Mission:

The Northeast Library System’s role and mission is to be proactive by facilitating communication, education and access to information through partnerships with area libraries, school media centers, trustees, advocates and their communities.




Purposes:

I. To encourage cooperation among all types of libraries and media centers in the System area;
II. To develop and promote library services to meet the informational needs of all persons in the System Area, regardless of their place of residence;
III. To maximize the use of library resources (people, materials & facilities) and to minimize the duplication of effort;
IV. To encourage and assist System member libraries in strategic planning, and support them in carrying out the roles and missions they have chosen; and
V. To encourage the development of additional sources of funding for libraries.
Education Goals
To facilitate and encourage continuing education opportunities for the librarians, school media specialists, staff, trustees, advocates and their library community.

Education Objectives

1. To provide continuing education opportunities to assist libraries in achieving accreditation/certification needs. This would include opportunities for librarians, school media specialists, staff, trustees, advocates and library financial supporters.

2. To provide support for all librarians, especially new librarians, in order to promote better service through library-related skills.

3. To recognize library directors, library media specialists, trustees or library advocates who exemplify library leadership.

Activities:
a. System administrator taught Basic Skills: Public Services classes and co-taught Basic Skills: Public Library Administration with Lauran Lofgren, Wayne Public Library Director. Both classes were held at Norfolk Public Library.
b. System co-sponsored with Nebraska Library Commission E-rate training class held at Pierce Public Library.
c. System co-sponsored with the Nebraska Library Commission Summer Reading Program workshops at Lifelong Learning Center, NECC, Norfolk .
d. System co-sponsored with Regional Library Systems a session at NLA entitled: “Political Influences: How You Can Be Effective”.
e. System co-sponsored the Theresa Dickson Workshops with the Regional Library Systems and Nebraska Library Commission. Topics were Fifty Plus: Getting Ready to Hand Over the Reins and Supervising Peers and Former Friends.
f. System co-sponsored with the Nebraska Library Commission, “Database Roadshow”, held at Wayne State College.
g. System sponsored a TARGET meeting for small library directors in O’Neill Public Library.
h. Co-sponsored with Nebraska Regional Library Systems NLA Pre-conference, “The 4Rs: Romance, Robots, Recipes & Revolvers.” System Administrator made contact & travel arrangements for science fiction guest, Kevin Anderson.
i. Meme Smith, graduate student and Schuyler Public Library Director, worked part of her practicum at the System Office in July. She presented at Target Meeting about ROI.
j. System co-sponsored with Regional Library Systems a session at NLA conference entitled: “Leading or Starting a Book Group” with Ted Smith, Norfolk Public Library Director.
k. System Administrator presented a session at NLA conference entitled “Teen Technology 101: Facebook, YouTube and MySpace.”
l. Sponsored NLS Annual Winter Workshop entitled: “Have an Arctic Blast!@your library” at Lifelong Learning Center, NECC, in Norfolk. There were nine training sessions.
m. System Administrator hosted Regional Library Systems table at NLA Conference Exploratorium, a poster session about the “Connecting Kids With Books Grant.”
n. System administrator wrote a letter of support for the Omaha Children’s Museum Library for their Big Read Grant application.
o. System administrator led a discussion about potential changes in the accreditation process at the Polk County Library Association meeting in January.
p. System administrator sent letters and worked with libraries who had not submitted their Public Library Survey (statistics) using Bibliostat.
q. System sponsored 4 scholarships for librarians and school media specialists to attend the Annual Nebraska Library Conference in Lincoln, October, 2008.
r. System distributed extra information packets regarding autism. These packets were handed out by the Nebraska Library Commission at the Summer Reading Program workshop.
s. System administrator met with Library Technical Assistant (LTA) students twice to inform them about the Nebraska Regional Library System and its role in Nebraska Libraries.
t. System Administrator was appointed to the State Advisory Council on Libraries (SACL) and attended their regular meetings in Chadron, Grand Island, Omaha and Elmwood.
u. System administrator wrote a grant, “Casting for CE!”, to enable systems to develop podcasts about various topics for trustee training and certification. These podcasts would be available statewide 24/7. Grant was not awarded.
v. System administrator selected titles for “Connecting Kids with Books” grant. Sample titles are: Lawn Boy, Crossing the Wire, and Feathers.
w. System administrator was member of the reviewing team for the Continuing Education grants from the Nebraska Library Commission.
x. System awarded 7 mini-grants to libraries of all types for various projects. Some projects were purchasing a plasma TV, presenter for a Q125 celebration, purchasing a printer and updating children’s collections.
y. Northeast Library System had no new buildings or building additions. However, several libraries are busy with fund-raising efforts for new buildings.
z. System awarded 9 Pat-on-the Back Awards to various library supporters and staff.
aa. System administrator provided system board orientation on policies, procedures and activities for one new system board member.
bb. System administrator attended several meetings regarding the restructuring of the Basic Skills program.
cc. System administrator met with new librarians on a timely basis at: Dakota City, South Sioux City, Columbus, Wakefield and Little Priest Tribal College in Winnebago.
dd. System administrator visited 55 libraries and traveled over 6,812 miles on system business.
Communication Goal
To facilitate communication within and outside the Northeast Nebraska Library Community.



Communication Objectives

1. To serve as a point of access/referral for new ideas, technologies and continuing education opportunities to all librarians, school media specialists, trustees, friends, and library advocates.

2. To provide tools for Northeast Library System members for accessing information and communication.

3. To increase the visibility and value of libraries and library services to the school and community.

4. To encourage system members throughout the service area to be aware of legislative and political activities and issues that affected libraries, and encouraged participation in the legislative process locally, regionally and statewide.

Activities:
a. System promoted System workshops through publication of ten issues of the Straight Talk Newsletter.
b. System promoted System workshops by publishing information on the system’s website.
c. System administrator posted information on a timely basis on the system’s electronic discussion list.
d. System administrator discussed legislative issues at TARGET meetings, board meetings, Straight Talk newsletter and on the electronic discussion list.
e. System office loaned out 205 pieces of material (books, videos, periodicals, etc.), 5,358 newsletters, 187 informational items and circulated the AccuCut 14 times.
f. System office provided promotional items (posters, bookmarks, buttons, bags, notepads, pens, etc.) at NLS workshops.
g. System administrator attended meetings on library issues and emerging trends at the NLA Annual Conference in Lincoln and NLA Public Library Section spring meetings. After attending the meetings, the information is passed along to interested member libraries.



Access to Information Goal

To facilitate access to information throughout the library community.
Access to Information Objectives 1. To promote and encourage the use of current technologies in libraries such as library automation and online access. 2. To encourage system members to effective approaches to resource sharing, to familiarize libraries with available resources, and to ensure that all member libraries have access to resources beyond their own collections in order to provide better library service.


Activities:

1. System updated the NLS AccuCut directory, a listing of all dies owned by libraries within the Northeast System.
2. System’s Winter Workshop on ‘Creative Commons & Copyright’ and ‘Free Technology Tools for School & Youth Services Librarians’. System Administrator presented a session at NLA entitled: ‘MySpace, Facebook and YouTube’.
3. System sponsored a demonstration of Biblionix’s automation software, Apollo, at the Norfolk Public Library.
4. System administrator wrote a grant, “Casting for CE!’ to provide podcasts for library board trustees and library staff on continuing education topics. Grant was not awarded.
5. System administrator attended a system administrator meeting using Skype.
6. The System participates in the E-Rate program and assisted libraries with various questions and forms on E-Rate throughout the year.
7. System provided equipment (laptop, digital camera, microphone, projector, DVD player, AccuCut dies and cutter, and flip chart) for libraries to check out.