FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 27, 2026
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Tessa Timperley
402-471-3434
800-307-2665
Nebraska Library Commission Celebrates 125 Years of Service to Nebraska’s Libraries and Communities
The Nebraska Library Commission (NLC) is marking a major milestone this year: 125 years of strengthening libraries, expanding access to information, and supporting lifelong learning across the state. Established by an act of the Legislature on March 27, 1901 as the Nebraska Public Library Commission, the Commission has grown from a small state agency into a statewide leader in library development, training, and resource sharing.
Established to encourage the growth and spread of public libraries in the state, the agency’s purview has grown to support Nebraska’s public, academic, school, and special libraries, the Commission has long served as a central hub for reference services, professional training, consulting, and statewide resource coordination. Its collections and expertise have supported librarians, state employees, government information seekers, and Nebraskans with print disabilities for more than a century.
Over the decades, the Commission has expanded its mission to meet changing community needs—embracing new technologies, strengthening rural library support, and ensuring equitable access to information for all Nebraskans.
Current Services Supporting Nebraska Libraries
As the Commission celebrates its 125th anniversary, it continues to deliver a wide range of programs and services, including:
- Talking Book and Braille Services (TBBS), provides free audiobooks, audio magazines, and braille materials to Nebraskans with a visual or physical condition, or a reading disability which limits use of regular print.
- NCompass Live, a weekly webinar series offering professional development on emerging library topics, technology, and community engagement.
- Statewide grants and funding opportunities, including annual NLC Grants that help libraries launch new programs, improve services, and expand community impact.
- Reference and resource support, providing access to government publications, research assistance, and specialized collections for Nebraskans with visual or physical disabilities.
- Training and consulting, helping libraries of all types strengthen operations, adopt new technologies, and meet accreditation standards.
- Digital access and statewide resource sharing, including online catalogs, interlibrary loan support, eBooks and Audiobooks through Nebraska OverDrive Libraries, and digital literacy initiatives.
These services reflect the Commission’s ongoing commitment to empowering Nebraska’s libraries as essential community anchors. For more information on the history of the Nebraska Library Commission please visit https://nlc.nebraska.gov/history/.
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.
