Goodall City Library Has a New Website at:
https://www.ogallalapubliclibrary.com/
For a number of years this was the website for the Goodall City Library, a public library serving Ogallala, NE and its population of 4,737 residents.
Content is from the site's 2014 -2015 archived pages.
For the most up to date news about the Goodall City Library go to its current website found at: https://www.ogallalapubliclibrary.com/
or visit their facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/OgallalaPublicLibrary/
Goodall City Library
203 West A Street
Ogallala, NE 69153
308-284- 4354
Hours Open
Mon.-Thurs. 9am-8pm
Fri. 9am-5pm
Sat. 10am-1pm
Fax is available for public use $1.00/page sending & receiving
Fax number: 308-284-6390
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide resources and opportunities to enhance and enrich the quality of life for residents in our community.
Friends of the Library
Join the Friends of the Library.
Dues are $1.00 per year.
~Stop in at the Library to sign up!~
The "Friends of the Library" is a volunteer group working with the Goodall Library Foundation and with the Goodall City Library staff to aid in fundraising for the library, to help staff and to help plan new activities.
Youth Library Services
2015 Summer Reading Curriculum.
Registration starts May 15th..
~*~*~*~*~
The first ever Harry Potter Book Night was a huge success on February 5th.
Storytime will be starting againTuesday, September 2, 2014.
At 10:00am**
~*~*~*~*~
Internet Services
The Goodall City Library has computers in the Computer Lab on the upper level floor
for Adult patron use.
We also offer computers in the Youth Services area.
You can pick up your email, surf the world wide web, and access our online card catalog.
Staff are available to assist you at all times.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
We have fun and exciting things coming up at the library!
RDJ: I've been coming here since I was a little kid coming for story hour. Over many years, we've borrowed hundreds of books, records, cds, dvds, etc. Once the internet connection was set up, I've been here a lot, learning about very interesting things, like writing software programs and internet businesses and other stuff that might lead to a profession. I'm very intrigued with Google. Since my dad got sent to prison, Google thinks I'm him when you search my name, and that's bad because the search results make it appear that I might be a criminal. This Google problem has made it hard to get work so I looked into who could remove those misleading results. There are guys out there who will remove a bad search result from Google for a fee. I think this is a trade I would be good at. And I'm motivated to learn. The top dogs in this search results removal field are actually super knowledgeable dudes with expertise in search engine optimization. From what I'm reading, I think I can learn this online. If I succeed, let it be known that I got my start at the old City Library.
New Youth Literary/Crafting
Classes start in September
Register now to save your spot!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Harvest tea time @ Goodall City Library
2015 Goodall City Library Board of Trustees
Goodall City Library Board of Trustees will hold their regular scheduled meeting on, Wednesday, June 17th, 2015, at Noon at the Goodall City Library.
The meeting is open to the public.
An Agenda is kept current at the Goodall City Library.
2015 Library Board Members
- Kathy Lute
- Judy Nowak
- Mike Tuttle
- Linda Block
- Rodney Ruzanic
Goodall City Library 2014
Adult Library Services
Story of ‘Unusual’ Ball Field Comes to Ogallala Library
Western history author and speaker Jeff Barnes comes to the Goodall City Library to present a story on one of the most unusual and storied baseball fields in Nebraska.
The Thursday, April 16, 6 p.m. presentation is sponsored by a grant from Humanities Nebraska.
“Sand Hills and Sandlots: The Amazing Story of Rushville’s Modisett Ball Park” is a recounting of the ball park built by ranchers that went on to host a nationally famous baseball school, sponsored by the Milwaukee Braves and New York Yankees, which saw a southpaw from Gering, Nebraska, who struck out Mickey Mantle. In 2014, the ball park underwent a complete restoration for the park’s 75th anniversary, in large part funded by a Nebraska publisher who grew up in Rushville and played at the ball park as a boy.
“It’s truly incredible for a town of less than 900 people to have such a storied park,” said Barnes, “and even more incredible for the park to be rebuilt for a second 75 years. But it’s a wonderful tale of how the right people in the right community taking the right actions can come together to create a shrine to the great American pastime.”
The 45-minute presentation includes historic images and stories of Rushville’s relationship with baseball. The talk is taken from Barnes’s new book, Extra Innings: The Story of Modisett Ball Park.
A former newspaper reporter and editor, Barnes lives and writes in Omaha. He is a board trustee with the Nebraska State Historical Society, former chairman of the Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission, and one of the top-requested speakers with Humanities Nebraska. He is the author of Forts of the Northern Plains, The Great Plains Guide to Custer, and The Great Plains Guide to Buffalo Bill.
Book Pick of the Week
October
10-7-14 Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book by Rick Riordan
10-14-14 Heroes of Olympus Books by Rick Riordan
September
9-2-14 Mr.Mercedes by Stephen King
9-9-14 Extreme Love by Abby Niles (Staff)
9-16-14 Magic Tree House Books by Mary Pope Osborn
9-23-14 The Cherokee Trail by Louis L’Amour
9-30-14 NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
August
8-5-14 Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton
8-12-14 Evening Stars by Susan Mallery
8-19-14 The King JR Ward
8-26-14 Tiger by Laurann Dohner
July
7-1-14 The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (One of the best reads this year so far)
7-8-14 The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
7-15-14 Where Monsters Dwell by Jorgen Brekke (Creepy good)
7-22-14 Heart of Stone by Christine Warren (Staff)
7-29-14 Harry Potter by JK Rowling (Staff)
June
6-3-14 We Are Water by Wally Lamb (One of Wally Lamb’s best)
6-10-14 The Body Book by Cameron Diaz
6-17-14 Mystery Man by Kristen Ashley (Staff)
6-24-14 In the Blood by Lisa Unger (Crazy, creepy good)
New York Times yOUNG aUDLT Best Selller List
(Updated every Monday)
October 20, 2014
* Indicates availability at Goodall City Library
YOUNG ADULT FICTION:
* 1. IF I STAY, by Gayle Forman. (Penguin Group.) A young cellist falls into a coma. (Ages 12 and up)
* 2. THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, by John Green. (Penguin Group.) A 16-year-old heroine faces the medical realities of cancer. (Ages 14 and up)
* 3. WHERE SHE WENT, by Gayle Forman. (Penguin Group.) A rock star and a cellist reunite for an evening in New York City. (Ages 12 and up)
4. THE YOUNG ELITES, by Marie Lu. (Penguin Group.) The secret survivors of a deadly illness may have acquired special powers. (Ages 12 and up)
*5. LOOKING FOR ALASKA, by John Green. (Penguin Group.) A boy seeking excitement finds that and more in a girl named Alaska. (Ages 14 to 17)
6. SKINK — NO SURRENDER, by Carl Hiaasen. (Knopf Doubleday Publishing.) A teenager and an oddball former governor go on a manhunt in Florida. (Ages 12 and up)
7. ASYLUM, by Madeleine Roux. (HarperCollins Publishers.) Summer school students stay in a dorm with a disturbing past. (Ages 14 and up)
* 8. PAPER TOWNS, by John Green. (Penguin Group.) After a night of mischief, the girl Quentin loves disappears. (Ages 14 and up)
* 9. THE BOOK THIEF, by Markus Zusak. (Knopf Doubleday Publishing.) A girl saves books from Nazi burning; now a movie. (Ages 14 and up)
*10. MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN, by Ransom Riggs. (Quirk Books.) An island, an abandoned orphanage and a collection of curious photographs. (Ages 12 and up)
CHILDREN SERIES BOOKS:
* 1. HEROES OF OLYMPUS, by Rick Riordan. (Disney Publishing Worldwide.) A new generation of demigods embarks on a series of adventures. (Ages 9 to 12)
* 2. THE MAZE RUNNER, by James Dashner. (Random House Publishing.) Amnesiac teenagers endure a series of trials. (Ages 12 and up)
* 3. DIVERGENT, by Veronica Roth. (HarperCollins Publishers.) A girl must prove her mettle in a dystopia divided into five factions. (Ages 14 and up)
* 4. DORK DIARIES, by Rachel Renée Russell. (Simon & Schuster.) Nikki Maxwell navigates the halls of middle school. (Ages 9 to 13)
* 5. GIVER QUARTET, by Lois Lowry. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing.) Exploring human connections in a postapocalyptic world. (Ages 12 to 18)
* 6. CONFESSIONS, by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. (Little, Brown & Company.) A girl discovers ugly secrets about her family’s past. (Ages 12 and up)
* 7. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney. (Abrams Books.) The travails of adolescence, in cartoons. (Ages 9 to 12)
* 8. THE HUNGER GAMES, by Suzanne Collins. (Scholastic.) In a dystopia, a girl fights for survival on live TV. (Ages 12 and up)
* 9. PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS, by Rick Riordan. (Disney Publishing Worldwide.) A boy and his demigod friends battle mythological monsters. (Ages 9 to 12)
10. SPIRIT ANIMALS, by various authors. (Scholastic.) Four friends must bond with their spirit animals and save Erdas. (Ages 8 to 12)
New York Times Best Selller List
(Updated every Monday)
October 20, 2014
* Indicates availability at Goodall City Library
FICTION:
1. DEADLINE, by John Sandford. (Putnam.) Dognappers and a murdered reporter draw the attention of the Minnesota investigator Virgil Flowers.
2. BURN, by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge. (Little, Brown.) Detective Michael Bennett, back in New York City, investigates a peculiar crime in Harlem.
* 3. EDGE OF ETERNITY, by Ken Follett. (Dutton.) Five interrelated families grapple with the events of the 1960s through the 1980s; Book 3 of the Century Trilogy.
4. LILA, by Marilynne Robinson. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux.) The difficult early life of the woman who becomes the wife of the widower and minister John Ames; a back story to "Gilead."
*5. SOMEWHERE SAFE WITH SOMEBODY GOOD, by Jan Karon. (Putnam.) The Mitford character Father Tim Kavanagh returns to his native town to find friends and family wrestling with difficulties.
* 6. PERSONAL, by Lee Child. (Delacorte.) Jack Reacher, a former military cop, helps the State Department and the C.I.A. stop a sniper who has targeted a G8 summit.
* 7. ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, by Anthony Doerr. (Scribner.) The lives of a blind French girl and a gadget-obsessed German boy before and during World War II.
8. SOME LUCK, by Jane Smiley. (Knopf.) The lives of an Iowa farm family between 1920 and 1953; the first volume of a trilogy.
*9. PARIS MATCH, by Stuart Woods. (Putnam.) In the 31st Stone Barrington novel, the New York lawyer encounters an old enemy in Paris.
10. THE CHILDREN ACT, by Ian McEwan. (Nan A. Talese/ Doubleday s.) A judge wrestles with a challenging case and a crisis in her marriage.
NONFICTION:
*1. KILLING PATTON, by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. (Holt.) The host of “The O’Reilly Factor” recounts the death of Gen. George S. Patton in December 1945.
2. NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL, by Lena Dunham. (Random House.) A collection of revealing and often humorous personal essays from the creator and star of “Girls.”
3. BEING MORTAL, by Atul Gawande. (Metropolitan/ Holt.) The surgeon and New Yorker writer considers how doctors fail patients at the end of life, and how they can do better.
4. THE INNOVATORS, by Walter Isaacson. (Simon & Schuster.) Studies of the people who created computers and the Internet, beginning in the 1840s.
5. STOP THE COMING CIVIL WAR, by Michael Savage. (Center Street.) The radio host urges true patriots to save the country from the machinations of the left. (†)
*6. WORTHY FIGHTS, by Leon Panetta. (Penguin Press.) The writer's experience in the Obama administration as director of the C.I.A. and secretary of defense.
7. WHAT IF?, by Randall Munroe. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.) Scientific (but often humorous) answers to hypothetical questions, based in part on the author’s website, xkcd.com.
8. ROCKS, by Joe Perry with David Ritz. (Simon & Schuster.) A memoir by the Aerosmith guitarist and songwriter.
9. JESUS ON TRIAL, by David Limbaugh. (Regnery.) The lawyer and political commentator uses his legal training to evaluate, and affirm, the truthfulness of the Bible.
*10. 13 HOURS, by Mitchell Zuckoff with members of the Annex Security Team. (Twelve.) Six C.I.A. contract employees discuss their experience during the attack on the State Department compound and the nearby C.I.A. station called the “annex” in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012.
PAPERBACK TRADE FICTION:
*1. GONE GIRL, by Gillian Flynn. (Broadway.) A woman disappears from her Missouri home on her fifth anniversary; is her bitter, oddly evasive husband a killer?
*2. THE ALCHEMIST, by Paulo Coelho. (HarperOne/HarperCollins.) In this fable, a Spanish shepherd boy ventures to Egypt in search of treasure and his destiny.
*3. DARK PLACES, by Gillian Flynn. (Broadway.) A woman who, as a child, was spared when her mother and sisters were murdered begins to reinvestigate the case against her imprisoned brother.
*4. SHARP OBJECTS, by Gillian Flynn. (Broadway.) Fresh from a stay at a psychiatric hospital, a newspaper reporter returns (reluctantly) to her hometown to cover the murders of two girls.
*5. ORPHAN TRAIN, by Christina Baker Kline. A historical novel about orphans swept off the streets of New York and sent to the Midwest in the 1920s.
New LARGE PRINT BOOKS
September 2014
Ragtime coyboys – by Loren D. Estleman
Across the Cheyenne River – by John D. Nesbitt
Dark Horses – by Ralph Cotton
Raiding with Morgan – by Jim R. Woolard
The range wolf – by Andrew J. Fenady
MacCallister the Eagles legacy kill crazy – by William W. Johnstone
Ambush valley – by Dusty Richards
Wind River – by James Reasoner
Price of a horse – by Ralph Cotton
Easy money – by Frank Roderus
Summer in the south – by Cathy Holton
Wherever Grace is needed – by Elizabeth Bass
The almost Archer sisters – by Lisa Gabriele
Nashville chrome – by Rick Bass
A plain & fancy Christmas – by Cynthia Keller
Ends of the earth – by Tim Downs
Robert B. Parker’s blind spot – by Reed Farrel Coleman
Lisette’s list – Susan Vreeland
Etta Mae’s worst bad – luck day – by Anna B. Ross
The homecoming – by Robyn Carr
Angels walking – by Karen Kingsbury
Festive in death – by J.D. Robb
The eye of heaven – by Clive Cussler
Blood on the water – by Anne Perry
August 2014
Tom Clancy Support and defend – by Mark Greaney
Cut and thrust – by Stuart Woods
Top Secret – by W.E.B. Griffin
Texas true – Janet Dailey
Fast Track – by Julie Garwood
Wayfaring stranger – by James Lee Burke
Big little lies – by Liane Moriarty
The escape – by Mary Balogh
The city – by Dean Koontz
For all time – by Jude Deveraux
Little mercies – by Heather Gudenkauf
The promise – Robyn Carr
Nine lives to die – by Rita Mae Brown
Take me home – by Dorothy garlock
Terminal city – Linda Fairstein
July 2014
Act of war – by Brad Thor
Power play – by Catherine Coulter
Phantom instinct – by Meg Gardiner
The Cheyenne Trail – by Jory Sherman
Jack of spies – by David Downing
June 2014
Resistant – Michael Palmer
Suspicion – Joseph Finder
Mr. Mercedes – Stephan King
The one & only – Emily Giffin
Ghost Ship – Clive Cussler
A long time gone – Karen White
Shovel ready - Adam Sternbergh
Cockroaches – Jo Nesbo
Sting of the drone – by Richard A. Clarke
Stormy persuasion – by Johanna Lindsey
The red room – by Ridley Pearson
Doing harm – by Kelly Parsons
The Martian – by Andy Weir
Hell creek cabin – by Frank Roderus
Preacher’s blood hint – by William W. Johnstone
Blood valley – by William W. Johnstone
Once a ranger – by Dusty Richards
The man from Boot Hill – by Marus Galloway
Jury of six – by Dave P. Fisher
Town tamers – by David Robbins
Shotgun – by C. Courtney Joyner
Shadow rider – Ralph Cotton
May 2014
Chestnut Street – by Maeve Binchy
A Family affair – by Fern Michaels
The Keeper – by John Lescroart
Live to see tomorrow – Iris Johansen
Field of prey – John Sandford
Otherwise engaged – Amanda Quick
Midnight crossroad – Charlaine Harris
Robert B. Parker’s cheap shot - by Ace Atkins
More Background On GoodallCityLibrary.com
GoodallCityLibrary.com was the official website of the Goodall City Library, the public library serving the city of Ogallala, Nebraska, and its surrounding rural community. Active primarily during the early to mid-2010s, the website functioned as the library’s central digital presence at a time when many small and mid-sized public libraries were still transitioning from print-based communication to web-based outreach.
The site provided residents with essential information such as library hours, location, services, youth programs, community events, governance updates, and curated reading recommendations. More than a simple informational page, GoodallCityLibrary.com reflected the library’s role as a civic, educational, and cultural anchor for a town of just under 5,000 residents. Though the domain is no longer the library’s active website, its archived content remains a valuable historical record of how local libraries operated, communicated, and served their communities during a formative period of digital adoption.
Ownership and Governance
GoodallCityLibrary.com was owned and maintained by the Goodall City Library itself, a publicly funded municipal library operating under the authority of the City of Ogallala. As with most Nebraska public libraries, governance was provided by a Library Board of Trustees composed of appointed community members. The site prominently documented board meetings, trustee names, and meeting schedules, reinforcing the library’s commitment to transparency and public accountability.
By publishing board information online, the library demonstrated its role as a civic institution rather than a closed administrative body. The website made it clear that library operations were open to public participation and oversight, an important aspect of trust-building in small communities where residents often know one another personally.
Location and Physical Presence
The Goodall City Library was located in downtown Ogallala, Nebraska, making it easily accessible to residents, students, and families. Its central location reinforced the library’s role as a shared public space rather than a peripheral service. The website emphasized this accessibility by clearly listing hours of operation, contact information, and on-site amenities.
The physical library offered adult and youth service areas, a computer lab, public fax services, and meeting spaces. GoodallCityLibrary.com mirrored this physical layout digitally by organizing content around adult services, youth services, and community programming, effectively extending the building’s functions into the online environment.
Mission and Institutional Goals
The site prominently featured the library’s mission: to provide resources and opportunities that enhance and enrich the quality of life for residents in the community. This mission statement was not presented as abstract rhetoric; it was supported throughout the site by concrete examples of programming, services, and outreach initiatives.
GoodallCityLibrary.com emphasized inclusivity, lifelong learning, and civic engagement. The library positioned itself as a place for children developing early literacy skills, teens discovering independent reading, adults pursuing professional or personal growth, and seniors maintaining access to information and social interaction.
Website Structure and Navigation
The design and structure of GoodallCityLibrary.com reflected common small-library websites of the early 2010s. Content was organized into clearly labeled sections such as hours, services, youth programs, Friends of the Library, board information, and book recommendations. The site prioritized clarity and completeness over visual sophistication.
While the layout was modest by modern standards, it was effective for its intended audience. Information was easy to locate, text-heavy pages ensured compatibility with slower internet connections, and updates were presented in chronological blocks similar to bulletin-board postings. This approach suited the needs of a rural community where high-speed broadband adoption was still uneven.
Library Services Highlighted on the Site
GoodallCityLibrary.com provided detailed descriptions of the library’s core services. These included traditional lending of books, DVDs, CDs, and audiobooks, as well as newer digital services such as internet access and online catalog browsing.
The website also highlighted practical services that were especially valuable in a small town, such as public faxing and computer assistance. By explicitly noting that staff were available to help patrons use computers and navigate online resources, the site positioned the library as a bridge across the digital divide, not merely a place to access equipment.
Youth and Educational Programming
One of the strongest areas of content on GoodallCityLibrary.com was its coverage of youth services. The site regularly promoted storytime sessions, summer reading programs, literary and crafting classes, and themed events designed to foster early literacy and creativity.
Seasonal programming was emphasized, particularly summer reading curricula that encouraged children to engage with books during school breaks. Events such as themed book nights and interactive storytelling sessions illustrated how the library functioned as an educational partner to local schools and families.
The detailed promotion of these programs on the website underscores how central youth engagement was to the library’s identity and long-term mission.
Community Events and Cultural Programming
Beyond youth services, GoodallCityLibrary.com documented a wide range of community events. These included author talks, history presentations, book discussions, and special lectures supported by state humanities grants.
The site’s coverage of cultural programming reveals how the library served as a venue for regional history, storytelling, and intellectual exchange. Hosting speakers and presentations connected Ogallala residents to broader narratives of Nebraska history and American culture, reinforcing the library’s role as a cultural institution rather than a passive repository of books.
Friends of the Library and Volunteerism
GoodallCityLibrary.com devoted significant attention to the Friends of the Library, a volunteer group supporting fundraising, staffing assistance, and program planning. Membership was intentionally accessible, with nominal dues and open enrollment.
By highlighting the Friends group, the website encouraged community ownership of the library’s success. This emphasis on volunteer participation reflects a broader tradition in small-town libraries, where civic institutions often rely on grassroots support in addition to municipal funding.
Reading Recommendations and Literary Curation
The website regularly published curated reading lists, including “Book Pick of the Week” selections and monthly highlights across genres. These lists spanned adult fiction, nonfiction, young adult literature, children’s series, and large-print books.
By maintaining these lists, GoodallCityLibrary.com demonstrated active literary curation rather than passive collection management. Staff recommendations personalized the reading experience and helped patrons navigate a wide range of titles, reinforcing the library’s role as a guide and tastemaker within the community.
Audience and Community Reach
The primary audience for GoodallCityLibrary.com was the residents of Ogallala and nearby rural areas. However, the site also served educators, parents, students, researchers, and former residents seeking to remain connected to the town.
Because the site included reflections and testimonials from patrons, it also functioned as an informal community archive. These personal narratives highlighted how the library impacted individual lives, from childhood literacy experiences to adult self-education and skill development.
Popularity and Local Impact
While GoodallCityLibrary.com was not a high-traffic website by national standards, its importance lay in depth rather than scale. For local users, the site was a primary source of information and engagement.
Its popularity should be measured in terms of community reliance rather than page views. The consistency of updates, breadth of content, and integration with in-person services indicate that the site was actively used and maintained during its operational years.
Transition to a New Website
Eventually, Goodall City Library transitioned to a newer, more modern website under a different domain. This shift reflected broader trends in library web design, including improved mobile compatibility, integrated catalogs, and social-media connectivity.
GoodallCityLibrary.com was not abruptly abandoned; instead, it gradually became an archival resource as content and updates moved elsewhere. This transition underscores the evolving nature of digital infrastructure for public institutions.
Cultural and Social Significance
As an archived site, GoodallCityLibrary.com now serves as a cultural artifact. It captures a moment in time when public libraries were actively redefining their roles in a digital world while remaining deeply rooted in local, physical community spaces.
The site illustrates how libraries balanced tradition and innovation: maintaining book-centered services while expanding into technology access, digital literacy, and community programming. For researchers, historians, and librarians, it offers insight into the operational priorities and communication strategies of small-town libraries in the early 21st century.
Historical Value and Archival Importance
Today, GoodallCityLibrary.com holds value beyond its original function. As an archived website, it preserves institutional memory that might otherwise be lost, including program details, governance records, and community engagement practices.
Such sites are increasingly recognized as important digital heritage resources. They document how communities represented themselves online and how public institutions adapted to changing technological landscapes.
GoodallCityLibrary.com was more than a functional website; it was an extension of the Goodall City Library’s mission, values, and community presence. Through detailed service descriptions, event listings, reading recommendations, and civic transparency, the site embodied the role of the public library as an educational, cultural, and social cornerstone.
Although no longer active, the site remains an instructive example of how small public libraries used the web to serve their communities during a period of significant digital transition. Its archived content continues to offer insight into local history, community values, and the enduring importance of public libraries in American civic life.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
