alarm clock NLC ommunicator
October '96 Vol.10 No.10 ISSN 0895-0806 phone: 402-471-2045, 800-307-2665
Timely information from the Nebraska Library Commission

[Announcements]

Nominations for the State Advisory Council are invited. New appointments will be made by the Commissioners in November for three-year terms beginning in January 1997. The Council meets four times annually and advises the Library Commission on federal LSCA library programs and other issues. Council members represent public, academic, school, special libraries and library users. Nominations should be submitted to Sally Snyder, 402-471-4003 or 800-307-2665 at the Library Commission by October 24. E-mail: Sally Snyder.

Governor Nelson has appointed Karen Warner to fill the remaining term on the Nebraska Library Commission due to Myrna Vollbrecht's resignation. Karen is the Library Services Coordinator at Northeast Community College in Norfolk. She brings to the Commission professional experience as a library director and knowledge of northeast Nebraska. We will welcome Karen at the next Commission meeting on November 8.

Brad Hauptman has been selected as the Nebraska Library Commission's employee of the year, and Burns Davis, CM, has been chosen as the Commission's Manager of the Year. Jeannette Powell, Janet Greser, Julie Pinnell, and Theresa Thomssen were awarded Certificates of Appreciation. Congratulations to all!

LSTA, the Library Services and Technology Act, was passed by the House on September 24 as part of H.R. 1720. It now goes to the Senate for action. If passed by the Senate and signed by the President, LSTA will replace the Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) which expired at the end of September. For more information, see http://www.ala.org/, search on LSTA.

The final version of the Accreditation Guidelines was mailed the last week of September to all Public Libraries and System Administrators, along with a copy of the Fundamentals for Public Library Service in Nebraska. If you have not received the mailing by October 12, contact Karen Ingish at the Library Commission, 402-471-3849, 800-307-2665. The final version is available on the Commission's Home Page at /libdev/revguid.html. The Public Library section of the Nebraska Library Association (NLA) will vote on the acceptance of the final version on October 25 at 12:30 P.M. during their business meeting luncheon at the NLA/NEMA (Nebraska Education and Media Association) convention.

EBSCO Publishing, Galenet, H. W. Wilson, IAC and UMI will exhibit at the NLA/NEMA convention at the Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln, October 24-25. These providers will also offer a trial of their services from January 1-May 31, 1997. Sign up at their booths or stop by the Nebraska Library Commission booth for more information. Contact Allana Novotny, 402-471-6681 or 800-307-2665, e-mail: Allana Novotny.

Federal grants for technology projects were awarded to public libraries in September. Fifty-seven public libraries received grants for technology applications including Internet access for the public, automated card catalog, automated circulation system, CD-ROM capabilities, voice synthesizer for customers with visual impairment, and upgrading OCLC work stations. LSCA Title II grants will be awarded the first week of October.

The fall video tapes of the children's book reviews are available and may be reserved from your System office or from Information Services at the Library Commission, 402-471-4016, 800-307-2665, or e-mail: Information Services Team. To duplicate your own tapes or watch the tapes for a full day, view the satellite broadcast on October 15, 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. CT. The NEB*SAT satellite coordinates are: Spacenet 3, Chan. 4-7380 MHz Audio - 6.2 MHz.

The 15% Solution: Focus on Young People is an interactive videoconference to support effective library service to children and young adults with learning disabilities, scheduled for November 19, from 1:00 to 4:00 P.M. CT, presented by Audrey Gorman and sponsored by ALA. For more information about the site nearest you or to receive a brochure, contact Mary Jackson, 402-471-4006 or Kit Keller, 402-471-3216 or either at 800-307-2665.

The recently revised Guidelines for Youth Services will be discussed and approved by the School, Children and Young People's section of NLA at the fall conference during the Mad Hatter luncheon, October 25, 11:30 A.M. - 1:15 P.M. To request a copy of the guidelines, contact Mary Jackson or Kit Keller (listed above).

Order blanks for the 1997 summer reading materials will be mailed out in October. Contact Mary Jackson or Kit Keller (listed above) if you do not receive an order blank by November 1. Color samples of the materials may be viewed at the Library Commission in the second floor hallway next to the elevator on October 24 during the NLA/NEMA Conference. The 1997 theme is Thrills and Chills at the Library. The 1998 theme is Rock 'N Read at Your Library. To contribute ideas to the 1998 manual, send them to Mary Jackson at the Nebraska Library Commission by March 1, 1997. The 1999 theme will be chosen by the five-state Cooperative in spring 1997. The Nebraska Library Commission Youth Advisory Board will offer input. For a copy of the Board minutes from their September 27, 1996 meeting, contact Sally Snyder, 402-471-4003 or 800-307-2665, e-mail: Sally Snyder.

A newly revised version of the Community Information Technology (CIT) Home Page is up and running at http://nlc.state.ne.us/cit/cit.html. One new item is the committee section, featuring a separate file for each committee's information. Committees can use the online form in this section to update information. Another new feature is the Reading Room with full text documents.

Through a partnership agreement with the Nebraska Library Commission and the College of St. Mary in Omaha, Emporia State University's School of Library and Information will offer its Master of Library Science degree program in Nebraska beginning in the spring of 1997. Classes are held in "weekend intensive" format from Friday evenings to Sunday afternoons, 16 weekends per year. The 42-credit-hour degree is fully accredited by the American Library Association and can be completed in less than three years. For more information call Emporia State University, 800-552-4770.

Packets of forms for the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) were mailed to colleges and universities in Nebraska in July. They included the Academic Libraries Survey, due November 15. When you receive the survey form please return it to the designated campus or state office. If you have questions about how to report, please contact Karen Ingish at the Library Commission, 402-471-3849, 800-307-2665, fax: 402-471-2083. The data will be transmitted to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in Washington, D.C. NCES uses the data to produce a national summary report for use by local, state and national policy makers. Individual library data is now posted on the Internet. To view previous data compilations point your Internet Web browser to: http://www.ed.gov/NCES/IPEDS/library.html.

The NE Rural Development Commission has openings,beginning January 1, 1997. The Rural Development Commission has demonstrated a thorough comprehension of the importance of rural libraries as the community information connection. Librarians in rural Nebraska communities are urged to consider this unique opportunity to serve your community and state. To receive an information packet and application, contact Taina Heitz, 402-471-6002.

[Continuing Education & Training]

NE Library Association/ NE Educational Media Association (NLA/NEMA) 1996 Convention

October 23-25, at the Lincoln Cornhusker Hotel.
Contact: Ellen Van Waart, Local Arrangements Chair, 402-471-4004, 800-307-2665 for more information about the convention.

This year's theme is Success at All Points: Strength through Interdependence. Nebraska's Regional Library Systems will sponsor a preconference on "Getting Your Message Out to Build Clout, Visibility and Support" on October 23, from 10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. at the Cornhusker, featuring Kare Anderson. NLA's Information and Technology Access Round Table will sponsor a preconference on "Working with Images for WWW and Multimedia Applications," on October 23, from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UN-L) New Media Center, featuring Phil Johnson. Keynote speakers will provide insights into the changing world of technology and how libraries and librarians can be successful in the environment. Workshop sessions, business meetings, luncheons and demonstrations will cover a variety of topics. The Coalition for Nebraska's Libraries will host a special session on Friday at 2:25 P.M. on "Tomorrow's Libraries Today: Increased State Funding for Library Service." For more information about the Convention, contact Ellen Van Waart, (listed above) or check out the Web site: http://www.esu18.k12.ne.us/NEMA/.

Online World '96 Conference & Expo

October 28-30, Washington DC.
Contact: Online World registration, 800-248-8466, ext. 504.

(Previously the Online/CD-ROM Conference.) Sessions are divided into three interest areas: Information Managers, Information Professionals and Online Users, with a preconference session on Oct. 27. Nearly 70 vendors are registered to exhibit. For more about the Online World '96 Conference and a list of vendors, see http://www.onlineinc.com/olworld/.

1996 Grantsmanship Training Program

November 4-8, Southeast Community College, Lincoln NE.
Contact: Grantsmanship Center, (California), 800-421-9512 for more information or for other dates and locations.

Limited number of scholarships are available. This workshop takes you step-by-step through planning programs, locating funding sources, writing grant proposals, locating grant support from foundations, corporations, and government funding sources, as well as the latest developments in online grant information systems and the Internet. It includes hands-on proposal development.

Nebraska Futures Conference: Preparing for the 21st Century

November 8, videoconference sites in Nebraska.
Contact: Northeast Community College in Norfolk, 402-644-0601 or 800-348-9033 ext. 601 for more information.

Hosted by the City of Norfolk, community leaders will collaborate to build shared visions for the future and develop a decision-making process that develops a consensus among many citizens. Educators who would like to establish the concept of life-long learning can develop new methods of restructuring education to provide flexibility, adaptability and creativity. Nebraskans who see their community as a family can work to develop a sense of pride among many diverse people. The conference is for everyone who cares about the future of Nebraska. For more details visit the Home Page at http://www.rei-group.com/home1.htm. Cost: $30.

Mobilizing Community Assets II: Everyone has Gifts, Everyone Contributes

December 3, 3:00 - 5:30 P.M. CT, Northeast Community College, Norfolk.
Contact: Northeast Community College, 402-644-0601 or 800-348-9033 ext. 601 for more information.

Course # BUS 012462. Target audience: Members of nonprofit organizations, civic associations, libraries, religious organizations, educational institutions, state and local governments, elected officials, business leaders, seniors and youths, health care providers, etc. This workshop will explore the ideas, tools and methods that communities are inventing to rediscover and mobilize the talents and capacities of individual residents. The training will focus on the successful community practice. It will show how to create and adapt specific methods and approaches, including an "individual capacity inventory," to achieve a more participatory future for communities.

Library Advocacy Training

Four sessions are scheduled:
December 9, Lincoln,
December 10, Norfolk,
December 11, Kearney,
December 13, Scottsbluff.
Contact: Ellen Van Waart for more information, 402-471-4004, 800-307-2665.

These sessions will be facilitated by Pat Wagner of Pattern Research and will focus on communicating effectively with community, state and national decision-makers to urge full support of Nebraska libraries of all types. These sessions will provide librarians, trustees, and other community leaders with the tools they need to become effective library advocates and to mobilize others to speak out.

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