NCompass Live - March 19, 2025 http://nlc.nebraska.gov/ncompasslive/ Do you want to improve civic engagement outreach at your library? Join us to learn about the new Nebraska Public Libraries and Civic Engagement Outreach Guide. This guide was created as part of a Girl Scout Gold Award service project with Civic Nebraska, the League of Women Voters of Nebraska, and the Omaha Public Library, to encourage voter information and other civic opportunities at more Nebraska public libraries. The goal is to make public libraries’ civic outreach easier to achieve and more collaborative with community organizations, with information specific to Nebraska libraries and the state’s political processes. Presenters: Fiona Bryant; Bethany Barelman, Branch Manager, A.V. Sorensen Branch, Omaha Public Library; Mike Forsythe, Civic Nebraska; and Jan McKenzie, President, League of Women Voters of Greater Omaha.

1. NCompass Live: Civic
Engagement for Nebraska
Public Libraries
Fiona Bryant - NLA Outstanding Volunteer
Bethany Barelman - A.V. Sorensen (OPL) Branch Manager
Mike Forsythe - Civic Nebraska
Jan McKenzie - League of Women Voters of Greater Omaha

2. Volunteering with OPL
● Nebraska Library
Association
Outstanding
Volunteer Award
● Shelving since 2023
● Allowed me to learn
about OPL and how
libraries help the
community

3. Girl Scouts
● Girl Scout since
2013
● Earned Gold Award
for this project
● 80-hour, sustainable
community service
project
● Proposal and Final
Review process

4. Choosing the Project
● Love for libraries and
civic engagement
● Even I didn’t know
the library could
help you register to
vote!
● No Nebraska specific
guide
● Voter ID law🙁
● LWV and Civic
Nebraska

5. Working with OPL
● Helped OPL with
election resources
before 2024 election
● Social media, blog
posts, FAQs for
librarians
● Surveyed librarians
for this guide
● 1000 views on social
media posts, 200+
views of blog post

6. Distribution
● 15 civic groups
● Civic Nebraska, LWVNE,
LWVGO
● NLC’s email list
● OPL’s social media
● NLA
● This show!

7. Let’s get into the
guide!