, etc. in case they are low on funds due to the pandemic.
In an effort to get kids back into the library and involved in its programs, the library purchased indoor games and snap circuits, Osmo kits and a Kindle Fire to be used with the Osmo kits and breakout kits. It purchased circuit cubes robots, gears go garage and robots roll kits to be used with the LEGOS to get the kids interested in playing with the LEGOS again. Finally, the MakeDo kits to get kids creating with cardboard. The first project the children made were snowplows out of cardboard boxes.
The pandemic highlighted the importance of fresh air and sunshine. The new outside games at Plainview Public Library allows patrons to go outside and play. In addition, a vacuum was also purchased to keep the library a clean environment.
In the summer of 2022, the library hosted the LEGO Guy and Dino O’Dell to get patrons in the library and involved in its programs. This also gave community members an opportunity to get out of their homes and do something fun! For these two presentations, the library had 68 children and 22 adults in attendance.
There was a 10% increase in attendance for the library’s after school and summer reading programs. There was also a 10% increase in new patrons who came to check out the cricut maker, mug press, and sublimation printer.
The most significant lesson learned is that no matter how prepared you think you are, when a pandemic hits, you learn even more.
______________________________________________________________________________
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) is result of the federal stimulus bill passed by Congress. The Nebraska Library Commission received a one-time award of $2,422,166. A portion of this funding has been allocated for three projects: Formula based grant program, NLC Library Improvement Grants, and NLC Youth Grants for Excellence.
This project is supported in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the Nebraska Library Commission.
For more information about the 2021 American Rescue Plan, visit www.nlc.nebraska.gov/grants/arpa/index.aspx
Throwback Thursday: Pilot
Look what we found on the Nebraska Memories archive!
This week’s #ThrowbackThursday features a black and white photograph of a male pilot standing next to an airplane.
This early 1900s image is published and owned by History Nebraska.
It was created by John Nelson. Born in Sweden in 1864, John Nelson came to Nebraska with his parents when he was seventeen. His photographs document small town life in Nebraska during the first few decades of the twentieth century. His subjects include businesses, community activities, and early automobiles.See more of his work on the Nebraska Memories archive.
The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.
“Becker’s Farm” Now Available on BARD!
“Becker’s Farm: A Novel” by William Timmons is now available on cartridge and for download on BARD!
World War II prisoner of war Helmut Sommerfield is interned at a small POW camp in western Nebraska. He soon earns the good will of surrounding farmers as he puts his mechanical skills to work repairing farm equipment. Their admiration for him deepens after Helmut is severely burned while rescuing two farmers trapped in a burning barn. One of the farmers, a recluse, dies, giving rise to a plot to swap Helmut’s identity for the deceased farmer. His chance for a new life is threatened by an escaping POW who knows Helmut’s true identity.
TBBS borrowers can request “Becker’s Farm,” DBC01999, or download it from the National Library Service BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download) website. If you have high-speed internet access, you can download books to your smartphone or tablet, or onto a flash drive for use with your player. You may also contact your reader’s advisor to have the book mailed to you on cartridge.
Throwback Thursday: Band, Girls’ Industrial School, Geneva
Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!
This week’s image features twenty-three girls in the band at the Girls’ Industrial School in Geneva, Nebraska. The girls received musical instruction as part of their schooling. They were taught piano, horn, reed instrument, violin, and/or voice. The girls attended school for four and a half hours per day and spent four hours per day in industrial training. They rotated between kitchen duty, laundry, sewing, and general housework.
Today, this institutions exists as the Youth Rehabilitation Treatment Center.
This #throwback is published and owned by the Nebraska Library Commission.
If you or someone you know likes history, especially Nebraska History, check out the Nebraska Memories archive! It’s a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural materials and make them available to researchers of all ages.
The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.
Posted in General, Nebraska Memories, Preservation
Tagged Band, Girls' Industrial School, Throwback Thursday
Leave a comment
Governor Pillen Promotes Broadband Connections During National Library Week
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 27, 2023
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Laura Strimple, (402) 580-9495
John Gage, (531) 510-8529
Governor Pillen Promotes Broadband Connections During National Library Week
CLAY CENTER, NE – Today, Governor Jim Pillen, together with the Nebraska Library Commission, the Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC), the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT), and the Clay Center Library, highlighted the Nebraska E-rate Special Construction State Matching Grant Program as an opportunity to further connect Nebraskans by incentivizing new broadband fiber construction to state libraries.
“Reliable and fast broadband internet connection is an essential component to quality of life,” said Governor Pillen. “Internet access impacts work force, education, public health, economic development, and public safety. Schools and libraries serve as the centers of communities and ensuring those institutions are connected to fiber is a priority for the State of Nebraska. These fiber-optic based networks will provide connectivity to resources and expand reach and access to Nebraskans.”
The federal E-rate program provides discounts ranging from 20% to 90% of the costs of eligible services based on 1) the percentage of students eligible for the National School Lunch Program in the school district in which the library is located, and 2) the urban or rural location of the library, based on U.S. Census data.
The state program is designed to maximize federal funds by providing up to 10% in matching support to Nebraska Eligible Telecommunications Carriers (NETCs) to connect E-rate eligible entities with fiber where there is no existing fiber connection. The Nebraska E-rate Special Construction State Matching Grant Program (NUSF-117), administered by the PSC, was established in May 2020 and has allocated $1 million to facilitate the build-out of new fiber to Nebraska libraries and schools participating in the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) E-rate Special Construction Program.
To best serve the needs of stakeholders, the PSC is seeking comments on its E-rate Special Construction Matching Funds program, including whether modifications should be made, what services are supported and whether existing funding is sufficient or needs to be increased. Libraries can learn more about the proposed enhancements and provide comment by visiting the E-rate Special Construction page of the PSC website and clicking on the NUSF-117 P.O.#1 link.
“In our commitment to deployment of fiber optic internet to all Nebraska libraries, we applaud the work of the Public Service Commission (PSC) and Governor Pillen’s leadership on these issues,” said Nebraska Library Commissioner Director Rod Wagner. “We encourage all Nebraska libraries to provide comments to the PSC during this open comment period.”
“I’m thankful for the financial assistance of the Nebraska E-rate Special Construction State Matching Grant program to install fiber at our library. We have participated in the federal E-rate program for 24 years,” said Clay Center Public Library, Director Cheryl Green. “These programs enable libraries to provide unlimited online resources, using reliable high-speed digital broadband. I encourage other Nebraska libraries to participate in the Nebraska E-rate Special Construction State Matching Grant program to install fiber-optic connectivity at their library.”
Libraries and schools are encouraged to participate in the process by providing comment responses to questions posed in the NUSF-117 P.O.1 docket. Initial comments may be filed on or before Friday, May 26, at 5 p.m. (CT) and reply comments may be filed on or before Friday, June 16, at 5 p.m. (CT) by email to psc.nusf-filings@nebraska.gov.
“Our state libraries help to keep our communities connected,” said PSC District 4 Commissioner Eric Kamler. “Through the State E-rate program, we can help provide support for new fiber construction to these essential public institutions.”
Information on the E-rate program in general can be found at nlc.nebraska.gov/erate/ and the PSC website at E-rate Special Construction.
###
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.
Throwback Thursday: A to Z Dress Shop
It’s time for another #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!
This week, we have a 4″ x 5″ acetate negative of the interior of A to Z Dress Shop, located in David City. This image is part of the Boston Studio Project.
The Boston Studio Collection consists of over 68,000 negatives that record life in and around David City, Nebraska from 1893 to 1979. Harvey Boston, a professional photographer in David City, owned a portrait studio business from 1893 until his death in 1927. The business was later run by his daughter Edith Boston Proskovec and then by his son-in-law Audrey Hurlbert, before being sold in 1973.
Check out this collection and many more on the Nebraska Memories archive.
The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.
