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Author Archives: Bailee Juroshek
Throwback Thursday: J. F. Rosenfield Peony Gardens, Omaha, Nebraska on Lincoln Highway
Have you already picked out flowers for your Valentine this #ThrowbackThursday?

This 13.5 x 8.5 cm color postcard from around 1914-1920 pictures a view of a woman standing in the middle of rows of pink, white and red peony bushes holding a red bouquet. The postcard reads “J. F. Rosenfield Peony Gardens, Omaha, Nebraska, on Lincoln Highway” on the top left side of the postcard.
This nursery, was located just outside the Omaha city limits at 77th street and the Old Lincoln Highway, the current 77th & Cass Street. People would drive from all over the country to view the flowers. Omaha’s Peony Park, located across the street, took its name from the gardens. The Lincoln Highway, running past, was the first highway across America linking the Atlantic to the Pacific and in 1913 the route through Nebraska was announced. Lincoln Highway followed Dodge Street until about 76th Street when it veered to the northwest toward 78th & Cass past these gardens. Source: Omaha Public Library Omaha History Clipping File-Peony Park.
The card is not addressed, stamped, or postmarked but does read:
J.F. Rosenfield Poeny Gardens
This charming garden spot was established in 1884 by the present owner. It contains now twenty-five acres of peonies in several hundred of the world’s very choicest varieties. Blooming season extends from middle of May throughout June. They are at their best the first half of June. The grounds are open to the public.

This image is published and owned by the Omaha Public Library. They have a large collection of 1,100+ postcards and photographs of the Omaha area.
See this collection and many more on the Nebraska Memories archive!
The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.
Throwback Thursday: Adah May
It’s time for another #ThrowbackThursday!

This 4″x6″ glass plate negative, dated 3/11/1910, is a full-figure portrait of child Adah May sitting in a baby carriage. She is wearing a long-sleeved sweater with large white collar and a white cap that ties under the chin. The child is seated on a long-haired fur blanket that covers her legs. Adah J. May was born in Nebraska in 1908, the daughter of Edwin & Jeanette May. According to the 1910 census, her father was a traveling salesman and her grandparents ran a hotel in David City and according to the 1920 census the family was living in Beatrice, Nebraska, where her parents ran a hotel.
This image is published as part of the Boston Studio Project collection, and is owned by both them and the Thorpe Opera House Foundation. The Boston Studio Collection consists of over 68,000 negatives that record life in and around David City, Nebraska from 1893 to 1979.
See this collection and many more on the Nebraska Memories archive!
The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.
Throwback Thursday: Fremont Public Library
Consider visiting your library this #ThrowbackThursday!

This week we have a black and white, real photograph post card of the 1903 Fremont Public Library, dated 1910. “Fremont Public Library” is cut in stone above the entry and a portion of the lettering may be seen. The building was built in 1902-1903 for $15,000. Featured interior details include quarter-sawed oak trim, marble entry walls and a tiled entry floor. The building was eventually razed some time after the library contents were moved to the newly constructed Keene Memorial Library in 1971.
This image is owned by the Dodge County Historical Society, and published by Keene Memorial Library. Both are located in Fremont, Nebraska, and they worked as partners to digitize and describe content owned by the historical society. The collection of photographs documents life in Fremont in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
See this collection and many more on the Nebraska Memories archive!
The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.
$20,000 in Internship Grants Awarded to Nebraska Public Libraries
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 27, 2025
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Christa Porter
402-471-3107
800-307-2665
$21,000 in Internship Grants Awarded to Nebraska Public Libraries
The Nebraska Library Commission recently awarded Nebraska Library Internship Grants totaling $20,000 to sixteen Nebraska public libraries. These internship grants will support public library interns who will contribute to the scope and value of the diverse programs and activities in Nebraska’s public libraries.
“The internships are a great opportunity for students to get involved in library work. Beyond earning money and gaining valuable work experience, the student is exposed to the broad range of library services and programming. Internships provide an opportunity for the student to view the library as a viable and satisfying career choice. In addition, interns bring a fresh perspective and their own unique talents to the library,” said Nebraska Library Commission Director Rod Wagner.
Student interns will learn about library work as they shadow staff, assist with day-to-day library operations, and implement special projects. Some of the activities that students will participate in include:
- Summer Reading Programs for youth, teens, and adults
- After school programming
- Assist cataloging Czech music collection
- Annual inventory
- ADA shelving reconfiguration
- New Teen and Tween programming
- Organize a new Junior/Teen/Tween Library Board
- Local history archive cataloging and preservation
- Assist with ALA Libraries Transforming Communities grant to improve accessibility for residents with disabilities
- Basic library duties: circulation, shelving, weeding, processing acquisitions, public relations.
The following 16 Nebraska public libraries were awarded 2025 internship grant funding:
Bennington Public Library
Garfield County Library, Burwell
Ceresco Community Library
Clarkson Public Library
Columbus Public Library
Genoa Public Library
Gibbon Public Library
Lexington Public Library
Lincoln City Libraries – Loren Corey Eiseley Branch Library, Charles H. Gere Branch Library, Bennett Martin Public Library, Youth Services Outreach, Bess Dodson Walt Branch Library, Northeast Service Unit – Victor E. Anderson & Bethany Branch Libraries
Madison Public Library
Cordelia B. Preston Memorial Library, Orleans
Palmyra Memorial Library
Plainview Public Library
Shelton Public Library
South Sioux City Public Library
Kilgore Memorial Library, York
Funding for the project is supported and administered by the Nebraska Library Commission, in partnership with the Nebraska Library Systems.
As the 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.”
Nebraska’s Regional Library Systems consist of four non-profit corporations governed by boards representative of libraries and citizens in the region. The four systems were established to provide access to improved library services through the cooperation of all types of libraries and media centers within the counties included in each System area.
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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.
Posted in General, Grants, Library Management, Public Relations
Tagged grants, Internship Grant, Library grants
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Throwback Thursday: “A Lantern in Her Hand” Quilt
Make sure you’re staying bundled up this #ThrowbackThursday!

This photograph shows a handmade patchwork quilt depicting images from the novel, A Lantern in Her Hand including a string of pearls and the box used to carry the McKenzie family treasures as the family moved West. The title and some musical notes are embroidered across the top.
The quilt was made in 1988 by a group of quilters from the Elmwood area to be raffled as a fund-raiser for the Aldrich Foundation. The quilt is in a bedroom of the Bess Streeter Aldrich House in Elmwood, Nebraska. The bedroom has been named after the Aldrich novel A Lantern in Her Hand and in addition to the quilt contains a collection of lanterns and reproductions of items described in the novel. The bedroom was shared by the oldest Aldrich son, Charles, and youngest son, Robert, when the Aldrich family lived in the home.
This image is published and owned by the Bess Streeter Aldrich Foundation. All items in their collection are on display at the Bess Streeter Aldrich House and the Bess Streeter Aldrich Museum in Elmwood, Nebraska
See this collection and many more on the Nebraska Memories archive!
The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.
Throwback Thursday: Great Cathedral Choir in the State Capitol
Do you hear the music #ThrowbackThursday?

Taken around 1925, this photograph shows the Great Cathedral Choir with director John Roseborough on a staircase in the Nebraska State Capitol. The choir was organized by him in 1919.
This image is published and owned by the Polley Music Library (Lincoln City Libraries, Lincoln, Nebraska), which contains just over two hundred fifty pieces of Nebraska sheet music, as well as concert programs, manuscripts, theatre programs, photographs, and other Nebraska memorabilia which features an element of music. You can also listen to a dozen performances of selections from this music collection performed by local musicians.
See this collection and many more on the Nebraska Memories archive!
The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.
Nebraska Library Commission Announces Public Library Accreditation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 13, 2025
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Christa Porter
402-471-3107
800-307-2665
Nebraska Library Commission Announces Public Library Accreditation
Nebraska Library Commission Library Development Director Christa Porter recently announced the accreditation of thirty-eight public libraries across Nebraska.
Porter stated, “We are dedicated to helping Nebraska libraries meet Nebraskans’ information needs, opening up the world of information for citizens of all ages. The Library Commission continues to work in partnership with Nebraska libraries and the regional library systems, using the Public Library Accreditation program to help public libraries grow and develop.”
Public libraries in Nebraska are accredited for a five-year period. To learn more about this process and to see a complete list of all accredited Nebraska public libraries, go to http://nlc.nebraska.gov/LibAccred/Standings.asp.
The Nebraska Library Commission congratulates the public libraries listed below as they move forward toward the realization of this vision for the future: “All Nebraskans will have improved access to enhanced library and information services, provided and facilitated by qualified library personnel, boards, and supporters with the knowledge, skills, abilities and attitudes necessary to provide excellent library and information services.”
Nebraska Public Libraries Accredited through December 31, 2029:
- Ainsworth Public Library
- Alice M Farr Library, Aurora
- Arlington Public Library
- Bayard Public Library
- Bennington Public Library
- Bob and Wauneta Burkley Library, DeWitt
- Broadwater Public Library
- Clarkson Public Library
- Columbus Public Library
- Crawford Public Library
- Dvoracek Memorial Library, Wilber
- Elmwood Public Library
- Fairbury Public Library
- Gibbon Public Library
- Grand Island Public Library
- Hastings Public Library
- Hildreth Public Library
- Hooper Public Library
- John A Stahl Library, West Point
- Kimball Public Library
- Laurel Community Learning Center
- Lied Scottsbluff Public Library
- Lied Winside Public Library
- Lincoln City Libraries
- Loup City Public Library
- Madison Public Library
- Morton-James Public Library, Nebraska City
- Newman Grove Public Library
- Oshkosh Public Library
- Palisade Public Library
- Plainview Public Library
- Raymond A Whitwer Tilden Public Library
- Scotia Public Library & Heritage Center
- Sioux County Public Library, Harrison
- South Sioux City Public Library
- Syracuse Public Library
- Weeping Water Public Library
- Yutan Public Library
As the 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.”
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The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission Website, http://nlc.nebraska.gov/publications/newsreleases.
Posted in General, Public Relations
Tagged Accreditation, Public Library Accreditation
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Throwback Thursday: Exterior View of Brick House
Are you staying warm this #ThrowbackThursday?

This 3-5/8″ x 4-3/4″ black and white acetate negative is dated around 1935-1945 and shows an exterior view of a one-story, cross-gabled brick house. The house has a garage underneath part of the first floor, and there are retaining walls on each side of the driveway leading up to the garage. A tree stands in front of the house, and there is snow on the ground. This house is located at 812 N. 38th Street in Omaha, Nebraska.
This image is published and owned by the The Durham Museum. The William Wentworth Collection at The Durham Museum consists of 4663 negatives of images that document life in Omaha, Nebraska from 1934 through 1950. William Wentworth worked as both a freelancer and a commercial photographer, providing a unique view of architecture, businesses, and community life in Omaha.
See this collection and many more on the Nebraska Memories archive!
The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.
Throwback Thursday: Party at Elks Club
Happy New Year #ThrowbackThursday!

Dated November 1, 1937, men and women are gathered in a large group inside an Elks Club building in this 8″ x 10″ black and white acetate negative. There are streamers strung from the ceiling and some on the wooden floor. Some of the partygoers are wearing masks, while others have party hats. This image was taken for Safeway Stores.
This image is published and owned by the The Durham Museum. The William Wentworth Collection at The Durham Museum consists of 4663 negatives of images that document life in Omaha, Nebraska from 1934 through 1950. William Wentworth worked as both a freelancer and a commercial photographer, providing a unique view of architecture, businesses, and community life in Omaha.
See this collection and many more on the Nebraska Memories archive!
The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.
Throwback Thursday: Robert S. Somers Residence Christmas Tree
Happy Holidays #ThrowbackThursday!

The center of this image at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Somers, 1015 North Somers Avenue, is the Christmas tree and the two small boys posed beneath its branches. The tree lights are wax candles in tin holders with ball weights for counter balance. Ornaments of German blown glass and paper or pasteboard are scattered throughout the branches. Discernable shapes include a fish, a crescent moon and a mandolin. The small child at the right of the image is Lester A. Somers and his movement has slightly blurred a wheeled toy. The child on the right is unidentified. A marble fireplace front and the cast iron grate are partially visible. This photograph is dated around 1901-1902.
This image is owned by the Dodge County Historical Society, and published by Keene Memorial Library. Both are located in Fremont, Nebraska, and they worked as partners to digitize and describe content owned by the historical society. The collection of photographs documents life in Fremont in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
See this collection and many more on the Nebraska Memories archive!
The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.
Throwback Thursday: Woman Shopping
Have you finished your holiday shopping #ThrowbackThursday?

The interior of a department store filled with a crowd of women can be seen in this 3-5/8″ x 4-3/4″ black and white acetate negative. Dated 9/29/1938, a display counter with merchandise can be seen on the floor, along with a filing cabinet with floral arrangements on top of it.
This image is published and owned by the The Durham Museum. The William Wentworth Collection at The Durham Museum consists of 4663 negatives of images that document life in Omaha, Nebraska from 1934 through 1950. William Wentworth worked as both a freelancer and a commercial photographer, providing a unique view of architecture, businesses, and community life in Omaha.
See this collection and many more on the Nebraska Memories archive!
The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.
Posted in General, Nebraska Memories, Preservation
Tagged acetate negative, Omaha Nebraska, The Durham Museum, Throwback Thursday
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Friday Reads: “Summer Knight” by Jim Butcher
No series has so quickly enraptured me like Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files, with each book pulling me deeper in than the last. Set in Chicago, the series follows Harry Dresden: wizard for hire, paranormal investigator, and perpetually down on his luck. He’s got a sharp wit, one-liners that leave you laughing out loud, and a hero complex that puts him in dangerous situations for the sake of others that you can’t help but feel for.
Believing in magic has always come naturally for me, I was raised on Disney after all, but the world of The Dresden Files really blends the idea of the supernatural into the real-world setting of Chicago so seamlessly that it leaves you looking for bits of magic around you- though perhaps in more dangerous fashion than Disney magic might have you believe. Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, and of course wizards have all played major roles in the series up to this point- but my favorite has always been the fae.
While the fae had been introduced in previous books, Summer Knight really delves into the world of Faerie and even further expands the magical world that Butcher has been building up for the past three books, so I couldn’t have been more delighted when very early on Harry gets a visit from one of the Faerie Queens, Queen Mab of the Winter Court. His fairy godmother (long story) has sold his debt to her, and she’s here to cash in.
While I won’t delve too deep into the plot points of Summer Knight, it generally covers a brewing war between the Summer and Winter Courts of Faerie, due to the murder of the Summer Knight- and the Summer Queen Titania thinks Winter is to blame. Queen Mab tasks Harry to discover the murderer in order to prevent the coming war between the courts. The book moves at a thrilling pace, involving old characters that you’ve already grown to love as well as introducing some new key characters as well throughout the story. And of course, Harry has the world against him once again as he fights to complete his task on time.
If you’re looking to dip your feet into the world of The Dresden Files, I highly recommend the audio books. I’ve always struggled with audiobooks, either losing focus or not processing parts of the book due to the strange way my brain works, but The Dresden Files has been the exception. The audio books are all done by James Marsters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame, and his performance as Harry is incredible. The audiobooks really make you feel as if Harry is sitting across a table, telling the story to you himself. It’s an extra layer of immersion into Butcher’s magical world, as well as a way to give Harry the ever so sarcastic tone of voice he deserves.
I’m more than excited to move onto the next book in the series, and have already pre-downloaded the next couple audiobooks onto my phone to listen to while traveling over the holidays. With seventeen books currently out and more to come, I know I’m in for a thrilling treat.
Butcher, Jim. Summer Knight. Penguin Putnam. 2002
Posted in Books & Reading, General
Tagged audiobooks, Book Review, Friday Reads, Jim Butcher, Summer Knight, The Dresden Files
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Throwback Thursday: Bird in a Cage
Happy #ThrowbackThursday!

A bird in a cage is sitting on top of a display of Geisler’s bird seed in this 3″ x 5″ black and white acetate negative. A sign on the birdcage reads: “Geisler’s Authoritative Bird Foods”. This image was taken for Geisler Max Bird Company, located at 113 N. 16th Street in Omaha, Nebraska.
This image is published and owned by the The Durham Museum. The William Wentworth Collection at The Durham Museum consists of 4663 negatives of images that document life in Omaha, Nebraska from 1934 through 1950. William Wentworth worked as both a freelancer and a commercial photographer, providing a unique view of architecture, businesses, and community life in Omaha.
See this collection and many more on the Nebraska Memories archive!
The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.
Throwback Thursday: Mr. and Mrs. Oren Thayer
Put on your winter coats this #ThrowbackThursday!
This 4″x6″ glass plate negative is full figure portrait photograph of Oren and Tinnie Thayer, from David City, Nebraska. Oren is wearing a three-piece suit with white shirt and knotted tie, a long-haired full-length fur coat with wide collar and a wide-brimmed, felt hat. Tinnie is dressed in a floor-length skirt and white stand-collar blouse, ankle-length, dark wool overcoat with bodice embroidery and wide cuffs on the gathered sleeves with a dark fur collar and fur scarf, wide-brimmed hat with ostrich feather and ribbon trim and black leather gloves, holding a box-style purse.
Oren Mortimer Thayer was born December 4, 1855, in Winnebago, Illinois, to Elbridge & Mary Thayer. He married Mary “Polly” Farrell about 1876. They were divorced about 1905. Oren married Tinnie Belle Van Matre, December 12, 1906, in Schuyler, Nebraska. The photograph is probably their wedding picture. Tinnie was born January 21, 1873 in Illinois. Oren died October 29, 1932, in Dawson County, Nebraska, and Tinnie died January 21, 1934, in Kearney, Nebraska. They are both buried in the David City Cemetery.
This image is published as part of the Boston Studio Project collection, and is owned by both them and the Thorpe Opera House Foundation. The Boston Studio Collection consists of over 68,000 negatives that record life in and around David City, Nebraska from 1893 to 1979.
See this collection and many more on the Nebraska Memories archive!
The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.
Throwback Thursday: Family in Shop
Happy Thanksgiving #ThrowbackThursday!
This postcard shows a black and white photograph of a family standing in a general store or butcher shop. There are sausages and cuts of meat hanging on the walls. The man and woman both wear aprons and stand behind a counter with a large scale on it, weighing a turkey, while two children stand in front of the counter.
This image is published and owned by the History Nebraska. They digitized content from the John Nelson and the J. A. Anderson collection. John Nelson came to Nebraska with his parents at the age of seventeen from Sweden. His photographs tell the story of small town life in Nebraska during the first decades of the twentieth century.
See this collection and many more on the Nebraska Memories archive!
The Nebraska Memories archive is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information.