Ainsworth Public Library
🏢 Ainsworth Public Library · Ainsworth, Nebraska
Ainsworth Public Library
The Ainsworth Public Library in the heart of Brown County traces its roots to a 1911 Women's Club reading room and a donor-built brick building from 1912 — today the library holds Silver Accreditation status and runs a Nebraska Library Commission makerspace, all from its Main Street home.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10:30am–5pm |
| Tuesday | 10:30am–7pm |
| Wednesday | 1pm–5pm |
| Thursday | 10:30am–5pm |
| Friday | 10:30am–5pm |
| Saturday | 1pm–5pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 445 North Main Street, AINSWORTH, NE 69210
Phone: (402) 387-2032
Website: libs.ne.gov
Plus Code: 86J2H42P+5W (AINSWORTH, NE)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Ainsworth Public Library
The Ainsworth Public Library anchors Main Street in Ainsworth, the county seat of Brown County in the Nebraska Sandhills. The library began in October 1911 when the Women's Club established a reading collection; by summer 1912 Mr. and Mrs. Lewis K. Alder had built and donated a brick building that housed the collection as the Alder Public Library. A new building opened on April 19, 1980, when the name changed to the Ainsworth Public Library. Today the library holds nearly 30,000 items, serves about 1,570 registered borrowers and carries the Nebraska Library Commission's Silver Accreditation Seal, recognizing high standards of service. A highlight for the region is the library's dedicated makerspace, selected by the NLC in 2017 as part of the Library Innovation Studios partnership; it provides vinyl cutters, button makers, heat presses, 3D design software, electronics kits and building toys — free to the public. The Dolly Parton Imagination Library chapter supports children in Brown County from birth to age five with free monthly books.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Founded 1911 by the Women's Club; the Alder family built and donated the original brick building in 1912
- Holds the Nebraska Library Commission's Silver Accreditation Seal, recognizing excellence in library service
- Library Innovation Studios Makerspace (since 2017): vinyl cutters, heat press, button maker, 3D design, electronics kits — free to the public
- Brown County Imagination Library chapter — free books mailed monthly to children birth through age 5
- Open until 7 pm on Tuesdays for after-work and after-school visits
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Ainsworth cardholders have free access to Nebraska's statewide digital collections:
📚 Services
- Library Innovation Studios Makerspace — vinyl cutters, heat press, button maker, 3D design software, electronics kits (free to public)
- Brown County Imagination Library — free monthly books for children birth–age 5
- 10 public internet computers & free Wi-Fi
- Interlibrary loan through the Nebraska statewide network
- Reference assistance and reader's advisory
- Monthly book club meetings
- Library Fall Crawl participation (September–November)
🎸 Programs
- Monthly book club for adults
- Brown County Imagination Library (Dolly Parton's program for children birth–age 5)
- Library Fall Crawl reading challenge (Sep–Nov)
- Makerspace open workshops
- Summer Reading Program
📍 Nearby Libraries in the Nebraska Sandhills Region
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in AINSWORTH · Browse all Nebraska libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is in the Ainsworth Public Library's makerspace, and is it free?
Yes — the makerspace is free and open to the public. It was set up in 2017 through the Nebraska Library Commission's Library Innovation Studios partnership and includes a vinyl cutter, button maker, heat press, 3D design software, electronics kits and building toys. No appointment is needed during regular library hours.
What is the history of the Ainsworth Public Library and the Alder connection?
The library began in October 1911 when the local Women's Club started a reading collection. The following summer, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis K. Alder funded and built a brick building to house it, which was named the Alder Public Library in their honor. A new building opened on April 19, 1980, when the name became the Ainsworth Public Library.
What is the Brown County Imagination Library, and how do I sign up?
The Imagination Library is Dolly Parton's program that mails one free, age-appropriate book every month to registered children from birth through age five. The Ainsworth Public Library runs the Brown County chapter — contact the library at (402) 387-2032 to enroll your child.
What free digital resources do Ainsworth library cardholders get?
Your card gives you free access to NebraskAccess — the Nebraska Library Commission's statewide platform covering research databases, genealogy, newspapers and homework help — plus Libby/OverDrive for eBooks and audiobooks, Nebraska Memories historical archives and AtoZ World country guides.
🔨 This library has a makerspace / 3D printing. See how library makerspaces and 3D printing work and find other libraries with a makerspace makerspaces by state.
✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.
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