NEBRASKA, STATE OF

What NEBRASKA, STATE OF does

The Nebraska Library Commission (NLC) is a state government agency established in 1967 by the Nebraska State Legislature, operating under the State of Nebraska with statutory authority to coordinate and promote library services statewide. Headquartered at 1200 N Street in Lincoln, Nebraska, the NLC oversees a comprehensive suite of programs including the Talking Book & Braille Service (TBBS) for patrons with visual or physical disabilities, NebraskAccess (a free 24/7 electronic database portal), Nebraska Memories (a digitized historical archive), the NLC Catalog (OPAC), and interlibrary loan services via OCLC. The Commission also administers Library Improvement Grants, E-rate funding facilitation (over $8.2 million in 2026), accreditation and certification for libraries, professional development through NCompass Live webinars, and youth programming such as the Golden Sower Award and Summer Reading Program.

Underlying technology consists of digital library platforms rather than proprietary software products: the NebraskAccess portal aggregates third-party database content, the BARD system (Braille and Audio Reading Download) is operated by the Library of Congress NLS network, the Nebraska Memories archive is a digitization initiative, and OCLC provides interlibrary loan infrastructure. The Commission maintains in-house sound studios for recording audiobooks from Nebraska and regional authors. The agency's business model is non-commercial — all services are free to eligible users and funded through state appropriations and federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grants via the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). No direct revenue is generated; the NLC operates as a public good rather than a commercial entity. Customer segments include Nebraska public libraries, K-12 schools, state government employees, Nebraskans with visual or physical disabilities, and institutional users (nursing homes, hospitals, rehabilitation centers), with delivery via four regional library systems and direct online/mail channels.

Name

NEBRASKA, STATE OF

Legal name

Nebraska Library Commission

Website

https://nlc.nebraska.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Nebraska Library Commission is a state government agency founded in 1967 that coordinates library and information services statewide, providing digital databases, interlibrary loan, accessible talking book services for disabled residents, grants administration, and professional development for Nebraska's public libraries, schools, and state agencies. All services are free and funded by state and federal appropriations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

State Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing) (EDAEAGAF), Special Libraries (Law, Medical, Corporate, Government) Operations (EDAEAGAD), Library User Services & Information Support (Reference, Research Help, Instruction Support) (EDAEAGAL), Library Collections & Cataloging Services (Acquisitions, Metadata, Circulation) (EDAEAGAE)

Keywords

• State library services
• Accessible reading services
• Digital reference databases
• Interlibrary loan services
• Library staff development

Headquarters

HQ city

LINCOLN, Nebraska

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Nebraska Library Commission is a state government library agency that coordinates and delivers library and information services across Nebraska. It provides accessible reading materials, electronic databases, catalogs, interlibrary loan, government publications, professional development, technology lending, and regional library support. Services are delivered through public libraries, four regional systems, online access, and direct or mail delivery, and are generally free to eligible users and institutions.

Product overview

The Nebraska Library Commission provides a comprehensive suite of library services as a state government agency. The core offerings include the Talking Book & Braille Service (TBBS) for patrons with visual impairments, NebraskAccess electronic databases, the NLC Catalog, and interlibrary loan services. Additional services span youth programming (Golden Sower Award, Summer Reading Program), professional development (Continuing Education, Library Accreditation), funding programs (E-Rate, NLC Grants), and technology resources (Digital Literacy Guidebook, Tech Kits, Makerspaces). The Commission also supports government publications access, the Nebraska Memories digital archive, and operates the Now Hiring @ Your Library career platform. Four Regional Library Systems provide distributed support across the state.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Talking Book & Braille Service (TBBS): Provides free audiobooks, audio magazines and braille materials to Nebraskans with visual or physical disabilities
• NebraskAccess
• Nebraska Memories
• Now Hiring @ Your Library
• NCompass

Products and services

• Talking Book & Braille Service (TBBS) Provides free audiobooks, audio magazines, braille materials, and playback equipment to Nebraskans with visual or physical conditions limiting use of regular print, with in-house studios recording Nebraska and regional authors.
• NebraskAccess Provides free 24/7 online database access for Nebraska residents, including full-text magazines, journals, newspapers, business and biographical information, genealogical resources, and government publications.
• NLC Catalog (OPAC) Provides online public access to search the Nebraska Library Commission collections.
• Interlibrary Loan Service Provides resource sharing by arranging borrowing of materials not available locally through OCLC transactions between Nebraska libraries and libraries nationwide.
• Government Publications Clearinghouse Collects Nebraska state agency publications and provides access to government documents, serving as a federal depository library.
• Book Club Kits Provides lending kits containing multiple copies of titles for book-club use, available to Nebraska libraries.
• Books in Series Database Provides a searchable reference database for finding book series by author, title, or series name.
• Nebraska Memories Provides an online archive of digitized Nebraska historical and cultural heritage materials.
• Now Hiring @ Your Library Provides a career recruitment and job-posting platform for Nebraska libraries, including a job bank, education information, scholarships, and internship grants.
• Continuing Education Program Provides professional development and training for librarians, including basic skills, cataloging certificate, and online learning through NCampus.
• Tech Kits Provides technology equipment kits available for lending to libraries through the mail.
• Regional Library Systems Provides coordination and support for four regional library systems—Central Plains, Southeast, Three Rivers, and Western—across Nebraska.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $8.2 million in E-rate funding facilitated for Nebraska K-12 schools and public libraries
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• National Library Service (NLS), Library of CongresscoreTechnology or IntegrationNLC Talking Book & Braille Service is part of nationwide network of cooperating libraries headed by NLS. Provides access to national audiobook and braille collections, BARD system, and NLS recording standards.
• United for Libraries (ALTAFF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNebraska has statewide membership to United for Libraries, providing free online training for all Nebraska public libraries through NCompass Live webinars.
• Central Plains Library SystemcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional library system serving member libraries in central Nebraska
• Southeast Library SystemcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional library system serving member libraries in southeast Nebraska
• Three Rivers Library SystemcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional library system serving member libraries in northeast Nebraska
• Western Library SystemcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional library system serving member libraries in western Nebraska
• Nebraska Center for the BookcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate of Library of Congress Center for the Book, promoting books, reading, and libraries in Nebraska
• OCLCcoreTechnology or IntegrationInterlibrary loan system provider enabling resource sharing among Nebraska libraries and with libraries nationwide

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• OCLC: Global library cooperative providing the interlibrary loan system (WorldCat) that NLC uses for resource sharing and the cataloging infrastructure underlying NLC's OPAC. Comparable as a shared-service technology incumbent rather than a competing state agency.
• Library of Congress: National library that heads the NLS network of which NLC's Talking Book & Braille Service is a member, and operates the BARD platform integrated with NLC. Functions as a broad incumbent partner/umbrella rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• South Dakota State Library: State library coordinating agency in a similarly rural Midwestern state, providing E-rate support, statewide continuing education, and library accreditation—comparable to NLC's mandate.
• Colorado State Library: Division within the Colorado Department of Education that performs library development, LSTA administration, and statewide resource sharing—directly comparable in scope and statutory role.
• Iowa State Library: State library administrative agency performing the same coordinating role for Iowa public, academic, and special libraries, including statewide accreditation, federal LSTA administration, and interlibrary loan coordination. Direct peer given near-identical state library commission mandate.
• Wyoming State Library: Wyoming state library providing library development, federal grant administration, and statewide resource sharing in a sparsely populated state directly comparable to Nebraska's demographic profile.
• Montana State Library: State library agency administering LSTA funds, statewide digital content, and library development services with comparable scope to the Nebraska Library Commission.
• Kansas State Library: Kansas state library agency that administers LSTA funding, supports library development, provides statewide continuing education, and operates library services for visually impaired patrons—directly comparable to NLC's service portfolio.
• Minnesota State Library: State library services agency providing statewide coordination, E-rate support, library development grants, and accessibility services comparable to those of the Nebraska Library Commission.

Emerging players

• Internet Archive: Non-profit digital library operating lending, archival, and digitization services that partially overlap with Nebraska Memories and statewide digital lending missions; an emerging alternative in digital library content provision.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/NLCNowHiring
• Facebookfacebook.com/NebraskaLibrarians
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nebraska-state-of

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NEBRASKA, STATE OF