Year in Review

Two Library Administration and Management Association (LAMA) Institutes were held in Nebraska in Spring 2000.

In North Platte, thirty-two people participated in an institute entitled, "A Leadership Survival Kit," presented by Abigail Hubbard, University of Houston. In Lincoln, one hundred and twenty-five people participated in an institute entitled, "Libraries in the Digital Age: Visions for the Future and Road Maps for Change," presented by Deb Anderson, Mesa (AZ) Community College. The Nebraska Library Commission, Nebraska's Regional Library Systems, the Public Resource

Small group discussions liven up the LAMA Institutes.

Library Group (PRLG), and the University of Nebraska Council of Libraries (UNCL) sponsored both institutes. The LAMA Institutes provide an opportunity for library personnel from all types and sizes of libraries to gather and share information and

ideas, and to discuss issues relevant to their particular environments.

For more information about LAMA and the LAMA Regional Institutes, see www.ala.org/lama/events/institutes.

Commission Announces Increased State Aid

The Nebraska Library Commission approved allocation of $75,000 in additional state aid to public libraries and $52,500 for support of continuing education for library personnel in FY 2000. Library Commission Director Rod Wagner stated, "This additional $75,000 is an initial contribution to our ongoing campaign to increase state support for public library services.

The money augments local support for library services and can be used by local public libraries to boost their print and non-print materials, increase access to electronic information resources, develop programming for young people, or finance other library functions."

A portion of the additional state aid to public libraries was used to increase the base grant amount and the remainder was distributed through a per capita formula. These funds are part of $150,000 in additional state funds appropriated by the Legislature and approved by the Governor for FY 1999. $22,500 of the new funding was allocated earlier as additional aid for Nebraska's six Regional Library Systems.

Commission Sponsors Campfire Chats

In January, more than sixty-five people at fourteen sites across the state attended Library Commission-sponsored videoconferences to present basic information about the Commission's database project. Since its beginning four years ago, the

database project has grown from seventy-eight participating libraries to more than 650 this year. The database project initially included one information provider and ten databases. Now the project includes more than a dozen information providers and approximately

thirty-five databases, and it continues to grow. The Campfire Chat videoconferences helped build a foundation of understanding and knowledge for all participating librarians.

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