Bookmark your calendar for the Nebraska Celebration of Books literary festival! Hear about all of the day’s activities on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, October 21 at 10am CT.
The festival known as N.COB, is happening all-day November 14th, 2026, in Lincoln, at the UNL City Campus Union and Multicultural Center. Free and open to the public!
The festival is held to celebrate Nebraska’s literary heritage and contemporary authors and to stimulate public interest in books, reading, and the written word. By gathering together contemporary writing talent of our state and surrounding areas, the festival provides an opportunity for participants to cultivate an understanding of our history, culture and community.
Join Tessa Timperley from Nebraska Library Commission and Nebraska Center for the Book, Amy Mather, NCB Board Member and Omaha Public Library Partnerships Manager, and Leslie Hureta, Francie & Finch Bookshop, to hear all about the day’s activities and featured speakers, including writing workshops, booksellers, author signings, a Friday night literary trivia event, and more.
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.
Learn about Nebraska’s state reading and writing contest for youth, ‘Letters About Literature’, on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, October 7 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.
Oct. 14 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE THIS WEEK – ENJOY NLA/MPLA!
Oct. 21 – Nebraska Celebration of Books 2026
Oct. 28 – What Are We Doing With Our Homeschoolers?
Nov. 11 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE THIS WEEK
Nov. 25 – Pretty Sweet Tech
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website.
The show is presented online using the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
For better or worse, AI is changing the way we write and share stories. Learn about ‘Using AI to Share Community Stories’ on this week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, September 30 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.
This session will dig into the Nebraska Library Commission’s collaboration with a group of San Jose State University students to see how well AI can write children’s stories, and how to introduce these AI tools effectively to both librarians and our communities. We’ll discuss how the project started when we saw how difficult it was to see our own local communities and people reflected in stories. Then dig into the pros and cons of working with an AI startup, and how we learned the hard way how to introduce AI story generators the right way.
By the end of this session you will:
Understand how AI Story Generators work, and the pros and cons
Dig deep into the impact on publishing, jobs, the creative process, and other ethical concerns
Learn how to use AI Story Generators more effectively
Access Quick Start and Facilitator Guides to try it yourself
We hope to see you there for a good discussion on how AI is changing the way we write and access stories. Nookly is one of many AI story generation tools, and people are already using them. So we should learn how to use them well.
Guest Presenters: J. Erin Reynolds, Sarah Borgolini, Chandni Rathod, Madison Henson, and Anna Feng, San Jose State University.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Oct. 7 – Letters About Literature 2026
Oct. 14 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE THIS WEEK – ENJOY NLA/MPLA!
Oct. 21 – Nebraska Celebration of Books 2026
Oct. 28 – What Are We Doing With Our Homeschoolers?
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.
What is E-rate? How can my library benefit from E-rate? How do I apply for E-rate? Find out on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, ‘E-rate 101: Just the Basics for 2027’ on Wednesday, September 23 at 10am CT.
E-rate is a federal program that provides discounts to K-12 schools and public libraries on the cost of their Internet Access and Connections to make these services more affordable. This includes Broadband, Fiber, and Wi-Fi Internet access as well as Internal Connections, such as wiring, routers, switches, and other network equipment.
This session will be a general overview of the E-rate program. Full in-depth E-rate workshops will be held later in the year. It will be useful to libraries who have never applied for E-rate, libraries who are new to E-rate, and current E-rate libraries who just want a short refresher on what E-rate is all about.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The dates and rules in this session will be specific to E-rate Funding Year 2027.
Presenter: Christa Porter, Nebraska’s State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries, Nebraska Library Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Sept. 30 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Using AI to Share Community Stories
Oct. 7 – Letters About Literature 2026
Oct. 14 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE THIS WEEK – ENJOY NLA/MPLA!
Oct. 21 – Nebraska Celebration of Books 2026
Oct. 28 – What Are We Doing With Our Homeschoolers?
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.
Learn how to go ‘Beyond the PDF: Publishing Open Educational Resources with Pressbooks’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, September 9 at 10am CT.
Pressbooks is a leading platform for authoring, adapting, and publishing openly licensed textbooks and other educational materials. In this session, we will provide a practical introduction to the platform, demonstrating how faculty and libraries can use Pressbooks to create, remix, and share high-quality OER.
We’ll explore the core features of Pressbooks, discuss its strengths and limitations, and compare several collaboration options available to institutions and individual authors. Through examples from UNO Criss Library’s own OER publishing program, we’ll examine the complete publishing workflow, from manuscript creation to analytics, showing how usage and impact can be measured after publication.
Because accessible publishing is essential to effective OER, we’ll also discuss practical strategies for digital accessibility and remediation. Participants will learn why a surprisingly small number of recurring issues account for the majority of WCAG accessibility errors—and how addressing those common problems can dramatically improve the accessibility of a Pressbooks publication.
Oct. 14 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE THIS WEEK – ENJOY NLA/MPLA!
Oct. 21 – Nebraska Celebration of Books 2026
Oct. 28 – What Are We Doing With Our Homeschoolers?
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.
Who Doesn’t Love a Field Trip? Learn how to do ‘Staff Development Through Library Visits’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, September 2 at 10am CT.
Small, rural libraries often struggle with limited staff development opportunities and geographic isolation from peer institutions. This presentation proposes an innovative, low-cost solution: organizing field trips to visit other libraries.
Our library closed on a local festival day and visited three diverse institutions – Cumberland County Library, Midlothian Public Library, and the Library of Virginia. Staff toured facilities, observed operations, and engaged directly with peers about programming, procedures, and space utilization. Post-visit discussions sparked conversations about possibilities for our own library.
Benefits include:
Networking and relationship-building among geographically dispersed library workers
Exposure to diverse operational models and innovative practices
Team bonding in a low-pressure learning environment
Direct knowledge transfer through peer conversations
Enhanced interpersonal and communication skills
Inspiration for adapting successful programs and policies
This session will provide a framework for planning library field trips, strategies for maximizing learning outcomes, and examples of changes implemented after our visits. Attendees will leave with practical tools to create meaningful professional development experiences without significant budget expenditures – perfect for resource-constrained libraries seeking creative solutions.
Presenters: Cindy Scheu, Library Director, and MaKayla Harvey, Youth Services Specialist, J. Robert Jamerson Memorial Library, Appomattox, VA.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Sept. 9 – Beyond the PDF: Publishing Open Educational Resources with Pressbooks
Sept. 9 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE THIS WEEK
Sept. 23 – E-rate 101: Just the Basics for 2027
Sept. 30 – Pretty Sweet Tech
Oct. 7 – Letters About Literature 2026
Oct. 14 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE THIS WEEK – ENJOY NLA/MPLA!
Oct. 21 – Nebraska Celebration of Books 2026
Oct. 28 – What Are We Doing With Our Homeschoolers?
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.
Hear about the Nebraska Library Commission’s new WordPress Multisite option on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, August 26 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.
As many of you know, the Library Commission is ending support for the old Nebraska Libraries on the Web service. Several of you have been waiting to see if the lower-rate multisite option would come to fruition and it has! This session will walk through the pros and cons of using the new multisite option, and the steps to get started.
In a nutshell, the multisite is available for a $150/yr rate through LibChalk and you’ll have your choice of a set number of themes and plugins with all the essential features, like customizable forms, calendars, and PDF Embedders. Learn how the new system works to decide if it will meet your website needs.
If you’re from outside the state, you can learn how a statewide multisite can expand access to WordPress websites that are managed through a central location. This is great for smaller libraries that can’t handle the backend maintenance, but still want the functionality of a WordPress site.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Sept. 2 – Who Doesn’t Love a Field Trip? Staff Development Through Library Visits
Sept. 23 – E-rate 101: Just the Basics for 2027
Sept. 30 – Pretty Sweet Tech
Oct. 7 – Letters About Literature 2026
Oct. 14 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE THIS WEEK – ENJOY NLA/MPLA!
Oct. 21 – Nebraska Celebration of Books 2026
Oct. 28 – What Are We Doing With Our Homeschoolers?
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.
Learn ‘How to Start & Sustain a Health & Fitness Literacy Program in Your Library’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, August 19 at 10am CT.
Since earning my group fitness instructor certification to start a fitness and health literacy program in 2019, my program and knowledge have evolved far beyond what I had initially imagined. I’ve increased my knowledge of health and fitness for older adults (my target audience) and created a popular set of programs with a core group of regular students and library users. I use these classes as a platform to help people know their bodies and empower them when speaking to their healthcare providers about their health. Just as importantly, I have learned how to do this on a budget.
In this presentation, I will discuss lessons learned and how you, too, can develop a sustainable health and fitness program in your public library.
Oct. 14 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE THIS WEEK – ENJOY NLA/MPLA!
Oct. 21 – Nebraska Celebration of Books 2026
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.
Learn about Nebraska’s statewide membership to United for Libraries – free online training for all Nebraska public libraries – on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, August 12 at 10am CT.
Beth Nawalinski, Executive Director of United for Libraries, the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations, a division of the American Library Association, will share United for Libraries’ mission and vision, and how Nebraska and its libraries can benefit and fully use the resources available through this dynamic ALA division.
Learn about Nebraska’s statewide membership, including online trainings that are available free to all Nebraska public library staff members, library board members, members of Friends organizations, and Foundation boards, and the United for Libraries Virtual 2026 online conference.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Aug. 19 – How to Start & Sustain a Health & Fitness Literacy Program in Your Library
Aug. 26 – Pretty Sweet Tech
Sept. 23 – E-rate 101: Just the Basics for 2027
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.
Join us for a candid, practical look at what AI Literacy means in the day to day life of the average librarian on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, ‘Libraries Building AI Literacy’, on Wednesday, July 29 at 10am CT.
Today we’re going to explore common AI Literacy frameworks and translate sometimes generic concepts into tangible planning, strategy, and library programming/ service opportunities. In practice, the massive topic of AI Literacy doesn’t have to be so intense. It can be as simple as finding a cybersecurity blog that shares how to stay safe again AI scams, then re-posting important security updates on the library blog. Or a bit more in-depth by facilitating a STEM activity with Google’s Teachable Machine.
By the end of this session you will:
Explore a range of popular AI Literacy Frameworks
Brainstorm a variety of service ideas geared towards kids, teens, parents, older adults, job seekers, and entrepreneurs
Get a handle on the role of the library in the world of AI Literacy, vs. what community partners should handle
I hope to see you all there to start taking a candid, practical look at what AI Literacy means in the day to day life of the average librarian, for multiple different skill levels and backgrounds. Even if you’re completely new to the world of AI, hopefully you will find that it doesn’t have to be all that hard.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Aug. 12 – United for Libraries – Trustees, Advocates, Friends, and Foundations: The Voice for America’s Libraries
Aug. 19 – How to Start & Sustain a Health & Fitness Literacy Program in Your Library
Aug. 26 – Pretty Sweet Tech
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website.
The show is presented online using the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Join us to learn about Nebraska’s ‘The Festival Near You’ local programming planned for across the state on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, July 22 at 10am CT.
Every year, the Library of Congress hosts the National Book Festival in Washington D.C.. The Nebraska Center for the Book selects one youth book and one adult book to represent the state at the festival, as part of the ‘Great Reads from Great Places’ programming. Nebraska’s 2026 selections are Quagmire Tiarello Couldn’t Be Better by Mylisa Larsen, and The Antidote: A Novel by Karen Russell.
This year Nebraskans will again have the opportunity to join in the fun with local programming. ‘The Festival Near You’ is a statewide initiative celebrating the 2026 National Book Festival by bringing Nebraska’s ‘Great Reads from Great Places’ books to communities, and offers Nebraskans a chance to engage with literature close to home.
Presenters: Tessa Timperley, Communications Coordinator, Nebraska Library Commission and Mylisa Larsen, Author of Quagmire Tiarello Couldn’t Be Better, 2026 Great Reads Youth Selection.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
July 29 – Pretty Sweet Tech
Aug. 12 – United for Libraries – Trustees, Advocates, Friends, and Foundations: The Voice for America’s Libraries
Aug. 19 – How to Start & Sustain a Health & Fitness Literacy Program in Your Library
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website.
The show is presented online using the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Hear about a ‘Community Literacy Treasure Hunt: The Fun Way to Increase Literacy!’ on this week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, July 15 at 10am CT.
The Community Literacy Treasure Hunt started out of concern for TCAP literacy rates within the county. Getting the larger community and all the libraries involved, children no longer read books for just minutes, but for comprehension, producing book reviews shared with others at their home libraries.
Started as part of Summer Reading Program, this lightens the load on the libraries, and while it has children reading fewer books, they are spending more time with those books, reading for comprehension and understanding, often choosing books that challenge rather than provide a fast read.
Various businesses and offices participate by offering free books to the children who finish the book reviews. This is mutually beneficial for the families and the businesses, getting the whole community involved in increasing literacy rates and getting families out to the larger community they might never have been to before.
Aug. 12 – United for Libraries – Trustees, Advocates, Friends, and Foundations: The Voice for America’s Libraries
Aug. 19 – How to Start & Sustain a Health & Fitness Literacy Program in Your Library
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website.
The show is presented online using the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Learn about ‘Library Compliance with the ADA Title II Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Rule” on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, July 8 at 10am CT.
The WCAG Rule requires state and local governments to ensure that their services, programs, and activities are accessible to people with disabilities. Public libraries’ web services and mobile apps must be WCAG 2.1, Level AA compliant within three to four years of when the rule was published on April 24, 2024, depending on their service population. This program will cover what libraries need to do to achieve this compliance.
Presenter: Andrew “Sherm” Sherman, Library Technology Support Specialist, Nebraska Library Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
July 15 – Community Literacy Treasure Hunt: The Fun Way to Increase Literacy!
July 29 – Pretty Sweet Tech
Aug. 12 – United for Libraries – Trustees, Advocates, Friends, and Foundations: The Voice for America’s Libraries
Aug. 19 – How to Start & Sustain a Health & Fitness Literacy Program in Your Library
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website.
The show is presented online using the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Join us for a 2026 Overview and Update on Nebraska’s Open Meetings Act on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, July 1 at 10am CT.
Public library boards for communities of all sizes in Nebraska are required to follow our state’s Open Meetings Act when holding their meetings. In this session, we’ll point out some of the major points of this state law for library boards, changes for 2026, and some of the consequences of not following Open Meeting law.
Note: This topic is very Nebraska specific. If you are attending from another state some of the things we discuss may not be applicable for your library boards.
Presenters: Scott Childers, former Executive Director, Southeast Library System, Lincoln, NE; Christa Porter, Library Development Director, Nebraska Library Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
July 8 – Library Compliance with the ADA Title II Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Rule
July 15 – Community Literacy Treasure Hunt: The Fun Way to Increase Literacy!
July 29 – Pretty Sweet Tech
Aug. 12 – United for Libraries – Trustees, Advocates, Friends, and Foundations: The Voice for America’s Libraries
Aug. 19 – How to Start & Sustain a Health & Fitness Literacy Program in Your Library
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website.
The show is presented online using the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Join us for some hands on historical exploration on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, ‘Unlocking Nebraska’s Stories: Introducing the Nebraska Literary & History Escape Room Kits’, on Wednesday, June 17 at 10am CT.
This presentation will introduce librarians to a new suite of four free, ready to use escape room kits developed by the Nebraska Center for the Book and the Nebraska Library Commission, through a Teaching with Primary Sources Grant from the Library of Congress. Inspired by the One Book One Nebraska selections, each kit immerses participants in a different facet of Nebraska’s past – Willa Cather’s History, Voices of the Plains, Wartime in Nebraska, and Cold War Espionage – using puzzles grounded in authentic primary sources.
The session highlights what each kit contains, how the themes connect to Nebraska history and literature, and the ways libraries of all sizes can incorporate them into programming for youth, adults, families, and intergenerational groups. Attendees will hear directly from the three creators about setup, facilitation tips, accessibility considerations, and strategies for adapting the kits for local audiences. Participants will leave with practical ideas for hosting their own escape room programs and engaging their communities through hands on historical exploration.
Presenters: Tessa Timperley, Communications Coordinator; Miranda Shreves, Marketing and Outreach Coordinator, Talking Book and Braille Service (TBBS); Bailee Juroshek, Office Specialist, Nebraska Library Commission.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
June 24 – Pretty Sweet Tech
July 8 – Library Compliance with the ADA Title II Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Rule
July 15 – Community Literacy Treasure Hunt: The Fun Way to Increase Literacy!
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.
Discover how intellectual freedom and legal principles intersect in our libraries on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, ‘Law for Librarians’, on Wednesday, June 10 at 10am CT.
This session delves into critical topics such as censorship, privacy, collection development, professional ethics, and the First Amendment. Gain practical strategies for advocating for equitable access to information and crafting strong policies. Designed to empower school librarians, this session provides the tools to navigate legal responsibilities while championing intellectual freedom and fostering a supportive library program.
Presenter: Dr. Chris Haeffner, Director of Library Services, Lincoln (NE) Public Schools.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
June 17 – Unlocking Nebraska’s Stories: Introducing the Nebraska Literary & History Escape Room Kits
June 24 – Pretty Sweet Tech
July 8 – Library Compliance with the ADA Title II Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Rule
July 15 – Community Literacy Treasure Hunt: The Fun Way to Increase Literacy!
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.
Hear about the Connected America conference, which brings together the key stakeholders driving Internet connectivity across the United States, on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, June 3 at 10am CT.
The conference covered the evolving landscape of technology, regulation, and investment while showcasing the transformative social and economic benefits of enhanced connectivity for individuals, communities, businesses, and industries across the nation.
Andrew “Sherm” Sherman, NLC Library Technology Support Specialist, will share what he learned when he attended Connected America 2026, such as how enlightening it was to hear about the challenges the ISPs (Internet Service Providers) are facing as they try to provide affordable, fast, and redundant Internet connectivity to America’s rural communities. In addition, the BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access, And Deployment) Program’s challenges and the impact of AI were hot topics this year.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
June 10 – Law for Librarians
June 17 – Unlocking Nebraska’s Stories: Introducing the Nebraska Literary & History Escape Room Kits
June 24 – Pretty Sweet Tech
July 8 – Library Compliance with the ADA Title II Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Rule
July 15 – Community Literacy Treasure Hunt: The Fun Way to Increase Literacy!
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.
Learn about ‘Preparing Tech Ready Librarians: A Statewide Initiative’ on next week’s Pretty Sweet TechNCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, May 27 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.
Libraries are being challenged to take on everything from computer basics to artificial intelligence to support job seekers, entrepreneurs, parents, older adults, kids, teens, and pretty much everyone who wants to leverage technology to live a better life. Many libraries have been doing some of this work for decades but remain deeply undervalued and unappreciated in the face of rapidly changing technology. Yet we continue to seek ways to adapt and build new services to meet new community tech needs.
This session will introduce a statewide Tech Ready Librarians initiative to help libraries and community partners work together to share resources, design new services, and come together in learning communities to build better together. In this session you will:
Learn how Digital Navigator models work to leverage the power of ecosystems to fully meet rapidly changing community tech needs.
Explore the growing Tech Ready Nation platform and Resource Hub, designed to support Digital Navigators and accelerate service design.
Hear about upcoming statewide data collection and resource sharing initiatives to highlight the incredible work libraries are already doing.
It’s time for libraries to start sharing their stories, sharing resources, and working together to adapt to the changing world of technology. It may seem like a lot as first, but if we each take one a small piece of the technology puzzle and put them all in one place, eventually the big picture will be easier for everyone to put together.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
June 3 – Connected America 2026
June 10 – Law for Librarians
June 17 – Unlocking Nebraska’s Stories: Introducing the Nebraska Literary & History Escape Room Kits
June 24 – Pretty Sweet Tech
July 8 – Library Compliance with the ADA Title II Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Rule
July 15 – Community Literacy Treasure Hunt: The Fun Way to Increase Literacy!
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.
Hear about ‘Engaging New Voices in Advocacy: Youth, Trustees, and Everyday Patrons’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, May 20 at 10am CT.
As a member of the Illinois Library Association’s Advocacy Committee, I’ve seen how impactful it is when advocacy goes beyond directors and staff. For small libraries, advocacy can feel daunting – but it doesn’t have to be.
This session will showcase practical models for engaging youth, trustees, and patrons as your partners in advocacy. We’ll share examples of storytelling, everyday conversations, and grassroots efforts that build trust and visibility without requiring extra staff or budgets. Small libraries are uniquely positioned to connect personally with their communities – let’s harness that strength to keep our voices strong.
May 27 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Preparing Tech Ready Librarians: A Statewide Initiative
June 3 – Connected America 2026
June 10 – Law for Librarians
June 17 – Unlocking Nebraska’s Stories: Introducing the Nebraska Literary & History Escape Room Kits
June 24 – Pretty Sweet Tech
July 8 – Library Compliance with the ADA Title II Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Rule
July 15 – Community Literacy Treasure Hunt: The Fun Way to Increase Literacy!
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.
Looking for ways to go beyond traditional storytime? Check out ‘Play, Explore, Learn: Building Early Literacy Through Station-Based Programs’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, May 13 at 10am CT.
Discover how to create an interactive, play-based early literacy program built around themed learning stations that encourage exploration and engagement. This session shares how one library developed a successful station-based model that promotes early learning through activities tied to the five early literacy practices: Read, Write, Talk, Sing, and Play.
Using simple materials and creative themes, the program provides families with a flexible, hands-on experience that supports key developmental skills such as language, fine motor coordination, and social-emotional growth. Attendees will learn practical tips for setup, rotating themes, and caregiver involvement. Walk away with ideas and inspiration to make early literacy come alive in your library – one playful station at a time!
May 20 – Engaging New Voices in Advocacy: Youth, Trustees, and Everyday Patrons
May 27 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Preparing Tech Ready Librarians: A Statewide Initiative
June 3 – Libraries and Friends of the Library: How to Stay Friends
June 10 – Law for Librarians
June 24 – Pretty Sweet Tech
July 8 – Connected America 2026
July 15 – Community Literacy Treasure Hunt: The Fun Way to Increase Literacy!
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.
