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Category Archives: Uncategorized
State Aid Letters Have Been Mailed
The 2017 state aid calculations are now complete. State aid letters have been mailed and payments are in process. In the meantime, you can read (in general) about state aid and how it is distributed. Here is a list of the state aid distributions for 2017 (including this year’s formula). Finally, here is a link to a press release you can customize and use for your particular library.
For those libraries that aren’t accredited, now may be the time to consider the accreditation process, as you would then be eligible for state aid next year. You also need to submit your public library survey online via Bibliostat. The accreditation process starts later this summer, and the next public library survey collection cycle begins in November.
Posted in General, Library Management, Uncategorized
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Friday Reads: Call if You Need Me
My original intention was to write about a big wave surfing book I recently picked up from my local library. This likely would have been more exciting than Raymond Carver. However, as I trekked successfully through 3/4’s of the big wave surf book (for me, this is an accomplishment), it soured. Maybe another day or another surfer. I’ve been looking for something on Kelly Slater, not only the most dominant surfer to date, but arguably the most dominant athlete ever. For those of you who like infographics, ahem, I mean data visualizations, check this one out – it’s among the best.
I picked up Call if You Need Me, a collection of short stories, essays, and book reviews by Raymond Carver, published posthumously, and finished the bulk of it on a rain suffused weekend, reading mostly while simultaneously standing and hopped up because of a neck injury. I skipped the book reviews within Call if you Need Me. Reading Carver is a lot like watching an episode of Mad Men. On the surface things seem quite normal and ordinary, but in reality that is far from the truth. Having read a few of Carver’s other works in the past, this is familiar territory, and the short stories in Call if You Need Me were interesting and easy to read. If anything, I’d say they were a little less miserable (and slightly less humorous) than Carver’s other works. The short stories are flooded with the imperfect, often despair ridden world we live in; a world many of us have experienced firsthand one way or another. There is a prevalence of alcoholism, divorce, and depression, but also humor, hope, and a sense of contentedness that we often lack. I enjoyed reading about the timeline of Carver’s life — writing short stories late at night out of necessity because he had two kids at a young age, being poor, his literary influences, childhood, and the eventual successful sales of his work. If you haven’t read any Carver, I recommend you give him a try. The fact that these are short stories (as most of Carver’s other works are) means that there is little investment on your part.
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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Friday Reads: The Sari Shop Widow
Anjali Kapadia is in a bit of trouble. Her family’s business, a chic sari boutique named Silk & Sapphires in the heart of New Jersey’s Little India, is in financial trouble. In an effort to save the business from bankruptcy, her father has called on his entrepreneur brother, Jeevan Kapadia, to come and help. However, Jeevan has a reputation for being a bit of a dictator; he likes things done his way, or not at all. The idea fills Anjali with dread, but she will do just about anything for this business, which she helped build after the death of her husband ten years earlier.
When Jeevan arrives, though, he is not what Anjali was expecting, and he brings along a visitor he treats like a son. Rishi Shan is Jeevan’s partner in business, and has brought along some ideas that will radically change the small boutique Anjali has put her heart and soul into. What’s more, he imposes on Anjali’s life in a way that makes her wonder if she’ll lose her heart to him in the process.
The Sari Shop Widow is a lovely story that gives readers an insight into Indian culture and values. The need for Anjali to remarry is the underlying current throughout the novel, and the traditional values of her uncle and parents war with her mainstream American views of the world. Yet the relationships Anjali deals with are universal, so anyone, whether familiar with Indian culture or not, will enjoy the story.
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 February 2017. Included are titles from the Nebraska Auditor of Public Accounts, the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, the Nebraska Department of Roads, and the University of Nebraska Press, to name a few.
Doc Spot: Unicameral Update
The Unicameral Update is a newsletter produced during each legislative session by the Clerk of the Legislature’s Unicameral Information Office since 1977. The Update covers legislative activity, including floor action and committee hearings, and is available daily online and weekly in print.
To see the Update online, click on any of the highlighted links above.
To receive a free print subscription to the Unicameral Update, call (402)-471-2788, or send an email to Clerk of the Legislature.
The Unicameral Update is also available in audio to Talking Book and Braille (TBBS) patrons. For more information, contact TBBS at (800) 742-7691.
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Eclipse Glasses and Eclipse Education Kit
On August 21, 2017, a spectacular total eclipse of the Sun will be visible across the width of the continental U.S. for the first time since 1918. Every state will have at least 60% of the Sun covered by the Moon, and lucky people on a narrow path from Oregon to South Carolina will see the stunning beauty of totality. STAR_Net’s NASA@ My Library initiative with support from NASA, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Research Corporation, and Google, is distributing over 2 million solar viewing glasses and an Eclipse Education Kit to public libraries.
Free Educational Resources at Census.gov
Census.gov Can Help You!
Let Census.gov show you how to find and use Census data for your everyday uses, including informing your business planning, supporting grant proposals and research projects, planning of local schools and hospitals, and much more! Whether you’re looking for economic or demographic data, we can teach you how to get what you need for your various projects.
Options for Learning
There are three main ways that you can learn to find Census data. And all of it is free!
- Webinars – see the list below for our upcoming webinars. No registration is needed.
We also have a network of Data Specialists who can provide training throughout the nation – these webinars require registration. - Video Tutorials – We have a growing number in our Training Resources Library.
- Classroom Training – We do this when distance and staff resources allow. Often, as an alternative to a classroom training, we can schedule a webinar for you on the topic you’re interested in!
Take Advantage of the Data Today!
Upcoming Trainings:
Posted in Census, Education & Training, General, Information Resources, Technology, Uncategorized, What's Up Doc / Govdocs
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Free Webinars from National Network of Libraries of Medicine/MidContinental Region
Tomorrow! Discover NLM Resources and More: Resources for K-12 Health & Science Education
Wednesday, February 22, 2017 1pm MT / 2pm CT
Register: https://nnlm.gov/class/resources-k-12-health-science-education/6792
Did you know that the National Library of Medicine has K-12 lesson plans, a resource page and twitter feed for K-12 educators, and sites designed specifically for children and teens? If you would like to learn more about these health and science resources, join us for our webinar on Wednesday, February 22. Annette Parde-Maass, MCR Education and Nebraska Outreach Coordinator, will walk through the resources, give examples on how they could be used, and ask participants to brainstorm and share additional purposes applicable to their own settings.
Breezing Along with the RML
Topic: Instructional Design
Wednesday, March 15, 2017, 10 am MT/ 11 am CT
Register: https://nnlm.gov/class/instructional-design/7089
Do you want to make your classes and presentations more effective and engaging? Do you want to offer learning experiences that really matter? If so, then the NNLM MCR has a great session on instructional design (ID) to get you started with not one, not two, but three experts. ID is a model to help you determine why the training is needed, design your instructional strategy, develop materials, decide how the content will be delivered to learners, and determine if you met your expected results. Participants will receive instruction on key elements that comprise the ID framework, practice those elements in problem-based virtual breakout groups, and then share the results with fellow virtual attendees.
Presenters: Lisha Bustos, Lead Instructional Designer, University of Colorado; Christine Mousavi Cook, eLearning & Instructional Design Professional, University of Colorado; Michael Kanzanjian, Instructional Design Professional, ECHO Colorado
NNLM Resource Picks: How to Make the Most of Your National Library of Medicine Traveling Banner Exhibition!
Wednesday, March 29, 2017, 1 pm MT/ 2 pm CT
Register: https://nnlm.gov/class/how-make-most-your-national-library-medicine-traveling-banner-exhibition/277
The National Library of Medicine (NLM) provides traveling exhibitions about the social and cultural history of medicine. In 2016, the Pacific Northwest Regional Medical Library hosted a national questionnaire asking librarians what they would like to learn about hosting one of these exhibitions. Over 250 librarians responded with questions and ideas. This webinar is shaped by their responses. Join us to learn what your colleagues are doing to reach new audiences using NLM traveling exhibitions.
Presenters: Patricia Touhy, National Library of Medicine; Jennifer Butler Keeton, Florence-Lauderdale Public Library; Eva Sclipa, Alfred University; Thomas Lawrence Long, University of Connecticut; Donna Smith, Palm Beach County Library System; Nicole Hughes, Palm Beach County Library System
Courses for the Consumer Health Information Specialization:
The Consumer Health Information Specialization (CHIS) provides additional expertise in the area of consumer health and keeps you current on relevant issues in the field. NNLM provides free classes for CE credit towards this specialization. Here are a few upcoming online courses:
- ABCs of DNA: Unraveling the Mystery of Genetics Information for Consumers. March 13, 2017 – April 17, 2017. For more information and registration: https://nnlm.gov/class/abcs-dna-unraveling-mystery-genetics-information-consumers/6508
- Promoting Health Literacy through Easy-to-Read Materials. April 17, 2017 – May 15, 2017. For more information and registration: https://nnlm.gov/class/promoting-health-literacy-through-easy-read-materials/6570
For more information on CHIS CE requirements: http://www.mlanet.org/p/cm/ld/fid=329
For information on MCR funding to cover CHIS certificate application: https://nnlm.gov/mcr/funding/consumer-health-information-specialization-chis-certification-funding
Annette Parde-Maass
Nebraska Outreach Coordinator
National Network of Libraries of Medicine/MidContinental Region
AnnetteParde-Maass@creighton.edu
402.280.4156
The Public Library Survey is due Friday, Feb. 17, 2017
It’s crunch time for the annual IMLS public library survey (submitted via Bibliostat). The survey deadline is February 17, 2017. Completion of the survey is required for your library to receive state aid if you are accredited. If you aren’t accredited, you still have an incentive to complete the survey ($200), called Dollar$ for Data.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, and thank you in advance for your participation.
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Health Information Resources for the 65 and Older Population
The 65 and older population will grow in the U.S. from 46 million in 2014 to 88 million in 2050 (Colby & Ortman, 2014, p. 5). During those decades, the percentage of 65-and-older population compared to the total population of the U.S. and World will also increase.
This growth will likely result in an increased need for treatment, management, prevention, and wellness resources specifically for older adults as well as their caregivers. There are already a number of sites created for older adults by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, and other Health and Human Services agencies.
NIHSeniorHealth, https://nihseniorhealth.gov/, is a portal for older adults to search many government sites at once for health topics pertinent to them and caregivers. They can also browse topics and categories such as Bladder Health, Creating a Family Health History, and Talking with Your Doctor.
NIHSeniorHealth also has a Toolkit for Trainers for those that help older adults find reliable information. The toolkit includes lesson plans, promotional flyers for students and trainers, and a tip sheet on creating a “senior friendly computer classroom.”
Go4Life®, https://go4life.nia.nih.gov/, from the National Institute on Aging at NIH focuses on fitting in exercise and physical activity into older adults’ daily lives. There are resources for various activity levels and abilities including videos, exercise guides, tips, and success stories.
MedlinePlus, https://medlineplus.gov/, has a great deal of health information for all ages. Seniors may be most interested in Health Topics such as Health Aging or Seniors’ Health. If print information is preferred, sign up for a free subscription to NIH MedlinePlus Magazine. Librarians can even order the magazine in bulk. If Spanish is the primary language, try https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/.
National Institute on Aging (NIA) Publications has resources available in Spanish and a few other languages. Many of these are easy to read online, save, or print. Examples include Menopause: Treatment for Symptoms, Caring for a Person with Alzheimer’s Disease, and Online Health Information: Can You Trust It? AgePage. One that seniors and caregivers may find useful in communicating with doctors, surgeons, and other health professionals is Talking with Your Doctor: A Guide for Older People.
A document that seniors may want to have when talking with their doctors is the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Pill Card. People can download this document to customize their own card for keeping track of medicines.
In addition to these online resources, don’t forget about area agencies on aging. In Omaha, we have the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, and other Nebraska area agencies can be found at http://nebaaaa.org/locations.html.
If you have questions about these resources, please contact me at AnnetteParde-Maass@creighton.edu or 402-280-4156.
Works Cited
Colby, S. L. & J. M. Ortman. (2014). Projections of the size and composition of the U.S. population: 2014 to 2060. Current Population Reports, P25-1143. Washington, DC: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2015/demo/p25-1143.pdf
*Note: 65 and Older Population will also be referred to as “seniors” and “older adults.” These terms can also include a larger age-range and many of the resources listed here are relevant to those ages as well.
**Information provided by:
Annette Parde-Maass
Community and Global Health Librarian
Creighton University Health Sciences Library
National Network of Libraries of Medicine MidContinental Region
AnnetteParde-Maass@creighton.edu
402.280.4156
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CIA’s Once-Secret Stash Now Online
The largest collection of declassified CIA records is now accessible online. The documents were previously only available to the public at the National Archives in Maryland. Approximately 930,000 documents, totaling more than 12 million pages, are now available in the CIA’s Electronic Reading Room on CIA’s website.
Since 1999, the CIA has regularly released its historical declassified records to the standalone CIA Records Search Tool (CREST) system that was only accessible in person at the National Archives Records Administration (NARA) in College Park, Maryland. Moving these documents online highlights the CIA’s commitment to increasing the accessibility of declassified records to the public.
“Access to this historically significant collection is no longer limited by geography. The American public can access these documents from the comfort of their homes,” notes Joseph Lambert, the CIA Director of Information Management.
The CREST collection covers a myriad of topics, such as the early CIA history, the Cold War, Vietnam, the Berlin Tunnel project, the Korean War, and the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft. The documents also extensively address developments on terrorism, as well as worldwide military and economic issues.
The documents include a wide variety of records, including collections of finished intelligence from the 1940s to the 1990s prepared by the Directorate of Analysis (or its predecessors, such as the Directorate of Intelligence), Directorate of Operations reports from the late 1940s through the early 1960s, Directorate of Science and Technology research and development files, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency policy files and memoranda, National Intelligence Council estimates, National Intelligence Surveys, Office of Strategic Services (OSS) records, Directorate of Support administrative records, and imagery reports from the former National Photographic Interpretation Center (reviewed jointly with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)).
CREST records also include large specialized collections of foreign translations, scientific abstracts, ground photo descriptions, and special collections such as STAR GATE remote viewing program files, Henry Kissinger Library of Congress files, and other miscellaneous CIA records.
The declassification of 25-year-old records is mandated by Executive Order 13526, which requires agencies to review all such records categorized as permanent under the Federal Records Act for declassification. As a result, following CIA’s review, documents are regularly added to this collection.
The CIA’s Electronic Reading room offers a full-text search capability of CREST records, and the collection can be viewed at CREST: 25-Year Program Archive.
Reprinted from CIA Press Release, CIA.gov, January 17, 2017.
State Agency Publications Received at the Nebraska Library Commission in 2016
Nebraska State Government Publications 2016 is a compilation of the state publications received in 2016 by the Nebraska Publications Clearinghouse, a service of the Nebraska Library Commission. The items are arranged in two separate lists: by broad subject categories and alphabetically by title.
All documents have been cataloged, and the OCLC number is listed. To make access to the documents as user friendly as possible, you can click on the link above, or scroll through the .pdf below and click on the URL for the item. Clicking on the URL will take you directly to the item online, where you can read it or print it out.
For more information about the Nebraska Publications Clearinghouse and Nebraska state agency publications, please contact Mary Sauers or Bonnie Henzel at the Library Commission:
Mary Sauers | Government Information Services Librarian | Nebraska Library Commission | 402-471-4017 | Mary Sauers
Bonnie Henzel | State Documents Staff Assistant | Nebraska Library Commission | 402-471-6285 | Bonnie Henzel
