In celebration of the 20th annual National Friends of Libraries Week, Penguin Random House and United for Libraries announced new grants for Friends of Libraries serving rural and small libraries across the country. Grants of $500 and $1,000 (totaling $25,000), will be awarded to support libraries in need.Applications for the 2026 grants will be open from December 17, 2025 – January 21, 2026.
These funds will assist Friends of Library groups, or nonprofit groups that support and fundraise for libraries in their communities, with priority projects. In-kind book donation grants of $500 will also be awarded to 20 libraries to purchase Penguin Random House titles.
Empowering Friends groups to advocate for intellectual freedom
The grant program comes at a critical time for the library community as the freedom to read faces increased attacks in the form of book bans and challenges. Once primarily focused on school libraries, public libraries have become targets of book banning efforts in recent years, with reports sent to ALA documenting 821 attempts to censor library books and other materials in 2024, the third highest number of book challenges since tracking began in 1990.
“Small and rural libraries are community cornerstones, but today—when the freedom to read is under attack across the country—they are more important than ever. These grants will empower Friends groups to bolster their support and advocacy, ensuring these vital community centers not only survive but thrive. We are honored to launch this program during National Friends of Libraries Week and pleased to partner with United for Libraries to boost the important role of Friends Groups,” said Skip Dye, Senior Vice President of Library Sales and Digital Strategy at Penguin Random House.
When will applications open?
Applications will be open from Dec. 17, 2025-Jan. 21, 2026, and applicants will be notified by March 30, 2026.
For libraries that are interested in applying but don’t know where to start, United for Libraries will present free virtual informational sessions beginning in December, including two 30-minute sessions that include an overview of the process and tips on applying, and a one-hour webinar featuring 2025 grant recipients and their projects. On-demand training includes a session on grant writing basics, and a session on how to start a Friends of the Library group (for libraries that do not currently have an active group); learn more and register.
In addition to a grant of $500 or $1,000, or a book donation grant, recipients will also receive complimentary eLearning from United for Libraries, including a year of access to United for Libraries Learning Live monthly webinars which present in-depth training to library Trustees/Board Members, Friends, Foundations, advocates, and those who work with them, and training on how to leverage the grant funds to build support for the library and the Friends group. Recipients will also receive complimentary registration for Friends of the Library Day of the United for Libraries virtual conference (July 30, 2026) and United for Libraries Friends virtual retreat (spring 2027).
“Friends groups provide much-needed support to libraries by raising money for programs and projects not covered by regular funding, and by being strong advocates for their libraries — their help is crucial right now, when so many libraries are facing challenges to materials, resources, and programs,” said 2024-2026 United for Libraries President Deborah Doyle. “These grants provided by Penguin Random House will enable Friends in rural and small areas to fulfill an unmet need of the library, and to take their support to the next level with United for Libraries training and resources.”
Grants will be administered by United for Libraries: The Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations, whose mission is to support those who govern, promote, advocate, and fundraise for all types of libraries. Grant funding is provided by Penguin Random House.
Apply for an individual scholarship to attend the NLA 2025 Conference in York on October 22nd-23rd!
**This scholarship is open only to current Nebraska Public Library Board Members!**
The Fern V. Heim Scholarship for Trustees was established by her friend, Mary Louise Dutcher, to honor Fern’s dedication to small public libraries and their trustees. Although Fern’s library career began in special libraries (Head of the UNL Chemistry Department Library, Serials and Circulation Departments of UNL Love Library, and then Director of the Research Library at Goodrich Tire and Rubber in Akron, Ohio), her work at the Nebraska Library Commission was devoted to public libraries. Recognizing that few small library budgets could provide support for librarians, let alone their volunteer trustees, to attend professional meetings, she encouraged them to go whenever possible (at their own expense) if only for a portion of the meeting. As her legacy, it is fitting to assist those trustees through this scholarship program.
This free one-day online conference is tailored for staff from small libraries; the smaller the better!
Small libraries of all types – public, academic, school, museum, special, etc. – are encouraged to submit a proposal.
We’re looking for seven 50-minute presentations and four 10-minute “lightning round” presentations.
Do you offer a service or program at your small library that other librarians might like to hear about? Have you implemented a new (or old) technology, hosted an event, partnered with others in your community, or just done something really cool? The Big Talk From Small Libraries online conference gives you the opportunity to share what you’ve done, while learning what your colleagues in other small libraries are doing.
Here are some possible topics to get you thinking:
Unique Libraries
Special Collections
New buildings
Fundraising
Improved Workflows
Staff Development
Advocacy Efforts
Community Partnerships
That great thing you’re doing at your library!
Speakers must be from small libraries or directly partnered with a small library and submitting a proposal to co-present with the library. Speakers from libraries serving fewer than 10,000 people will be preferred, but presentations from libraries with larger service populations will be considered.
Big Talk From Small Libraries 2026 will be held on Friday, February 27, 2026 between 8:45 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (CT) via the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Speakers will present their programs from their own desktops. The schedule will accommodate speakers’ time-zones.
Apply for an individual $500 scholarship to attend either the NLA 2025 Conference in York on October 22nd-24th or to the ARSL 2025 Conference in Albuquerque, NM on September 17th-20th!
The Fern V. Heim Scholarship for Trustees was established by her friend, Mary Louise Dutcher, to honor Fern’s dedication to small public libraries and their trustees. Although Fern’s library career began in special libraries (Head of the UNL Chemistry Department Library, Serials and Circulation Departments of UNL Love Library, and then Director of the Research Library at Goodrich Tire and Rubber in Akron, Ohio), her work at the Nebraska Library Commission was devoted to public libraries. Recognizing that few small library budgets could provide support for librarians, let alone their volunteer trustees, to attend professional meetings, she encouraged them to go whenever possible (at their own expense) if only for a portion of the meeting. As her legacy, it is fitting to assist those trustees through this scholarship program.
**This scholarship is open only to current Nebraska Public Library Board Members!**
The Nebraska Library Commission has purchased statewide registration! All library directors/staff, Trustees/board members, and Friends of the Library and Foundation representatives receive FREE access to all recorded sessions for the United for Libraries 2025 Virtual Conference.
Click “Register” first, if you don’t have an account.
Click “Access” to login to ALA eLearning.
Once you’re logged in, on the left-hand side menu, click on “Nebraska Statewide Training for Trustees, Friends, and Foundations”
Scroll down slightly until you see “FREE Registration for 2025 United for Libraries Virtual: Trustees, Friends, and Foundations” and click on the link to access the course (screenshot below).
Once you’re in the conference/course, you should be able to see the sessions for each day, as well as tabs for the different events and resources, such as the Author Talks, Author Tea, and Book Buzzes.
If you have any questions, trouble logging in and/or accessing the course, or need further assistance please reach out to United for Libraries at united@ala.org or call (312) 280-2161.
If you have any questions, please contact Holli Duggan.
Apply for an individual $500 scholarship to attend either the NLA 2025 Conference in York on October 22nd-24th or to the ARSL 2025 Conference in Albuquerque, NM on September 17th-20th!
The Fern V. Heim Scholarship for Trustees was established by her friend, Mary Louise Dutcher, to honor Fern’s dedication to small public libraries and their trustees. Although Fern’s library career began in special libraries (Head of the UNL Chemistry Department Library, Serials and Circulation Departments of UNL Love Library, and then Director of the Research Library at Goodrich Tire and Rubber in Akron, Ohio), her work at the Nebraska Library Commission was devoted to public libraries. Recognizing that few small library budgets could provide support for librarians, let alone their volunteer trustees, to attend professional meetings, she encouraged them to go whenever possible (at their own expense) if only for a portion of the meeting. As her legacy, it is fitting to assist those trustees through this scholarship program.
**This scholarship is open only to current Nebraska Public Library Board Members!**
Learn effective methods for ‘Creating and Implementing Library Policies’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, July 23 at 10am CT.
Policies are a very important piece of how a library is run, but they can be daunting to create or revise for some. In this session, we’ll discuss how to craft policies that fit within your library’s mission statement and goals, are easier to review and revise on a regular basis, and hopefully can be implemented correctly.
Presenter: Scott Childers, Executive Director, Southeast Library System, Lincoln, NE; Christa Porter, Library Development Director, Nebraska Library Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
July 30 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Introducing AI with Purpose and Practicality
Aug. 6 – National Book Festival Near You
Aug. 13 – Ditching 1000 Books: A New Initiative
Aug. 27 – 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.
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.
Apply for an individual $500 scholarship to attend either the NLA 2025 Conference in York on October 22nd-24th or to the ARSL 2025 Conference in Albuquerque, NM on September 17th-20th!
The Fern V. Heim Scholarship for Trustees was established by her friend, Mary Louise Dutcher, to honor Fern’s dedication to small public libraries and their trustees. Although Fern’s library career began in special libraries (Head of the UNL Chemistry Department Library, Serials and Circulation Departments of UNL Love Library, and then Director of the Research Library at Goodrich Tire and Rubber in Akron, Ohio), her work at the Nebraska Library Commission was devoted to public libraries. Recognizing that few small library budgets could provide support for librarians, let alone their volunteer trustees, to attend professional meetings, she encouraged them to go whenever possible (at their own expense) if only for a portion of the meeting. As her legacy, it is fitting to assist those trustees through this scholarship program.
**This scholarship is open only to current Nebraska Public Library Board Members!**
The Nebraska Library Commission has purchased statewide registration! All library directors/staff, Trustees/board members, and Friends of the Library and Foundation representatives receive FREE registration and/or on-demand viewing – a value of $149 per person.
Registration includes live attendance and on-demand access to three full days of programming, expert speakers, microlearning sessions, and the “Virtual Gala Author Tea.” Programming runs from 10:00 am CST to approximately 3:00 pm CST daily with scheduled breaks. Registrants may participate in some or all program sessions live, and/or watch recordings on-demand.
Sessions include:
Tuesday, July 29th – Trustee Day
Get Familiar with Freedom of Information Laws
Meetings That Matter: Driving Results, Not Just Discussions
Public Official Basics for Trustees: Introduction to Public Administration and Public Finance
Top 10 Things Library Board Members Should Know – But Often Don’t
Why Is It Always a Battle?: Concerns of Public Library Trustees in the United States
Keynote – Austin Channing Brown
Wednesday, July 30th – Foundation/Fundraising Day
Library Storytelling: How to Find Memorable Library Stories to Use for Marketing and Promotion
Let Your Impact Ring! Sharing Your Library’s Successes so Funders Will Listen
Overcoming the Barriers to Library Fundraising Success
Strengthening Library and Foundation Relationships: The Role of the Memorandum of Understanding and Relationship Committee
Virtual Gala Author Tea
Thursday, July 31st – Friends Day
Friends for Everyone: Inclusivity and Accessibility Best Practices
Get Strategic: Creating a Strategic Plan for Your Friends Group
Gnomes Need Homes: A Different Type of Silent Auction!
Lessons from a New Board President
Library Funding 101: Understanding How Things Get Paid
Special Events:
Keynote – Tuesday, July 29th (3:30 pm CST)
“Austin Channing Brown is an author and speaker providing inspired leadership on racial justice in America. She is the New York Times bestselling author of I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness, a Reese’s Book Club pick. Her work has been featured by outlets such as On Being, Chicago Tribune, and WNYC. Her new book, Full of Myself, releases in August 2025.”
Virtual Gala Author Tea – Wednesday, July 30th (3:30 pm CST)
Join United for Libraries for our 2025 Virtual Gala Author Tea. Bring your beverage of choice and enjoy authors talking about their writing experience and latest books. Moderated by Donna Seaman, Editor of Adult Books, Booklist.
Invite your library staff and patrons! More details coming soon.
Registration Options – Choose one of the options below to register:
Join us for a 2025 Overview and Update on Nebraska’s Open Meetings Act on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, June 25 at 10am CT.
Public library boards for communities of all sizes in Nebraska are required to follow our state’s Open Meetings Act when holding their meetings. In this session, we’ll point out some of the major points of this state law for library boards, changes for 2025, and some of the consequences of not following Open Meeting law.
Note: This topic is very Nebraska specific. If you are attending from another state some of the things we discuss may not be applicable for your library boards.
Presenters: Scott Childers, Executive Director, Southeast Library System, Lincoln, NE; Christa Porter, Library Development Director, Nebraska Library Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
July 2 – Creative Aging Outreach Opportunities for Libraries
July 9 – Printing, Scanning, and Faxing at the Library
July 30 – Pretty Sweet Tech
Aug. 13 – Ditching 1000 Books: A New Initiative
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.
Apply for an individual $500 scholarship to attend either the NLA 2025 Conference in York on October 22nd-24th or to the ARSL 2025 Conference in Albuquerque, NM on September 17th-20th!
The Fern V. Heim Scholarship for Trustees was established by her friend, Mary Louise Dutcher, to honor Fern’s dedication to small public libraries and their trustees. Although Fern’s library career began in special libraries (Head of the UNL Chemistry Department Library, Serials and Circulation Departments of UNL Love Library, and then Director of the Research Library at Goodrich Tire and Rubber in Akron, Ohio), her work at the Nebraska Library Commission was devoted to public libraries. Recognizing that few small library budgets could provide support for librarians, let alone their volunteer trustees, to attend professional meetings, she encouraged them to go whenever possible (at their own expense) if only for a portion of the meeting. As her legacy, it is fitting to assist those trustees through this scholarship program.
**This scholarship is open only to current Nebraska Public Library Board Members!**
‘Public Library Accreditation 2025’ workshops are now open for registration! All workshops will be held online only, via GoTo Webinar. To register for a session, go to the Nebraska Library Commission’s Training & Events Calendar and search for ‘accreditation 2025’.
NOTE: These online workshops are being offered on several days and at varied times, to give attendees multiple opportunities to find a convenient time to attend. The same information will be provided at each workshop, so you only need to register for one session. A recorded version will also be made available after all of the live sessions have been held.
What is Nebraska Public Library Accreditation? What are the benefits of accreditation? How does my library become accredited? What’s a Community Needs Response Plan? Why does my library need one?
The purpose of Nebraska Public Library Accreditation is to encourage excellent library service in Nebraska communities. The guidelines used to evaluate libraries and their services are community-based, so libraries need to know their communities’ needs in order to provide appropriate library services that meet those unique needs. That’s where Community Needs Response Planning comes in!
In this workshop, Christa Porter, NLC’s Library Development Director, will guide you through Community Needs Response Planning and applying for Public Library Accreditation.
Public Library Directors, Staff, and Library Board Members are encouraged to attend.
Dates and times:
June 3 – 1:00-4:00pm Central / 12:00noon-3pm Mountain
June 5 – 9:30am-12:30pm Central / 8:30-11:30am Mountain
June 10– 9:30am-12:30pm Central / 8:30-11:30am Mountain
June 11 – 1:00-4:00pm Central / 12:00noon-3pm Mountain
To register for a session, go to the Nebraska Library Commission’s Training & Events Calendar and search for ‘accreditation 2025’.
Below is a list of free training opportunities coming up this week! There is also a monthly list of free training resources which is compiled each month by the Maine State Library and WebJunction.
(Many webinars are recorded and can be watched later.)
Join us for a 2024 Overview and Update on Nebraska’s Open Meetings Act on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, November 13 at 10am CT.
Public library boards for communities of all sizes in Nebraska are required to follow our state’s Open Meetings Act when holding their meetings. In this session, we’ll point out some of the major points of this state law for library boards, changes for 2024 and 2025, and some of the consequences of not following Open Meeting law. Note: This topic is very Nebraska specific. If you are attending from another state some of the things we discuss may not be applicable for your library boards.
Presenters: Scott Childers, Executive Director, Southeast Library System, Lincoln, NE; Christa Porter, Library Development Director, Nebraska Library Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Nov. 20 – Building Cultures of Reading with Reader Zone
Nov. 27 – Pretty Sweet Tech
Dec. 11 – Best New Children’s Books of 2024
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.
Below is a list of free training opportunities coming up this week! There is also a monthly list of free training resources which is compiled each month by the Maine State Library and WebJunction. (Many webinars are recorded and can be watched later.)
All Nebraska public libraries are members of United for Libraries through the Statewide Group Membership purchased by the Nebraska Library Commission. The Commission provides this membership to ensure that public library staff members, Friends, Trustees, and Foundations can take advantage of United for Libraries’ services to enhance fundraising, advocacy, and public awareness.
“A strong director-board relationship is essential to the success of the library. Find out how the best practices on the director and board working together on advocacy, community outreach, planning, succession, and more. Find out how to prevent and solve conflicts, and how to unite to advance the library’s mission.”
Statewide Group Members receive FREE registration for the live webinars and on-demand access for the duration of the active statewide group membership. These “Learning Live” sessions are recorded and can be accessed through the United for Libraries eLearning course.
Learn more about the NLC Grants for 2025 on this week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, September 25 at 10am CT.
Nebraska Accredited Public Libraries and State-run Institutions! Do you have an idea for a program or project you would like to see funded? Apply for an NLC Grant!
The Nebraska Library Commission has made funding available for four grants for 2025: Continuing Education & Training, Internship, Library Improvement, and Youth Grants for Excellence. Don’t let your library miss out on these opportunities!
Grant applications for all 2025 NLC grants opened on September 20 and will be due November 15, 2024.
Join Christa Porter, Sally Snyder, and Holli Duggan, from the Nebraska Library Commission’s Library Development Team, as they provide an overview of the grants, including eligibility requirements and grant guidelines, the application process and grant review, timelines and deadlines. They will also share some tips on writing effective grants.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Oct. 2 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Digital Navigators & Digital Equity in Nebraska
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.
This free one-day online conference is tailored for staff from small libraries; the smaller the better!
Small libraries of all types – public, academic, school, museum, special, etc. – are encouraged to submit a proposal. We’re looking for seven 50-minute presentations and four 10-minute “lightning round” presentations.
Do you offer a service or program at your small library that other librarians might like to hear about? Have you implemented a new (or old) technology, hosted an event, partnered with others in your community, or just done something really cool? The Big Talk From Small Libraries online conference gives you the opportunity to share what you’ve done, while learning what your colleagues in other small libraries are doing.
Here are some possible topics to get you thinking:
Unique Libraries
Special Collections
New buildings
Fundraising
Improved Workflows
Staff Development
Advocacy Efforts
Community Partnerships
That great thing you’re doing at your library!
Speakers from libraries serving fewer than 10,000 people will be preferred, but presentations from libraries with larger service populations will be considered. Speakers must be from small libraries or directly partnered with a small library and submitting a proposal to co-present with the library.
Big Talk From Small Libraries 2025 will be held on Friday, February 28, 2025 between 8:45 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (CT) via the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Speakers will present their programs from their own desktops. The schedule will accommodate speakers’ time-zones.
Apply for an individual scholarship to attend either the NLA 2024 Conference in Kearney on October 9th-11th or to virtually attend the ARSL 2024 Conference on September 11th-14th!
**These scholarships are open only for current Nebraska Public Library Board Members!**
The Fern V. Heim Scholarship for Trustees was established by her friend, Mary Louise Dutcher, to honor Fern’s dedication to small public libraries and their trustees. Although Fern’s library career began in special libraries (Head of the UNL Chemistry Department Library, Serials and Circulation Departments of UNL Love Library, and then Director of the Research Library at Goodrich Tire and Rubber in Akron, Ohio), her work at the Nebraska Library Commission was devoted to public libraries. Recognizing that few small library budgets could provide support for librarians, let alone their volunteer trustees, to attend professional meetings, she encouraged them to go whenever possible (at their own expense) if only for a portion of the meeting. As her legacy, it is fitting to assist those trustees through this scholarship program.
The Fern V. Heim Scholarship Award was established to provide assistance to current public library trustees with preference to members of the Nebraska Library Association Public Library and Trustee Section (PLTS) for attendance at the Nebraska Library Association Conference or the Association for Rural and Small Libraries Conference.
Apply for an individual $500 scholarship to attend either the NLA 2024 Conference in Kearney on October 9th-11th or to the ARSL 2024 Conference in Springfield, MA on September 11th-14th!
The Fern V. Heim Scholarship for Trustees was established by her friend, Mary Louise Dutcher, to honor Fern’s dedication to small public libraries and their trustees. Although Fern’s library career began in special libraries (Head of the UNL Chemistry Department Library, Serials and Circulation Departments of UNL Love Library, and then Director of the Research Library at Goodrich Tire and Rubber in Akron, Ohio), her work at the Nebraska Library Commission was devoted to public libraries. Recognizing that few small library budgets could provide support for librarians, let alone their volunteer trustees, to attend professional meetings, she encouraged them to go whenever possible (at their own expense) if only for a portion of the meeting. As her legacy, it is fitting to assist those trustees through this scholarship program.
