The Nebraska State Newspaper Project was started in the mid-1980's as a project to index Nebraska newspapers. Today a database exists of over 200,000 names that have been indexed as part of this project. This database is available on the NEGenWeb pages at http://www.rootsweb.com/~nenews/NSHS/nshsnews.htm.
Since the mid-1980s the library has maintained a database (Listing of Available Nebraska Newspaper Indexes or LANNI) that monitors the availability of indexes for Nebraska newspapers. The majority of these indexes (most are card indexes or privately produced volumes) are at the Society. The database has grown to include indexes found in published material, other libraries within the state, as well as the worldwide web. This database will be under constant revision, with updates, corrections, and global changes to sources.
Search LANNI Database This is not an index to articles about specific people in newspaper. Do not expect to find entries under your ancestor's name in this database.
To use this index, you can search in three ways.
- You can input the name of either a city/town on the search screen to see if we have located an index for that city/town newspaper. If there is an entry(s), along with the city/town there will be the name of the newspaper, the dates or years it is indexed, notes which may include references to the type of material indexed, and the call number/location. This last bit of information refers to the NSHS library call number and physical format the index is in at NSHS or another location such as a web address or name of another library.
- Another search option is to input the name of the county to see what has been indexed for all towns in a county.
- Your third option is to check by the name of the newspaper, if you want to know if there is any indexing available for a single title. The disadvantage of using this option is that newspapers often changed their title and the title you input may not match available indexing during the time period that you need.
Most listings for entries will be short, but if they are long, you will be given the option to narrow your search by entering the year(s) that you need.
Definitions of terms found in the LANNI database
Additional Access to Nebraska newspapers
Research for Hire from NSHS
If an index or published source is available in the Library/Archives of the Nebraska State Historical Society and you are unable to visit our facility to do research yourself, you may write to our Reference Department and request a search of these indexes. For current fees for research, see DUPLICATION AND SPECIAL ACCESS FEE SCHEDULE (pdf).
To request a search of an index that is listed, send the appropriate fee, along with the name of the individual, and reference to the index you found in LANNI, to Reference Department, Nebraska State Historical Society, P.O. Box 82554, Lincoln, NE 68501. Include your mailing address with your request.
A limit of three separate searches may be sent at one time, but the fee accompanying the request for three searches must total three times the fee for a single search. We will accept personal checks, money orders, MasterCard or Visa (send the following information: type of card, name as shown on card, card number, and expiration date).
Do Not Send Credit Card Information Via Email.
For general questions about sources referred to in LANNI, you may email us at lanshs at nebraskahistory.org. Email requests are routed through our regular mail system and are answered within two weeks. We will not accept requests for specific searches via email.
Nebraska State Historical Society Library/Archives
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 82554
Lincoln, NE 68501
Reference Room: 1500 "R" Street
Lincoln, NE 68508
Phone: 402-471-4751
FAX: 402-471-8922