There’s still time to nominate deserving people or organizations for the NLA Meritorious Service and Mari Sandoz awards. Nominations are due May 31, 2012.

The NLA Scholarship and Awards Committee invites nominations for the 2012 Meritorious Service Award and the Mari Sandoz Award.

The Meritorious Service Award is given annually to a person, corporation or organization which has contributed to the improvement of library service in a local community, region, state agency, or in library legislation. It may be given to an individual or a group.

The Mari Sandoz Award recognizes significant, enduring contribution to the Nebraska book world through writing, film production or related activity.

Nomination Procedures:
1. The original letter of nomination should include the nominee’s name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, accomplishments, and any relevant supporting documentation. The letter should include the name, titlem address, telephone number, and e-mail address of the person or group making the nomination.
2. At least four additional letters that support and endorse the nomination are required. Such letters may provide further information about the nomination.
3. More information and lists of previous recipients may be found here.
4. Nominations not selected are carried over to the following year, and additional letters of support are welcome for those nominations.
5. Nominations and letters of support must be received by May 31, 2012.
6. Nominations may be submitted by e-mail to ce.dow@lincolnlibraries.org or mailed to Carolyn Dow, Lincoln City Libraries, 136 S. 14 St., Lincoln, NE 68508.

The results of Nebraska Snapshot Day 2012 are in! We are proud to announce that 13 libraries across the state participated in Snapshot Day this year. These 13 libraries served over 23,000 people, checked out over 48,000 items and answered more than 1,350 questions.

The library patrons were not shy when asked, “What does your library mean to you?” For a sampling of the what the patrons had to say, check out the attached Snapshot Patron Comment Infographic. Or, if you’d like to see the complete report of why patrons came to visit the library and see all the comments they gave, check out our Snapshot Nebraska page.

A huge thank you to all the libraries that participated in this advocacy event. I hope that many of you will plan on participating next year!

–
Jessica Chamberlain
PLTS Vice-Chair

The New Member Round Table of the Nebraska Library Association is accepting nominations for the following two awards: The Houchen Bindery Beginning Professional Award and the Houchen Bindery Mentor of the Year Award.

Nomination forms can be found on the NMRT webpage: http://www.nebraskalibraries.org/NMRT/awards

Nominations must be received by September 1, 2012 and can be sent by mail or email to:

Lindsey Bray, NMRT Awards Chair
15819 Valley Street
Omaha, NE 68130
lnbray13@gmail.com

Houchen Bindery Beginning Professional Award

The Houchen Bindery Beginning Professional Award is a cash prize sponsored by Houchen Bindery LTD. It is awarded to a beginning librarian or media specialist who has made significant contributions to library and/or media services in the early stages of his/her career. If you know a new professional who has: created innovative programs or services which improved library service in Nebraska, made exceptional use of local, state, or national library resources including special grants, made significant contributions toward the betterment of library and community relations, and been active in professional library organizations on a local, state or national level, then nominate that person for the Houchen Bindery Beginning Professional Award.

Houchen Bindery Mentor of the Year Award

The Houchen Bindery Mentor of the Year Award goes to an individual who has aided significantly in the professional development of librarians, media specialists or library staff, and, by example, has influenced their careers. Thanks to the generosity of the Houchen Bindery, the award also comes with a $150 cash prize as of 2007. If you know someone who has: had extraordinary influence on the professional development of one or more junior staff members, encouraged involvement of staff in professional endeavors, provided strong leadership, and set a good example of professional involvement, then you know someone who deserves the Mentor of the Year Award.

At Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library (TSCPL), we’ve just started a new grassroots campaign focused on ebooks, targeted at libraries, readers and communities around the country.

I thought you’d appreciate hearing about it and knowing that you are welcome to use the information on the site, including the video, to provide information to your library staff and your customers and community. Note that we wrote and shot the video without library name or identifiers. If you’re so inclined, you’re welcome to put it on your library’s website.

A little background…….several of us on the TSCPL staff have been working on ebook issues affecting public libraries for a couple of years. As you know, it’s been a challenge to explain to our colleagues, our boards of trustees and thousands of local library customers why libraries can’t provide the same kind of access to ebooks that Amazon does. There’s a lot of passion about and interest in this issue and concern about what the long-term impact is for libraries.

In light of the recent announcements from publishers about pricing for and sales to libraries, we decided we wanted to take a proactive, positive approach to opening a line of communication from readers, especially those who use libraries, to publishers. In an effort to channel that interest positively and help give people a (respectful) voice, several of my colleagues and I have been working on a project called Ebooks for Libraries.

Here’s the link. http://ebooksforlibraries.com/

We went live today. The intent is positive – to educate readers and library users about the current ebook market and how libraries may currently purchase ebooks and to establish a way for readers, who are also library users, to become familiar with and to give feedback to publishers. Since most readers don’t read by publisher brand, (“I want everything you have published by Random House.” isn’t something we typically hear, we think this could be a good thing for publishers and libraries. J )

We are also encouraging librarians to educate themselves, their boards and their customers about the current ebook situation so that they can speak about it knowledgeably and civilly and ultimately, make good decisions for their libraries and readers.

It’s also a petition site. It allows people to sign a request to publishers to work with libraries to provide readers with the stories they want in the formats they want. If it takes off and we receive at least 10,000 signatures, we’ll be sending the big six publishers a snail mail copy of the petition.

If you are using it to help your library and community learn more about ebooks and digital content issues and to encourage them to advocate for their local libraries, I’d love to hear from you.

Gina Millsap, CEO

Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library

I hope you will sign the petition and will forward the link to your friends, colleagues and communities. Let me know if you have questions.

Robert Banks, Kansas Chapter Councilor
Chief Operating Officer
Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library
1515 SW 10th Ave
Topeka, KS 66604

The C&U Spring Meeting with S&I in Friday, May 18th – there is still time to register for the event. the online registration link & Event details available at; http://www.nebraskalibraries.org/cu/

Spring meeting highlights include; keynote speaker Beth McNeil from Purdue University Libraries, break-out sessions full of relevant information from your library colleagues, a tasty lunch which will include a few tables with “topic hosts” for those interested in discussing things such as ebooks, AND we’ll have the always popular raffle for a variety of gift baskets.

Don’t delay, get involved today.

Thank you,

Marcia Dority Baker

C&U Chair

Nominations are coming in daily however, it is not too late to step up to become an NLA leader! Lots of opportunities are available including NLA Board positions. Candidates are still being sought for:

• Vice-President/President Elect – (3 year term) Primary duties include actively participating in NLA Board meetings and Association activities including serving as the Conference co-chair for the annual NLA/NEMA conference.
• Secretary – (2 year term) Primary duties include keeping the minutes of the general meetings of the Association and of the NLA Board.
• More information on each position can be found in the Nebraska Library Association Handbook at the NLA website.
• Don’t forget opportunities to be an officer for your favorite round table!

Thank you to everyone who has already stepped up for the upcoming elections! Remember your photo and brief biography is needed to complete the ballot.

Send questions and suggestions to:
Christine Walsh
NLA Past-President
cwalsh@kearneygov.org
308-233-3283

Kearney Public Library
2020 1st Avenue
Kearney, NE

Just a reminder that the deadline to submit proposals to present at the NLA/NEMA/MPLA Conference is one week from today – April 30, 2012!

If you would like to present a program at the conference, and you would like the Public Library & Trustee Section to be your program sponsor, please let me know as soon as possible so you can get your proposal in on time.

Thank you!
Jessica Chamberlain
PLTS Vice-Chair

The C&U Spring Meeting with S&I is in one month, register today at http://www.nebraskalibraries.org/cu/

May 18th, Grace University “Connected & Collaborating: Nebraska Libraries”

Tentative Schedule:
9:00 AM – Registration
9:20 AM – Welcome
9:45 AM – Keynote Speaker

Beth McNeil, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Purdue University Libraries

11:00 AM – C & U Business Meeting concurrent with S & I Business Meeting
12:00 PM – Lunch with Table Talks
1:15 PM – First Break-out Session
Is Your Library Web Site Accessible to Everyone? Web Accessibility: Barriers and Guidelines

- Michael Sutherland, UNK

Scholarly Publishing in the U.S., A Brief History and Implications for the Future

- Sue Ann Gardner, UNL

2:15 PM – Drawing for Raffle Gift Baskets
2:30 PM – Second Break-out Session
Roving Reference – Wherefore Art Thou, O Librarians?

- Linda Parker, Nora Hillyer, Julee Hector, and Melissa Cast-Brede, UNO

Providing Access to Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETC)

- Margaret Mering, UNL

Do you have a colleague who has made a positive impact on the quality and role of library service? If you know someone that has made significant contributions, please nominate him/her for the MPLA Beginning Professional Award!!!

To qualify, the nominated librarian/media specialist must have received their library/media masters degree within the last five years and be a member of MPLA. You do not have to be a member to nominate someone for this award.

Nominations are being accepted now.

The MPLA Beginning Professional Award will be given at the 2012 MPLA Joint Conference with the Nebraska Library Association in LaVista, Nebraska, 17-19 October 2012.
http://mpla.us/forms/awardsnom.html

he Information Technology and Access Round Table is seeking candidates for vice-chair!

This is a three year office: Vice Chair, then Chair, then Past Chair. Duties vary by year, and include planning the spring meeting, running meetings, gathering conference proposals, attending NLA board meetings and finding candidates. See our bylaws for more information: http://nebraskalibraries.org/ITART/bylaws
If you are interested, email Karin Dalziel: karin@nirak.net. Deadline for nominations is April 27, 2012.

Thanks!