Nellie Williams
- photo: Nebraska Library Commission Archives
Very little information is available on the early life of Nellie Williams. Our first meeting is when she surfaces as librarian at the Geneva Public Library. She served as president of the Nebraska Library Association in 1914-1915. On October 19-21, 1914, as vice-president of that organization she hosted the state twentieth annual meeting at Geneva. Miss Edith Tobitt, president of the Commission, Miss Charlotte Templeton, Secretary of the Commission and Malcolm G. Wyer, Librarian, University of Nebraska Library and Commission member presented sessions at that meeting. This event may have marked the beginning of Williams' long connection with the Commission and led to her becoming the third Executive Secretary of the Nebraska Public Library Commission.
Williams carried on a spirited letter writing exchange with Edith Tobitt. Tobitt was librarian at the Omaha Public Library as well as the president of the Commission.
We are fortunate that these letters are still here. They reveal that she enjoyed the theater, dining out, and musical performances. They create a real, flesh and blood person that lives beyond the sometimes-sterile reports in minute books.
Williams served as Executive Secretary from 1919 through 1931. In 1929 she stopped to take a look at some of the accomplishments of her ten years as Executive Secretary. She hoped that her reminiscences would not make her a "reminuisance."
Her musings reflect on the fact that the entire membership of the board had changed. The professional staff of the Commission was entirely new, with roles changing as personnel changed. In fact her hiring was one that was unsolicited. She served as interim replacement after Charlotte Templeton left while the board interviewed five candidates. None were found suitable and she was offered the position.
Williams presents some interesting statistics to bolster her appreciation of the work of the staff. Requests for information from public libraries, schools and colleges, study clubs and other groups increased by two and one-half times and the number of loans had increased by three and one-half times. The point of this exercise of figures was that the same number of staff was doing this work.
A crusade for the improvement in the quality of children's book collections was mounted in 1923. Williams circulated a survey among the libraries of the state asking for information on the holdings of a number of popular children's authors. She requested a copy of some of the books if they could be spared from the collection. From this beginning she mounted an exhibit of children's books with the query, "Are we building on firm foundation?" It was displayed initially at the Library Institute held in Lincoln, October 16 - 17, 1923.
She was asked to present a paper on the subject at the American Library Association convention in Seattle. It was decided that the books would not be displayed at convention due to the fear that some publisher might object to her categorization of their books as not suitable. This was not a risk ALA wanted to take. She also read the paper before the Nebraska Federation of Women's Clubs and to a library gathering in Colorado.
Another piece of writing is extant in her correspondence. It is titled "The Library Child, A Fable for Trustees" which speaks to the need of nurturing children's reading habits. It was meant to be published, but to date can't be traced to a publication.
She was diligent in her support of libraries for state institutions. One of her essays written for the Eighth Biennial Report of the Nebraska Public Library Commission on institution libraries was extracted, abbreviated and published in The Modern Hospital, v. 8, 1917. The budget crunch of 1928-29 sent her pen flying, requesting support for the Commission's services to institutional libraries. In response to her request users of those libraries sent many letters enthusiastically supporting the libraries.
Williams resigned effective September 1, 1931. Her resignation was accepted "with regret." She actually stayed until October 1, 1931. Her letter of resignation was found in Gilbert H. Doane's papers. He was head of the University Library and on the board of Commissioners. A note to members of the Nebraska Library Association mentions "Miss Nellie Williams has resigned her position as secretary of the Library Commission. She leaves us to be married to Dr. W.C. Beaven and will go to Hannibal, Mo., to make her home."
With that, we ring the curtain down on Miss Williams and her moment on stage as head of the Nebraska Public Library Commission.
Files of the Nebraska Library Commission Archives
Photo: Nebraska Signal, Nov 5, 1914