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Author Archives: Mary Sauers
2017 Solar Eclipse–One Week From Today!
The solar event of the century is only a little over 6 days away–the 2017 Total Eclipse!
Just as a last blog post about the Eclipse before the big day, I wanted to point out an awesome video that I came across this past weekend.
One of the best, because it’s Nebraska specific, is the “movie trailer” below, produced by the Hyde Memorial Observatory in Lincoln:
So enjoy, have fun, and be safe!
New Public Library Toolkit for Consumer Health Information Resources
The McGoogan Library of Medicine at University of Nebraska Medical Center has created a new Public Library Toolkit to support Nebraska public librarians in delivering consumer health information to their communities. The toolkit provides links to training resources for librarians, and state and local health statistics to help with program planning. It also provides websites for consumers that cover health and wellness, finding healthcare, financial assistance, and caregiver support.
McGoogan Library has been serving the consumer health information needs of Nebraska citizens for over 30 years. The library continues to seek opportunities to support and collaborate with public libraries. If you have feedback or suggestions for the toolkit, please contact Christian Minter, Community Engagement & Health Literacy Librarian at christian.minter@unmc.edu or 402-559-7226.
What’s Up Doc? New State Agency Publications at the Nebraska Library Commission
New state agency publications
have been received at the Nebraska Library Commission for July 2017. Included are reports from the Nebraska Auditor of Public Accounts, annual reports and information guides from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, and new books from the University of Nebraska Press, to name a few.
All items, except the books from the University of Nebraska Press, are available for immediate viewing and printing by clicking on the highlighted .pdf link.
Solar Eclipse Resources Part Three: 39 Days and Counting…
The countdown to the celestial event of the century continues…only 5 weeks, 4 days, 19 hrs, and 56 mins!
Is your library ready? In 39 days, on August 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse will sweep across the United States. The sight of the fully eclipsed Sun will be visible along a 70-mile-wide path arching from Oregon to South Carolina, and Nebraska will be one of the BEST places in the country to view it! Millions of people are expected to travel to this “path of totality” to watch as the moon entirely covers the face of the Sun.
To help your library prepare for this historic event, the Nebraska Library Commission is doing a series of blog posts about resources you can access for your Eclipse programs:
Part 3: Eclipse Programming and Activity Ideas for your Library
Sorting Games: How Big? How Far? How Hot?
This NASA@ My Library Activity Guide will help library staff facilitate these sorting activities in large or small groups, with patrons from Pre-K to adult.
Using simple materials, participants explore the vast distance between the Earth and Moon and model how solar and lunar eclipses happen.
Scale Model of Sun and Earth
This is a lesson about size and scale, also called the Solar Pizza.
Make a Pinhole Viewer — Shipping Box Version
Use a long box or tube and other common materials to create a safe way to view the Sun.
Make a Pinhole Viewer — Cereal Box Version
Use a cereal box and other common materials to create a safe way to view the Sun.
Sun Cookies 
Learners will use candy pieces and a cookie to make an accurate model of the Sun that they can eat.
Guest Speaker Talks
Connect with your local college or university astronomy department, science museum or high school science or astronomy teacher to see what they’re planning for the eclipse. Ask if someone could give a public talk about the eclipse.
Besides watching the eclipse, activities might include arts and crafts, providing handouts, and having local speakers.
Have fun checking out all the resources available, and stay tuned next week for Solar Eclipse Resources Part Four!
**Note for Nebraska Libraries:
The Nebraska Library Commission has received a shipment of Eclipse viewing glasses for free distribution:
- Only libraries that are hosting Eclipse events are eligible to receive free glasses
- Libraries are welcome to request and pick up glasses directly from the Library Commission in Lincoln.
- Regional Systems will have glasses available at upcoming meetings.
- Contact Mary Jo Ryan at the Nebraska Library Commission.
Posted in Education & Training, General, Information Resources, Programming
Tagged Nebraska, public Library, Solar Eclipse, Total Eclipse 2017
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What’s Up Doc? New State Agency Publications at the Nebraska Library Commission
New state agency publications have been received at the Nebraska Library Commission for June 2017. Included are Correctional Services reports, Economic Development reports, state Investments reports, and Workers’ Comp reports, to name a few.
What’s New with National Network of Libraries of Medicine MidContinental Region
First, A little about the NNLM:
The mission of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM) is to advance the progress of medicine and improve the public health by providing all U.S. health professionals with equal access to biomedical information and improving the public’s access to information to enable them to make informed decisions about their health. The Program is coordinated by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and carried out through a nationwide network of health science libraries and information centers. To better serve these network libraries, health professionals, and public, there are NNLM Coordinators throughout the country providing outreach, training, and assistance and promoting free, open, and reliable resources from NLM and other reputable institutions. The Coordinator for the NNLM MidContinental Region is Annette Parde-Maass, serving Nebraska and supporting the bigger MidContinental Region (MCR).
What’s new with NNLM MCR:
The National Network of Libraries of Medicine MidContinental Region (NNLM MCR) has introduced a number of new pieces this past year – new acronym (from NN/LM to NNLM), logos, website format, blog format, class registration system, webinar recordings on YouTube, cross-regional collaboration, twitter account, and even a staff change. As of July 1, Annette Parde-Maas will move to full-time Education and Outreach for NNLM MCR as Christian Minter transitions to a full-time position at UNMC’s McGoogan Library. Her focus will still include community outreach and you will likely still interact with her as she promotes UNMC’s Consumer Health Information Resource Service (CHIRS). While NNLM MCR will miss her, we are fortunate to continue to have her serving the state.
You might be wondering with all that change if anything has stayed the same. NNLM MCR still offers trainings, and it is easier than ever to sign up for sessions from other NNLM and NLM entities. For example, if you see an online course you want to take from the Greater Midwest Region (GMR), you can sign up for that. If you wish a course or webinar would be offered specifically for your institution and/or face-to-face in Nebraska, contact me. The Bringing Health Information to the Community (BHIC) blog may have a new look but the purpose is still the same. For member libraries, NNLM MCR offer various funding opportunities from Technology Improvement to Consumer Health and Disaster Information specializations certification. If you are not sure if your library is a member, check the Member Directory. If you were a member but need to renew, contact me for assistance. If you would like to join the network, check our Membership page. You can join as long you are providing health information through a library, information center, or other organization. Membership is free.
If you have questions, would like to schedule a training or site visit, or need a health information resource, please contact Annette Parde-Maass, and she will be happy to help:
Annette Parde-Maass,
NNLM MCR Education and Outreach Coordinator
AnnetteParde-Maass@creighton.edu, 402.280.4156
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Solar Eclipse Resources Part Two: 54 Days and Counting…
…or 7 weeks, 5 days, 23 hrs, and 14 mins, depending on when you read this of course!
Is your library ready for the celestial event of the century? In 54 days, on August 21, 2017, the shadow of the moon will sweep across the United States from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean in a spectacle that hasn’t occurred in decades. In fact, the last total solar eclipse for the United States was nearly 40 years ago, and the next total eclipse that will be visible in the continental United States will be in 2024. Did you know that Nebraska will be one of the BEST places in the country to view it?
To help your library prepare for this historic event, the Nebraska Library Commission is doing a series of blog posts about resources you can access for your Eclipse programs:
Part 2: Educational Resources
Books & Articles: This section has a great eclipse bibliography for libraries, plus some of the best eclipse related books and articles available for download or purchase: The “All-American” Eclipse: A Guide for Public Libraries and Their Communities, When The Sun Goes Dark: A New, Richly-illustrated Children’s Book on the Science and Fun of Eclipses are just two suggested books available.
Eclipse Videos: In this section, you will find educational videos to educate your library patrons about the 2017 eclipse, courtesy of Exploratorium and Sky & Telescope (each of which has their own great resources). Examples of some of the videos: What is a Solar Eclipse (in English and Spanish), Earth-Sun-Moon Scale Model, and Getting to the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse.
Eclipse Websites: There are a wide variety of really cool websites in this section! NASA, the National Science Teachers Association, the Fiske Planetarium, the Great American Eclipse, and STARnet to name just a few.
Have fun checking out all the resources available, and stay tuned next week for Solar Eclipse Resources Part Three!
Friday Reads: The Women in the Castle
My favorite genre to read is historical fiction. I really enjoy learning something about history at the same time that I’m enjoying fiction. And occasionally, from within that genre, there comes along a book that makes the reader reconsider what they know about a certain period or event in history. The Women in the Castle, by Jessica Shattuck, is an excellent example. For all that we know and have heard about World War II and the Holocaust in Germany, there is much we haven’t heard about how the rest of the German population survived during and after the war. The Women in the Castle tells us part of that story:
After Nazi Germany’s defeat, Marianne von Lingenfels returns as a widow to the castle of her husband’s ancestors, now fallen into ruin after long years of war. Along the way, she follows through on a promise she made to her husband and others of the resistance: to find and protect their wives, also widows like herself.
Marianne first rescues six-year-old Martin, the son of a resister, from a Nazi reeducation home. Together they make their way across war-torn Germany to Berlin, where they rescue Martin’s mother, Benita, from life as a prostitute to the Red Army. Then Marianne locates Ania, another resister’s wife, and her two boys, now refugees in one of the many displacement camps around the country.
As Marianne tries to create a family from the survivors of her husband’s resistance movement, she is certain their shared pain and circumstances will hold them together. But she quickly discovers that their previous lives, plus events that continue to bombard them as the country recovers, have complicated their perceptions with dark secrets that threaten to tear them apart. Eventually all three women must come to terms with the choices that they made before, during, and after the war – each with her own unique set of challenges.
If you enjoyed reading The Nightingale, Sarah’s Key, or The Light Between Oceans, you will definitely enjoy The Women in the Castle, by Jessica Shattuck.
Posted in Books & Reading, General, Information Resources, Programming, Uncategorized
Tagged Friday Reads
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Free Courses and Webinars from Webjunction
WebJunction courses and webinars are always free, providing learning at your fingertips when you need it. You’ll need a free account to get started, but then you’ll have access to over 40 self-paced courses and over 200 webinar recordings. Here are a just of the few options that can help you meet your professional goals:
Extreme Customer Service, Every Time
Self-paced, 2 hours LOGIN
Commitment to great customer service goes beyond “service with a smile.” It is a commitment to truly engage and communicate with patrons and to find ways to extend the experience above and beyond their expectations. Presenter Gretchen Caserotti provides practical and actionable ideas that can help your library, whether small or large, commit to excellent customer service.
ABLE: Alternate Basic Library Education
Developed by staff of the Idaho Commission for Libraries, these courses provide basic library knowledge and skills for staff members who have no formal education in library science. These courses are organized into three key topical areas, Collection Development, Technical Services, and Public Services.
Growing Through Conflict: Healthy Workplace Communication
Recorded, 1 hour LOGIN
When conflict occurs, and we are confronted with a colleague, library patron, supervisor, or board member who is frustrated and upset, it can be tempting to identify a quick fix. However, when we take the time to practice clear communication to uncover what people really need, we can get to better outcomes. Practicing healthy communication skills will boost your self-confidence and contribute to a happier workplace.
For these and many more Webjunction courses and webinars, visit
Free July Health Information Continuing Education Classes from NNLM
There are a wide variety of health information continuing education classes available during the month of July from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine:
From Beyond Our Borders: Providing Multilingual and Multicultural Health Information
July 3, 2017 – July 31, 2017
This class is designed to assist librarians and others who work with diverse populations in locating health information. The resources presented are selected for their emphasis on providing culturally relevant information in the preferred language of the population. Background information on refugees and immigrants in the U.S. and their unique health issues will be presented. Provides 4 CE credits towards the Consumer Health Information Specialization. To register, visit: https://nnlm.gov/class/beyond-our-borders-providing-multilingual-and-multicultural-health-information/7323. Sponsored by NNLM Greater Midwest Region.
Making PubMed Work For You
July 10, 2017 – August 4, 2017
Are you looking to sharpen your PubMed searching skills? Then this course is for you! It will provide an overview of the system and demonstrate how to utilize PubMed features to search effectively. Topics will include automatic term mapping, search results, related articles, My NCBI, searching with MESH, journal searching, and single citation matcher. To register, visit: https://nnlm.gov/class/making-pubmed-work-you/7553. Sponsored by NNLM MidContinental Region.
Insider’s Guide to Accessing NLM Data: EDirect for PubMed
Mondays and Thursdays, July 10 – July 24, 2017, 11:00 am – 12:15 pm MT/ 12:00 – 1:15 pm CT
Students expected to attend all sessions.
This series of five hands-on, online workshops will introduce new users to the basics of using EDirect to access exactly the PubMed data you need, in the format you need. You will learn how to use EDirect commands in a Unix environment to access PubMed, design custom output formats, create basic data pipelines to get data quickly and efficiently, and develop simple strategies for solving real-world PubMed data-gathering challenges. To register, visit: https://nnlm.gov/classes/insiders-guide-accessing-nlm-data-edirect-pubmed. Sponsored by the National Library of Medicine.
Breezing Along with the RML: Mapping Your Customer’s Journey in the Library
Wednesday, July 19, 2017, 10 am MT/ 11am CT
A customer journey map provides a way to chart patrons’ experiences in using both physical and virtual library spaces. It helps tell the story of a person’s experience with your library from the first contact through the process of using services and resources. Journey mapping can be a great tool for any size library to recognize the needs and emotions of users, locate their “pain points” in interacting with your services, and identify potential solutions. In this webinar you will be given an overview of the topic, a brief guide to creating your own customer journey map, and additional resources to help you get started. To register, visit: https://nnlm.gov/class/mapping-your-customers-journey-library/7547. Sponsored by NNLM MidContinental Region.
NNLM Resource Picks: PubMed Health
Wednesday, July 26, 2017, 1 pm MT/ 2 pm CT
PubMed Health specializes in reviews of clinical effectiveness research and includes easy-to-read summaries for consumers. This session will provide a basic overview of PubMed Health and highlight new features that are coming. The guest speaker is Hilda Bastian from the National Library of Medicine. To register, visit: https://nnlm.gov/class/pubmed-health/280
Prescription for Success: Consumer Health on the Web
July 31, 2017 – August 28, 2017
This course provides an introduction to consumer health information and will cover concepts related to health literacy, the information-seeking behaviors of consumers, and the basics of MedlinePlus.gov, ClinicalTrials.gov and other reliable web pages. It will also cover sites devoted to pharmaceutical information for consumers, drug-interaction databases and herbal information. Provides 4 CE credits for the Consumer Health Information Specialization (CHIS). To register, visit: https://nnlm.gov/classes/prescription-success-consumer-health-web. Note: NNLM MCR offers funds to cover the cost of CHIS. See https://nnlm.gov/mcr/funding/mla-specializations-certification-funding for more information.
If you take any (or all) of the classes, be sure to submit your CE credits to the Nebraska Library Commission so they count towards your certification.
Holli Duggan | Continuing Education Coordinator | Nebraska Library Commission
If you have questions about the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, please contact:
AnnetteParde-Maass@creighton.edu | Education and Outreach Coordinator | National Network of Libraries of Medicine MidContinental Region
Solar Eclipse Countdown: 71 Days and Counting…Part 1
Is your library ready for the celestial event of the century? In 10 weeks, on August 21, 2017, the shadow of the moon will sweep across the United States from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean in a spectacle that hasn’t occurred in decades. In fact, the last total solar eclipse for the United States was nearly 40 years ago, and the next total eclipse that will be visible in the continental United States will be in 2024.
To help your library prepare for this historic event, the Nebraska Library Commission is doing a series of blog posts about resources you can access for your Eclipse programs:
Part 1:
Media Toolkits, where you will find a variety of resources to assist your library in developing educational and promotional materials.
In Images and Videos, you will find lots of pictures for viewing, downloading, and printing out for display. There are also a variety of short clip videos for viewing, downloading, and showing during a program or event.
In Downloadables there are posters of various sizes that you can print out for displays.
And in Media Templates there are Word templates that your library can use to promote your eclipse event to your community: Press Release, Public Service Announcement, Community Letter, and Media Alert.
Just a few things to help get you started with planning library programs for Total Eclipse 2017! Stay tuned for Part 2!
What’s Up Doc? New State Agency Publications at the Nebraska Library Commission
New state agency publications have been received at the Nebraska Library Commission for May 2017. Included are annual reports from various agencies, the Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development, the Nebraska Clerk of the Legislature, and the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety, to name a few.
What’s Up Doc? New State Agency Publications at the Nebraska Library Commission
New state agency publications have been received at the Nebraska Library Commission for April 2017. Included are annual reports from various agencies, the Nebraska Capitol Commission, the Nebraska Investment Council, the Nebraska Public Service Commission, and the Nebraska Information Technology Commission, to name a few.
Free Webinar! Tailoring Immigrant Services for Success
TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2017
2:00 PM–3:00 PM Central Standard Time
There is much more to supporting immigrants and refugees than hanging out a “welcome” sign at your library. Successful programs and services are specifically tailored to meet the needs of the range of populations who may come through your doors. Hear from Movers & Shakers who work with communities to empower vulnerable and often underserved populations with a sense of belonging and self-reliance. Learn innovative approaches to identifying and celebrating immigrant leaders; how to foster networking between native-born and newcomer populations and between immigrant groups of varying national origins; how to highlight immigrant-positive narratives; and more. You’ll be sure to find practical ideas among the multi-pronged strategies that these librarians have used to ensure that new immigrants really do feel welcomed by the library and the community. Presented by: Will Chan, City and County of Denver, (recent Program Administrator, New Americans Project, Denver Public Library), and 2016 Mover & Shaker and Sophie Maier, Immigrant Services Librarian, Louisville Free Public Library, and 2017 Mover & Shaker.
Live Streaming from D.C.: National Library Legislative Day 2017
This morning, the ALA Washington Office is live streaming a few events taking place at National Library Legislative Day (NLLD).
Viewable on the ALA Youtube channel, the live stream will feature keynote speaker Hina Shamsi, director of the ACLU National Security Project, starting at 9:00 am eastern. She will be followed by the Washington Office staff, who will provide a briefing on current legislation and review how it could impact your libraries and the communities they serve.
The focus of #NLLD17 this year will be federal library funding, and we will be specifically asking Congress to:
- House: Save IMLS; Fully Fund the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and the Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program
- Senate: Sign the LSTA & IAL “Dear Appropriator” Letters
- House and Senate: Reauthorize the Museum and Library Services Act (incl. LSTA)
What’s Up Doc? New State Agency Publications at the Nebraska Library Commission
New state agency publications have been received at the Nebraska Library Commission for March 2017. Included are titles from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, the Nebraska Auditor of Public Accounts, the Nebraska Legislature, and the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement System, to name a few.
NASA@My Library
NASA@ My Library is a national Earth and Space Science initiative that connects NASA, public libraries, and their communities.
Applications are due today, Wednesday, March 22nd.
Public libraries are invited to apply for NASA@ My Library, a STEM education initiative that will increase and enhance STEM learning opportunities for library patrons throughout the nation, including geographic areas and populations currently underserved in STEM education.
Seventy-five U.S. public libraries will be selected through a competitive application process to become NASA@ My Library Partners and participate in the 18-month project (Phase 1), with the opportunity to extend for an additional two-year period (Phase 2). Applications will be accepted from Feb. 1 to March 22, 2017. For more information or to apply online, visit https://apply.ala.org/nasalibraries.
National Network of Libraries of Medicine April Webinars : Disasters, Data Science, and HealthReach
Crisis in the Library: Are You Prepared?
Friday, April 14, 2017, 1 pm MT/ 2 pm CT
This webinar is for the library workforce with ten simple steps to take to be aware of potential hazards and serve as a guide to actions needed to be ready for any disaster affecting the library! The session is based on the 10-Step Approach to Service Continuity Planning developed by Dan Wilson at the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, University of Virginia Health System. Participants will be shown the tools to assess risk, identify core services and resources at the library and what can be included in a one page disaster plan. Although the webinar is a good overview for those in health sciences libraries, all kinds of libraries can benefit from and adapt the information to their needs. For more information and to register: https://nnlm.gov/class/crisis-library-are-you-prepared/7226
Librarianship and Data Science
Wednesday, April 19, 2017, 10 am MT/ 11 am CT
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from a panel of professionals who are working in the widening world of health data. Our panel presentation will consist of a data analyst, an information specialist, an academic health sciences data librarian, and a finance data librarian. The panelists will be discussing their interest in data as a career focus, the required skills needed to practice their profession, and the services they would like to see offered by librarians to support the work they do. For more information and to register: https://nnlm.gov/class/librarianship-and-data-science/7090
HealthReach: Health Information in Many Languages
Wednesday, April 26, 2017 1 pm MT/ 2 pm CT
Join us for a one-hour webinar on HealthReach, a quality multilingual, multicultural public health resource developed by the National Library of Medicine. HealthReach provides patient education materials in a number of languages and formats, a collection of tools for healthcare providers, and a collection of information on special topics, such as Emergency and Disaster, Women’s Health and Mental Health. This session will be presented by two members of the HealthReach team from the Division of Specialized Information Services at the National Library of Medicine, Laura Bartlett and Michael Honch. For more information and to register: https://nnlm.gov/class/healthreach-health-information-many-languages/7016
Annette Parde-Maass
Nebraska Outreach Coordinator
National Network of Libraries of Medicine | MidContinental Region
Creighton University Health Sciences Litrary
AnnetteParde-Maass@creighton.edu
402.280.4156
Small Libraries Ready to Create Smart Spaces
Small Libraries Create Smart Spaces is a new project from WebJunction just getting underway. More than 100 libraries applied, and 15 small and rural libraries were chosen to participate in this project, which will support them as they reimagine and reconfigure their libraries into smart spaces. The cohort of 15 libraries formally kicked off their training this month, and while they are focused on learning, let’s learn more about them! Join us on this four-part virtual road trip around the US to meet the 15 libraries and their communities—second stop, South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota!
Read the full article here!
Free Webinar! Privacy Literacy at Your Library
A few keyboard strokes and a click of the mouse and your personal information becomes data stored somewhere. What happens to all that information you enter online? What was in that terms of service statement you accepted? From Google search results to your library borrowing record to online shopping habits, there are real considerations to our online presence and how we share information. How do we make sense of the realities of online privacy both for ourselves and for our library patrons?
Libraries can play a powerful role in guiding patrons to information about how their online information is used and what to be aware of when going online. This month, on March 7, Erin Berman from the San José Public Library (CA) and a Library Journal Mover & Shaker, will present the webinar Privacy Literacy at Your Library . Erin will share the resources developed through her library’s Virtual Privacy Lab that guides users through topics such as social media and security, and provide personalized tips, links and resources that enable them to feel safe and confident online. Register today and join us for this free event that can help you and your patrons!
Title: Privacy Literacy at Your Library, a webinar about the Virtual Privacy Lab, a privacy literacy resource available to all, which helps library patrons feel safe and confident online.
Date: March 7th, 2017
Time: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Eastern Standard Time
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