Tag Archives: Christmas

#BookFaceFriday “The Christmassy Cactus” by Beth Ferry

Posted on December 22, 2023 by Tessa Timperley

I’m dreaming of a #BookFaceFriday!

We want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays with this week’s #BookFace! And surprise, surprise, books are our preferred way to celebrate the holidays! Reading a fun book all snuggled up on the couch with a hot drink is the perfect tradition, so if your looking for a new book option for the younger readers in your life check out “the Christmassy Cactus” written by Beth Ferry and illustrated by N.A. Kang (HarperCollins, 2023.) This picture book is full of delightful illustrations and a fun story for all ages.

“Little readers will be delighted by the holiday magic …This succulent successfully steals the spotlight from the ever-present evergreens.” —Kirkus Reviews

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 – “The Snow Globe” by Sheila Roberts

Posted on December 23, 2022 by Tessa Timperley

We’re shaking things up with this week’s #BookFaceFriday!

This winter wonderland is making our holiday books feel right at home! Looking for the perfect Hallmark read, reserve a holiday title like “The Snow Globe” by Sheila Roberts (Piatkus, 2014) for your book club! Take a peek

at all of our holiday-themed book club kits today!

In the collection we have 114 holiday titles, 81 of which have 4 or more copies. If a library is looking to weed some of their holiday titles – they can think of us because we’re always happy to add to this particular collection!

These titles are very popular in November and December, with some book club groups reserving their choices up to a year in advance! NLC staff keep their eyes peeled for holiday-themed books year-round in order to meet the demand come the first snowfall.

“This lighthearted and charming read will appeal to fans of Kristin Hannah’s magical, light romances and readers who enjoyed Roberts’s previous holiday offerings.”

–Library Journal (Starred Review)

This week’s #BookFace model is Kay, she’s a TBBS Readers Advisor.

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

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Throwback Thursday: Christmas Sheet Music

Posted on December 9, 2021 by Kayla Henzel

We’re getting in the Christmas spirit with this week’s #ThrowbackThursday!

“Christmas Bells” and “It Is Christmas Again” are two songs written by Flora Bullock. Ms. Bullock was part of the English faculty at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.

This piece is published and owned by Polley Music Library. Over 250 pieces of Nebraska sheet music are available through the Nebraska Memories database, as well as concert programs, manuscripts, theatre programs, photographs, and other memorabilia which features and element of music. Searchers can also listen to a dozen performances of selections from this collection performed by local musicians.

Check out the collection on the Nebraska Memories archive.

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.

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Throwback Thursday: Christmas Dinner

Posted on December 24, 2020 by Kayla Henzel

Happy #ThrowbackThursday from Nebraska Memories!

This photograph from 1915 shows a table set up and ready for Christmas dinner. It is owned by the Dodge County Historical Society and published to Nebraska Memories by Keene Memorial Library in Fremont Nebraska. In partnership, they digitized and described content owned by the historical society. The collection includes photographs that document life in Fremont during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Check out this collection and many more on the Nebraska Memories archive.

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. Nebraska Memories is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in this project, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.

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#BookFaceFriday “Lavender & Mistletoe” by Donna Kauffman

Posted on December 18, 2020 by Tessa Timperley

I’m dreaming of a white #BookFaceFriday, err, I mean Christmas!

Wrap up in your favorite blanket and grab a mug of something hot! We think that’s the perfect way to enjoy a good book this holiday season. If you check out ebooks and audiobooks from Nebraska OverDrive Libraries, you don’t even need to leave the house. Find holiday titles like “Lavender & Mistletoe: A Blue Hollow Falls Novella” by Donna Kauffman, available as an ebook, today.

“Charming characters, emotion galore, a small town—you’re going to love Donna Kauffman!”

—Lori Foster

Find this ebook and many more titles through Nebraska OverDrive. 173 libraries across the state share the Nebraska OverDrive collection of 17,165 audiobooks and 28,972 eBooks. 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 – “Mr. Dickens and His Carol” by Samantha Silva

Posted on December 20, 2019 by Tessa Timperley

Bah! Humbug! and Happy Holidays from #BookFaceFriday!

Don’t let the ghost of Jacob Marley get you down! A good book, a cozy blanket, something warm to drink. This is the perfect recipe to put any Scrooge into the holiday spirit. We have ten copies of “Mr. Dickens and His Carol: A Novel” by Samantha Silva (Flatiron Books, 2017) and an audio version for our TBBS users as well. Reserve it for your book club to read next holiday season! You should also take a peek at all of our holiday-themed book club kits!

In the collection we have 114 holiday titles, 81 of which have 4 or more copies. If a library is looking to weed some of their holiday titles – they can think of us because we’re always happy to add to this particular collection!

These titles are very popular in November and December, with some book club groups reserving their choices up to a year in advance! NLC staff keep their eyes peeled for holiday-themed books year-round in order to meet the demand come the first snowfall.

“Mr. Dickens and His Carol is a charming, comic, and ultimately poignant story about the creation of the most famous Christmas tale ever written. It’s as foggy and haunted and redemptive as the original; it’s all heart, and I read it in a couple of ebullient, Christmassy gulps.”
―Anthony Doerr

This week’s #BookFace model could be considered by some, our very own office Scrooge, but with a heart of gold. It’s Jerry Breazile, our Business Manager!

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

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#BookFaceFriday – Holiday Collection

Posted on December 13, 2019 by Tessa Timperley

We’re rockin’ around the Christmas tree with this week’s #BookFaceFriday!

Our holiday books are right at home among the twinkle lights and sparkling ornaments! Reserve a holiday read like “The Christmas Train” by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, 2014) or “The Christmas Thief” by Mary Higgins Clark & Carol Higgins Clark (Simon & Schuster, 2004) for your book club! Take a peek at all of our holiday-themed book club kits today!

In the collection we have 114 holiday titles, 81 of which have 4 or more copies. If a library is looking to weed some of their holiday titles – they can think of us because we’re always happy to add to this particular collection!

These titles are very popular in November and December, with some book club groups reserving their choices up to a year in advance! NLC staff keep their eyes peeled for holiday-themed books year-round in order to meet the demand come the first snowfall.

“David Baldacci’s THE CHRISTMAS TRAIN is filled with memorable characters who have packed their bags with as much wisdom as mischief…and shows how we do get second chances to fulfill our deepest hopes and dreams, especially during this season of miracles.” – book jacket

“Mary Higgins Clark, America’s Queen of Suspense, and her daughter, bestselling mystery writer Carol Higgins Clark, have again joined forces to create a suspenseful and humorous holiday tale. The Christmas Thief is filled with suspense, comic characters, and holiday cheer, and is sure to delight its readers.” – book jacket

This week’s #BookFace model is Aimee Owen’s Christmas tree, she’s NLC’s Information Services Librarian.

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

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Throwback Thursday: Immanuel Children’s Home at Christmas

Posted on December 12, 2019 by Kayla Henzel

It’s time for another Christmas themed #throwback!

This week’s #ThrowbackThursday is a black and white photograph that was taken during the Christmas season at the Immanuel Deaconess Institute’s Children’s Home.

This image is owned and published by the Alegent Health Immanuel Medical Center. The rich and well documented history of Immanuel Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska is shown in these images of early buildings, people and artifacts. An archive of thousands of photos, papers and items has been maintained for over 120 years, carefully stored and currently housed at the Alegent Health Immanuel Medical Center campus.

Are you interested in Nebraska history? If so, check out the Nebraska Memories archive!

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.

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Throwback Thursday: Christmas Wish

Posted on December 5, 2019 by Kayla Henzel

We’re getting into the Christmas spirit with this week’s #ThrowbackThursday!

The young girl in this photo was a resident at the Nebraska Children’s Home Society. Her wish was for a family before Christmas and her wish was granted as she was adopted a week before the holiday.

This 3-3/4″ x 5-3/4″ black and white photograph is published and owned by the Nebraska Children’s Home Society. The NCHS was chartered September 1, 1893 by founders who had a vision for a better future and believed that every child deserved a family.

If you’re interested in seeing more Nebraska history, check out the Nebraska Memories archive.

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.

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Throwback Thursday: Santa Claus distributing presents to children

Posted on December 14, 2017 by Tessa Timperley

Happy Holidays from #ThrowbackThursday!


This week we get to highlight a man who did so much for a community they named a library after him. In our humble opinion that’s quite the honor. This week’s #ThrowbackThursday post is a 10″x8″ black and white photograph showing Charles B. Washington (left) with another man, both dressed as Santa Claus. Seated back-to-back, the men reach into black bags, distributing presents to a crowd of children. Charles B. Washington was a American civil rights activist, and journalist from Omaha. On September 14, 1986, the North Branch of the Omaha Public Library was renamed after Washington. This photo is a part of the Charles B. Washington Collection in Nebraska Memories Archive.

Interested in Nebraska history? Find out more about this photo in the Nebraska Memories archive!

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.

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#BookFaceFriday “Let it Snow: Three Holiday Romances”

Posted on December 8, 2017 by Tessa Timperley

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Nebraska Library Commission!

"Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances" BookFaceGet your book club in the holiday spirit with this fun #BookFaceFriday read! Join three bestselling authors: John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle, as they weave an interconnected holiday story in “Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances” (Speak, 2008.) “Tender without being mushy, these carefully crafted stories of believable teen love will leave readers warm inside for the holidays.”—School Library Journal

Love this #bookface & reading? We suggest checking out all the titles available for book clubs at http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ref/bookclub.

This week’s #BookFace model is Janet Greser, NLC’s Computer Help Desk Support. Check out our past #BookFaceFriday photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

P.S. Aimee Owen is a top notch paper snowflake maker!

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Throwback Thursday: Frazier Cycle Company, Christmas Window Display

Posted on December 7, 2017 by Tessa Timperley

A #ThrowbackThursday all dressed up for the holidays!


Who doesn’t love a good window display, especially around the holidays? This week’s #ThrowbackThursday post pays homage to just that. In the winter of 1922 the Frazier Cycle Company in Lincoln, NE put together a display for it’s Christmas shoppers. Flanked by Christmas trees, Santa Claus rides a bicycle under paper streamers. Filled with bicycles, tricycles, a scooter, wagon, bicycle seats, and flashlights, that would hopefully find their way under trees come Christmas Eve. The Frazier Cycle Company was located at 231 S. 11th Street in downtown Lincoln, and according to the Lincoln City Directory, 1918, the owners of Frazier Cycle Co. were Willis A., William B., and Clifford Frazier.

Interested in Nebraska history? Find out more about this photo in the Nebraska Memories archive!

Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.

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