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Category Archives: Youth Services
NCompass Live: Best New Children’s Books of 2023
Hear about the ‘Best New Children’s Books of 2023’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, November 22, 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:
- Nov. 29 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Internet Librarian 2023 Highlights
- Dec. 6 – Using Creativity to Grow & Develop
- Dec. 13 – Canvaholic
- Dec. 20 – Summer Reading Program 2024: Adventure Begins at Your Library
- Jan. 17, 2024 – Auditing Library Websites
- Jan. 24, 2024 – Best New Teen Reads of 2023
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.
Friday Reads: A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat
Announced yesterday, A First Time for Everything has won the National Book Foundation Award for Young People’s Literature.
It is on my Summer Reading Program list for 2024 and is a memoir of a three week school trip to Europe in 1989, the summer after 8th grade. In middle school Dan learned to be “…quiet. Small. … invisible.” (p. 11) Then one day, at the end of a school assembly Dan was unexpectedly asked (forced) to give his speech as practice for the speech tournament. It was a poem by A. A. Milne. He was ridiculed.
Then he took the three week school trip to Europe. Quiet at first, he slowly begins to have fun with some of the other students. And actually enjoying the trip. He does get lost in the middle of the night in France, but manages to steal a bike and find his way back (not proud of stealing the bike). Kirkus says, “Full of laughter and sentiment, this is a nudge for readers to dare to try new things.” (12/15/22)
Other Finalists for the Award for Young People’s Literature were:
Gather by Kenneth M. Cadow
Huda F Cares? by Huda Fahmy
Big by Vasti Harrison
The Lost Year: A Survival Story of the Ukrainian Famine by Katherine Marsh
Visit their web page to learn more. You can also see the winners and finalists in the other four categories on this web site.
Dan Santat is an author and illustrator of a variety of children and teen books, including After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again), The Aquanaut, Sidekicks: A Graphic Novel, and Lift by Minh Lê and illustrated by Dan Santat.
Santat, Dan. A First Time for Everything. First Second/Macmillan, 2022.
NCompass Live: Golden Sower Award: Get in the Know
Learn all about Nebraska’s Children’s Choice Award, the Golden Sower, on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, November 1, at 10am CT.
The Nebraska Golden Sower Award is Nebraska’s Children’s Choice Literary Award, sponsored by the Nebraska Library Association. Since 1982, the Golden Sower Award has sought to sow seeds which stimulate children’s thinking, introduce different types of literature, encourage independent reading, increase library skills, and foster an appreciation for excellence in writing and illustrating. This presentation will address the nature of the award, describe the award process, provide updates on changes to the award and committee structure, and share how to get involved.
Presenter: Anne Price, Nebraska Golden Sower Award Committee Member; Children’s Librarian, North Platte Public Library.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- Nov. 8 – Racial & Gender Bias in Search
- Nov. 15 – Redesigning a Library Website
- Nov. 22 – Best New Children’s Books of 2023
- Nov. 29 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Internet Librarian 2023 Highlights
- Dec. 6 – Using Creativity to Grow & Develop
- Dec. 13 – Canvaholic
- Dec. 20 – Summer Reading Program 2024: Adventure Begins at Your Library
- Jan. 17, 2024 – Auditing Library Websites
- Jan. 24, 2024 – Best New Teen Reads of 2023
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.
NCompass Live: Pretty Sweet Tech: How Augmented Reality Can Create Optimal Literacy Experiences
Explore how Living Popups transforms classic and original books into interactive experiences on next week’s Pretty Sweet Tech NCompass Live webinar, ‘How Augmented Reality Can Create Optimal Literacy Experiences’, on Wednesday, October 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.
LP Bookspace engages all readers and keeps them coming back for more! LP Bookspace brings to your library augmented reality experiences where characters literally jump off the page and help build comprehension and confidence.
The goal of this session is to explore how easy it is to create an optimal literacy experience within your library environment by applying innovative technology. You will discover the LB Bookspace tools to help you create an exciting Story Time, track students’ progress in the Dashboard, implement Book Clubs for older children and have families returning to your library again and again. You will learn about the Meet the Makers series introducing patrons of all ages to how the books are produced and the potential careers in the future all around great literature.
Join us to see how LP Bookspace could provide you with creative ways to deliver innovative programming to your community.
Guest Presenter: Cheryl Bayer, CEO, Living Popups, LLC.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- Nov. 1 – Golden Sower Award: Get in the Know
- Nov. 8 – Racial & Gender Bias in Search
- Nov. 15 – Redesigning a Library Website
- Nov. 22 – Best New Children’s Books of 2023
- Dec. 6 – Using Creativity to Grow & Develop
- Dec. 13 – Canvaholic
- Dec. 20 – Summer Reading Program 2024: Adventure Begins at Your Library
- Jan. 17, 2024 – Auditing Library Websites
- Jan. 24, 2024 – Best New Teen Reads of 2023
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.
Posted in Books & Reading, Education & Training, Technology, Youth Services
Tagged NCompLive, prettysweettech
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NCompass Live: Letters About Literature 2023
Learn about Nebraska’s state reading and writing contest for youth, Letters About Literature, on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, October 11, 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.
Presenter: Tessa Terry – Communications Coordinator, Nebraska Library Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- Oct 18 – Learning Opportunities and Resources from WebJunction
- Oct 25 – Pretty Sweet Tech: How Augmented Reality Can Create Optimal Literacy Experiences
- Nov. 8 – Racial & Gender Bias in Search
- Nov. 22 – Best New Children’s Books of 2023
- Dec. 6 – Using Creativity to Grow & Develop
- Dec. 20 – Summer Reading Program 2024: Adventure Begins at Your Library
- Jan. 17, 2024 – Auditing Library Websites
- Jan. 24, 2024 – Best New Teen Reads of 2023
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.
2024 NLC Grants are Open for Applications!
Nebraska Public Libraries and State-run Institutions! Do you have an idea for a program or project you would like to see funded?
The Nebraska Library Commission has made funding available for four grants for 2024: Continuing Education & Training, Internship, Library Improvement, and Youth Grants for Excellence.
Applications are being accepted for all NLC grants right now! Don’t let your library miss out on these opportunities!
Grant applications for all 2024 NLC grants are due November 17, 2023.
For more information about these grants, register for the September 20 NCompass Live webinar, NLC Grants for 2024.
Continuing Education & Training grants help assist Nebraska libraries to improve the library services provided to their communities through continuing education and training for their library personnel and supporters. Successful applications will show how the continuing education and/or training proposed will support the library’s mission. There will be two rounds of CE Grants. The first fall grants will open in September and applications will be accepted for events/projects/classes that must be completed before July 1, 2024. The second spring round will open in March and applications will be accepted for events/projects/classes that begin after July 1, 2024.
Internship grants work to introduce high school and college students to the varied and exciting work of Nebraska libraries. The internships are intended to function as a recruitment tool, helping the student to view the library as a viable career opportunity while providing the public library with the finances to provide stipends to the student interns.
Library Improvement grants facilitate growth and development of library programs and services in Nebraska public and institutional libraries, by supplementing local funding with federal funds designated for these purposes.
Youth Grants for Excellence are available specifically for innovative projects for children and young adults in your community. The program encourages creative thinking, risk-taking, and new approaches to enable youth librarians to begin needed programs and try projects which they have been unable to undertake, and to offer an opportunity to expand youth service capabilities in new and different directions.
Call for Speakers: Big Talk From Small Libraries 2024
The Call for Speakers for Big Talk From Small Libraries 2024 is now open!
Submit your proposal by Friday, December 15, 2023.
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 2024 will be held on Friday, February 23, 2024 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.
This conference is sponsored by the Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL) and the Nebraska Library Commission.
Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash
Friday Reads: Squished by Megan Wagner Lloyd
A full color graphic novel for tween readers, ages 8-12 or so. Avery (11) the second-oldest of seven children in the loving Lee family, is beginning to feel squished by her siblings. When her older brother is given a room of his own, and her room of two is becoming a room of three, (younger brother Max is moving in with Avery and her sister, Pearl), she prepares a list of reasons she should have her own room, to no avail.
Avery loves her family, she just gets a bit embarrassed and frustrated by them. She also has some good friends who she spends time with – and they share some inside jokes as well.
Now Avery has decided to earn money in order to have a room built for her in the basement. Walking dogs and selling lemonade do not work out well. Then she learns the family may be moving to Oregon for her mother’s new job, and a room of her own is not even an issue anymore. She doesn’t want to move away from her friends and all she knows.
There is plenty going on and readers will relate to Avery’s ups and downs.
Megan Wagner Lloyd. Squished. New York, Graphix, Scholastic Inc., 2023.
2023 NLS Summer Reading Author Talk: Jenny Torres Sanchez
Join us on Zoom for an exciting author talk with Jenny Torres Sanchez, author of We Are Not from Here!
Jenny Torres Sanchez writes children’s and young adult fiction that has been a finalist for the Pura Belpre Award and included on the American Library Association’s annual list of Best Fiction for Young Adults. Her book We Are Not from Here vividly captures the treacherous journey of three teenagers who cross from Guatemala through Mexico to the United States in search of a better life.
This event is specially designed for YA, but all are welcome.
- Thursday, August 3 at 7:00 pm EDT
- Webinar registration: Author Talk – Jenny Torres Sanchez
For more information:
Annette Hall
402-471-4033
annette.hall@nebraska.gov
#BookFaceFriday “The Lake House” by Sarah Beth Durst
You might have to leave the light on for this #BookFaceFriday!
Summer Camp isn’t all it’s cracked up to be in this week’s #BookFace! “The Lake House” by Sarah Beth Durst (HarperTeen, 2023) is a nail biting thriller for teens, and it’s all set at a sleep away camp. Perfect for readers who like something a little scary, described as “Yellowjackets meets One of Us Is Lying.“
“Nail-biting and atmospheric, The Lake House explores how secrets keep people apart—and the power of female friendships. Reyva, Mariana, and especially Claire are characters you can’t stop rooting for, even as every obstacle they surmount is replaced by a bigger one. I read it every time I had a spare second, and a lot of times when I didn’t.”
— April Henry, New York Times bestselling author
This title comes from our large collection 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.
Love this #BookFace & reading? Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!
Posted in Books & Reading, General, Youth Services
Tagged Book Covers, bookface, bookfacefriday, Reading, Sarah Beth Durst, The Lake House, Thriller, YA books
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2024 ‘One Book For Nebraska Kids & Teens’ Titles Selected
The Nebraska Library Commission is excited to announce the 2024 titles selected for the One Book For Nebraska Kids & Teens program:
Wouldn’t it be great if kids all over Nebraska were talking about books? And wouldn’t it be even better if those kids were talking about the SAME book? Hold on to your bookmarks, the Nebraska Library Commission and Regional Library Systems have a program for that!
Each year, the One Book for Nebraska Kids & Teens program selects a title for kids (roughly grades 4-6) and teens (older readers) and encourages youth across the state to read and discuss the book together. Read more about the program, and see current and past selections here: http://nlc.nebraska.gov/Youth/OBOK/index.aspx
One Book For Nebraska Kids 2024:
Parachute Kids, by Betty Tang (Graphix, 2023).
A middle-grade graphic novel that follows Feng-Li and her siblings as they navigate life alone in a new country. After a fun-filled vacation in California, Mom and Dad announce that the family is staying and enroll the children in school. When their parents’ visas expire, the children are left in their rental house while their parents return to Taiwan to sort out a legal reentry to the United States.
One Book For Nebraska Teens 2024:
Between the Lines, by Nikki Grimes (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2018).
This 2018 companion to Grimes’ Bronx Masquerade combines verse and prose to explore the thoughts, feelings, and struggles of a diverse class of poets as they prepare for their school poetry slam. In addition to honing their writing skills, they find friendship and support in each other.
The Nebraska Library Commission and each Regional Library System will have book sets for the 2023 and 2024 titles to check out to librarians and school media specialists for their book clubs. See our Book Club Kit page, or contact your regional library system directory for details.
NCompass Live: One Book For Nebraska Kids & Teens 2023
Wouldn’t it be great if kids all over Nebraska were talking about books? Hear about the Nebraska Library Commission & the Regional Library Systems’ program where kids can all read and discuss the same book on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, July 5 at 10am CT.
Join Sally Snyder, the NLC’s Coordinator of Children and Young Adult Library Services, and Aimee Owen, Information Services Librarian, to learn all about the One Book for Nebraska Kids and Teens program. And be the first to hear the 2024 titles that will be announced on this show!
Our 2023 titles are:
- One Book For Nebraska Kids – The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich
- One Book For Nebraska Teens – Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- July 12 – A Library Centennial Celebration in Photos and Memories
- July 19 – Nebraska Open Meetings Act: 2023 Overview and Updates
- July 26 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Internet Filtering For E-Rate CIPA Compliance And Cybersecurity
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.
#BookFaceFriday “Dear Librarian” by Lydia M. Sigwarth
SHHHH, this is a #BookFaceFriday!
Summer reading is in full swing all over Nebraska! So this week’s #BookFaceFriday is both a shout out to all those amazing librarians that put tons of work into Summer Reading Programs, but also that we have book lists for all ages on Nebraska OverDrive Libraries. “All Together Now: Summer Reading Program 2023” is a specially curated collection great titles that would be perfect picks for Summer Reading. Just like “Dear Librarian” written by Lydia M. Sigwarth and illustrated by Romina Galotta ( Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2021.) It’s a perfect reminder of everything a library has to offer. It’s available for checkout as an audiobook from Nebraska Overdrive Libraries.
“Galotta uses an array of media, including watercolors and colored pencils, to lovingly reflect the heroine’s inner emotions and thoughts in the details and background on each page . . . This touching story celebrates the joys of friendship, finding a home, and the power of libraries.”
— School Library Journal, starred review
Find this title and many more through Nebraska OverDrive! Libraries participating in the Nebraska OverDrive Libraries Group currently have access to a shared and growing collection of digital downloadable audiobooks and eBooks. 188 libraries across the state share the Nebraska OverDrive collection of 21,696 audiobooks, 35,200 eBooks, and 3,964 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!
Love this #BookFace & reading? Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!
ARSL 2023 Early Bird Conference Registration is NOW OPEN! NLC CE Grants are reopening for a limited time!
Registration for both in-person and virtual attendance at the 2023 ARSL Conference is open!
And we are reopening the Nebraska Library Commission CE Grants to attend the 2023 ARSL Conference for a very limited time!
Staff and board members at accredited Nebraska public libraries or state-run institutional libraries are eligible. Apply for the NLC CE Grant by July 7 at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/Grants/CE/arslconferencegrant.aspx
The in-person 2023 ARSL Conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency, Wichita, Kansas, from September 20-23, 2023.
This year’s conference theme is “Unite & Ignite”! Our conference provides an opportunity to unite as a professional community and foster a sense of togetherness across a nation of small but mighty libraries. When we come together to share and learn we’ll light fires of innovation and change that can burn bright all year long.
Early Bird pricing for in-person attendance will be available through July 18.
For more information about the conference and to register, visit the 2023 Conference Homepage.
ARSL Member Rates
- Base Conference Attendance
Early Bird – $290
Regular – $375 - Preconference Workshops**
3-Hour Workshops – $55
4-Hour Workshops – $70 - Virtual Attendance
$55
Student, Advocate & Retiree Rates*
- Base Conference Attendance
Early Bird – $245
Regular – $285 - Preconference Workshops**
3-Hour Workshops – $55
4-Hour Workshops – $70 - Virtual Attendance
$30
Nonmember Rates
- Base Conference Attendance
Early Bird – $380
Regular – $450 - Preconference Workshops**
3-Hour Workshops – $80
4-Hour Workshops – $95 - Virtual Attendance
$80
*Must be an ARSL Advocate, Student, or Retiree member. **Preconference Workshop fees are charged in addition to Base Conference Registration and are available for in-person conference attendees only.
2023 NLS Summer Reading Kickoff Program
You’re invited to attend the very first National Library Service Summer Reading Program!
It begins on Monday, June 26 with a kickoff event featuring Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden, who will welcome everyone and read a picture book for the younger participants. All ages are welcome!
- Monday, June 26 at 4:00 pm EDT
- Webinar registration: Summer Reading Kickoff Event
The kickoff event will be followed by these weekly author talks and story times and music:
- Thursday, June 29 at 7:00 pm EDT: Author Talk (Adult) – Shelby Van Pelt, Remarkably Bright Creatures
- Thursday, July 6 at 7:00 pm EDT: Story Time and Music (K-3rd Grade) – Matt Mazur
- Tuesday, July 11 at 7:00 pm EDT: Author Talk (Middle Grades) – Celia C. Perez, The First Rule of Punk
- Saturday, July 22 at 1:00 pm EDT: Author Talk (K-5th Grade) – Annette Bay Pimentel and Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, All the Way to the Top: How One Girls’ Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything
- Thursday, July 27 at 7:00 pm EDT: Author Talk (YA and Middle Grades) – Kwame Alexander, The Crossover
- Thursday, August 3 at 7:00 pm EDT: Author Talk (YA) – Jenny Torres Sanchez, We Are Not From Here
For more information:
Annette Hall
402-471-4033
annette.hall@nebraska.gov
Apply now for a ‘Thinking Money for Kids’ Program Kit
For more grants like this one, check out the NLC’s Grant Opportunities for Nebraska Libraries at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/grants/index.aspx
ALA and the FINRA Foundation invite public libraries, including tribal and state libraries in the U.S. and U.S. territories, to apply to receive a Thinking Money for Kids Program Kit, a collection of expertly vetted resources to help libraries offer financial education for children ages 3 to 12, both in the library and in children’s homes..
Application deadline: September 8.
We all need to master the knowledge and skills to make smart financial choices and prepare for whatever the future brings. Thinking Money for Kids, an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, strives to teach children and their parents, caregivers and educators about financial topics – like saving, spending, sharing and budgeting – in a way that is both meaningful and fun.
Approximately 200 public libraries will be selected to receive a Thinking Money for Kids Program Kit (estimated kit value: $2,000). Libraries will keep all kit contents, including the Launchpads, after the grant period ends. The programming period will run from September 2024 through December 2025.
Each selected library will receive the following:
- All materials needed to host five different in-person children’s programs – such as ready-to-use games, props and other physical materials – for children ages 3 to 12.
- A set of Playaway Launchpad tablets pre-loaded with digital content that aligns with the in-person program offerings.
- Program instructions, talking points, related book lists and other resources to assist library workers in planning and hosting the in-person programs.
- Template promotional materials and digital graphics to assist library workers with marketing the programs and Launchpad tablets to the public.
- Access to virtual training and a community of practice.
Shipping is free for libraries and coordinated by ALA.
Selected libraries are required to attend two brief virtual trainings; host each of the five in-person children’s programs at least once during the 16-month programming period; add Launchpad tablets to library circulation and collect circulation data; and complete a brief final report form (estimated completion time: less than 30 minutes).
Posted in Grants, Youth Services
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Lois Lenski Covey Foundation: Bookmobile Grant Program
For more grants like this one, check out the NLC’s Grant Opportunities for Nebraska Libraries at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/grants/index.aspx
Through the Bookmobile Grant Program, the Lois Lenski Covey Foundation awards grants to organizations that operate a lending bookmobile that travels into neighborhoods populated by underserved youth. The grants are for purchasing books published for young people preschool through grade 8, Early Reader books through Young Adult and Hi-Lo books.
Bookmobiles operated by charitable [501(c)(3)] and other non-taxable agencies, including public libraries or schools, are eligible. The Foundation provides grants to organizations that serve economically or socially at-risk children, have limited book budgets, and demonstrate real need.
Grants range from $500 to $3000 and are specifically for book purchases, and cannot be used for administrative or operational uses.
A link to a downloadable application and detailed instructions for completing and sending the application are available at the Bookmobile Grant Application webpage.
Application deadline: September 1.
About the Lois Lenski Covey Foundation
The purposes of the Lois Lenski Covey Foundation are to advance literacy and foster a love of reading among underserved and at-risk children and youth. Lois Lenski, celebrated author and illustrator of over one hundred children’s books and the 1946 Newbery medalist for Strawberry Girl, established the Foundation as a charitable institute in 1967. Since then the Foundation has assisted over 400 organizations in their efforts to nurture reading skills, gain access to books, and instill a love of reading.
Posted in Books & Reading, Grants, Youth Services
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#BookFaceFriday “Across the Desert” by Dusti Bowling
Is it hot out here, or is it just #BookFaceFriday?
Well, we weren’t able to find a desert for this week’s #BookFace, but we did the best we could. If your kids are looking for a little adventure this summer, look no further! NLC has several great titles in their book club kit collection that would be great for taking their minds all over the world, like this week’s #BookFaceFriday “Across the Desert” by Dusti Bowling (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2023.) A middle-grade action-adventure story, about survival, friendship, and courage. It’s available for checkout as a book club kit or as an audiobook from Nebraska Overdrive Libraries. We have 10 copies available for your library to borrow today! We also have several other titles by Dusti Bowling available on Nebraska OverDrive Libraries, check them all out today.
“Experience has taught Jolene she can only count on herself, and she doesn’t think she counts for much. But when she witnesses her friend’s accident in the desert via live stream, she finds the strength to rescue them both. Across the Desert combines compelling adventure, honesty, danger, and love.”
―Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Book Club Kits Rules for Use
- These kits can be checked out by the librarians of Nebraska libraries and media centers.
- Circulation times are flexible and will be based upon availability. There is no standard check-out time for book club kits.
- Please search the collection to select items you wish to borrow and use the REQUEST THIS KIT icon to borrow items.
- Contact the Information Desk at the Library Commission if you have any questions: by phone: 800/307-2665, or by email: Information Services Team
Find this title and many more through Nebraska OverDrive! Libraries participating in the Nebraska OverDrive Libraries Group currently have access to a shared and growing collection of digital downloadable audiobooks and eBooks. 188 libraries across the state share the Nebraska OverDrive collection of 21,696 audiobooks, 35,200 eBooks, and 3,964 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!
Love this #BookFace & reading? Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!
#BookFaceFriday “I am Princess X” by Cherie Priest
Once upon a time, there lived a #BookFaceFriday!
Don’t let the summer slide happen for your tween and teen readers. With no homework to keep them busy, summer is a great time to start a YA book club. NLC has several great titles in their book club kit collection that would be perfect picks like this week’s #BookFaceFriday “I Am Princess X” by Cherie Priest (Scholastic Inc., 2016.) Don’t be fooled by the crown, this is no fairy tale! A young adult mystery, interspersed with graphic novel elements, it will surely draw in younger teen readers. It’s available for checkout as a book club kit or as an audiobook from Nebraska Overdrive Libraries. We have 10 copies available for your library to borrow today! We also have discussion questions available on the Book Club page so your book club members have a great place to start when talking about what they’re reading.
“Priest’s YA debut is an engrossing cyberthriller packed with a puzzling mystery, crackerjack detective work, and an eerie, atmospheric sense of place. Teens who roll their eyes at adults out of touch with Internet culture will eat this up.”
— Booklist, starred review
Book Club Kits Rules for Use
- These kits can be checked out by the librarians of Nebraska libraries and media centers.
- Circulation times are flexible and will be based upon availability. There is no standard check-out time for book club kits.
- Please search the collection to select items you wish to borrow and use the REQUEST THIS KIT icon to borrow items.
- Contact the Information Desk at the Library Commission if you have any questions: by phone: 800/307-2665, or by email: Information Services Team
Find this title and many more through Nebraska OverDrive! Libraries participating in the Nebraska OverDrive Libraries Group currently have access to a shared and growing collection of digital downloadable audiobooks and eBooks. 188 libraries across the state share the Nebraska OverDrive collection of 21,696 audiobooks, 35,200 eBooks, and 3,964 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!
Love this #BookFace & reading? Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!
NCompass Live: Pretty Sweet Tech: Bots for the Community!
Join us to hear how the FarmBot project, ‘Harvest at the Library’, was born on next week’s ‘Pretty Sweet Tech’ NCompass Live webinar, ‘Bots for the Community!’, on Wednesday, May 31, 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.
Hear how a FarmBot had an impact on the community and how the library launched videos to teach people how the bot works (in-person programs were not open yet at the library). Lou shares the excitement of harvesting the very first carrot from the FarmBot!
Guest Presenters: Dan Lou, Library Program Coordinator, Palo Alto City Library; Susan T. Cheng, Lead Mentor, Space Cookies FIRST Robotics Competition Team 1868, Adult Co-Leader, Space Cookies Girl Scout Troop 62868; and Navika S., Space Cookies FIRST Robotics Competition Team 1868, Space Cookies Girl Scout Troop 62868.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
- June 7 – In Search of the Obscure – Using Library & Online Sources to Find Resources that are Out of the Ordinary
- June 14 – Transforming Library Staff Learning Through Technology Skills Assessments
- June 21 – Nebraska Public Library Laws: Chapter 51 and Beyond
- June 28 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Secure Computers For Public Use
- July 5 – One Book for Nebraska Kids & Teens 2023
- July 12 – A Library Centennial Celebration in Photos and Memories
- July 19 – Nebraska Open Meetings Act: 2023 Overview and Updates
- July 26 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Internet Filtering For E-Rate CIPA Compliance And Cybersecurity
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.
Posted in Education & Training, Pretty Sweet Tech, Programming, Technology, Youth Services
Tagged NCompLive, prettysweettech
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