Author Archives: Kayla Henzel

Throwback Thursday: Grand Island

Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

This week, we have a 5 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ colorized postcard providing an overview of Grand Island, Nebraska. This postcard is published and owned by the Nebraska Library Commission. This collection includes material on the history of libraries in the state of Nebraska, mainly built with Carnegie grants. The collection also includes items from the 1930s related to the Nebraska Public Library Commission bookmobile, as well as items showcasing the history of Nebraska’s state institutions.

Check out this collection and many more on the Nebraska Memories archive!

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. 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!

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$332,471 in Library Improvement Grants Awarded to Nebraska Public and Institutional Libraries

NLC Logo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 5, 2022

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Christa Porter
402-471-3107
800-307-2665

$332,471 in Library Improvement Grants Awarded to Nebraska Public and Institutional Libraries

The Nebraska Library Commission recently awarded Library Improvement Grants for 2022 totaling $332,471 to seventy-four Nebraska public libraries, a library consortium, and a state-run institutional library.

These competitive grants were made available by the Nebraska Library Commission with funding provided from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the federal stimulus bill passed by Congress, as administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The Nebraska Library Commission has received a one-time award of $2,422,166. A portion of this funding was allocated for the Library Improvement Grants.

You can find the full list of grant recipients in the Nebraska Library Commission grants database at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/scripts/grants/Database/grantsdb.asp?grantnamedropdown=Library+Improvement+Grant&YearDropdown=2022&libraryDropdown=blank&cityDropdown=blank&B1=Submit

These Library Improvement Grants help to facilitate growth and development of library programs and services in Nebraska, by supplementing local funding with federal funds designated for these purposes.

In order to be funded, projects had to meet one or more of the following LSTA Purposes listed in the Commission’s long-range plan:

  • Facilitate access to resources . . . for the purpose of cultivating an educated and informed citizenry;
  • Encourage resource sharing among . . . libraries for the purpose of achieving economical and efficient delivery of library services to the public;
  • Promote literacy, education, and lifelong learning and to enhance and expand the services and resources provided by libraries, including those services and resources relating to workforce development, 21st century skills, and digital literacy skills;
  • Ensure the preservation of knowledge and library collections in all formats and to enable libraries to serve their communities during disasters;
  • Promote library services that provide users with access to information through national, state, local, regional, and international collaborations and networks.

The projects and services planned include: Story Walks, makerspace equipment and supplies, indoor and outdoor furniture/shelving, laptops/tablets/PC computers, outdoor book returns, a book bike, wireless printing/copying systems, a sensory music garden, COVID-19 response and cleaning supplies, and digitization projects, as well as funding the migration of the Pioneer Consortium to a new ILS service with ByWater Solutions.   

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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Throwback Thursday: Winner’s Circle

This week’s #ThrowbackThursday is a real winner!

This black and white acetate negative features a jockey, wearing the number 3, sitting on his horse in the winner’s circle at the Ak-Sar-Ben Racetrack in Omaha, Nebraska. This image was captured by William Wentworth, who was both a freelance and commercial photographer in Omaha. It is published and owned by The Durham Museum.

See this collection and many more on the Nebraska Memories archive!

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. 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.

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Throwback Thursday: Preparing to Hunt Cows

The hunt is on in this week’s #ThrowbackThursday!

This week, we have an 1890s image from the Rosebud Reservation. The Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation is located nine miles north of Valentine, Nebraska, in South Dakota. The men featured in this photograph are preparing to hunt cows that will be turned out of the corral one by one, in order to simulate a buffalo hunt.

This image was created by John Alvin Anderson. It is owned and published by History Nebraska.

Are you a history buff? If so check out all the materials featured on the Nebraska Memories archive!

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. 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.

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NLC Staff: Meet Kayla Henzel

Questions and Answers with NLC’s Staff Assistant, Kayla Henzel. She started working with us in December 2018. Take a few minutes and get to know her better with a few fun questions!

What’s your ideal vacation?
Somewhere warm, tropical

What do you do to relax?
Watch TV

Describe your first car?
Shared a silver Kia SUV with my sister that was handed down from my dad

If I weren’t working in a library, I’d be …
Working at the Humane Society or some kind of animal shelter.         

What was the first concert you remember attending?
Winter Jam in Council Bluffs

What movie can you watch over and over again?
Anastasia

What was the last book you read?
The Chase: Trusting God with Your Happily Ever After by Kyle Kupecky , Kelsey Kupecky,

What was the last movie you watched?
The Purge

Three words that describe you?
Indecisive, funny, caring

What smell brings back great memories?
The smell of peppermint makes me think of Christmas and college

If you could have one superpower what would it be?
The ability to fly

What’s the last thing you do before you go to bed?
Check my phone

If you had a warning label, what would it say?
I can talk really loudly and not realize it

Do you have any tattoos?
2, one on my wrist and one on my finger

What is your favorite comfort food when you are sick?
Soup, chicken noodle or tomato

What’s your most treasured possession?
A dolphin bracelet that belonged to my cousin

What posters did you have on your wall as a kid?
Taylor Lautner and Justin Bieber

Do you love or hate rollercoasters?
I hate them at first, but after I ride them I love them

Do you have any pets?
2 cats, Luna and Nero

What is your guilty pleasure?
Watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians

Favorite technology you could not live without?
My phone

If you could get rid of one holiday – which one would you abolish?
Thanksgiving

If you could only eat one kind of food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Pasta

If you could call anyone in the world and have a one-hour conversation, what would you call?
Selena Gomez

What do you get every time you go to the grocery store?
Iced coffee

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Throwback Thursday: Road in Elmwood Park

Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

This week, we have a black and white photograph of a dirt road in Elmwood Park, located in Omaha. Elmwood Park was established in 1890 with land donated by Lyman Richardson and other citizens of Omaha. The city of Omaha added more property and by 1895 the park covered 210 acres.

This week’s image is owned and published by Omaha Public Library. Items in this collection include early Omaha-related maps dating from 1825 to 1922. Also included are over 1,100 postcards and photographs of the Omaha area.

Check out this collection and many more on the Nebraska Memories archive.

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. 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

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Throwback Thursday: Athletic Field and Grandstand

This week’s #ThrowbackThursday is a home run!

This week, we have a 5 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ black and white photograph of the athletic field and grandstand at the Nebraska State Normal School in Kearney. The grandstand, built in 1906, is filled with people while other spectators sit in cars to watch a baseball game in 1915.

This image is published and owned by the Calvin T. Ryan Library at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. As part of its effort to maximize access to its collection of photographs that feature early history of the institution, the Calvin T. Ryan Library is working with the Nebraska Library Commission to digitize and make selected photos available on the Web. Images featured on the Nebraska Memories archive show faculty, students, buildings and activities from the first dozen years of the school’s existence.

See this collection on the Nebraska Memories archive.

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. 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

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Throwback Thursday: Crib of Sunbeams

This week’s #ThrowbackThursday is too cute!

This week, we have a 6 1/2″ x 4″ black and white plate. Featured in this image are 11 infants in an iron-frame crib at the Nebraska Industrial School in Milford. In the 1915-1916 biennium, the babies were provided with two new large sun nurseries. 64 babies were born at the home during the biennium.

This image is published and owned by the Nebraska Library Commission. This collection includes material on the history of libraries in the state of Nebraska, mainly libraries built with Carnegie grants. This collection also features items from the 1930s that are related to the Nebraska Public Library Commission bookmobile, as well as items showcasing the history of Nebraska’s state institutions.

If you like history, check out all the material featured on the Nebraska Memories archive.

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. 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.

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Throwback Thursday: 1921 Freight Train Wreck – Benkelman, NE

It’s another #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

This 3 x 5 black and white photograph shows destroyed freight cars from a derailed freight train at the train station in Benkelman, Nebraska. The derailment resulted in total destruction of 3 freight cars and 13 others badly demolished.

This image is owned by the High Plains Historical Society and Museum. It is published by McCook Public Library. The High Plains Historical Society and Museum and the McCook Public Library worked together in partnership to digitize photographic images from the historical society’s collection. These images document early growth of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad in McCook and the surrounding area. The collection spans from the early 1880s through the 1960s.

See the full collection on the Nebraska Memories archive.

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. 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.

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Throwback Thursday: Court House Rock

Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

This week, we have a 5 1/2″ x 3 3/8″ black and white photographic postcard featuring two rock formations: Courthouse Rock on the right and Jail Rock on the left. These two formations are located south of Bridgeport and could be seen in the distance for several days by pioneers traveling the Oregon Trail.

This image is published and owned by the Nebraska Library Commission. This collection includes material on the history of libraries in the state of Nebraska, mainly those built with Carnegie grants. Also included in this collection are items from the 1930s related to the Nebraska Public Library Commission bookmobile, as well as items showcasing the history of Nebraska’s state institutions.

Check out this collection on the Nebraska Memories archive!

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. 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.

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Throwback Thursday: Bluffs of Niobrara River

It’s Thursday and that means it’s time for a #Throwback!

For this week’s #ThrowbackThursday, we’re featuring a color postcard of an artist’s rendering entitled “Bluff of Niobrara River, Valentine, Neb.”

The Niobrara River headwaters originate in Wyoming, 35 miles from the Nebraska border. The waters become swift and the channel drops nine feet every mile. East of Valentine, it passes through sandstone, clay and shale. Eventually, it passes through the last of the rock walls and by Norden is broad and shallow. It drains about 9,795 square miles, about 13 percent of the state of Nebraska.

This color postcard is owned and published to Nebraska Memories by Omaha Public Library. The items in this collection include early Omaha-related maps dating from 1825 to 1922, as well as over 1,000 postcards and photographs of the Omaha area.

If you like history, especially Nebraska history, check out the Nebraska Memories archive! It’s full of materials related to Nebraska and its history.

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. 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.

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Throwback Thursday: David City Memorial Park Entrance

Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

This week, we have a 5″ x 7″ nitrate negative of Memorial Park in David City, Nebraska. The entrance of this park is met with concrete markers commemorating World War II veterans on each side. The gravel driveway from Highway 15 makes its way toward the baseball and football fields.

This image was taken in 1940. It is owned by Thorpe Opera House Foundation and published as part of the Boston Studio Project. The collection consists of over 68,000 negatives that record life in and around David City, Nebraska. Negatives and ledgers describing each photograph are stored at the Hruska Memorial Public Library in David City. Volunteers worked to digitize and describe over 1,000 images from this collection.

Interested in Nebraska history? Check out the Nebraska Memories archive!

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. 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

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Throwback Thursday: General Library

It’s another #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

We’re celebrating #SchoolLibraryMonth by featuring some of the school libraries you can find on the Nebraska Memories archive! This week, we have a black and white glass lantern slide of the General Library at Nebraska Wesleyan University. The General Library contained approximately 12,000 volumes, current magazines, and newspapers. It could seat about 120 people and served as a study room for all University departments.

This image is published and owned by Nebraska Wesleyan University. This collection holds several thousand photographs and various media.

If you like history, check out the Nebraska Memories archive for more materials!

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. 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.

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Throwback Thursday: Omaha High School Library

Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

The month of April is #SchoolLibraryMonth and we’re celebrating by highlighting some school libraries featured on the Nebraska Memories archive! This week, we have an early 1900’s black and white lantern slide of the library at Omaha High School, located at 20th and Dodge Streets.

This image is published and owned by Omaha Public Library. The items in this collection feature early Omaha-related maps dating from the 1820s to the 1920s. It also showcases over 1,000 postcards and photographs of the Omaha area.

See the full collection on the Nebraska Memories archive!

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. 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.

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Throwback Thursday: Studying in the Library

It’s another #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

We’re celebrating #SchoolLibraryMonth by featuring some of the school libraries you can find on the Nebraska Memories archive! This week, we have an 8″ x 10″ black and white acetate negative of students studying in the library of Windsor School, located in Omaha, Nebraska.

This image was taken by William Wentworth in 1937. It is published and owned by The Durham Museum. The William Wentworth Collection features 4663 images that document life in Omaha, Nebraska from 1934 to 1950. He worked as a freelance and commercial photographer, providing a unique view of architecture, businesses, and community life in the city.

Check out the full William Wentworth Collection on the Nebraska Memories archive.

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. 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.

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Throwback Thursday: Library at Walnut Hill School

Happy #Throwback Thursday from Nebraska Memories!

April is #SchoolLibraryMonth and we’re celebrating by highlighting some school libraries featured on the Nebraska Memories archive! This week, we have a black and white photograph of the library at Walnut Hill School.

Walnut Hill Elementary School is located at 44th and Hamilton Streets in Omaha, Nebraska. The library at Walnut Hill School was one of the first elementary school libraries in the city. The library’s first book was a copy of Peter Pan by James Barrie which was a gift from one of the local businesses.

This image is published and owned by Omaha Public Schools. Historical materials relating directly to the Omaha Public Schools have been located in various departments and school buildings. Many schools still maintain their own collections. In 2003, staff from the Educational Research Library/Library Services received a small grant to being collecting and organizing these materials in a central location. This group of pictures and their accompanying stories is but a tiny part of the District’s over 150 year history.

See more items in this collection on the Nebraska Memories archive.

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. 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.

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Throwback Thursday: Flood Scene, March 30. 1912

It’s another #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

110 years ago, water from the Platte and Elkhorn Rivers flooded into Valley, Nebraska. Flood waters covered the streets and extended to houses. Some areas were covered in over four feet of muddy water.

This image is owned and published by Valley Public Library. The Friends of the Valley Public Library, Valley, Nebraska, have digitized and described a collection of photographs depicting businesses and members of the local population between the late 1800s and 1900s in Valley. Several images show the severe flood Valley suffered in 1930. Established as a town in 1864, Valley lies northwest of Omaha.

If you’re someone who likes history, especially Nebraska history, check out the Nebraska Memories archive!

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. 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.

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Throwback Thursday: Syndicate Park, South Omaha, Neb.

Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

This week, we have a color postcard of Syndicate Park, South Omaha, Nebraska. Originally laid out by the South Omaha land Company in 1884, the park contained 108 acres. Property disputes reduced the size to 36.8 acres in 1892. Syndicate Park was renamed Spring Lake Park.

This week’s throwback is owned and published by Omaha Public Library. The items in this collection include early Omaha-related maps from 1825 to 1922, as well as over 1,000 postcards and photographs of the Omaha area. The Omaha Postcard Collections show scenes of Omaha, spanning from the 1890s to the 1920s.

Check out the full collection on the Nebraska Memories archive.

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. 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.

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Throwback Thursday: Shrine Circus Trip

Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

On March 29, 1946, Fairmont school students traveled over 60 miles in the back of these trucks to see the Shrine Circus and to visit the State Capitol building in Lincoln, NE.

This image is published and owned by Fairmont Public Library. In partnership with the Fillmore County Historical Society, the Fairmont Public Library digitized photographs from their collections depicting the history of Fillmore County. The photos in this collection feature local businesses, schools, churches, as well as the Fairmont Army Airfield, which was used during World War II.

If you like history, check out the Nebraska Memories archive! It’s a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages. Nebraska Memories 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.

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Throwback Thursday: WPA Water Diversion Project

It’s another #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

This week’s image documents the Works Progress Administration construction of the Keystone Diversion Dam and the Sutherland Canal and Reservoir in the mid-1930s. The Sutherland Reservoir and Keystone Diversion Dam are now managed by the Nebraska Public Power District as part of its hydro-power system.

This image is owned by Robin Clark and is published to the Nebraska Memories archive by the Nebraska Library Commission. The NLC’s collection includes material on the history of libraries in the state of Nebraska. It also includes items from the 1930s related to the Nebraska Public Library Commission bookmobile, as well as items showcasing the history of Nebraska’s state institutions.

If you’re interested in Nebraska history, check out the Nebraska Memories archive!

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. 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.

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