Category Archives: Nebraska Libraries on the Web

New WordPress & Website Options

Posted on August 12, 2025 by Amanda Sweet

If you’re a public library looking for website hosting, the Nebraska Library Commission recently partnered with LibChalk to offer two new options for WordPress website hosting.

  • WordPress hosting for individual libraries @ $250/yr.
    • If you already have a WordPress site, it can be migrated to the new site at no additional charge.
  • WordPress multisite: the more libraries who sign up, the lower the rate/ library
    • 26- 75 Libraries: $136 to $167 (cost lowers as more libraries sign on)
    • 76+ Libraries: $106 and less

Learn more about Libchalk: You can learn more about Libchalk’s features and pricing on this flyer. There are also new WordPress training options.

Free Option: Vern here at the NLC also built a free basic website that is automatically updated using data we already gather through the Library Survey. You can update the information on the website by submitting update forms, but you won’t be able to change the layout, or log in like you would with WordPress to make changes. But it has a solid amount of information already, so that might be okay. Here’s a demo of the site if you’re curious.

What Do You Want? Long story short, we’re trying to get a feel for how many libraries might want to jump on reduced rate pricing through a multisite website, and how many might want to get a good rate on their own WordPress website with all the bells and whistles, and how many want to head on down to free town for the free basic website hosted by the NLC.

Interest Form: Please fill out this interest form to let us know what you want!

You don’t have to have definite answers. There’s not a ‘this sale ends now’ kind of situation here. Libraries need time to plan, and so does the NLC. The only urgency is to reduce the rate on the multisite option, but even that count doesn’t have to be locked in right away. We understand you might need to check in with library boards and explore options.

This all only happened because of changes to the Nebraska Libriaries on the Web service, but any library is welcome to use these website hosting options.

When we get more responses on the interest form, we can share the multisite count to give libraries a better idea of the rate they can anticipate for planning, then reach out to libraries to figure out a timeline that works for everyone.

Posted in Nebraska Libraries on the Web, Technology | Leave a comment

WordPress Plugin Update: Weather Widget

Posted on December 4, 2024 by Amanda Sweet

To all the Nebraska Libraries on the Web users, I had to remove the weather widget because it was no longer being updated. But fear not! There is another way to add a weather widget to your site without a separate plugin.

The easy way for you is to just email me at amanda.sweet@nebraska.gov and ask me to add a weather widget to your site, along with the location where you would like the widget added. For example: can you add a weather widget on the home page on the right side, near the top?

Alternatively, you can follow these steps:

  1. Go to this website: https://weatherwidget.io/
  2. Type your location in the “Select Location” area.
  3. Change Units to Fahrenheit
  4. (Optional) Change the size of the widget by clicking and dragging the border. The pixel size will appear on the right side so you know what size it is.
    • Average side bar size is 300px.
    • Average full-width top banner size is 1200px
  5. (Optional) Click on Options across the top and change the number of days in the preview.
  6. Click “Get Code”. Copy to clipboard.
  7. Login to WordPress and go to the section where you want the widget to appear.
  8. Go to WP Code Block and add a code snippet. Paste everything in the <script> tags. Make sure you choose “Javascript as a language type.
  9. Copy everything in the <a class></a> tags.
  10. Go to the page/ section where you want the widget to appear.
  11. Add an HTML block and paste what you copied in Step 9.
  12. Add a WPCode block and choose the name of the snippet you created in step 8.
  13. The widget should appear. If it doesn’t show on the screen, Publish the changes and check if the widget shows up on the actual website.

Again, if all else fails, just email me and I’ll get it added.

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