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Category Archives: Public Relations
Nebraska Librarians Invited to Celebrate Children’s Book Week May 12-18
Children’s Book Week is the annual celebration of books for young people and the joy of reading. Established in 1919, Children’s Book Week is the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country. Every year, commemorative events are held nationwide at schools, libraries, bookstores, homes — wherever young readers and books connect! May 12-18, 2014 is the 95th anniversary of this nationwide celebration. For more information, see http://www.bookweekonline.com/about. Order free posters at http://www.bookweekonline.com/poster.
Join Us Online April 30 for Smart Investing: Reference Strategies and Resources
Learn how librarians can take advantage of “Smart Investing: Reference Strategies and Resources,” a self-paced course to promote confidence and competence in responding to library customers’ questions on personal finance and investments. The April 30 edition of NCompass Live: Smart Investing: Reference Strategies and Resources will give you a guided tour to the resources that can help you direct your library customers to the best in money management resources.
This online training course was originally developed for Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD) reference staff. It is available to all Nebraska librarians who would like to improve their reference strategies and knowledge of financial literacy concepts and resources.
This online curriculum is being offered as part of the Nebraska Library Commission and Northeast Library System’s “Smart Investing @ your library® Builds Nebraska Communities” project funded by a $100,000 FINRA Investor Education Foundation grant. Although the 22 public libraries participating in that project will benefit by receiving Financial Literacy Resource Kits and customer financial literacy training in their libraries later this year, all of Nebraska’s libraries are welcome to participate in the online librarian training.
This program is made possible by a grant from the FINRA Investor Education Foundation through Smart investing@your library®, a partnership with the American Library Association. The project is coordinated in Nebraska by the Nebraska Library Commission.
Nebraska Libraries Urged to Apply for Citizens Save Libraries Grant by May 5
Applications for cycle two of the Citizens-Save-Libraries grants from United for Libraries, made possible by a grant from the Neal-Schuman Foundation, are due May 5.
The 10 libraries that are selected will receive two days of onsite consultation by advocacy experts, who will help friends of the library groups, library directors and trustees develop individual blueprints for advocacy campaigns to restore, increase or save threatened library budgets.
Among the criteria to apply is a willingness to “pay it forward” by sharing what is learned with others in their states through presentations at local conferences, articles written for the state library association journal and a willingness to answer questions and support other advocacy campaigns via digital media and Skype. The first 10 libraries were selected in 2013.
As part of the grant, a Citizens-Save-Libraries Power Guide that lays out a step-by-step blueprint for libraries to follow in generating advocacy campaigns is available to all libraries at no cost. The Power Guide is available at www.ala.org/united/powerguide.
To apply for the grants, visit www.ala.org/united/grants_awards/neal-schuman.
The Neal-Schuman Foundation, established in 2000 by Neal-Schuman Publishers‘ founders Patricia Glass Schuman and John Vincent Neal, strives to aid and promote charitable research and education for the improvement of libraries. An active American Library Association member and past president (1991-92), Schuman founded the Library Advocacy Now program and co-founded the Library Champions program.
United for Libraries: The Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations, is a division of the American Library Association that supports those who govern, promote, advocate, and fundraise for libraries. United for Libraries brings together library Trustees, advocates, friends, and foundations into a partnership that creates a powerful force for libraries in the 21st century. For more information or to join United for Libraries, visit the United for Libraries website or contact Jillian Kalonick at (312) 280-2161 or jkalonick@ala.org.
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You can now follow us on Google+ and Tumblr
If you’re a user of either Google+ or Tumblr, you can now follow the commission on those services. As a reminder, you can check out all of the Social services where you can find us on our Social Networking Links page.
Small Business Administration Grants Available
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today that it will award grants to state and local economic development agencies, business development centers, colleges and universities to support programs for innovative, technology-driven small businesses under SBA’s Federal and State Technology (FAST) partnership program. Applications for the grants are open now through April 11.
The FAST Program is designed to stimulate economic development among small, high technology businesses through federally-funded innovation and research and development programs like the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR). The project and budget periods are for a 12-month period.
FAST may provide up to $100,000 per award to pay for outreach and technical assistance to science and technology-driven small businesses. The program places particular emphasis on helping socially and economically disadvantaged firms compete in the SBA’s SBIR and STTR programs.
FAST funding awardees must demonstrate in their proposals how they will help support areas such as:
- small business research and development assistance,
- technology transfer from universities to small businesses,
- technological diffusion of innovation benefiting small businesses,
- proposal development and mentoring for small businesses applying for SBIR grants; and,
- commercializing technology developed through SBIR grants.
Proposals will be considered from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. Only one proposal per state may be submitted. Proposals must be submitted to http://www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m on April 11.
Proposals will be evaluated by a panel of SBIR program managers. The SBA, the Department of Defense and the National Science Foundation will jointly review the panel’s recommendations and make awards based on proposal merit. The grant requires varying levels of matching funds from each participating state and territory.
Companies supported by the SBIR and STTR programs often generate some of the most important breakthroughs each year in the U.S. For example, about 25 percent of R&D Magazine’s Top 100 Innovations come from SBIR-funded small businesses.
For more information about the SBIR and STTR programs, visit SBA’s website at: http://www.sba.gov/about-sba-services/7050.
Nebraska Libraries: What are you doing for National Library Week, April 13-19
The Campaign for America’s Libraries would like to hear about any plans your library is making for National Library Week 2014 around the theme Lives change @ your library. Nebraska libraries are asked to email their National Library Week plans to atyourlibrary@ala.org to be shared on the National Library Week tools page. In addition to these tools, a downloadable PSA featuring author and intellectual freedom advocate Judy Blume as the Honorary Chair of National Library Week is also available. Instructions on how to request a customized PSA are also available on the website. See this press release for details. Please be sure to share any ideas about ways to enhance this year’s collaborative social media efforts.
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Nebraska Libraries to Celebrate National Library Week April 13-19, 2014
Judy Blume has been named the 2014 Honorary Chair of National Library Week (April 13-19, 2014). This year, National Library Week will be celebrated with the theme Lives change @ your library. As Honorary Chair, Blume will appear in print public service announcements (PSAs) promoting National Library Week. The PSAs, developed by the American Library Association’s Campaign for America’s Libraries, will be placed in magazines and online throughout the spring. ALA will also offer free customization of the PSAs for libraries. Visit ala.org/NLW to learn more.
Adults as well as children will recognize such Judy Blume titles as: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret; Blubber; Just as Long as We’re Together; and the five book series about the irrepressible Fudge. She has also written three novels for adults, Summer Sisters, Smart Women and Wifey, all of them New York Times best-sellers. More than 80 million copies of her books have been sold, and her work has been translated into thirty-one languages.
Blume is a longtime advocate of intellectual freedom. Finding herself at the center of an organized book banning campaign in the 1980’s she began to reach out to other writers, as well as teachers and librarians, who were under fire. Since then, she has worked tirelessly with the National Coalition Against Censorship and the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom to protect the freedom to read. She is the editor of “Places I Never Meant To Be: Original Stories by Censored Writers,” and is currently writing a novel.
Additional promotional materials include a sample op-ed, proclamation, press release and scripts for use in radio ads. All incorporate the 2014 National Library Week theme, Lives change @ your library. Tools are available at www.ala.org/nlw. ALA Graphics products supporting National Library Week are also available and can be purchased through the ALA Store.
National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians and to promote library use.
The American Library Association’s Campaign for America’s Libraries (www.ala.org/@yourlibrary) is a public awareness campaign that promotes the value of libraries and librarians. Thousands of libraries of all types – across the country and around the globe – participate. The Campaign is made possible by ALA’s Library Champions.
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Data Doodles: Library Advocacy Edition
Every year the Library Commission prepares for the Nebraska Library Association Advocacy Day by producing an infographic that shows, through the use of statistics, the value of public libraries in the state and how much they are used. You can download a copy of this year’s brochure by clicking on the graphic above.
Here are a few notable statistics from the brochure: Nebraskans used their public libraries 8,656,034 times in 2011-2012; the number of public access computers available at libraries increased by 15.5% last year; 79.5% of all Nebraska residents can download free e-books from their public library. Here’s another interesting fact I discovered recently. This January the ever popular Henry Doorly Zoo announced that their attendance for 2013 topped 1.6 million. About a week later, the Omaha Public Library issued a press release noting that the number of visits they received last year totaled almost 2.4 million.
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Start Planning for April: School Library Month
Jeff Kinney, New York Times bestselling author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, has been named the national spokesperson for the 2014 observance of School Library Month. Celebrated in April and sponsored by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), School Library Month honors the essential role that strong school library programs play in a student’s educational career.
“I don’t know where I’d be without my school library,” said Kinney. “Our librarians were passionate about putting great books in the hands of kids, and making us into lifelong readers. School libraries introduce kids to whole new worlds and new perspectives and are so important in broadening kids’ minds. It’s crucial that we support our school libraries, especially in times of tightening budgets. I’m so grateful for the well-stocked libraries and knowledgeable, dedicated school librarians that were a part of my childhood.”
Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid is the story of middle-school underdog Greg Heffley who shares his life in a journal filled with cartoons and text. The first book in the series was released in April 2007 and was an instant bestseller, capturing the attention of reluctant readers, their parents and librarians everywhere. There are now eight books in the series, the most recent, “Hard Luck”, released on Nov. 5, 2013. It was the No. 1 bestselling book of 2013, adult or children’s.
“In creating such widely appealing characters, Jeff has enriched the lives of both students and school librarians,” said Susan Hess, School Library Month committee chair. “As such a popular author and illustrator, AASL is extremely fortunate to have Jeff Kinney as the School Library Month 2014 spokesperson.”
More information on the 2014 School Library Month celebration can be found on the AASL website at www.ala.org/aasl/slm.
The American Association of School Librarians, www.aasl.org, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), promotes the improvement and extension of library services in elementary and secondary schools as a means of strengthening the total education program. Its mission is to advocate excellence, facilitate change and develop leaders in the school library field.
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series has been a fixture on the USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. The series has remained consistently on the New York Times lists since the publication of the first book. The books have been sold in more than 44 territories in 42 languages. Published by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS, Kinney’s work has been widely praised for its ability to turn reluctant readers on to books. Jeff Kinney was named one of Time magazine’s most influential people in the world. Three movies based on the book series have grossed more than $250 million internationally. The book series won Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in 2010, 2011, and 2012, and Jeff Kinney won a Children’s Choice Book Award in 2012 and 2013. Books in the series have won numerous awards voted on by students and teachers around the globe. The Wimpy Kid Island (Wimpy Wonderland) on poptropica.com, a virtual world for kids, remains one of the most visited on the site.
Nebraska Libraries Invited to Apply for Grant
Nebraska Public libraries are invited to apply by March 6 to receive $8,000 Libraries Transforming Communities grant and 18 months of professional development in community engagement. The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office is accepting applications for the Libraries Transforming Communities Public Innovators Cohort, an 18-month, team-based professional development opportunity for public libraries, developed by ALA and the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation.
The Libraries Transforming Communities project, made possible through a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, addresses a critical need of the field by developing and distributing new tools, resources and support for librarians to engage with their communities in new ways; strengthens librarians as community leaders and change agents, and strengthens ALA’s capacity as a lead library support entity.
In April, up to 50 individuals representing teams from 10 public libraries nationally will be selected to participate in the Public Innovators Cohort. Selected libraries will receive:
• An $8,000 grant to support Cohort expenses.
• An intensive 18-month Public Innovators Cohort experience, including training and team coaching to develop and implement a community engagement plan.
• Cohort training at the intensive three-day Public Innovators Lab, May 20-22, 2014.
• Virtual and in-person “innovation space” meetings.
• Access to six in-depth distance learning session.
• Monthly coaching and peer dialogue calls with a Harwood Institute coach and cohort peers to support implementation work.
• Access to publicity and marketing resources to support local-level communications.
The Public Innovators Cohort is grounded in the Harwood Institute‘s approach of “turning outward,” which emphasizes shifting the institutional and professional orientation of libraries and librarians from internal to external. Participants will develop and implement a plan for community engagement and learn how to:
• Identify community issues rooted in people’s shared aspirations;
• Strategically share this knowledge with your community to build public will for action;
• Develop strategies that align with local context;
• Create community conditions that enable change;
• Identify the right community partners to work with; and
• Develop networks for innovation and learning.
Complete guidelines and application instructions can be found at: ala.org/LTC. A conference call for interested applicants will be held at 1:00 p.m. central time on February 12, 2014.
For more information contact:
Mary Davis Fournier
Deputy Director, ALA Public Programs Office
312-280-5056, mfournier@ala.org
Registration now open for Big Talk From Small Libraries 2014
Registration for the 2014 Big Talk From Small Libraries online conference is now open! Details can be found on the registration page.
The schedule of presentations has not yet been set. We’re in the process of contacting presenters now, and we’ll have a schedule available for you soon.
More info about the online conference can be found on the event website.
Nebraska Learns 2.0: 2013’s Best Tech Tools and United Breaks Guitars
The Nebraska Learns 2.0 Thing for January is The Best Tech Tools of 2013.
For this month’s Thing, we’d like you to tell us what you think was the Best Tech Tool or Service of 2013. The ‘experts’ have had their say, now it’s your turn.
Another facet of Nebraska Learns 2.0 is BookThing. Each month we pick a single title that we feel has relevance to librarianship and/or information theory. Some of the titles will be very obviously related, while others may not seem so on the surface but there is a connection. Your assignment will be to read the book and create a blog post answering some questions about the title.
The BookThing for January is United Breaks Guitars by Dave Carroll.
Nebraska Learns 2.0 is the Nebraska Library Commission’s ongoing online learning 
program. It is a self-discovery program which encourages participants to take control of their own learning and to utilize their lifelong learning skills through exploration and PLAY.
Each month, we offer you an opportunity to learn a new Thing (or lesson). You have all month to complete that Thing and receive one CE credit. You may choose which Things to do based on personal interest and time availability If the Thing of the month doesn’t interest you or if you are particularly busy that month, you can skip it.
If you are new to Nebraska Learns 2.0, your first assignment is to sign up to participate. This program is open to ALL Nebraska librarians, library staff, library friends, library board members and school media specialists.
We hope you’ll join your library colleagues in the fun as you learn about new and exciting technologies!
Nebraska Libraries Invited to Learn More about Library-led Community Engagement
The American Library Association calls its “The Promise of Libraries Transforming Communities” program a groundbreaking libraries-as-change-agents initiative. ALA has partnered with the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to provide librarians with the tools and training they need to lead community engagement and innovation. The two-year project includes in-person training and coaching of librarians and ALA staff and member leaders to support the transformation of library services and the expanding role of libraries as community conveners. ALA will also offer conference-based and distance-learning opportunities.
Libraries interested in the in-person training and coaching to advance library-led community engagement will be recruited through an open application process that will be announced in January 2014. Please take a look at the details at http://www.ala.org/transforminglibraries/libraries-transforming-communities and comment below about whether you would be interested in getting involved in this program.
Free Webinar: Community Building and Makerspaces
ALA President Barbara Stripling’s Winter Webinar series “Building Community Through Making,” featuring nationally recognized speakers and innovative library leaders, begins at 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Central time on Monday, Dec. 16, 2013.
The December webinar, “Community Engagement through Making,” includes Steve Teeri, technology training associate at the Detroit Public Library and founder of the HYPE Makerspace, which allows teens to level up in abilities such as STEM and inventive thinking; Dara Schmidt, branch manager of Anythink Brighton and Matthew Hamilton, Anythink IT manager, from the Rangeview Library District; and Nate Hill, who oversees the daily operations of Digital Services and the 4th Floor Innovation Team as assistant director of the Chattanooga Public Library.
The Winter Webinar series will center on Making through innovation, community engagement and literacy, three focuses of Stripling’s Libraries Change Lives initiative. The sessions are intended to showcase best practices, successes and to transfer knowledge among ALA members. “Making Strategic Partnerships” will take place on Jan. 13, 2014, and “What is and What’s Next – Making Assessment and Opportunities” will take place on Feb. 14, 2014.
These webinars are presented by the ALA Office for Library Advocacy and co-sponsored by the Library Information Technology Association (LITA) and Barbara Stripling’s Presidential Advisory Committee. For more information about this series or for questions about registration, please contact the ALA Office for Library Advocacy at advocacy@ala.org.
Registration is mandatory, and limited to the first 100 participants who arrive in the virtual room. Visit the Adobe Connect event page to sign up today: http://ala.adobeconnect.com/e1k1sfpdrss/event/registration.html
The Winter Webinar Series is part of Stripling’s Libraries Change Lives Webinar Series, which will explore these focuses through partnerships, literacy innovations, and more, throughout her presidential year. For information on these webinars, or for speaking opportunities, please contact Sue Considine at sconsidine@fflib.org.
Library Design Showcase Submissions Now Open
Nebraska libraries are invited to apply for inclusion in the American Libraries 2014 Library Design Showcase, an annual feature celebrating new and newly renovated or expanded libraries of all types. The showcase will be featured in the September/October 2014 issue.
Nebraska libraries that are shining examples of innovative architecture and that address patrons’ needs in unique, interesting, and effective ways are encouraged to submit. Previous submissions have consisted of everything from outdoor facilities and LEED certifications to expanded high-tech teen areas and restorations of libraries from the turn of the century. To be eligible, projects must have been completed between May 1, 2013, and April 30, 2014. The deadline for submissions is May 31, 2014.
To have your library considered, send a completed submission form, along with high-resolution digital images, to American Libraries, Attn: Library Design Showcase, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. Submissions can also be sent via YouSendIt to ALShowcase@ala.org. Unfortunately, not all submissions can be featured. For more information, email ALShowcase@ala.org.
View the 2013 Library Design Showcase at americanlibrariesmagazine.org/article/building-future.
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Libraries Matter to Americans, According to Pew
The top three library services among Americans 16 and older who have used the library are: Books and Media, having a quiet, safe place, and librarian assistance. 90% of people surveyed thought that closing the library would have an impact on the community, according to a new study from the Pew Research Center.
This study, “How Americans Value Public Libraries in Their Communitites,” released today offers this information and more on Americans’ views on the public library. Over 6000 people over the age of 16 answered a 35 question survey about libraries to provide the data for the report. A number of reports on public libraries, reading, and the use of information are available from Pew.
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Deadline to apply for National Friends of Libraries Week Awards extended to Dec. 31
The deadline to apply for United for Libraries’ National Friends of Libraries Week Awards has been extended to Dec. 31, 2013. Nebraska Friends of the Library groups are invited to apply for this award.
Two awards of $250 will be given to Friends of the Library groups for activities held during National Friends of Libraries Week (Oct. 20-26, 2013). Application materials are available at www.ala.org/united/grants_awards/friends/friendsweek.
Applicants will be judged on creativity and innovation; involvement of Friends, library staff, Trustees and/or advisory committee; recognition of Friends group and promotion of Friends group to the community, school, students and/or faculty.
For more information or to join United for Libraries, visit the United for Libraries website or contact Jillian Kalonick at (312) 280-2161 or jkalonick@ala.org.
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Free toolkit on starting a school library friends group available from United for Libraries
United for Libraries has made available a free toolkit geared toward school librarians looking to create a friends of the library group.
“Friends Groups: Critical Support for School Libraries,” available at www.ala.org/united/friends, gives tips on gaining school support; raising the profile of the school library; generating excitement; establishing a friends group of parents, faculty and community members; creating a student friends group and more.
“With school libraries closing across the country, it is becoming more important than ever before for school librarians to develop friends groups,” said United for Libraries Executive Director Sally Gardner Reed. “Friends have been keeping public libraries open and even staving off budget cuts for years – they can do the same for school libraries.”
Also available at www.ala.org/united/friends are two additional free toolkits. “Libraries Need Friends: Starting a Friends Group or Revitalizing the One You Have” includes tips on membership, outreach, fundraising and more. “Academic Library Friends: A Toolkit for Getting Started – You Can Do This!” by Charles D. Hanson, director of Kettering Library Services, Kettering University, provides a framework for starting a Friends group at a community college or university.
United for Libraries: The Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations, is a division of the American Library Association that supports those who govern, promote, advocate and fundraise for libraries. United for Libraries brings together library Trustees, advocates, Friends, and Foundations into a partnership that creates a powerful force for libraries in the 21st century. For more information or to join United for Libraries, visit the United for Libraries website or contact Jillian Kalonick at (312) 280-2161 or jkalonick@ala.org.
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The Power of Story and One Rural Library
“Turning A Page Inside A Rural One-Room Library,” by Jennifer Davidson, is the latest addition to the NPR series on libraries. The story, about the Myrtle, MO (pop. 300) Public Library, is of interest for two reasons: 1. because it’s nice to see small rural libraries get a pat on the back, and 2. because it illustrates how effective a story can be in advocating for the library. Lots of nice comments on the story are listed. The story aired on Morning Edition and was posted October 21, 2013.
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David Vinjamuri: How Will Libraries Flourish in the Age of eBooks?
Join us for lunch with author David Vinjamuri on November 14 at the Omaha Public Library Millard Branch, 13214 Westwood Ln., Noon- 2:00 p.m. This luncheon speaker will be of special interest to public library directors and board members. Lunch will be included at no charge to participants. Advance registration is much appreciated (Register: nlc.nebraska.gov/scripts/calendar/eventshow.asp?ProgId=12584). Lunch is scheduled for noon, with the talk and book-signing from 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. As a special treat, a retirement reception for Sarah Watson, Omaha Public Library W. Dale Clark Library Branch Manager, will be held after the book signing.
David Vinjamuri spent nearly twenty years working with corporate brands. He writes for Forbes, teaches at New York University, and loves reading and the outdoors. Vinjamuri makes a compelling case for the centrality of libraries for reading overall, and why eBooks pose such a complex challenge. He also speaks frankly about the viewpoint of publishers and how libraries can better use their collective strength to change the dynamic with the largest publishers.
For more on this topic, see Accidental Branding: How Ordinary People Build Extraordinary Brands, by David Vinjamuri or his recent articles: Why Public Libraries Matter and How They Can Do More and The Wrong War Over Ebooks: Publishers vs. Libraries. Copies of Vinjamuri’s books, Accidental Branding and Operator, will be offered for sale at the event.
Contact: Manya Shorr, 402.444.4822, mdshorr@omahalibrary.org. This event was made possible, in part, by a 21st Century Librarian Program grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services. Sponsors: Nebraska Library Commission; Omaha Public Library; Lincoln City Libraries.
