Join us for a candid, practical look at what AI Literacy means in the day to day life of the average librarian on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, ‘Libraries Building AI Literacy’, on Wednesday, July 29 at 10am CT.
Today we’re going to explore common AI Literacy frameworks and translate sometimes generic concepts into tangible planning, strategy, and library programming/ service opportunities. In practice, the massive topic of AI Literacy doesn’t have to be so intense. It can be as simple as finding a cybersecurity blog that shares how to stay safe again AI scams, then re-posting important security updates on the library blog. Or a bit more in-depth by facilitating a STEM activity with Google’s Teachable Machine.
By the end of this session you will:
Explore a range of popular AI Literacy Frameworks
Brainstorm a variety of service ideas geared towards kids, teens, parents, older adults, job seekers, and entrepreneurs
Get a handle on the role of the library in the world of AI Literacy, vs. what community partners should handle
I hope to see you all there to start taking a candid, practical look at what AI Literacy means in the day to day life of the average librarian, for multiple different skill levels and backgrounds. Even if you’re completely new to the world of AI, hopefully you will find that it doesn’t have to be all that hard.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Aug. 12 – United for Libraries – Trustees, Advocates, Friends, and Foundations: The Voice for America’s Libraries
Aug. 19 – How to Start & Sustain a Health & Fitness Literacy Program in Your Library
Aug. 26 – Pretty Sweet Tech
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website.
The show is presented online using the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Learn about ‘Preparing Tech Ready Librarians: A Statewide Initiative’ on next week’s Pretty Sweet TechNCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, May 27 at 10am CT.
Special monthly episodes of NCompass Live! Join the NLC’s Technology Innovation Librarian, Amanda Sweet, as she guides us through the world of library-related Pretty Sweet Tech.
Libraries are being challenged to take on everything from computer basics to artificial intelligence to support job seekers, entrepreneurs, parents, older adults, kids, teens, and pretty much everyone who wants to leverage technology to live a better life. Many libraries have been doing some of this work for decades but remain deeply undervalued and unappreciated in the face of rapidly changing technology. Yet we continue to seek ways to adapt and build new services to meet new community tech needs.
This session will introduce a statewide Tech Ready Librarians initiative to help libraries and community partners work together to share resources, design new services, and come together in learning communities to build better together. In this session you will:
Learn how Digital Navigator models work to leverage the power of ecosystems to fully meet rapidly changing community tech needs.
Explore the growing Tech Ready Nation platform and Resource Hub, designed to support Digital Navigators and accelerate service design.
Hear about upcoming statewide data collection and resource sharing initiatives to highlight the incredible work libraries are already doing.
It’s time for libraries to start sharing their stories, sharing resources, and working together to adapt to the changing world of technology. It may seem like a lot as first, but if we each take one a small piece of the technology puzzle and put them all in one place, eventually the big picture will be easier for everyone to put together.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
June 3 – Connected America 2026
June 10 – Law for Librarians
June 17 – Unlocking Nebraska’s Stories: Introducing the Nebraska Literary & History Escape Room Kits
June 24 – Pretty Sweet Tech
July 8 – Library Compliance with the ADA Title II Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Rule
July 15 – Community Literacy Treasure Hunt: The Fun Way to Increase Literacy!
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website.
The show is presented online using the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Highlights & Trends from Computers in Libraries 2026 will be shared on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, April 29 at 10am CT.
Special monthly episodes of NCompass Live! Join the NLC’s Technology Innovation Librarian, Amanda Sweet, as she guides us through the world of library-related Pretty Sweet Tech.
Computers in Libraries is the world’s leading technology and innovation conference for librarians! In this session I will cover come of the awesome ideas, tools, tips and tricks of the trade I picked up while in D.C. this year.
I hope to see you there! As a side note, if you’re looking for more emerging tech trends in the library, check out Computers in Libraries magazine.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
May 6 – The 2026 Public Library Accreditation Process
May 13 – Play, Explore, Learn: Building Early Literacy Through Station-Based Programs
May 20 – Engaging New Voices in Advocacy: Youth, Trustees, and Everyday Patrons
May 27 – Pretty Sweet Tech
June 3 – Libraries and Friends of the Library: How to Stay Friends
June 10 – Law for Librarians
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website.
The show is presented online using the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Is your library ready to build or rebuild its website, but not sure where to start? Then check out next week’s NCompass Live webinar, ‘Getting Started with WordPress: A Guided Tour of Our New Self-Paced Course’, on Wednesday, March 25 at 10am CT.
Special monthly episodes of NCompass Live! Join the NLC’s Technology Innovation Librarian, Amanda Sweet, as she guides us through the world of library-related Pretty Sweet Tech.
Join us for a walkthrough of our new self-paced WordPress course, designed specifically for library staff with little to no web experience. We’ll explore how to use the course to guide you, step by step, through setting up your site – and share practical tips to simplify the process and help you avoid getting overwhelmed.
This course is available for free to Nebraska libraries through the NLC’s Niche Academy learning portal.
April 1 – Big Library Technology on a Small Library Budget
April 8 – Programming with Purpose: Adult Programs and Community Partnerships
April 22 – Emergency Management in Libraries
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website.
The show is presented online using the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Highlights from Internet Librarian 2025 will be shared on this week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, November 26 at 10am CT.
Special monthly episodes of NCompass Live! Join the NLC’s Technology Innovation Librarian, Amanda Sweet, as she guides us through the world of library-related Pretty Sweet Tech.
Just in case you miss it, this Pretty Sweet Tech will offer some highlights from Internet Librarian 2025 that was held virtually from October 28-30. It’s where all the cool kids go to learn about library technology topics.
I’ll include my usual disclaimer that I couldn’t make it to every session, but I did my best to dig around and catch the cool, helpful, or off the beaten path sessions that caught my eye.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Dec. 3 – Social Media Show & Tell!
Dec. 10 – Return of the Canvaholic
Dec. 17 – Best New Children’s Books of 2025
Dec. 31 – Pretty Sweet Tech
Jan. 7 , 2026 – Best New Teen Reads of 2025
Jan. 14, 2026 – Navigating New Building Projects
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website.
The show is presented online using the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
What is a data center? Find out on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, ‘Data Center 101 for Librarians’, on Wednesday, September 24 at 10am CT.
Special monthly episodes of NCompass Live! Join the NLC’s Technology Innovation Librarian, Amanda Sweet, as she guides us through the world of library-related Pretty Sweet Tech.
Data centers are cropping up in the headlines alongside AI, but how many people really know how data centers work? This session will help your library field questions about data centers, especially if there are plans to build a data center in or near your community. Here’s what we’ll cover:
What is a data center?
Job creation & training
Impact on infrastructure & environment
Trends & Innovations
Common Questions
I’ll put everything in a handy slide deck with helpful talking points and links so your library is prepared to share good information and ask the right questions if a data center is coming to town.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Oct. 1 – Letters About Literature 2025
Oct. 8 – The Do’s and Don’ts of D&D
Oct. 22 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE THIS WEEK – ENJOY NLA!
Nov. 19 – Summer Reading Program 2026: Unearth a Story
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website.
The show is presented online using the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Learn about ‘Upcoming Changes to the Nebraska Libraries on the Web Service’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, August 27 at 10am CT.
Special monthly episodes of NCompass Live! Join the NLC’s Technology Innovation Librarian, Amanda Sweet, as she guides us through the world of library-related Pretty Sweet Tech.
Due to software and budgetary issues, the Nebraska Library Commission can no longer offer free WordPress web hosting. We apologize for any inconvenience. This service has been around for a long time and it’s unfortunate that we were not able to maintain the service.
To make the transition easier for libraries, we are offering free basic website hosting through the NLC, and reduced rate web hosting through LibChalk. The current service will be supported through September 30, 2026 to give you time to budget and decide on next steps.
Attend this session to learn more details about how the free hosting works, and explore hosting options through LibChalk.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Sept. 3 – E-rate 101: Just the Basics for 2026
Sept. 10 – NLC Grants for 2026
Sept. 24 – Pretty Sweet Tech
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website.
The show is presented online using the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Learn how to introduce AI with purpose in your community on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, July 30 at 10am CT.
Special monthly episodes of NCompass Live! Join the NLC’s Technology Innovation Librarian, Amanda Sweet, as she guides us through the world of library-related ‘Pretty Sweet Tech’.
AI is everywhere, but the applications are not always relevant to the local community. Sure, AI is used in autocorrect, camera lens focus, and all these places, but how can this help the local community? What are the tangible careers people can pursue related to AI, and why should people care? Sweet will demonstrate her statewide database of practical AI and emerging tech applications, with examples of how to leverage this database in library programming, from localized maker activities to community conversations, and customizable career exploration resources.
You don’t have to create anything from scratch. This session will reveal a treasure trove of activities, templates, and tech gadget guides designed to introduce all facets of AI and related technology like the internet of things and robotics. Learn how to customize these existing resources with local examples to introduce AI with purpose in your community.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Aug. 6 – National Book Festival Near You
Aug. 13 – Ditching 1000 Books: A New Initiative
Aug. 20 – Banding Together: Lessons from the MPLA Leadership Institute
Aug. 27 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Upcoming Changes to Nebraska Libraries on the Web Service
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website.
The show is presented online using the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Join us for ‘Food for Thought: Addressing Food Waste, Access & Insecurity through Rural Libraries’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, June 4 at 10am CT.
Imagine grocery shopping at a Dollar Store. That’s a reality for people living in rural food deserts. The Southern Adirondack Library System and the Comfort Food Community food pantry launched the Farm‐2‐Library initiative to reduce food waste by gleaning at local farms, distributing the produce through rural libraries where food scarcity, lack of food pantries, and transportation limit access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Since launching in 2017, we’ve shared more than 230,000 pounds of fresh produce, creating and deepening relationships with the community while fostering renewed interest in library services by previously reluctant users.
June 11 – Sparking Community Connections: Rural Public Library Partnerships
June 18 – Outreach at Any Size
June 25 – Pretty Sweet Tech
July 9 – Printing, Scanning, and Faxing at the Library
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website.
NOTE:This episode of NCompass Live will be presented online using Zoom. Login instructions will be sent to registered attendees after registration has closed. The Registration End date is listed on each session page, but usually closes on the Monday night before the date of the session.
What is a Technology Innovation Ecosystem? And what does it have to do with libraries? Find out on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, May 28 at 10am CT.
Technology Innovation Ecosystems exist to funnel tech resources towards solving problems in existing organizations, and towards entrepreneurial ventures striving to create the solutions that do not yet exist. These ecosystems are relatively new and best practices are still taking shape. When libraries host code clubs and 3D printer trainings, we are unwittingly contributing to this evolving innovation ecosystem. However, libraries don’t always take the next step to help individuals progress and practically apply those skills. “Coding” has also come a long way since the early days of code clubs. It’s not just website development anymore.
This session will help you:
Understand what a Technology Innovation Ecosystem is, and how they take shape.
Track current trends in Nebraska’s Ecosystem, and nationwide.
Brainstorm new library services to fill gaps within the Ecosystem.
The hope is that we will all start introducing technology with purpose, paired with tangible pathways to progress and practically apply skills in partnership with local businesses, entrepreneurs, nonprofits, universities, government agencies, and curious explorers within the community.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
June 4 – Food for Thought: Addressing Food Waste, Access & Insecurity through Rural Libraries
June 11 – Sparking Community Connections: Rural Public Library Partnerships
June 18 – Outreach at Any Size
June 25 – Pretty Sweet Tech
July 9 – Printing, Scanning, and Faxing at the Library
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website.
The show is presented online using the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Highlights & Trends from Computers in Libraries 2025 will be shared on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, April 30 at 10am CT.
Special monthly episodes of NCompass Live! Join the NLC’s Technology Innovation Librarian, Amanda Sweet, as she guides us through the world of library-related Pretty Sweet Tech.
Computers in Libraries is the world’s leading technology and innovation conference for librarians! In this session I will cover come of the awesome ideas, tools, tips and tricks of the trade I picked up while in D.C. this year.
I hope to see you there! As a side note, if you’re looking for more emerging tech trends in the library, check out Computers in Libraries magazine.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
May 7 – Everyday Advocacy for Smaller Libraries: Practical & Affordable Solutions
May 14 – The 2025 Public Library Accreditation Process
May 21 – Small Adjustments for Big Changes
May 28 – Pretty Sweet Tech
June 4 – Food for Thought: Addressing Food Waste, Access & Insecurity through Rural Libraries
June 11 – Sparking Community Connections: Rural Public Library Partnerships
June 18 – Outreach at Any Size
June 25 – Pretty Sweet Tech
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website.
The show is presented online using the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
I’ve gotten a lot of questions about web hosting options for libraries recently. Many of you use Nebraska Libraries on the Web, the free WordPress hosting offered by the Nebraska Library Commission. That’s delightful, and I’m all for it! I may be slightly biased there. You know why.
But hosting through us does have a few limitations for customization and feature options. So I like to keep options open for libraries who want a little more customization or control over their website feature choices.
This particular post is about LibChalk, a web hosting service designed by and for librarians and academic institutions that’s been around for about 30 years. The pricing is pretty reasonable with a basic site at $25/month. There are other pricing plans available. They can get you set up with a WordPress installation and access to some premium templates to make setup fast and easy.
They also help with site migration if you’ve already got a website up and running somewhere else and want to switch over smoothly. Since they do work with all flavors of education, they can also help you set up a learning platform on your site. If you’re so inclined.
So far they’re the only hosting service I’ve come across that is built by librarians for librarians, so that was cool too. Check out Libchalk’s website, or email Brian Pichman bpichman@evolveproject.org for more info, or to get set up.
If Brian’s name sounds familiar I’m not surprised. He’s been on a library circuit at conferences, webinars, Bywater Solutions, and elsewhere for a while now. I’ve known him for a while too, which is how I found out about LibChalk. I was surprised I hadn’t heard of it sooner, so I’m sharing it with you all now as well.
Microsoft announced it is discontinuing Publisher in October 2026! Is anyone still using it? Most all of the libraries I’ve worked at/with use Canva for their flyers and handouts these days. If you own Office Standard, you will be able to continue to use the Publisher app it came with. If you have an Office365 subscription, you will lose access to Publisher.
If you were or are an Office365 Publisher user, Microsoft recommends converting your *.pub files by opening and saving them as Adobe *.pdf files before the October 2026 EOL (End-of-Life). Unfortunately, you will lose the ability to easily edit the converted *.pdf file using this method. I did some experimenting and LibreOffice Draw is a good alternative if you have Office365 and Publisher files you want to continue working with past the Publisher October 2026 EOL.
Explore how libraries can use ‘AI and Social-Emotional Learning for Early Childhood’ on next week’s Pretty Sweet TechNCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, February 26 at 10am CT.
Special monthly episodes of NCompass Live! Join the NLC’s Technology Innovation Librarian, Amanda Sweet, as she guides us through the world of library-related Pretty Sweet Tech.
“AI and Social-Emotional Learning for Early Childhood: Empowering Libraries to Engage Youth and Caregivers.”
This webinar explores how libraries can use AI to support social-emotional development. With younger learners developing critical emotional and interpersonal skills, libraries are uniquely positioned to foster their growth. AI presents exciting opportunities to personalize engagement, address diverse needs, and create impactful programming.
Guest Presenter: Rex Duval, Co-Founder and CEO, Nookly.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
March 5 – Breaking Barriers: The Importance of Digital Accessibility
March 12 – Family & Community Programming: Major Successes & Epic Fails
March 19 – Pretty Sweet Tech
March 26 – Creating Connection in Library Events
April 2 – One Book for Nebraska Kids & Teens 2025
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website.
The show is presented online using the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Learn how kids and adults can use ‘Tech Kits for STEM Career Exploration’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, January 29 at 10am CT.
Special monthly episodes of NCompass Live! Join the NLC’s Technology Innovation Librarian, Amanda Sweet, as she guides us through the world of library-related Pretty Sweet Tech.
Introduce both kids and adults to STEM skills that are most relevant to local industries, career opportunities, and innovation needs using the Nebraska Library Commission’s Tech Kits Through the Mail and curated support resources. This session will start with an overview of the tech and innovation landscape in Nebraska, then dive into the specific tools and resources available to help you access educational technology for free, and build custom learning plans tailored to both the learner and your community.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Feb. 5 – Fostering Healthy Communication in Your Library
Feb. 26 – NCompass Live: Pretty Sweet Tech: AI and Social-Emotional Learning for Early Childhood
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website.
The show is presented online using the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Check out some kits from us: Through the Nebraska Library Commission’ Tech Kits Through the Mail service, you can check out between 1 and 15 copies of Dash & Dot Activity Pack (includes launcher & xylophone!). All you pay is return shipping. We’ve got everything else covered.
Highlights from Internet Librarian 2024 will be shared on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, November 27 at 10am CT.
Special monthly episodes of NCompass Live! Join the NLC’s Technology Innovation Librarian, Amanda Sweet, as she guides us through the world of library-related Pretty Sweet Tech.
Just in case you missed it, this Pretty Sweet Tech will offer some highlights from Internet Librarian 2024 that ran virtually from October 22-24. It’s where all the cool kids go to learn about library technology topics. Here are the themes I’ll be covering in the recap:
Training for an Unknown Future: Explore new ways to learn new skills, train staff, and brainstorm some skills you might want to focus on in the near future.
Libraries Solving Community Problems: Learn how some awesome libraries have built partnerships to tackle big community problems.
Hybrid Presence: Uncover new ways to update your web presence to engage with communities who need to come together in new ways to prepare for the same unknown future.
Just Plain Cool: Some projects are just plan cool. I want to share a few of my favorite highlights.
I’ll include my usual disclaimer that I couldn’t make it to every session, but I did my best to dig around and catch the cool, helpful, or off the beaten path sessions that caught my eye.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Dec. 4 – To Librarianship and Beyond: What’s It Like Being a Corporate Librarian?
Dec. 11 – Best New Children’s Books of 2024
Dec. 25 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE THIS WEEK – HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Jan. 1, 2025 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE THIS WEEK
Jan. 8, 2025 – Best New Teen Reads of 2024
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website.
The show is presented online using the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Microsoft released Office 2024 in October! If your library is purchasing Office licenses, make sure you’re getting Office 2024.
For library computers, I recommend Office 2024 Standard. The best price I can currently find for it is $125 at Techsoup. Amazon has it for $150. Techsoup’s $40 license for Computer Lab (for Patron/Public, not Staff) computers is currently out of stock. I’m hoping Techsoup’s $40 Computer Lab license will be available again in 2025. I don’t recommend purchasing Microsoft’s Software Assurance for Office.
Do not purchase Office 365 for use on Patron/Public computers since it requires a Microsoft login for use. Office 365 is an option for computers used by library staff. I recommend Office Standard for all library computers since it can be installed locally on the computers, doesn’t require a Microsoft login to use it once it’s activated, and there are no ongoing annual subscription fees.
If your library can’t or doesn’t want to pay for Microsoft Office, you may want to consider installing the free and open source LibreOffice (formally OpenOffice) software suite.
If you need any assistance with purchasing and/or installing Office, please contact me.
Andrew “Sherm” Sherman Library Technology Support Specialist Nebraska Library Commission
Learn about Digital Navigation and Nebraska’s Digital Equity Plan on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, October 2 at 10am CT.
Special monthly episodes of NCompass Live! Join the NLC’s Technology Innovation Librarian, Amanda Sweet, as she guides us through the world of library-related Pretty Sweet Tech.
Digital Navigators have grown increasingly popular over the years. The National Digital Inclusion Alliance calls these Navigators “trusted guides who assist community members with ongoing, individualized support for accessing affordable and appropriate connectivity, devices, and digital skills”.
Some states have built out entire statewide platforms and training platforms for Digital Navigators. Nebraska has several smaller initiatives, and some missing gaps. This session will discuss Digital Navigation in Nebraska, including:
Quick overview of Nebraska’s Digital Equity Plan
Current digital skill-related programs
Digital Navigation resources, nationwide
Ideas for what your library can do
It’s time to work together to tackle that massive digital skill problem in all of our communities!
Oct. 16 – Dragons at the Library: An Exciting New Reading Program
Oct. 23 – Letters About Literature 2024
Oct. 30 – Pretty Sweet Tech
Nov. 6 – Summer Reading Program 2025: Color Our World
Nov. 13 – Nebraska Open Meetings Act: 2024 Overview and Update
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website.
The show is presented online using the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
