Author Archives: Michael Sauers

Salman Rushdie stops by the Google Kirkland office for a discussion and Q&A. You can find more info on his latest book, Joseph Anton, on Google Books: http://goo.gl/56rBdd

Have you listened the NCompass Podcast lately? Here are the episodes from November 2013. To get all of the episodes delivered to you automatically be sure to subscribe via RSS or iTunes.

Episode 261:  Best New Youth Books of 2013

Episode 262: Turning Your Library Around – Part 2: 4 Years Later

Episode 263: To Bake or Not to Bake: A Library Cake Pan Collection

Episode 264: Tech Talk with Michael Sauers: SHOG.US – Share with Flare

Simon Winchester, the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of “Atlantic” and “The Professor and the Madman”, delivers his first book about America: “The Men Who United the States: America’s Explorers, Inventors, Eccentrics and Mavericks, and the Creation of One Nation, Indivisible,” a fascinating popular history that illuminates the men who toiled fearlessly to discover, connect, and bond the citizenry and geography of the U.S.A. from its beginnings.

How did America become “one nation, indivisible”? What unified a growing number of disparate states into the modern country we recognize today? To answer these questions, Winchester follows in the footsteps of America’s most essential explorers, thinkers, and innovators, such as Lewis and Clark and the leaders of the Great Surveys; the builders of the first transcontinental telegraph and the powerful civil engineer behind the Interstate Highway System. He treks vast swaths of territory, from Pittsburgh to Portland, Rochester to San Francisco, Seattle to Anchorage, introducing the fascinating people who played a pivotal role in creating today’s United States.

Throughout, he ponders whether the historic work of uniting the States has succeeded, and to what degree. Featuring 32 illustrations throughout the text, The Men Who United the States is a fresh look at the way in which the most powerful nation on earth came together.

Have you listened the NCompass Podcast lately? Here are the episodes from November 2013. To get all of the episodes delivered to you automatically be sure to subscribe via RSS or iTunes.

Episode 257: Lincoln City Libraries InService Day: Bridges Out of Poverty

Episode 258: Seeing Dots @ Wilson Public Library

Episode 259: New to Talking Book & Braille Service: Downloads and Apps!

Episode 260: Tech Talk with Michael Sauers: Excel at Rearranging Your Library

The Nebraska Learns 2.0 Thing for December is Bitstrips.

After playing with a few different image generators last month we’ve decided that we’re going to continue playing with graphics for another month, this time focusing on a specific one that’s been getting quite popular lately: Bitstrips.

Another facet of Nebraska Learns 2.0 is BookThing. Each month we pick a single title that we feel has relevance to librarianship and/or information theory. Some of the titles will be very obviously related; while others may not seem so on the surface but there is a connection. Your assignment will be to read the book and create a blog post answering some questions about the title.

The BookThing for December is: Cognitive Surplus by Clay Shirky.

Nebraska Learns 2.0 (http://nlcblogs.nebraska.gov/nelearns/ ) is the Nebraska Library Commission’s ongoing online learning program. It is a self-discovery program which encourages participants to take control of their own learning and to utilize their lifelong learning skills through exploration and PLAY.

Each month, we offer you an opportunity to learn a new Thing (or lesson). You have all month to complete that Thing and receive one CE credit. You may choose which Things to do based on personal interest and time availability If the Thing of the month doesn’t interest you or if you are particularly busy that month, you can skip it.

If you are new to Nebraska Learns 2.0, your first assignment is to sign up to participate at: http://nlcblogs.nebraska.gov/nelearns/sign-up-2/ This program is open to ALL Nebraska librarians, library staff, library friends, library board members and school media specialists.

Ismail Serageldin speaks on the transformation of knowledge and how it will impact the future of libraries. Originally published on Jul 24, 2013

Library & Information Services
Online Course Offerings
Spring 2014
January 13, 2014 – May 8, 2014

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
• Deselection/Weeding
• Intellectual Freedom
• Copyright

Prerequisite: LIBR 1010 Foundations of Library & Information Services.
For information regarding course content, contact the instructor at pbirch@esu16.org

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

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 on 21^st Century Librarian Scholarships, see: Nebraska Library Commission website at:   http://nlc1.nlc.state.ne.us/NowHiring/Scholarships.asp

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

Have you listened the NCompass Podcast lately? Here are the episodes from October 2013. To get all of the episodes delivered to you automatically be sure to subscribe via RSS or iTunes.

Episode 253: Get the word out with BooksAreJustTheBeginning.com

Episode 254: Reflections on ARSL 2013

Episode 255:  Little Library with a Big Heart: Southern Area Public Library, WV: Best Small Library in America 2013

Episode 256: Tech Talk with Michael Sauers: Tinkers, Printers & Makers, A Makerspace in the Library

Have you listened the NCompass Podcast lately? Here are the episodes from September 2013. To get all of the episodes delivered to you automatically be sure to subscribe via RSS or iTunes.

Episode 249: Affordable Care Act Resources for Libraries

Episode 250: Scholarship Student Reflections on the 2013 ALA Annual Conference

Episode 251: Libraries in Search Engines: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for Libraries

Episode 252: Genealogy Resources for Librarians

Even if you’ve never played Dungeons & Dragons, you probably know someone who has: The game has had a profound influence on our culture. Released in 1974—decades before the Internet and social media—Dungeons & Dragons is one of the original ultimate nerd subcultures, and is still revered by more than thirty million fans. Now, the authoritative history and magic of the game is revealed by an award-winning journalist and life-long dungeon master.

From its origins on the battlefields of ancient Europe, through the hysteria that linked it to satanic rituals and teen suicides, and to its apotheosis as father of the modern video game industry, Of Dice and Men recounts the development of a game played by some of the most fascinating people in the world. Chronicling the surprising history of D&D’s origins (one largely unknown even to hardcore players) while examining the game’s profound impact, Ewalt weaves laser-sharp subculture analysis with his own present-day gaming experiences. An enticing blend of history, journalism, narrative, and memoir, Of Dice and Men sheds light on America’s most popular (and widely misunderstood) form of collaborative entertainment.

Nebraska Learns 2.0 is the Nebraska Library Commission’s ongoing online learning program. It is a self-discovery program which encourages participants to take control of their own learning and to utilize their lifelong learning skills through exploration and PLAY.

Each month, we offer you an opportunity to learn a new Thing (or lesson). You have all month to complete that Thing and receive one CE credit. You may choose which Things to do based on personal interest and time availability. If the Thing of the month doesn’t interest you or if you are particularly busy that month, you can skip it.

The Thing for October is: Take a Poll

Sometimes setting up a full-blown grand survey using a service like Survey Monkey is overkill. Maybe you just want to ask your library’s users whether they prefer Stephen King or Dean Koontz. Maybe you’ve found the budget to stay open two extra hours a week and you want to know which day users would prefer. In these cases you just need to take a simple poll. In this month’s Thing we’re going to take a look at three such services: Straw Poll, PoLL Code, and Easy Polls.

Another facet of Nebraska Learns 2.0 is BookThing. Each month we pick a single title that we feel has relevance to librarianship and/or information theory. Some of the titles will be very obviously related; while others may not seem so on the surface but there is a connection. Your assignment will be to read the book and create a blog post answering some questions about the title.

The BookThing for October is: Digital Disconnect: How Capitalism is Turning the Internet Against Democracy by Robert W. McChesney

If you are new to Nebraska Learns 2.0, your first assignment is to sign up to participate at: http://nlcblogs.nebraska.gov/nelearns/sign-up-2/  This program is open to ALL Nebraska librarians, library staff, library friends, library board members and school media specialists.

We hope you’ll join your library colleagues in the fun as you learn about new and exciting technologies!

Self-Help Resources in NLM Databases
1:00-2:00 Mountain Time, 2:00-3:00 Central Time
https://utahntc.adobeconnect.com/mcr

September’s  free “Spotlight! on National Library of Medicine Resources” is a perfect session for Public Librarians.  We will be focusing on where you can go to find self-help resources on how to use NLM databases.  Most NLM databases have some sort of training modules,  ranging from html pages to full on YouTube video tutorials. We will be covering a smorgasbord of NLM databases: MedlinePlus, PubMed/MEDLINE, PubMed Health. Phpartners, Haz-Map, and Household Products Database. This session will focus on where the how-to-use gems are hidden.  We think you’re bound to learn something new. Attendees will leave the session with a better understanding on where to go in situations where they need to use the “self-teach” method of learning NLM Databases along with what the main features each database provides. No registration required.

Adam Spencer: Why I fell in love with monster prime numbers
They’re millions of digits long, and it takes an army of mathematicians and machines to hunt them down — what’s not to love about monster primes? Adam Spencer, comedian and lifelong math geek, shares his passion for these odd numbers, and for the mysterious magic of math.

Bob Mankoff: Anatomy of a New Yorker cartoon
The New Yorker receives around 1,000 cartoons each week; it only publishes about 17 of them. In this hilarious, fast-paced, and insightful talk, the magazine’s longstanding cartoon editor and self-proclaimed “humor analyst” Bob Mankoff dissects the comedy within just some of the “idea drawings” featured in the magazine, explaining what works, what doesn’t, and why.