Three of Broadway's most popular musical creators -- Steven Lutvak, Jeanine Tesori and David Yazbek -- perform their own work in an intimate evening of music. Special guests include Catherine Walker, Jacqueline Echols, Joshua Henry, Dean Sharenow and Mike Chiavaro. Part of the Library's Songs of America project.
Speaker Biography: Steven Lutvak's rise to Broadway fame was met with the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2014 for "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder." Lutvak is a past recipient of the Kleban Award for Lyric Writing for the Theater and the Fred Ebb Award for Songwriting for the Theater.
Speaker Biography: From "Thoroughly Modern Millie" to "Violet" and "Caroline, or Change," Jeanine Tesori's musicals have become modern classics, garnering her four Tony nominations and the Olivier Award for Best New Musical.
Speaker Biography: David Yazbek, a three-time Tony nominee, is known for his comedic musicals "The Full Monty," "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," and "Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown." He is also a Grammy-nominated producer, Emmy-winning TV writer, and co-composer of the theme song to PBS's "Where in The World is Carmen Sandiego?"
Justin Kauflin performed a solo piano concert in the Coolidge Auditorium. Works performed include several original compositions. Speaker Biography: Just Kauflin is a jazz pianist. Kauflin...
FOR MORE INFORMATION David Oertli
402-471-4005
800-742-7691
Talking Book Advisory Committee Seeks Nominees
Four vacancies currently exist on the Advisory Committee to the Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service. The purpose of the committee is to represent the needs of talking book and Braille borrowers and to make recommendations concerning library policies, services, and programs. Membership consists primarily of library users but may include librarians, educators, health care providers, and others who understand the needs of individuals with disabilities. The committee normally meets twice a year.
The Talking Book and Braille Service provides free talking books, magazines, playback equipment, and Braille to any resident of Nebraska who cannot see regular print, or hold a book, or turn its pages. Books and magazines are received and returned through the mail postage-free or are downloaded directly from the Internet. Persons interested in serving on the committee should contact Talking Book and Braille Service, 1200 N Street, Suite 120, Lincoln, NE 68508-2023. Phone: 402-471-4005 or 800-742-7691, fax: 402-471-6244, email: nlc.talkingbook@nebraska.gov. Deadline: March 15.
As Nebraska’s state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services-“bringing together people and information.”
Have you listened to the NCompass Podcast lately? Here are the episodes from December 2014. To get all of the episodes delivered to you automatically be sure to subscribe via RSS or iTunes.
Episode 312: Addressing the Legal Information Needs of Immigrants and Non Native Speakers
Episode 313: Best New Youth Books of 2014
Episode 314: Nebraska Memories
Episode 315: Installing and Using the OverDrive App: A Day-Before-Christmas Refresher!
Episode 316: Tech Talk with Michael Sauers: WordPress and SEO/SMO
Scientists have discovered a rare frog in Indonesia that gives birth to live tadpoles, researchers report in a journal article published this week.
Herpatologist Jim McGuire found proof this summer that the frog, one of a group of roughly 25 species in Indonesia that have two fangs used for fighting, lays not eggs or even live froglets but live tadpoles. It’s the only frog species in the world to do so.
McGuire found the frogs on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. He named to the species Limnonectes larvaepartus.
Two tadpoles, each about 10 millimeters long, shortly after birth. Jim McGuire—UC Berkeley
This wasn't a "protest" it was nation-wide, well-organized crime by thugs and criminals hoping to create a revolution a la the 1960s--like grandpa's. The people of Ferguson have been the victims of these criminals. Our president's address just added to the suspicion and frustration. Violence and crime in our nation has never been lower--so crime must be hyped to instill fear in voters. The black-officer-kills-black-felon rate was 32 per 100,000 black officers in 1998, (lastest year I could find stats, but violent crime was higher then) which is higher than the white-officer kills-black-felon rate of 14 per 100,000 white officers. (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2001)
But what is also true is that there are still problems and communities of color aren't just making these problems up. Separating that from this particular decision, there are issues in which the law too often feels as if it is being applied in discriminatory fashion. I don't think that's the norm. I don't think that's true for the majority of communities or the vast majority of law enforcement officials. But these are real issues. And we have to lift them up and not deny them or try to tamp them down. What we need to do is to understand them and figure out how do we make more progress. And that can be done.
What does a “certified refurbished” exactly mean? A refurbished Kindle is the one that has been returned by a customer, and tested by Amazon for functionality and defects.
Only devices that look like new are selected to be sold as certified refurbished. What’s more, they ship with a 1-year limited warranty. It’s exactly the same warranty that comes with new Kindles.
If you started to consider buying the certified refurbished Kindle, today’s deal for Kindle Paperwhite is not the only way to get one.
Certified refurbished Kindles are available in the Kindle Outlet Store. The usual saving is around 25%.
Five Amazon Fire models can be bought currently in the Kindle Outlet Store (HD and HDX, different sizes and generation), plus two other version of the Kindle Paperwhite.
On September 23rd, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Institute for Museum and Library Services will offer a free webinar on financial literacy. This session has limited space so please register quickly.
Sometimes, if you’re offering programs on money topics, library patrons may come to you with questions about setting money goals. To assist librarians, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Institute of Museum and Library Services are developing financial education tools and sharing best practices with the public library field.
The two agencies created the partnership to help libraries provide free, unbiased financial information and referrals in their communities, build local partnerships and promote libraries as community resources. As part of the partnership, both agencies gathered information about libraries and financial education. Their surveys focused on attitudes about financial education, and how librarians can facilitate more financial education programs.
Join both groups on Tuesday, September 23, 2014, from 2:30–3:30p.m. Eastern Time for the free webinar “Setting money goals,” which will explore the basics of money management. The webinar will teach participants how to show patrons to create effective money goals.
Webinar Details
September 23, 2014
2:30–3:30p.m. Eastern Join the webinar (No need to RSVP)
Conference number: PW8729932
Audience passcode: LIBRARY
If you are participating only by phone, please dial the following number:
A listener asks if we find ourselves recommending our favorite books over and over. We talk about old things. And we tell you about an amazing memoir and a noirish novel of the Jazz Age that is based on a true story.
Recycling recommendations:
New listener Emma asks: “Do you have a section of your bookshelf that you find yourself recommending again and again? I think my friends must be sick of hearing me talk about Still Alice (by Lisa Genova), Unbearable Lightness (the Portia de Rossi autobiography), The World According to Garp (John Irving), We Need to Talk About Kevin (Lionel Shriver), and Haruki Murakami’s entire works. I have my staples I keep passing around, but I’m worried that the more I talk about them, the less-inclined others are to give them a go. How do you go about recommending books without putting people off with your enthusiasm? Which are the books you’re constantly lending out?”
We love this topic! Michael finds himself recommending:
We’d love to know: what are the books that you recommend over and over? Let us know in the show comments. Thanks!
Audiobook of the week (07:16)
Don’t Breathe a Word by Jennifer McMahon, narrated by the Lily Rains, is my pick for this week’s Audiobooks.com Audiobook of the Week. We’re excited that Jennifer will be joining us at Booktopia Vermont for her new novel, The Winter People.
Special thanks to Audiobooks.com for sponsoring this episode of Books on the Nightstand.
Audiobooks.com allows you to listen to over 40,000 audiobooks, instantly, wherever you are, and the first one is free. Download or stream any book directly to your Apple or Android device. Sign up for a free 7-day trial and free audiobook download by going to www.audiobooks.com/freebook
A conversation about old things (09:53):
Michael recently re-read Griffin and Sabine by Nick Bantock, a book that was first published in the 1990s and slated to be a film. Ann received a gift membership to the Boston Athenaeum, a wonderful private subscription library. What do these two things have in common? We don’t really know, but it inspired a conversation about the preservation of old things and traditions. You can listen by clicking the link included in this blog post, or, (if you receive this post by email) downloading the file included in the email. Don’t forget that you can listen to every episode of Books on the Nightstand on your computer or smartphone by subscribing through iTunes, Stitcher, Instacast, or any other podcast listening program.
Two books we can’t wait for you to read (22:52):
Michael recommends The Answer to the Riddle is Me, a memoir by David Stuart MacLean. When the author was on a fellowship in India, he woke up one day standing in the middle of a train platform with no idea where he was or who he was.
This week I chose The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress by Ariel Lawhon, a novel based on the 1930s disappearance of a New York City judge. Set in the jazz age and told from the perspective of three women, it’s delicious and mysterious.
One of my goals for 2014 is to take more photos. To help with that goal, one of my 2013 vacation goals was to create a website for my photos. The second goal has been achieved!
Check out my zenfolio portfolio at http://stephaniewbrown.zenfolio.com, and if you have Flash enabled, you can check out a slideshow of my recent photowalk at the Eno River State Park:
Every year for the last bunch of years I’ve been linking to and posting all the “year’s best sciencey books” lists that I can find around the web in various media outlets.
From the beginning it’s been a pretty popular service so I’m happy to continue it. The previous posts for all the 2013 lists are here.
This time it’s Library Journal Best Books 2013 Top Ten, Sci-Tech.
Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink
Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation by Michael Pollan
The World’s Rarest Birds by by Erik Hirschfeld, Andy Swash, Robert Still
The Devil’s Cormorant: A Natural History by Richard J. King
Wolves in the Land of Salmon by David Moskowitz
Giraffe Reflections by Dale Peterson (text) & Karl Ammann (photos)
Bug Music: How Insects Gave Us Rhythm and Noise by David Rothenberg
I’m always looking for recommendations and notifications of book lists as they appear in various media outlets. If you see one that I haven’t covered, please let me know at jdupuis at yorku dot ca or in the comments.
I am picking up most of my lists from Largehearted Boy. The summary post for 2012 books is here and all the posts for 2012 can be found here.
Online resources are seen as a revolutionary approach towards education due to their convenience and accessibility. However, finding the right set of tools will be crucial for your success as an online learner. You shouldn’t forget that the open access to Internet has enabled an immense amount of misinformation to be presented as facts. With the great number of educational online resources, it can be difficult to choose the ones that correspond to your learning style. With the list we provide, you don’t have to waste time on research, trial and error, because we’ve selected some of the best tools developed with an educative purpose.
To be a great educator means that you have to know how to motivate your students. You can be a motivator only if you are motivated yourself (and that wasn’t just a word play). The list provided on this website features some of the best motivational books that will help you become the teacher every student loves.
If you don’t know how to approach online learning just yet, you will benefit a lot from the tips offered on this website. The eLearning Coach provides resources, product reviews, strategies, and practical content that will help you understand the concept of online learning and start implementing it in practice.
You can advance your career as a teacher or tutor through project-based online classes offered by Udacity. This website is also great for students, as it motivates them to learn new skills by cheering them on every step of the way.
This website offers a free and growing base of multimedia interactive e-learning resources for teaching, including videos, animations, quizzes, educational games, and other types of resources in various subjects.
The goal of this project is to provide resources and information to anyone interested in high education. The aim of iBerry is to enable access open education, which is realized through open courseware, news aggregator, higher education resources, and learner support.
This project is aimed at university professors, providing them with an informative blog and discussion forum where issues of higher education are being elaborated.
The free Learning OnLine modules offered by Acas are an irreplaceable e-learning resource for people who want to refresh their knowledge through learning theory, exploring practical case studies, and testing their understanding through tests and interactive questions.
This online community of educators is one of the best resources for K-12 teachers. They can connect with mentors, educators and co-workers with similar interests and collaborate with each other. The users can also access free educative videos, lessons plans, documents, and other types of resources organized by subject, grade, and type.
This free learning source enables its users to access over 750 free lessons and start learning immediately. It is useful for both students and teachers who want to expand their knowledge in particular subjects.
It doesn’t matter whether you are a teacher, tutor, or student – being organized is the key to everyone’s success. Trello is one of the best choices of organizational tools that help educators to get organized, collaborate with each other and their students, assign tasks, and gather constructive opinions.
Many old-school educators have troubles using new technology to create courses, but ReadyGo makes this technology accessible and easy to use for anyone. It doesn’t require coding or technical knowledge and is one of the best rapid e-learning tools on the web.
This comprehensive website offers a great collection of resources that guide the user to online learning and teaching materials. Merlot.org is used by an international community of users that not only learn from its resources, but make their own contributions as well.
This project provides open and free access to a great base of introductory courses taught by some of the most respected scholars and teachers at Yale University. The lectures featured at the website are available in text transcript, audio, and video format.
Open Education is offered by New York University as well, so everyone interested in learning is welcomed to use the free resources available at this website. The pilot program is launched with some of the most significant courses, including Natural Science II, Calculus I, Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences, Genomes & Diversity, Introduction to Sociology, and many more.
Zotero can become your personal research assistant that will collect your research material in a single interface. You can add web page snapshots, video and audio files, images, PDF materials, and any other type of documents you need.
Conclusion
Accessing material that will advance your knowledge and skills is easier than ever due to the great choice of online tools. By embracing new technology, your learning skills will be greatly improved.
The sites we listed above will provide you with the resources you need, so all you have to do is make a daily schedule, find a good study area at your home and start exploring them one by one.”
I want to look at the genre generator that is mentioned.
When I collected postal stamps as a boy, I just enjoyed them as colorful bits of paper and tried to fill my stamp book pages. I did not realize that every stamp had a story, nor did I know that each had to be conceived, designed, and approved. To my credit, I did notice that most of the stamps depicted famous people or historical scenes. I did not continue collecting past my school days.
British author Chris West obviously kept up his stamp collecting and studied his stamps' origins. In his new book A History of Britain in Thirty-Six Postage Stamps, he used what he learned to recount modern British history, starting with the coronation of Queen Victoria and continuing to the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. In the process of reading his clever book, we learn about the reign of monarchs, the Industrial Revolution, the rise and fall of the British Commonwealth, the rise of the British middle class, Britain's reluctance to join in European Unions, the death of Princess Diana, and the development of digital communications. The Post Office and its royally-appointed postmasters had a role in all of these developments.
While West's book focuses on Great Britain, it should find many appreciative readers in the United States, people who can both reaffirm what British history they know and learn something knew. Its 36 short chapters can be parceled out as dessert reading over many days. A History of Britain in Thirty-Six Postage Stamps is worth checking out.
West, Chris. A History of Britain in Thirty-Six Postage Stamps. Picador, 2013. 277p. ISBN 9781250035509.
In Part 1 of 2, regulators, innovators & association representatives discuss TV's future. Guests include former FCC chair Julius Genachowski, Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), Aereo Founder Chet Kanojia, & Nat'l Assoc. of Broadcasters President Gordon Smith.
The Libri Foundation is a nationwide non-profit organization which donates new, quality, hardcover children’s books to small, rural public libraries in the United States through its BOOKS FOR CHILDREN program. Only libraries within the 50 states are eligible to apply. Libraries are qualified on an individual basis. In general, county libraries should serve a population under 16,000 and town libraries should serve a population under 10,000 (usually under 5,000). Libraries should be in a rural area, have a limited operating budget, and an active children’s department. Please note: Rural is usually considered to be at least 30 miles from a city with a population over 40,000.
Applications are accepted from school libraries only if they also serve as the public library (i.e. it is open to everyone in the community, has some summer hours, and there is no public library in town). Please note: Town libraries with total operating budgets over $150,000 and county libraries with total operating budgets over $450,000 are rarely given grants. The average total operating budget of a BOOKS FOR CHILDREN grant recipient is less than $40,000.
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN grant recipients that have fulfilled all grant requirements, including the final report, may apply for another grant three years after the receipt of their previous grant. Grant recipients that do not fulfill all the grant requirements, including the final report, are not eligible for another grant.
To obtain a grant application from The Libri Foundation:
Read the application instructions and fill out the form online. The form must be printed out, STAPLED, signed, and returned to The Libri Foundation via mail.
To receive a paper application in the mail, please email your name and your library’s name and mailing address to The Libri Foundation at libri@librifoundation.org. You may also request an application packet by mail, telephone, or fax at the address or phone numbers given on the Libri Foundation home page.
Applications for this round must be postmarked by January 23. Grant recipients will be posted on the Grant Recipients page within a few days after grants are awarded. Acceptance packets are usually mailed 14-18 days after grants are awarded. http://www.librifoundation.org/apps.html
Originally posted by Birdie -- technical problems were causing embed not to work. She had the following comment with original post -- Hilarious response by Waterstones to Amazon's "Prime Air" concept of drone book delivery. Got to love the closing line.
Have you listened to the NCompass Podcast lately? Here are the episodes from December 2014. To get all of the episodes delivered to you automatically be sure to subscribe via RSS or iTunes.
On September 23rd, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Institute for Museum and Library Services will offer a free webinar on financial literacy. This session has limited space so please register quickly.
Audiobook of the week (07:16)
Don’t Breathe a Word by Jennifer McMahon, narrated by the Lily Rains, is my pick for this week’s Audiobooks.com Audiobook of the Week. We’re excited that Jennifer will be joining us at Booktopia Vermont for her new novel, The Winter People.
When I collected postal stamps as a boy, I just enjoyed them as colorful bits of paper and tried to fill my stamp book pages. I did not realize that every stamp had a story, nor did I know that each had to be conceived, designed, and approved. To my credit, I did notice that most of the stamps depicted famous people or historical scenes. I did not continue collecting past my school days.
When I collected postal stamps as a boy, I just enjoyed them as colorful bits of paper and tried to fill my stamp book pages. I did not realize that every stamp had a story, nor did I know that each had to be conceived, designed, and approved. To my credit, I did notice that most of the stamps depicted famous people or historical scenes. I did not continue collecting past my school days.
