Category Archives: Youth Services

#BookFaceFriday “First Snow” by Bomi Park

 It’s beginning to look a lot like #BookFaceFriday!

You might be dreaming of a white Christmas, but maybe not two feet worth. Even if winter weather ruins your regular trip to the library you and your kids can still enjoy new books like “First Snow” by Bomi Park (Chronicle Books, 2016). This title is available as an ebook in Nebraska OverDrive Libraries, along with many other children’s favorites. We also have a few of his titles in our book club kit collection, if your younger readers want to read them as a group.

“Toddler-PreS—The simple narrative holds readers’ interest while it moves from the familiar to the ethereal. The concise language and dreamy yet understandable images are perfect for toddlers. The artwork, in shades of black-and-white with accents of red, is reminiscent of the visuals in Akiko Miyakoshi’s Tea Party in the Woods, although Park’s images, mostly depicting nighttime scenes, are darker. VERDICT This quality picture book debut is a delight and just right to share one-on-one or in toddler storytime.”

School Library Journal

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. 186 libraries across the state share the Nebraska OverDrive collection of 26,554 audiobooks, 32,935 eBooks, and 3,940 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!

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Applications Open: ARSL & Penguin Random House Grants for Rural & Small Libraries

For more grants like this one, check out the NLC’s Grant Opportunities for Nebraska Libraries.

Applications for the 2022 Association for Rural & Small Libraries/Penguin Random House Grants for Rural & Small Libraries are now open!

Through the generosity of Penguin Random House, ARSL is pleased to announce this grant opportunity for small, rural libraries nationwide! This grant is available to libraries that meet both the IMLS definition for small libraries (a service population of 25,000 or fewer) and the definition for rural libraries (libraries located 5 or more miles from the nearest town of 25k or more).

Applicants may request:

One (1) monetary grant in support of a community-oriented project for up to $1,000.
          or
An in-kind grant donation of up to $1,000 in equivalent value to support a circulating collection in your library.

Deadline for applications is December 12, 2022.
Notifications of funding decision will be sent to applicants by January 27, 2023.
Funded projects must be completed by December 31, 2023.
Project reports must be submitted by February 1, 2024.

The program will award grants to libraries that demonstrate a true need. Monetary grants are not limited to literacy and may be used for everything from library programming and books to resources like hotspots that help community members access important information. Library seeking support for digital collections should request a monetary grant.

View the Grant FAQ and Apply for the Grant online. Contact the ARSL Office with any questions at info@arsl.org

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NCompass Live: Best New Children’s Books of 2022

Hear about the Best New Children’s Books of 2022 on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, November 23, at 10am CT.

Sally Snyder, 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. 30 – Pretty Sweet Tech – Everything You Missed from Internet Librarian 2022
  • Dec. 21 – Summer Reading Program 2023: All Together Now
  • Jan. 11, 2023 – Best New Teen Reads of 2022
  • Jan. 18, 2023 – First Amendment Audits: What You Need to Know

For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, 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 GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.

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Apply now for Science Kits for Public Libraries (SKPL) Grants

For more grants like this one, check out the NLC’s Grant Opportunities for Nebraska Libraries.

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, 2023. 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.

Visit the SKPL website, https://r4.ieee.org/skpl/ for the application form and submission details.

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.

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NCompass Live: Power Up With Documents: E-Documents in the Classroom

Learn how K-16 students can access and use free government documents online on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, November 2, at 10am CT.

Too often government documents are overlooked as sources for K-16 students. But for schools with limited resources, documents are the perfect place to find information. Best of all, they are freely accessible with an internet connection. Calvin T. Ryan Library is a selective depository in the Federal Depository Library Program and has been for over 60 years! This presentation will focus on the variety of ways to locate these treasures. Some sites are grade-specific! There will also be a libguide of Nebraska and federal documents your library can share to help your students find information. Are you up for the challenge?

Presenter: Rochelle Hunt Reeves, Associate Professor, Curriculum/OER/Government Documents Librarian, Calvin T. Ryan Library, University of Nebraska at Kearney.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • Nov. 9 – Reach Your Military-Affiliated Patrons with the Libraries & Veterans Toolkit
  • Nov. 23 – Best New Children’s Books of 2022
  • Nov. 30 – Pretty Sweet Tech
  • Dec. 21 – Summer Reading Program 2023: All Together Now
  • Jan. 11, 2023 – Best New Teen Reads of 2022
  • Jan. 18, 2023 – First Amendment Audits: What You Need to Know

For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, 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 GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.

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Apply for the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries Grant

For more grants like this one, check the NLC’s Grant Opportunities for Nebraska Libraries.

DALLAS, TEXAS; October 5, 2022 — Today, the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries opened the application for grants to support school libraries, with the goal of encouraging all students to develop a love of reading and learning. Since its inception in 2002, the Laura Bush Foundation has awarded more than $19.5 million to over 3,300 schools across the country. 

Grant applications are open to public, private, parochial, magnet, and charter schools that have a school library. Public schools must have a Title 1 designation and private schools must have at least 50% of the student population qualify for financial aid to be eligible.  Applications will remain open until November 30, 2022. Visit www.bushcenter.org/lbf to learn more and apply. 

In the 2021-2022 grant cycle, the Laura Bush Foundation awarded $1.5 million in grants to 300 school libraries across 44 states. Many librarians used the funds to update their library collections by adding more dual language titles and books that showcase a wide range of stories and perspectives. 

The Laura Bush Foundation is managed as a restricted fund at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas.  More information can be found at www.bushcenter.org

George W. Bush Institute

The George W. Bush Institute is a solution-oriented nonpartisan policy organization focused on ensuring opportunity for all, strengthening democracy, and advancing free societies. Housed within the George W. Bush Presidential Center, the Bush Institute is rooted in compassionate conservative values and committed to creating positive, meaningful, and lasting change at home and abroad. We utilize our unique platform and convening power to advance solutions to national and global issues of the day. Learn more at www.bushcenter.org

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NCompass Live: NLC Grants for 2023

Do you have a program or project you would like to see funded? Learn how to apply for the ‘NLC Grants for 2023’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, October 19 at 10am CT.

The Nebraska Library Commission is making funding available for four grants for 2023: Continuing Education & Training, Internship, Library Improvement, and Youth Grants for Excellence.

Grant applications for all 2023 NLC grants are due November 18, 2022. Don’t let your library miss out on these opportunities!

Join Christa Porter, Sally Snyder, and Holli Duggan, from the Nebraska Library Commission’s Library Development Team, as they provide an overview of the grants, including eligibility requirements and grant guidelines, the application process and grant review, timelines and deadlines. They will also share some tips on writing effective grants.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • Oct. 26 – Pretty Sweet Tech – WordPress Chatbots: No Code Tools & Guides
  • Nov. 9 – Reach Your Military-Affiliated Patrons with the Libraries & Veterans Toolkit

For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, 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 GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.

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Friday Reads: The Well by Jake Wyatt

What would you wish for? 

The Well is a full color graphic novel published for high school readers.  Li-Zhen, called Lizzy, lives with her grandfather and for the first time she will travel to town by herself with some goats to sell, riding in a sailboat in which her friend Eli now rows.  While in town, she snitches some coins from a sacred fountain to pay for her return trip. After returning home she is visited that night in her sleep.  The well demands repayment, not in coins but in wishes.  Lizzy must find a way to provide what has been wished for, or she will be drowned.  The well’s servant says it is the wishes connected to each of the three coins that are valuable, not the coins.  She has to talk friends and strangers into helping her and she only has a day to accomplish each task.  Each task is different, and the last task may kill her.   

One of the things that appealed to me about this book is the care put into wishing.  Little children wish for candy or toys, they said, but wishing should be more thoughtful.  Eli tells Lizzy that her mother explained it this way: “…first you’re supposed to think about what you have, what you are grateful for.  Then think about what you want out of life.”

For the first task she asks for help from Eli, and they end up kidnapping a woman who has wished to return to her island, but now no longer wants to go there.  The island was destroyed by the leviathan.  The well doesn’t care about current wants or changes in wishes.  It wants her to give what was wished for on the stolen coin, however long ago the wish was made.

This past summer I saw the movie “Three Thousand Years of Longing” with Idris Elba playing a genie.  Wishes are a big part of his existence.  That movie and this graphic novel made me think more about wishes.  Fairy tales often have wishes involved, almost always tricking the wisher.  I liked what Eli said in the book about wishing.  It can be done too quickly with little contemplation as to the likely result of the wish.  Maybe wishes should stay in our hearts and not be spoken out loud.

(The Nebraska Library Commission receives free copies of children’s and young adult books for review from a number of publishers.  After review, the books are distributed free, via the Regional Library Systems, to Nebraska school and public libraries.)

Wyatt, Jake. The Well. First Second, 2022.

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NCompass Live: Letters About Literature 2022

Learn about Nebraska’s state reading and writing contest for youth, Letters About Literature, on this week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, September 21 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.

Presenters: Tessa Terry – Communications Coordinator, Nebraska Library Commission; Richard Miller – Nebraska Center for the Book Board Member; Laurie Yocom, Director, Wilson Public Library; and Sally Snyder, Childrens’ Judge, Letters About Literature, Nebraska Library Commission.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

  • Sept. 28 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Programming a Robot Using Voice Commands
  • Oct. 5 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE THIS WEEK – ENJOY NLA!
  • Oct. 12 – Navigating the New NebraskAccess
  • Oct. 19 – NLC Grants for 2023

For more information, to register for NCompass Live, or to listen to recordings of past events, 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 GoToWebinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoToWebinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.

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2023 NLC Grants are Open for Applications

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 2023: 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 2023 NLC grants are due November 18, 2022.

For more information about these grants, register for the October 19 NCompass Live webinar, NLC Grants for 2023.

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 June 30, 2023. The second spring round will open in March and applications will be accepted for events/projects/classes that begin after July 1, 2023.

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 makes funding available specifically for innovative projects for children and young adults in accredited public libraries and state-run institutional libraries in Nebraska. The program is designed to encourage creative thinking, risk-taking, and new approaches to address problems and needs of children and young adults in your community.

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Call for Speakers: Big Talk From Small Libraries 2023

The Call for Speakers for Big Talk From Small Libraries 2023 is now open!

This free one-day online conference is tailored for librarians 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!

Submit your proposal by Friday, December 16, 2022.

Speakers from libraries serving fewer than 10,000 people will be preferred, but presentations from libraries with larger service populations will be considered.

Big Talk From Small Libraries 2023 will be held on Friday, February 24, 2023 between 8:45 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (CT) via the GoToWebinar online meeting service. Speakers will present their programs from their own desktops. The schedule will accommodate speakers’ time-zones.

This conference is organized and hosted by the Nebraska Library Commission and is co-sponsored by the Association for Rural & Small Libraries.

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

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#BookFaceFriday “Just Like That” by Gary D. Schmidt

Throw your hands in the air for #BookFaceFriday!

Check out this new book by Newbery Honor-winning writer Gary D. Schmidt!  This week’s #BookFaceFriday! “Just Like That” (Clarion Books, 2021), follows a character we meet in Schmidt’s Wednesdays Wars, and like his other titles, expertly blends humor and tragedy. It is available to all Nebraska OverDrive Libraries in both ebook and Audiobook format, so no matter how your kid likes to read, this book is for you. We have eight Gary Schmidt titles in our OverDrive collection, and two titles available in our Book Club Kits collection.

“Set in 1968, Just Like That is part of an outstanding series that began with Newbery Honor recipient The Wednesday Wars and continued in Okay for Now, a finalist for the National Book Award. While each book can be read separately, overlapping characters and themes enrich each other in understated and often profound ways. “Just Like That” is a riveting, award-worthy novel from a truly accomplished writer. Don’t miss it.” —BookPage

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. 190 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!

This week’s #BookFaceFriday model is our Cataloging Librarian, Shoshana Patocka!

Love this #BookFace & reading? Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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#BookFaceFriday “When the Wind Came” by Jan Andrews

There’s no place like home with #BookFaceFriday!

We are embracing, or at least making use of, these windy Nebraska days for this week’s #BookFace! Life is not always rainbows and blue skies. While we know this is true for adults, we often forget it’s just as true for children. Books are an excellent way to broach hard topics, help kids understand trauma, and explore healing, just like in “When the Wind Came” written by Jan Andrews and illustrated by Dorothy Leung (Kids Can Press, 2022.)

“A powerful story about loss and healing told in simple text and pictures. Particularly relevant to students who have been through the trauma of any extreme event, weather or otherwise.” —Sue Morgan, School Library Journal

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!

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#BookFaceFriday “All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook” by Leslie Connor

All rise for #BookFaceFriday!

Ahh, the smell of freshly sharpened pencils and new erasers, makes us want to go out and buy school supplies! This week’s #BookFace is a reminder that a Book Club Kit is the perfect summer reading tool.

This service allows libraries and school librarians to “check out” multiple copies of a book without adding to their permanent collections, or budgets. We have a great selection of kids/YA titles for you to choose from, like “All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook” by Leslie Connor (Katherine Tegen Books, 2017). You can search for books based on grade level, genre, the number of copies available, or keywords, helping librarians and teachers find great reads for their YA book clubs.

This book has a Nebraska setting and was a 2018-19 Golden Sower Nominee, it is also available to our Nebraska OverDrive Libraries as both an eBook and an Audiobook!

“Rich characterizations give the novel its big heart: Jessica, Big Ed, and the other Blue River inmates are nuanced, vivid characters whose stories of perseverance after tragedy embody the novel’s themes of redemption, hope, and community. This beautifully written work will send readers’ spirits soaring.”

 — School Library Journal (starred review)

Book Club Kits Rules for Use

  1. These kits can be checked out by the librarians of Nebraska libraries and media centers.
  2. Circulation times are flexible and will be based upon availability. There is no standard check-out time for book club kits.
  3. Please search the collection to select items you wish to borrow and use the REQUEST THIS KIT icon to borrow items.
  4. Contact the Information Desk at the Library Commission if you have any questions: by phone: 800/307-2665, or by email: Information Services Team

Love this #BookFace & reading? Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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ARSL 2022 Conference Early Bird Registration is NOW OPEN!

Registration for both in-person and virtual-only attendance at the 2022 ARSL Conference is open!

Early Bird pricing for in-person attendance will be available through July 26. The in-person conference will be held at the Chattanooga Convention Center, Chattanooga, TN from September 14-17, 2022.

For more information about the conference, visit the 2022 Conference Homepage.

In-Person Early Bird Pricing

  • ARSL Members: $275
  • Nonmembers: $350
  • Advocates, Students, & Retirees*: $225

Virtual-Only Pricing

  • ARSL Members: $50
  • Nonmembers: $75
  • Advocates, Students, & Retirees*: $25

*Must be an ARSL Advocate, Student, or Retiree member.

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#BookFaceFriday “Half a Chance” by Cynthia Lord

Whatever floats your #BookFaceFriday!

The summer camp vibes are strong with this week’s #BookFace! Take a break from the lake with “Half a Chance” by Cynthia Lord (Scholastic Press, 2016,) available in the NLC Book Club collection. Summer Reading Programs and book lists are the perfect opportunity to start some kid’s book clubs! Book clubs are a great way to fight the summer slide, encourage critical thinking, and developing social skills, not to mention another way to foster a child’s love of reading. This is your reminder that NLC’s Book Club Kits Collection is not just for adults. We have a huge collection of young adult titles that are perfect for fostering discussion. You can search the Book Club Kits Collection by selecting “Young Adult” in the Genre drop down, or by selecting a specific grade level.

“Catherine is an endearing narrator who tells her story with both humor and heartbreak… A lovely, warm read, and a great discussion starter.”

— School Library Journal

Book Club Kits Rules for Use

  1. These kits can be checked out by the librarians of Nebraska libraries and media centers.
  2. Circulation times are flexible and will be based upon availability. There is no standard check-out time for book club kits.
  3. Please search the collection to select items you wish to borrow and use the REQUEST THIS KIT icon to borrow items.
  4. Contact the Information Desk at the Library Commission if you have any questions: by phone: 800/307-2665, or by email: Information Services Team

Love this #BookFace & reading?  Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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#BookFaceFriday “My Ocean is Blue” by Darren Lebeuf

It’s an ocean of possibilities with #BookFaceFriday!

School is out, and that means Summer Reading Programs all over the state are gearing up. So we’re diving in with this #BookFace, “My Ocean is Blue” written by Darren Lebeuf and illustrated by Ashley Barron (‎Kids Can Press, 2020.) It’s a part of the”Oceans of Possibilities” collection in Nebraska OverDrive Libraries Kids & Teens, a list of titles specially curated for the 2022 Summer Reading Program. It’s available for check out as an eBook, along with the 285 other titles in the collection. “My Ocean is Blue” is also on the Nebraska Library Commission 2022 SRP Book List, created by Sally Snyder, our Coordinator of Children and Young Adult Library Services.

“My Ocean is Blue … strikes just the right note as Lebeuf and Barron share a day at the seaside through a poetic text that is beautifully mirrored by exquisite watercolour, pencil crayon and collage illustrations.”

The Globe and Mail

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!

 
 

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Big Talk From Small Libraries 2022 Recordings Now Available

Recordings of all Big Talk From Small Libraries 2022 sessions are now available!

You will find the recordings and presentations at http://nlcblogs.nebraska.gov/bigtalk/previous-conferences/2022-recordings-presentations/

Don’t forget to complete the conference Evaluation! We’re looking for input from people who attended the live conference and watched the archived recordings.

And mark your calendars now – Big Talk From Small Libraries will be back in 2023! Next year’s conference will be on Friday, February 24, 2023!

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#BookFaceFriday— “Gemma and the Giant Girl” by Sara O’Leary

It’s a wee little #BookFaceFriday for you!

Sometimes good things come in small packages, like this week’s BookFace. “Gemma and the Giant Girl” written by Sara O’Leary, illustrated by Marie Lafrance (Tundra Books, 2021) is available as an eBook in the Nebraska OverDrive Libraries collection.  This adorable children’s picture book is one of four titles by author Sara O’Leary that we have in our OverDrive collection. EBooks and audiobooks aren’t just for adults, we have an entire collection just for kids and teens. Explore Nebraska OverDrive Libraries Kids & Teens today, it’s a great way to expand your collection!

“Sara O’Leary’s empathetic text, and Marie Lafrance’s imaginative pictures, transport young readers to Gemma’s world from outside in and inside out. . . . [A] gentle exploration of childhood.” —Imaginary Elevators

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. 186 libraries across the state share the Nebraska OverDrive collection of 26,554 audiobooks, 32,935 eBooks, and 3,940 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!

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#BookFaceFriday “Run, Hide, Fight Back” by April Henry

 This #BookFaceFriday isn’t for the faint of heart!

Run, don’t walk, to check out this week’s BookFace! It’s the teen thriller, “Run, Hide, Fight Back” by April Henry (Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 2019) and it’s available as an eBook and Audiobook in Nebraska OverDrive Libraries Kids & Teens collection. This title is a part of the “Best Children’s & Young Adult Books of 2021” curated collection compiled from various end-of-the-year lists. April Henry is a New York Times bestselling author; we have six of her books available for readers in OverDrive, and three titles in our Book Club Kits collection.

Two of her titles were also chosen in past years for the One Book for Nebraska Teens reading program, designed to get young adults across the state reading and discussing the same book. You can find the current and past selections for this free program (plus the companion One Book for Nebraska Kids program), along with activities and resources for each title on our One Book for Nebraska Kids/Teens page.

Well-done character development, even pacing, and the gripping premise will keep teens turning pages. VERDICT Purchase multiple copies of this timely thriller.

School Library Journal

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. 186 libraries across the state share the Nebraska OverDrive collection of 26,554 audiobooks, 32,935 eBooks, and 3,940 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!

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