Tag Archives: prettysweettech

Learn about Digital Navigation and Nebraska’s Digital Equity Plan on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, October 2 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.

Digital Navigators have grown increasingly popular over the years. The National Digital Inclusion Alliance calls these Navigators “trusted guides who assist community members with ongoing, individualized support for accessing affordable and appropriate connectivity, devices, and digital skills”.

Some states have built out entire statewide platforms and training platforms for Digital Navigators. Nebraska has several smaller initiatives, and some missing gaps. This session will discuss Digital Navigation in Nebraska, including:

• Quick overview of Nebraska’s Digital Equity Plan
• Current digital skill-related programs
• Digital Navigation resources, nationwide
• Ideas for what your library can do

It’s time to work together to tackle that massive digital skill problem in all of our communities!

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

• Oct. 9 – NO NCOMPASS LIVE – ENJOY NLA!
• Oct. 16 – Dragons at the Library: An Exciting New Reading Program
• Oct. 23 – Letters About Literature 2024
• Oct. 30 – Pretty Sweet Tech
• Nov. 6 – Summer Reading Program 2025: Color Our World
• Nov. 13 – Nebraska Open Meetings Act: 2024 Overview and Update

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 use Screaming Frog SEO to keep your library website neat and up to date on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, July 31 at 10am CT.

Special monthly episodes of NCompass Live! Join the NLC’s Technology Innovation Librarian, Amanda Sweet, as she guides us through the world of library-related Pretty Sweet Tech.

Many years ago I stumbled across a tool called Screaming Frog SEO. It’s a free/ low-cost tool to keep your website and resource documents up to date, Google keyword-friendly, and just all-around awesome. It is code-free and easy to learn with plenty of tutorials. In this session you will see how Screaming Frog can help you:

• Check for broken links on your web pages for easy repair.
• Make sure all images on your website are accessible.
• Spell check and grammar check your whole website.
• Find out when pages were last updated.
• Other helpful tips and tricks.

As a fun fact, I found this tool because frogs are my favorite animal and I just wanted to see which website tools were frog-friendly. Now this is one of my most-used tools to update website and resource listings!

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

• Aug. 7 – Learning New Technologies On-the-Fly: Vendorbrarian to Public Librarian
• Aug. 14 – Operating a Culture of Belonging: Personal Librarian 2.0
• Sept. 4 – Board Games & Computer Science in Libraries

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.

Brian Pichman of the Evolve Project will be Amanda’s guest on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, February 28, 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.

Brian Pichman of the Evolve Project is the man behind the scenes, transforming how libraries engage with technology. Here at the Commission, he helped a lot with the Tech Kits Through the Mail. If you’ve gotten a kit from us, it’s because he tracks tech trends, works with tech gadget startups, and helps build solid strategies to connect communities with transformative technology.

Honestly, he’s helped me a lot over the years. But I can’t be selfish. I decided to share his expertise with you all! Turns out Brian does way more than I ever knew possible.

In this session we will get Brian talking about all the cool things he has going on:

• Explore how his pilot programs of new games & gadgets are shaping the future of libraries through makerspaces, innovation spaces, and leading edge programming
• Learn how Brian helps libraries embrace AI, VR and AR to revolutionize library services and enhance accessibility and engagement for all.
• Discover his passion for open-source solutions to drive positive change, and his recent endeavors with ByWater Solutions, a leading provider of open-source library software.
• Dig into his work with libchalk, a web hosting platform designed specifically to help libraries host digital content, websites, courses, and online resource libraries.

The real question is, what doesn’t he do? He can help your library too. Find out how.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

• March 13 – Winning Grants for Your Library Programming
• March 27 – Pretty Sweet Tech
• April 3 – Improving the Quality of Childcare Through STREAM

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.

That’s right, you heard it here first, the Tech Kits Through the Mail service has some new tech kits available! Learn all about them on next week’s ‘Pretty Sweet Tech’ NCompass Live webinar, on Wednesday, December 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.

For anyone new to the Tech Kits, the Nebraska Library Commission circulates drones, robotics, circuit kits, virtual reality headsets, and more! The kits are designed to introduce communities to the Industry 4.0 technologies that are changing the way we all live, work and interact with one another. Attend this session to:

• Learn about the newly added kits.
• Explore updated resources & activities.
• Learn how the service works.
• Explore practical ways Industry 4.0 tech is being used to solve real problems.

I hope to see you there as you follow the tech kit saga! If you’re not in Nebraska, you can still access the supplementary resources, and gather ideas for which tech kits you want in your own library!

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

• Jan. 3, 2024 – Meet the NLC, Part 1
• Jan. 10, 2024 – Meet the NLC, Part 2
• Jan. 17, 2024 – Auditing Library Websites
• Jan. 24, 2024 – Best New Teen Reads of 2023
• Jan. 31, 2024 – Pretty Sweet Tech
• Feb. 14, 2024 – ConnectEd Nebraska: Bridging the Digital Divide through Innovative eduroam Expansion
• Feb. 21, 2024 – Using Creativity to Grow & Develop

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 plan and implement a GrandPad program, with tablets designed by older adults for older adults, on next week’s NCompass Live webinar, ‘GrandPads: Creating Digital Connections for Older Adults’, on Wednesday, March 29 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.

During the pandemic, social isolation became a significant problem for many seniors, who were also the most vulnerable to COVID-19. On top of the isolation, the persistent digital divide left many older adults in the St. Louis area either without internet access, a device, the skills to use digital technology, or all three. St. Louis County Library devised a way to serve the digital needs of the community through an innovative program of lending GrandPads to isolated, low-income older adults. GrandPads are tablets designed by older adults for older adults with a simple, intuitive, and decluttered design. In this session, learn how St. Louis County Library planned and implemented the GrandPad program, including securing $1,000,000 in funding from local government, reviewing applications, and distributing and administering the GrandPads.

Guest Presenter: Eric Button, Deputy Director, St. Louis County Library.

Upcoming NCompass Live shows:

• April 5 – T(w)eens: Programming, Partnership, and Burnout
• April 12 – Art Show! Where Art and Science Meet to Bring the Community Together
• April 19 – Creative Aging Arts Program for Nebraska Libraries
• April 26 – Pretty Sweet Tech
• May 17 – Read the Rainbow: Serving the LGBTQ+ Community in Your Library
• May 24 – La Biblioteca Es Para Ti – Building Community Relationships in a Different Language
• May 31 – Pretty Sweet Tech: Bots for the Community!

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.