$20,000 in Internship Grants Awarded to Nebraska Public Libraries
The Nebraska Library Commission recently awarded Nebraska Library Internship Grants totaling $20,000 to eighteen 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
Public relations: website, social and print media, designing and posting flyers and other forms of marketing
Various programming: Story hour, movie days, craft days, junior book talks, Lego Club, puzzle contest, preschool story time, after school programs, STEM activities, gaming setups
Creating new teen programming
Attending library board meetings
Partnerships with other libraries, Community College, Head Start, County Extension, Child Development Center, and Senior Center
Basic library duties: circulation, cataloging, shelving, weeding, processing acquisitions, and library displays
The following 18 Nebraska public libraries were awarded 2026 internship grant funding:
Atkinson Public Library
Alice M. Farr Library, Aurora
Axtell Public Library
Bayard Public Library
Dundy County Library, Benkelman
Central City Public Library
Crawford Public Library
Crete Public Library
Elgin Public Library
Greenwood Public Library
Lincoln City Libraries – Charles H. Gere Branch Library and South Branch Library, Northeast Service Unit - Victor E. Anderson & Bethany Branch Libraries, Bennett Martin Public Library, Youth Services Outreach, Bess Dodson Walt Branch Library, Eiseley Branch Library & Williams Branch Library
Madison Public Library
Morrill Public Library
Cordelia B. Preston Memorial Library, Orleans
Ponca Carnegie Library
Shelton Public Library
Maxine White-Sutherland Public Library
Verdigre Public Library
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.