Commission Awards Grants
Nebraska Library Commission Director Rod Wagner announced more than $91,000 in Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grants. Twelve successful applicants will use these federal funds for digitization projects, services and programs for English Language Learners (ELL), and other projects that support the Library Commission’s goals as outlined in the Making a Difference @ your library™: Nebraska Library Services and Technology Act Plan for Library & Information Services 2003–2007. Digital Project examples include:
• The Polley Music Library of Lincoln City Libraries will provide access to a unique collection of musical materials reflecting the history and culture of Nebraska in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This grant project involves digitizing approximately one hundred pieces of Nebraska sheet music and compiling a Web-accessible database, with biographical information about composers and lyricists. Curriculum lesson plans will also be developed.
• Randolph Public Library’s LSTA project will facilitate enhanced access to local newspapers through digitization. Local community members interested in historical or genealogical research, students, and others will be able to search and print information from archived issues of the Randolph Times.
• Kearney Public Library & Information Center will digitize important elements of Kearney’s local history. This will provide access to historic information, including city and county newspapers, cemetery records, genealogy information, historic books, and photograph collections.
• Hartington Public Library will provide enhanced
access to historical and genealogical resources with new equipment for
scanning, printing, and electronic transferring of microfilm images. For
more information about the 2004 LSTA grants awarded, see the list of LSTA
Grant Recipients,
nlc.nebraska.gov/grants/LSTA/lstarecipients.aspx or contact Kit Keller, 402-471-3216, 800-307-2665, e-mail: Kit Keller.
netLibrary eBook Collection
The Library Commission recently awarded grant funding to help nine small public and school libraries purchase the new SOLINET/NEBASE netLibrary eBook Collection.
They will receive up to $125 towards the purchase of the netLibrary
Collection. The 2004 Shared Collection includes popularly used titles in
subjects ranging from business and computer science to education,
literature, history, reference, and much more. Orders for the 2004
netLibrary collection will be accepted through October 12. For more
information see
[obsolete link removed].
Students Urged to Enter Letters About Literature Contest
Judges representing the Nebraska Center for the Book select state finalists, announced in April during National Library Week. Nebraska finalists will be honored by the governor at a ceremony at the State Capitol and receive cash awards and other prizes. State winners advance to national competition and receive cash prizes and Target gift cards. Six national winners receive a Target gift card and a trip to the nation’s capitol to read their letters during the National Book Festival. Last year, a Nebraska contestant, Jackson Fisher of Lincoln, won the national top prize for Grades 4–5, for his letter to Carl Hiaasen, author of Hoot.
For a copy of the official contest guidelines, plus the required entry coupon, see the Nebraska Library Commission home page, <nlc.nebraska.gov>, search on Letters about Literature 2005 or contact Maria Medrano-Nehls, Library Commission Administrative Secretary, 402-471-4008, 800-307-2665, e-mail: Maria Medrano-Nehls, for a print copy. Deadline for entries is December 4, 2004.
