Tag Archives: literature

#BookFaceFriday “Let it Snow: Three Holiday Romances”

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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#BookFaceFriday “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolver

Happy #BookFaceFriday from the Nebraska Library Commission!

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
Thanksgiving is officially over for another year. We’ve put on our stretchy pants, relaxed to watch some football, and are eyeing the leftover pumpkin pie. Maybe it’s time to indulge in something other than carbs. Get back to the basics with bestselling author Barbara Kingsolver’s “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life” (Harper, 2007). Join Barbra and her family on this food themed adventure as they “vow to buy only food raised in their own neighborhood, grow it themselves, or learn to live without it”. Reserve this nonfiction narrative for your book club today!

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 Nebraska Library Innovation Studio’s Staff Assistant, Cynthia Nigh, who also happens to be an avid cook and gardener. Check out our past #BookFace photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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#BookFaceFriday “The Dive From Clausen’s Pier” by Ann Packer

It’s #BookFaceFriday at the Nebraska Library Commission!

"The Dive From Clausen's Pier" BookFace PhotoHave you ever just packed a bag, and left? For a vacation? A road trip? What about to start a whole new life? In Ann Packer’s debut novel, “The Dive From Clausen’s Pier” (Vintage, 2003), main character, Carrie Bell, does just that. Reserve this intimate and emotionally thrilling novel for your book club today!

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 Nebraska Library Innovation Studio’s Project Manager, JoAnn McManus. Check out our past #BookFace photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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#BookFaceFriday “Uglies” by Scott Westerfeld

Happy #BookFaceFriday from the Nebraska Library Commission!

BookFace: Uglies by Scott WesterfeldDid you know we offer YA titles in our Book Club Kits? Don’t miss out on Scott Westerfeld’s teen novel “Uglies” (Simon Pulse, 2011)! “Uglies” is the first novel in a three-part series that has more than 3 million books in print, has been translated into twenty-seven languages, and spent more than fifty weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.

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

You’ve seen this week’s #BookFace model before, you just might not know it. Information Services Librarian, Aimee Owen, is also our weekly hand model holding up all the books we feature. Check out our past #BookFace photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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#BookFaceFriday “Broken For You” by Stephanie Kallos

Happy #BookFaceFriday from the Nebraska Library Commission!

Broken For You #BookFaceWe love highlighting Nebraska authors, especially those we offer in our Book Club Kits, like Stephanie Kallos’s “Broken For You” (Grove Press, 2004)! This national bestseller was a 2006 One Book One Lincoln finalist and a Today Show Book Club selection.

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

Our #BookFaceFriday model is Nebraska Library Commission’s Accountant, Tan Ngo. Check out our past #BookFace photos on the Nebraska Library Commission’s Facebook page!

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Librarians and Teachers to Host Letter Writing Clinics

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                              
May 2, 2017

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  
Mary Jo Ryan
402-471-3434
800-307-2665

Librarians and Teachers to Host Letter Writing Clinics   

What could motivate Nebraska young people to write letters? A great story and the opportunity to tell an author about how a book made a difference in their own life can provide just the right encouragement. Teachers and librarians across Nebraska were recently awarded grants to host pilot Letter Writing Clinics for students in their area. The clinics will introduce students to the Letters About Literature contest and letter writing techniques. Students will get ideas for selecting books and learn how to craft letters that can be submitted to the Letters About Literature contest, a national reading and writing promotion program that engages nearly 50,000 adolescent and young readers nationwide in grades four through twelve. The competition encourages young people to read, be inspired, and write back to the author (living or dead) who had an impact on their lives.

The Letter Writing Clinic grants were sponsored by Humanities Nebraska, Nebraska Center for the Book, Nebraska Cultural Endowment, and Nebraska Library Commission. The winning applicants are:

  • Lisa Guenther, Norfolk Catholic Elementary School Director of Reading, Norfolk
  • Jennifer Van Winkle, Lux Middle School Teacher, Lincoln
  • Lori Springer, Valparaiso Public Library Director, Valparaiso
  • Noelle Thompson, Lied Scottsbluff Public Library Director, Scottsbluff Library Foundation, Scottsbluff
  • Denise Ketchens, Oshkosh Public Library Director, Oshkosh

This annual writing competition is sponsored nationally by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, with funding from Dollar General Literacy Foundation. The Center for the Book was established in 1977 as a public-private partnership to use the resources of the Library of Congress to stimulate public interest in books and reading. The Nebraska competition is coordinated and sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, Nebraska Library Commission, Houchen Bindery Ltd., and Chapters Bookstore in Seward.

For more information about Letters About Literature, see http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/programs/LAL.html. To learn more about Letter Writing Clinics, see http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/LALwritingclinics.

The Nebraska Center for the Book is housed at the Nebraska Library Commission and brings together the state’s readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, printers, educators, and scholars to build the community of the book—supporting programs to celebrate and stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the written word. The Nebraska Center for the Book is supported by the Nebraska Library Commission. As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services—bringing together people and information. Humanities Nebraska inspires and enriches personal and public life by offering opportunities to thoughtfully engage with history and culture. Humanities Nebraska was established as a state-based affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1973.

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.

2017_LAL_header_clinic

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Governor Ricketts Proclaims 2017 One Book One Nebraska: Black Elk Speaks

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 11, 2017

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Rod Wagner
402-471-4001
800-307-2665

Governor Ricketts Proclaims 2017 One Book One Nebraska: Black Elk Speaks

On Jan. 9, 2017 Governor Pete Ricketts signed a proclamation honoring 2017 One Book One Nebraska: Black Elk Speaks by John G. Neihardt. In this year people across Nebraska are encouraged to read this novel. The story of the Oglala Lakota visionary and healer Nicholas Black Elk (1863-1950) and his people, offers readers much more than a glimpse of a vanished time. Black Elk’s searing visions of the unity of Humanity and Earth, conveyed by John G. Neihardt, have made this book a classic that crosses multiple genres and generations. The 2017 One Book One Nebraska selection is among 150 books chosen to highlight the 150th year celebration of Nebraska’s statehood. Rod Wagner, Director of the Nebraska Library Commission, presented the governor with a copy of the book. “The John G. Neihardt Foundation and State Historic Site in Bancroft is honored to take part in sharing this story, as well as our heritage and history, together with Nebraskan readers and beyond,” said Amy Kucera, Executive Director at the John G. Neihardt State Historic Site. “This transcendent tale is a true gift – created from a remarkable past so we might better understand the present, it continues to inform and inspire the future as each generation takes its turn through the pages.”

Photos of the proclamation-signing ceremony are available online.

The One Book One Nebraska reading program is entering its thirteenth year and is sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, Nebraska Library Commission, John G. Neihardt Foundation & Nebraska State Historical Society, University of Nebraska Press, Humanities Nebraska, and Nebraska libraries and regional library systems. It encourages Nebraskans across the state to read and discuss one book, chosen from books written by Nebraska authors or that have a Nebraska theme or setting. Libraries across Nebraska will join other literary and cultural organizations in planning book discussions, activities, and events to encourage Nebraskans to read and discuss this book. Support materials to assist with local reading/discussion activities are available on the 2017 One Book One Nebraska web page. Updates and activity listings will be posted there and on the NCB Facebook page.

The Nebraska Center for the Book is housed at the Nebraska Library Commission and brings together the state’s readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, printers, educators, and scholars to build the community of the book, supporting programs to celebrate and stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the written word. The Nebraska Center for the Book is supported by the Nebraska Library Commission.

As Nebraska’s state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services-“bringing together people and information.”
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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.

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Nebraska’s Champions of Literature and Literacy to Be Honored

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 3, 2016

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Mary Jo Ryan
402-471-3434
800-307-2665

Nebraska’s Champions of Literature and Literacy to Be Honored

The Nebraska Center for the Book will present the 2016 Jane Geske Award to City Impact (Lincoln), Literacy Center for the Midlands (Omaha), and Platte Valley Literacy Association (Columbus) at the October 29 Celebration of Nebraska Books in downtown Lincoln. These organizations exemplify effectiveness and dedication to the cause of literacy in Nebraska. These three organizations are empowering Nebraskans through education, mentorship, and increased access to books and reading.

The Nebraska Center for the Book annually presents the Jane Geske Award to organizations, businesses, libraries, schools, associations, or other groups that have made an exceptional contribution to literacy, books, reading, bookselling, libraries, or Nebraska literature. The Jane Geske Award commemorates Geske’s passion for books, and was established in recognition of her contributions to the well-being of the libraries of Nebraska. Jane Geske was the director of the Nebraska Library Commission, a founding member of the Nebraska Center for the Book, a Lincoln bookseller, and a long-time leader in Nebraska library and literary activities. The award is supported by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.

The Nebraska Center for the Book will also present the 2016 Mildred Bennett Award to Nebraska poets Twyla Hansen and Marjorie Saiser at the Celebration. Hansen and Saiser will be honored for their contributions to Nebraska writing and for their service in support of Nebraska’s writers and readers.

The Mildred Bennett Award recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to fostering the literary tradition in Nebraska, reminding us of the literary and intellectual heritage that enriches our lives and molds our world. The award recognized inspired leadership and service on behalf of Nebraska literature, highlighting how the recipients follow the example of Mildred Bennett, the charismatic founder and long-time President of the Willa Cather Pioneer Memorial and Educational Foundation. The award seeks to heighten awareness and interest in Nebraska’s literary heritage and to enrich the lives of Nebraskans and readers everywhere.

The October 29 Celebration, free and open to the public, will also feature presentation of the 2016 Nebraska Book Awards, and some of the winning authors will read from their work. A list of winners is posted at http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/awards.html. The Celebration will open with a program by Karen Gettert Shoemaker, author of The Meaning of Names, the 2016 One Book One Nebraska book selection, and the 2017 One Book One Nebraska selection will be announced. The Celebration of Nebraska Books is scheduled for 2:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the Nebraska History Museum, 131 Centennial Mall North, Lincoln NE, with the Nebraska Center for the Book Annual Meeting to be held prior to the Celebration at 1:30 p.m.

The 2016 Celebration of Nebraska Books is sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, Nebraska Library Commission, and the Nebraska State Historical Society Nebraska History Museum—with support from University of Nebraska Press and Humanities Nebraska. For more information see http://centerforthebook.nebraska.gov/programs/celebration.html and www.facebook.com/NebraskaCenterfortheBook.

The Nebraska Center for the Book is housed at the Nebraska Library Commission and brings together the state’s readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, publishers, printers, educators, and scholars to build the community of the book, supporting programs to celebrate and stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the written word. The Nebraska Center for the Book is supported by the Nebraska Library Commission.

As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, bringing together people and information.

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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.

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Charles Wright New Poet Laureate

Charles Wright, a retired professor at the University of Virginia, is named the new U. S. Poet Laureate by  James Billington, the librarian of Congress.  The Poet Laureate has few official duties, but generally promotes poetry, and develops his or her own outreach projects, usually for a one year term.  Previous Poets Laureate have included Robert Frost, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Ted Kooser.  Read a sample of Wright’s poetry.

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