The Road to Hell

You know what they say? The road to hell is paved with good intentions. I had wonderful plans to be a faithful blogger and it has been 5 months since I've made an entry. I'm not proud of it, just stating the fact. It seems as though I haven't had a minute since then. Let's see, what's been going on?

TRAVELING EXHIBIT

The Forever Free: Abraham Lincoln's Journey to Emancipation national traveling exhibit was in the library from June 28 through August 10. What a wonderful adventure. We had so many great programs. Two gentlemen from the Civil War Veteran's Museum in Nebraska City helped us open the exhibit with their display of Civil War artifacts. Bill Dean was kind enough to leave some of his personal collection for us to display during the exhibition. We also had Ken Winkle, Lincoln Scholar, give a very informative program on the part the Great Plains played in the Civil War. Then we hosted Spencer and Vivian Davis during Tilden Prairie Days. They portrayed Abraham Lincoln and Sojourner Truth (who actually did meet in the White House) They also rode in the parade in Don Mollhoff's wagon. Mr. Davis did an afternoon program as Lincoln and answered many interesting questions from the attending crowd. He did a great job staying in character. They both seemed to enjoy the day. The final day of the exhibit, Dan Holtz presented a program featuring Civil War songs. These exhibits value go far beyond their physical presence. They provide the subject and the incentive to do terrific programming. Thanks to the Nebraska Humanities Council the library could afford to provide these quality programs.

TILDEN PRAIRIE DAYS

The library was instrumental in starting Tilden's Prairie Days celebration in 2004. It continues to do a lot of things in conjunction with Prairie Days. This year we hosted the Lincoln exhibit and hosted the two Lincoln programs as well as the annual Pieces of the Good Life Quilt show. The beautiful Lied Auditorium of the library is the perfect place to display the 100 items that are featured in the three day show. In addition Yvonne Hollenbeck did programs on Saturday and Sunday. Yvonne is a nationally recognized Cowgirl Poet. Visit her website: http://www.yvonnehollenbeck.com/ She is definitely worth knowing about. She was so personable and such a good sport. The Library also sponsors the annual, sanctioned, "Triple T" C1o*w Chip Throw. Yvonne consented to be a VIP contestant. It was great (see picture above)-. She was joined by Rod Wagner, Nebraska Library Commission Director from Lincoln, Nanette Day, Tilden City Council member and State Senator Mike Flood.

Needless to say it was a very busy 3-day celebration. Everyone should mark their calendars for next year. It will be the last full weekend in July.

There's a lot that's happened since the end of July 2007, but I'll have to add more at a later time. I'll try to be more faithful. Don't want to go down the path of good intentions.

It's about time-I was busy, okay?

People like me should not make committments they don't keep. Rather than writing a bunch of stuff about why I haven't blogged lately, I'm going to just share the promotional items that I have been working on the last couple of months. The following is a news release about the national traveling exhibit that will be in our library starting next week. It's pretty awesome!!



Raymond A. Whitwer Tilden Public Library to host “Forever Free” traveling exhibition

Tilden – Why did a nation founded on ideals of freedom and equality tolerate for so long one of the harshest labor systems the world has known? A new traveling exhibition opening at the Raymond A. Whitwer Tilden Public Library on June 28, 2007 looks for answers to this question by tracing Abraham Lincoln’s gradual transformation from an antislavery moderate into “The Great Emancipator,” who freed all slaves with a revolutionary war-time proclamation in 1863. “Forever Free: Abraham Lincoln’s Journey to Emancipation” will be on display at the library until August 10.
Organized by the Huntington Library, San Marino, Calif., and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, New York City, in cooperation with the American Library Association (ALA), this traveling exhibition is made possible through major grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, created by Congress and charged with planning the national celebration of Lincoln’s 200th birthday.
“We are pleased to have been selected as the only site in Nebraska to receive this exhibition, “said Library Director Dixie Kucera. “The Civil War and slavery are topics which must constantly be revisited in order to help 21st century Americans better understand their causes and more clearly see how their effects are still with us today. This exhibit offers our community an opportunity to learn more about how Abraham Lincoln decided upon emancipation of the slaves, even as he tried to hold together a
fragile coalition of states in order to preserve the Union. It is a revealing insight into the values, principles, and ideals that guided one of our greatest Presidents.”
Abraham Lincoln was an obscure Illinois lawyer and politician of humble origins who rose in an astonishingly short time to world renown as the leader of a young nation during one of its most troubled times. Throughout his life, Lincoln’s dedication to the ideals of freedom and equality for all people did not waver. “I want every man to have the chance—and I believe a black man is entitled to it—in which he can better his condition,” he said early in his political career.
Lincoln was also a pragmatic politician who believed that a direct attack on slavery in the South would split the Union and end America’s experiment in self-government. He steered a middle course during the early years of the Civil War but became convinced that ending slavery would help the Union militarily. Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation transformed the character of the war by re-committing the nation to its founders’ vision of freedom and equality for all people.
“Forever Free” draws upon original documents in the collections of the Huntington Library and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. It was curated by John Rhodehamel, Norris Foundation Curator of American historical manuscripts at the Huntington Library.
The library is sponsoring free programs and other events for the public in connection with the exhibition. Contact: Dixie Kucera 402-368-5306 Email: dkucera@tildenlibrary.org
or visit www.tildenlibrary.org for more information.

eBay woes

Not woes, really. Actually, I'm pretty proud. I just listed my first item for sale on eBay for The Tilden Library Foundation. I have spent about a week getting signed up with MissionFish so that the foundation can direct sell as a nonprofit. I'm almost there. Didn't read the directions closely and neglected to fax in one of the necessary documents. If all goes well it should be a done deal by tomorrow. The upshot of all this is that the Foundation will be able to sell the library's excess property items at an online auction sometime soon. Soon, being whenever we can get the items all listed. Have to check into Turbo List, etc. Quite a learning curve for an old lady.

People please check out Jed Marum's website. He is going to be here at the library on May 20. I'll have posters up soon. He is from Fort Worth, TX and the Hall family is so very generous to provide this entertainment free to the public. Don't miss this chance. You'll be glad you came, I assure you.

Triple T Cow Chip Throw

My goodness, it has been awhile since I added to this. Well, I've been busy. I am either promoting quilts or cow chips. The Tilden Library Foundation sponsors the annual "Triple T' Cow Chip Throw during Tilden Prairie Days. This weekend our Women's Champion is traveling to Beaver, Oklahoma to compete in the World's Championship. I'm including the article that appeared in our local papers.
Tilden Winner to Compete in Beaver, Oklahoma below:

Jill (Hansen) Kaps, of Norfolk, NE will travel to Beaver Oklahoma to compete in the World Cow Chip Throw Championship on Saturday, April 21. Kaps became eligible to compete after winning the women’s division of the sanctioned “Triple T” Cowchip Throw held in Tilden, NE during the 2006 Tilden Prairie Days festival. She defeated the seven other contestants with her 75’ throw. According to Kaps, without the encouragement of event coordinator, Dixie Kucera, she probably never would have entered the contest. “I was working for a local radio station at the time and we had a team competing. Dixie told me if I competed individually and won, I would have the chance to go to Oklahoma. I figured I’d give it a shot and somehow I won.” Although Kaps doesn’t think she will walk away the champion, she is ready for the entire experience. “It’s exciting, something that I know I will never forget. I just want to make the city of Tilden and Northeast Nebraska proud.” Kaps also stated that she planned to do some practicing in a local pasture before she makes the trip. Tilden’s local contest is proudly sponsored by The Tilden Library Foundation.

Historically, cow chip throwing developed when Oklahoma settlers discovered that dried buffalo dung burned extremely efficiently. Unfortunately, the buffaloes were nearly extinct so they turned their wagons to the cow pastures. Not quite as efficient and a tad smellier, "cow chips" still saw them through the harsh winters on the prairie. Collecting the chips turned into a sport as the settlers hurled the chips toward the wagon
The basic principles of the competition are similar to the more conventional javelin throw, but any style of throw is allowed. Chips must be at least six inches in diameter and are selected from the official dung truck. They must not be tampered with in any way, as the dung must be flung in its natural state. If the chip breaks apart in mid air, the farthest piece is counted.

Nebraska Memories

In 2006 our library received a digitization grant to make a typewritten local history of Tilden available online. It can be viewed at Nebraska Memories * and is very interesting. I was always delighted to look through this material and realize the huge amount of work that went into its collection and organization. The original project was started by The Tilden Women's Club in the 1950's and went on for a number of years. To our knowledge, no published history was done. Much of the information was used in the development of the 1980 Tilden Centennial book. That's a great volume, also. Unfortunately it is no longer in print. That's enough for today. I'll be back next week.

*This project was supported in part by the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services and granted by the Nebraska Library Commission.

The pressure is on

Now that this blog is prominently featured on our website, I had better continue to add to it. I have been very busy this last month. I've been to meetings every week, it seems. One of the most interesting one was the workshop for our "Between Fences" Smithsonian exhibit that the library will host from May 19 - June 20, 2008. We joined six other local coordinators for a full day of intense information. It has made me even more excited about this exhibit.

To say nothing of the drive down to Lincoln and the many interesting traffic situations, where I was very glad that people recognized an inexperienced Grandma driver and cut her considerable slack. Now I know Lincoln is a small town to most people, but give me a break, Tilden doesn't even have a stoplight, let alone multiple lanes.

That's all well and good, but while I'm typing this, Gloria comes into my office with two boxes of promotional materials for the Forever Free: Abraham Lincoln's Journey to Emancipation Exhibit--which we host beginning this year from June 28 -August 10. We became hosts for this exhibit through a grant process. We are one of sixty libraries across the U. S. to host it and the only library in Nebraska to do so. I'm including the credit line here because so many people are responsible for this thing and it gives a good overview of that involvement: “Forever Free: Abraham Lincoln’s Journey to Emancipation” has been organized by the Huntington Library, San Marino, California, and the Gilder Lehrman Institure of American History, New York City, in cooperation with the American Library Association Public Programs Office. This exhibition was made possible by major grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, promoting excellence in the humanities, and the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, created by Congress and charged with planning the national celebration of Lincoln’s 200th birthday.

See what I mean? I guess I'd better get in gear, because June 28 is not very far away. Along those lines, I was delighted to open the mail this morning and find money from a Northeast Library Systems Grant that will help us pay the Nebraska Humanities Council fees for the three programs that we are planning to go along with the exhibit. I'll tell you more about that, another day.

Right now I have to get busy and research a little more about eBay selling, as the library is going to be selling excess property over eBay, soon. That is, if I can manage to figure out how. But right now I have to go work the desk, as Gloria's shift is over. More tomorrow.

March 28, 2007
I have been the librarian of the Tilden Public Library since 1990. I have decided to venture into blogland and I took the leap today. I hope to add to this blog at least 2 times a week. I had to put that in writing to make myself set aside the time. I'm just learning my way around. Wow, I got the picture to upload. That was fun. Not sure I put it where I really wanted it, but with computers we sometimes compromise.