Nellie Mary Carey
-Photo courtesy of Peru State College, Annual, 1948
b. Jan 5, 1891; d. Sep 10, 1974
Nellie Carey earned her bachelor's degree from Nebraska Wesleyan in 1915. She was a member of the Aelioian and a reader in English. She received her teaching certificate and taught in Nebraska, Kansas and Wyoming from 1915-1925. She began her library career as an assistant at New York Public Library in 1926.
Carey was librarian at the Carnegie Library in Hastings when she learned of the coming vacancy at the Nebraska Public Library Commission from Nellie Williams. She was reluctant to apply for the position because of the uncertainty about the outcome of the appropriation bill.
In her letter of inquiry to Miss Annie Kramph, president of the Commission she asked about the future of the Commission. She wondered if the question of abolishing the Commission would arise again. She hoped that her move from Hastings would lead her to a position that would be more or less permanent. If the Commission had not already decided on Williams' replacement she would be willing to place a formal application. The letter was dated June 23, 1931.
By October 9, 1931 she was appointed to succeed Nellie Williams as Executive Secretary of the Nebraska Public Library Commission. She survived the abolition of the Commission in 1933, was re-appointed as Executive Secretary in 1935. She stayed with the Commission until August of 1944, when she resigned to take a position as librarian at Peru State Teachers College.
She followed her predecessor's example and wrote a summary of her work from 1931 to 1942. In it she remarked on the many accomplishments that had occurred due to the hard work of those other Executive Secretaries.
The Commission had increased its services in circulation and requests more than 100% in those 11 years. The appropriations did not keep pace with that increase. The appropriation in 1931 was $29,800 and was only $35,680 in 1942. District library meetings were held annually except for one year "because of a political situation which made it inadvisable for the secretary to be away from the office for so long a period, and this year [1942] because of the rubber shortage."
A monthly newsletter was begun and sent to librarians and others interested in library work. Because of the shortage of paper, the newsletter became a quarterly. Space for the Commission continued to be a problem, county libraries were still being considered as the most economical way to cover the state. The bookmobile made its appearance during this time.
One of the most important WPA projects was the development of the Union Catalog. The Library Commission, with the State Library, the Lincoln City Library and the University of Nebraska served as co-sponsors for this project.
Carey returned to Lincoln after leaving Peru and lived in Lincoln until her death in 1974 at the age of 83. She had been active in church and PEO activities. She was president of the Nebraska Library Association in 1931.
Files of the Nebraska Library Commission Archives
Who's Who in Library Service, 2nd ed., 1943
Obituary: Lincoln Evening Journal, July 11, 1974
Photo: Courtesy of Peru State College, Annual, 1948