Join us tomorrow for the 2025 Big Talk From Small Libraries online conference. Registration is still open, so head over to the Registration page and sign up!
We have a full agenda for the day, with speakers from academic, K-12, and public libraries presenting on a wide variety of topics: reader’s advisory, interactive library displays, school/public library partnerships, marketing, sustainability, a Library of Things, Sensory Gardens, and much more.
And, Nebraska library staff and board members can earn 1 hour of CE Credit for each hour of the conference you attend! A special Big Talk From Small Libraries CE Report form has been made available for you to submit your C.E. credits.
This event is a great opportunity to learn about the innovative things your colleagues are doing in their small libraries. So, come join us for a day of big ideas from small libraries!
We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) is accepting applications for its Books Save Lives Grants, providing funding for school libraries, public libraries, and educational institutions in the United States to purchase diverse titles.
Each Books Save Lives Grant will provide up to $5,000 per recipient. Recipients will provide a list of requested titles to WNDB. WNDB will then vet the list and ship the approved books directly to the address provided.
Applications are due by March 14, 2025.
Applicants must work full-time at a school library, public library, or educational organization within the United States to receive a Books Save Lives Grant.
This is a United States-based grant. Nominated schools, libraries, and organizations must be located within a U.S. state.
Applicants must be located in areas impacted by book challenges and censorship efforts, whether on a local or state level.
The grant must be used to purchase diverse books. Recipients will provide WNDB with a requested list of titles. WNDB will then vet the list and ship the books directly to the recipient.
Recipients must complete two evaluation surveys after the books have been circulated.
Sponsored by the Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL) and the Nebraska Library Commission, this free one-day online conference is tailored for staff from small libraries – the smaller the better! All of our presenters are from libraries serving fewer than 10,000 people or are co-presenting with a small library. This event is a great opportunity to learn about the innovative things your colleagues are doing in their small libraries.
Everyone is welcome to register and attend, regardless of how big or small your library. But, if your library serves a few hundred to a few thousand people, this is the day for you!
He was inaugurated on February 6th and the 2023-2024 National Ambassador, Meg Medina, attended.
As quoted in the article, Barnett said, “It’s a profound honor to serve as ambassador. When I got the news, I was speechless, which is unusual for me.” He has chosen to “celebrate the children’s picture book” and the way they “blend words and illustrations to create a uniquely powerful reading experience.”
Congratulations to Mac Barnett! Certainly a popular author with children and he has a lineup of over 60 books he has written. What is a favorite title with the children in your community?
I have read a lot, but not all of his books, one of my favorites is Sam and Dave Dig a Hole from 2014, illustrated by Jon Klassen and named a Caldecott Honor Book. Readers will be delighted by all things the diggers missed.
Another favorite of mine is Mac Undercover from 2018, the first book in his series titled “Mac B., Kid Spy” a novel for grades 3-6. Mac secretly helps the Queen of England – who is disgusted by his attire and “bad” English, but does appreciate his help. Silly and clever, Mac ends up in unexpected situations wondering how he will escape and solve the mystery.
I hope the young readers in your community will love the idea of Mac Barnett as the 2025-26 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature!
One of the picture books School Library Journal included on their “Best Picture Books of 2024” list is I’m Sorry You Got Mad by Kyle Lukoff. Learning how to apologize, and mean it, is hard, and Jack is not yet convinced he should. But the teacher expects it.
Right off we know Jack must write a note of apology to Zoe, but the teacher must approve it first. His third attempt is the title of the book and he must try again. He is angry while working on the note and the other students have no trouble realizing it.
Through the rejected notes the reader/listener learns that Zoe’s castle was knocked over. And then we begin to learn the reasons this happened.
Finally Jack writes an acceptable note, and Zoe replies with a thank-you note. Maybe tomorrow they will build a castle together.
The artwork adds greatly to the story. In one illustration the pencil sharpener is roaring as Jack uses it – with a big frown on his face, the other students all noticing him. The reader/listeners can tell he is still mad. This is the complete package of story and art – and a great way to let young ones see someone practicing… fighting it… trying… and finally getting it right.
Lukoff, Kyle. I’m Sorry You Got Mad. Dial Books, 2024.
A number of awards honoring titles and media for children and young adults were announced this morning. The John Newbery Medal goes to The First State of Being written by Erin Entrada Kelly, with four other titles named as Newbery Honor Books.
The Randolph Caldecott Medal goes to Chooch Helped, illustrated by Rebecca Lee Kunz and written by Andrea L. Rogers, with four additional titles named Caldecott Honor Books.
To see the ALA new release listing all the youth awards and titles, go here.
Life After Whale by Lynne Brunelle, was given the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children. This focuses briefly on the life of the blue whale (90 year old), and mostly on how it provides food and shelter to many creatures on its way to the ocean floor, and after it settles on the bottom of the sea. Lots of information paired with amazing art by Jason Chin. The author presents and explains the different phases of the whale fall – the total time of this whale fall ecosystem is more than 100 years. Additional information is found on the back pages, including more information on blue whales; the four phases of a whale fall listed on a two-page spread, and a brief bibliography. An amazing book.
Cue the Jaws theme song! This week’s #BookFace, “Shark Teeth” by Sherri Winston (Bloomsbury, 2024) was 1 of 193 titles featured in School Library Journal’s “Best Books of 2024.” A middle grade novel, geared towards readers in grades 5 and up, it’s the heart-wrenching tale of a young girl trying to keep her family together at any cost. The topics covered are heavy ones, but sadly very real issues for many kids.
“Driven by an intelligent and complex protagonist, this courageous story about strength in the face of neglect, and the bravery to demand what is best of one’s family and oneself, is potent and powerful.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
The Nebraska Library Commission receives a large number of children’s and young adult books sent to us as review copies from book publishers. When our Children and Young Adult Library Services Coordinator, Sally Snyder, is done with them, the review copies are available for the Library System Directors to distribute to school and public libraries in their systems. You can see some of her favorites of the past year in the recent NCompass Live webinar episodes: Best Teen Reads of 2024 and Best Children’s Books of 2024.
School Library Journal has announced their choices for Best Books 2024, 193 titles were selected. Ten sections were chosen: Picture Books, Transitional Books, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Nonfiction Elementary, Nonfiction Middle to High School, Poetry, Graphic Novels, Manga, and Top 10 Audiobooks.
You can download a spreadsheet PDF of the entire list, category by category. Every year different lists include titles I have recommended and titles I didn’t encounter anywhere – on blogs, through perusing the library, or in the batches of books publishers have sent to the Library Commission.
The titles I have read includes Medusa by Katherine Marsh. It is the first book in the Myth of Monsters series. Ava, 12, is sent to an institute for descendants of Greek monsters after an incident at her regular school ended with a boy being frozen. But she isn’t sure Medusa was a monster, and she and some new friends go on an unauthorized trip to find Medusa and ask her some questions. This book is for upper elementary school readers.
Ten Little Rabbits by Maurice Sendak is on their Picture Book list. It is copyrighted in 1970, but was never published until 2024. The text is mostly numerals from 1 to 10 and then back to 1. The boy is a showman, but the rabbits get rather hard to handle when there is a group of them. The rabbits, in colors of white, blue, gray, or yellow, keep popping out of the hat. You don’t see them disappear, they don’t go back into the hat, but on each page there is one less – and they are becoming more manageable. Listeners will enjoy the magic show.
I hope you find some good titles to add to your collection from the lists on the School Library Journal web page.
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation is currently accepting grant applications for programs aimed at enhancing Adult, Family, and Summer Reading Literacy programs. The Foundation will also accept applications for its Youth Literacy grant program starting on March 6, 2025.
The application deadline for Adult, Family, and Summer Reading Literacy Grant applications is February 6, 2025. Interested applicants may find eligibility information and apply by visiting the Dollar General Literacy Foundation Grant Programs website.
To be eligible for a grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, your organization must be a nonprofit organization as determined by the IRS, a public library, school or college providing direct literacy services within a state that Dollar General Corporation operates in and is within 15 miles of a Dollar General store. Other eligibility requirements are specific to each grant type and can be found within the grants themselves.
For the Adult and Family literacy grant programs, the maximum grant amount is up to $10,000. The Summer Reading maximum is $3,000 and the Youth Literacy grant is $4,000. Applying for a grant does not guarantee that amount due to the large volume of requests we receive.
Adult Literacy Grants(Grant Application deadline: February 6, 2025) Funding is awarded to organizations that provide direct services to adults in need of literacy assistance in one of the following areas:
Adult basic education
GED or high school equivalency preparation
English language acquisition
Family Literacy Grants(Grant Application deadline: February 6, 2025) Funding is awarded to nonprofit organizations who support the whole family in literacy, providing:
Adult education instruction
Children’s education
Parent and Child Together Time (PACT)
Summer Reading Grants(Grant Application deadline: February 6, 2025) Local nonprofit organizations, schools, and libraries can receive funding to support the creation or expansion of summer reading programs that meet the following criteria:
Target pre-K to 12th grade students who are new readers
Target below grade level readers
Assist readers with learning disabilities
Youth Literacy Grants (Grant Applications will be available on March 6, 2025. Application deadline: April 3, 2025) Schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations who help students that are below grade level or having trouble reading may apply with funding provided to assist in the following areas:
Implementing new or expanding existing literacy programs
Purchasing new technology or equipment to support literacy initiatives
Purchasing books, materials or software for literacy programs
The full schedule for the 2025 Big Talk From Small Libraries online conference is now available!
You will find all the details on the Schedule page. Information about our presenters is available on the Speakers page.
If you haven’t registered yet, now is the time to jump over to the Registration page and sign up – the conference is free and open to anyone in the world to attend! However, please be aware that all times are listed in US Central Time – UTC-6.
You are welcome to watch as an
individual or to host a group viewing of the conference. If several staff
members from the same library want to attend, you can just register for one
seat and have staff members view/listen together via one workstation.
You can also host a viewing party this same way and invite staff from other libraries. For any group viewings, if you know who will be there, you can list your Additional Attendees on your one registration or you can send us a list after the event. Be sure to take all necessary health and safety precautions into account when planning group viewings.
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.
Join us for the first NCompass Live webinar of 2025, where you will hear about the ‘Best New Teen Reads of 2024’, on Wednesday, January 8 at 10am CT.
Sally Snyder, the Nebraska Library Commission’s Coordinator of Children and Young Adult Library Services, will give brief book talks and reviews of new titles recommended to school and public librarians, covering both middle and high school levels, that were published within the last year.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Jan. 15 – Talking Book and Braille Service: Improving Accessibility to Books
Jan. 22 – 2025 One Book One Nebraska: ‘The Long March Home: A World War II Novel of the Pacific’
Jan. 29 – Pretty Sweet Tech
Feb. 5 – Fostering Healthy Communication in Your 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.
You can keep the Christmas lights up till January with this #BookFaceFriday!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Nebraska Library Commission! As you’re setting up all those new tablets, Ereaders, and phones that were unwrapped on Christmas morning, don’t forget to download the Libby App and link your Library Card. You’re whole family can have access to free books through your library, and that includes picture books for your youngest kids like this week’s #BookFace “First Dog’s White House Christmas” written by J. Patrick Lewis and Beth Zappitello, and illustrated by Tim Bowers (Sleeping Bear Press, 2010). It’s available as a an eBook through Nebraska OverDrive Libraries: Kids & Teens, and can be found in the specially curated collection “Get Wrapped Up in a Good Book??: Juvenile Holiday Reads,” which is filled with holiday themed titles for kids and teens.
“In this wonderful picture book, the authors give readers a delightfully dog-centric picture of a Christmas gala at the White House. Readers will learn about Christmas traditions from many lands around the world, and they will also come to appreciate that though traditions might be different, the meaning of Christmas is the same the world over, if you are human or canine.”
— Marya Jansen-Gruber, Through the Looking Glass
Libraries participating in the Nebraska OverDrive Libraries Group currently have access to a shared and growing collection of digital downloadable audiobooks and eBooks. 194 libraries across the state share the Nebraska OverDrive collection of 26,898 audiobooks, 36,794 ebooks, and 5,133 magazines. As an added bonus it includes 130 podcasts that are always available with simultaneous use (SU), as well as SU ebooks and audiobook titles that publishers have made available for a limited time. If you’re a part of it, let your users know about this great title, and if you’re not a member yet, find more information about participating in Nebraska Overdrive Libraries!
Winter break is almost upon us and it’s the perfect time to get your kids set up to check out ebooks and audiobooks while they’re at home for holiday break. Even if winter weather ruins your regular trip to the library you and your kids can still enjoy new books like “All Wrapped Up: A Geek Girl Special” by Holly Smale (HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks, 2022). It’s available as an eBook through Nebraska OverDrive Libraries: Kids & Teens, and can be found in the specially curated collection “Get Wrapped Up in a Good Book??: Juvenile Holiday Reads,” which is filled with Holiday themed titles for kids and teens.
“A feel-good satisfying gem that will have teens smiling from cover to cover, and walking a little taller after reading”
— Books for Keeps
Libraries participating in the Nebraska OverDrive Libraries Group currently have access to a shared and growing collection of digital downloadable audiobooks and eBooks. 194 libraries across the state share the Nebraska OverDrive collection of 26,898 audiobooks, 36,794 ebooks, and 5,133 magazines. As an added bonus it includes 130 podcasts that are always available with simultaneous use (SU), as well as SU ebooks and audiobook titles that publishers have made available for a limited time. If you’re a part of it, let your users know about this great title, and if you’re not a member yet, find more information about participating in Nebraska Overdrive Libraries!
Hear about the ‘Best New Children’s Books of 2024’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, December 11, at 10am CT.
Sally Snyder, the Nebraska Library Commission’s Coordinator of Children and Young Adult Library Services, will give brief book talks on titles published in the last year that could be good additions to your library’s collection. Titles for pre-school through elementary school will be included.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Dec. 18 – Fostering Healthy Communication in Your Library
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
Jan. 22, 2025 – 2025 One Book One Nebraska: ‘The Long March Home: A World War II Novel of the Pacific’
Jan. 29, 2025 – 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.
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.
Applications for the 2025 Will Eisner Graphic Novel Grants for Libraries are now open! These grants recognize libraries for their growth of graphic literature and award funds for graphic novel collection development and programming.
The application deadline is January 12, 2025, 12pm CT.
The objective of the Will Eisner Graphic Novel Grants for Libraries is to facilitate library-generated programs and services that will promote graphic novels to library patrons and to the local community.
Two Will Eisner Graphic Novel grants will be awarded in 2025: one Will Eisner Graphic Novel Growth Grant, which provides support to libraries that would like to expand their existing graphic novel collection, services, and programs; and one Will Eisner Graphic Novel Innovation Grant, which provides support to a library or Friends Group for the initiation of a new graphic novel service or program.
All applicants must be current personal or organizational members of ALA in good standing at the time of application. The institution can be a school, public, academic, or special library and must be located in North America – Canada, United States, or Mexico.
Visit the Eisner Grants page for the application form and grant details. Be sure to also check out the Eisner Grant FAQ page for new updates and additional information, including samples of some of the previous winning grant applications.
Check out this recorded webinar for some tips and advice for your Will Eisner Grant application. For any questions, contact ALA Graphic Novels & Comics in Libraries Round Table Staff Liaison, Tina Coleman, at ccoleman@ala.org.
Each winning library will receive a grant award of $4,000 to support initiatives that align with the objective of the Will Eisner Graphic Novel Grants for Libraries. The grant award will consist of the following:
$2,000 grant in collection development funds to purchase graphic novels,
$1,000 grant to host a graphic novel-themed event at a library or another community location, and
$1,000 grant to attend the ALA Annual Conference to receive their grant money. This grant can be used towards any of the following: conference registration, transportation, lodging and food.
In addition, from the book publishers and the Eisner Foundation, the winning libraries will also receive the following graphic novels, valued at approximately $3,000:
The Will Eisner Library: A graphic novel collection of Will Eisner’s work and biographies about Will Eisner* (comprising approximately 40 books)
A selection of the winning titles from the current year’s Will Eisner Awards* at Comic-Con International (comprising approximately 40 books).
* Please note that some of the titles in these collections are of a mature nature.
Chosen Grant applicants must agree to take responsibility for organizing a recognition ceremony of their grant in their library.
Will Eisner (1917-2005) was an acclaimed American comics writer, artist, teacher, and entrepreneur. He is considered one of the most important contributors to the development of sequential art (a term he coined) and is known for the cartooning studio he founded; for his highly influential comic series, The Spirit; for his use of comics as an instructional medium; for his leading role in establishing the graphic novel as a form of literature with his 1978 groundbreaking graphic novel, A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories; for his 20 years of teaching at the School of Visual Arts, leading to his three textbooks. In a career that spanned nearly seven decades—from the dawn of the comic book to the advent of digital comics—Will Eisner was truly the “Father of the Graphic Novel.”
Join us to learn how libraries in Nebraska are using Reader Zone to engage readers of all ages in quality reading programs on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, November 20 at 10am CT.
Reader Zone helps schools and libraries host amazing reading programs using the three principles that drive success: Engage, Adapt, and Report. There is no limit to the size and type of organization that can use the service.
The Nebraska Library Commission has renewed the state-wide subscription to Reader Zone for all public, school, and academic libraries, continuing access through September 2025. Jake Ball, founder of Reader Zone, will give a live demo of Reader Zone and answer any questions you have about the program.
Presenters: Jake Ball, Founder, Reader Zone and Denise Harders, Director, Central Plains Library System.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Nov. 27 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Internet Librarian 2024 Recap
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.
Get ready for the 2025 Summer Reading Program, ‘Color Our World’, by learning about quality books for your library’s collection on this week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, November 6 at 10am CT.
Kids will be clamoring for both fiction and nonfiction titles as they read all about art and creativity at the library, the topic for the 2025 Collaboarative Summer Library Program.
Presenter: Sally Snyder, Coordinator of Children and Young Adult Library Services, Nebraska Library Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Nov. 13 – Nebraska Open Meetings Act: 2024 Overview and Update
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.
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) – Region 4’s Science Kits for Public Libraries (SKPL) Grant program is offering up to $2,000 in funding to public libraries to establish a new circulating science kits collection. Open to public libraries that serve geographic areas inside or partially inside the IEEE-Region 4 – this includes portions of Nebraska – see the green-shaded area of this map: IEEE Regions in the USA
The Application deadline is January 16, 2025. Those libraries which have previously applied for the grant but did not receive funding are invited to submit again.
Public Libraries have a long tradition of building stronger communities by providing life-long learning opportunities for children and teens. The SKPL Team is honored to have the opportunity to enrich the services that public libraries offer. SKPL enables children, parents, and teachers the chance to borrow library kits for hands-on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) learning at home or in classroom.
Region 4, Science Kits for Public Libraries (SKPL) organization is a volunteer-based organization affiliated with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). SKPL believes all children – regardless of race, gender, financial condition, or home environment – should have access to high-quality, hands-on STEM learning experiences. By making catalyst grants available to public libraries, we empower them to start their own science kit collections that are free and accessible to the public.
Learn about Nebraska’s state reading and writing contest for youth, Letters About Literature, on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, October 23 at 10am CT.
The Nebraska Center for the Book is a statewide organization dedicated to the promotion of reading in all its forms. Its annual Nebraska Letters About Literature contest allows students in 4th through 12th grade to write to authors (living or deceased) about their favorite book or poem about how his or her book affected their lives. This session will provide helpful information for teachers and librarians interested in the competition. It will also cover the submission process and be an excellent opportunity to ask questions about the entire competition process. Teachers will be interested in this program that will help enhance and extend their classroom instruction.
Nov. 6 – Summer Reading Program 2025: Color Our World
Nov. 13 – Nebraska Open Meetings Act: 2024 Overview and Update
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.
