Login to the databases below is automatic from most computers located within Lincoln City Libraries facilities (including personal laptops using the Library’s WiFi).
To access these databases when you're not at one of Lincoln City Libraries' buildings, or if you're using a mobile device through your mobile data instead of our WiFi, or if you're using our WiFi and going through a VPN, you will need to use this page for access. A Lincoln City Libraries card number and PIN are then required for logging in.
Resources marked "mobile app available" can also be accessed through these Android and iPhone apps.
hoopla Streaming movies, TV shows, music, audiobooks, eBooks and comics. Register for an account here; if you already have an account, login here. If you are having trouble logging into your account or need to update your account information, please check here. Due to Lincoln Public Schools restrictions, Library OneCard accounts cannot access hoopla.
A mobile app for Apple and Android devices is available for this resource.
Author Alerts Receive notifications when the Library orders new titles by your favorite authors.
Digital Downloads from OverDrive Downloadable e-books and audiobooks (these may be checked out, but not downloaded on Library computers). Access to Lincoln City Libraries’ OverDrive collection is available for Library OneCard accounts only through Lincoln Public Schools’ Sora app.
Hoopla Streaming movies, TV shows, music, audiobooks, eBooks and comics. Register for an account here; if you already have an account, login here. If you are having trouble logging into your account or need to update your account information, please check here. Due to Lincoln Public Schools' restrictions, Library OneCard accounts cannot access Hoopla. More info A mobile app for Apple and Android devices is available for this resource.
TumbleBook Library Animated, talking picture books and other e-Books for kids. More info A mobile app for Apple and Android devices is available for this resource.
WorldCat Access to the holdings records of libraries around the world. More info
Peterson’s Test and Career Prep (formerly the Testing and Education Reference Center) Online test preparation and practice tests; resume builder and virtual career library. More info
Small Business Source Information on small business and entrepreneurial subject areas, including how to create business plans. More info
Peterson’s Test and Career Prep (formerly the Testing and Education Reference Center) Online test preparation and practice tests; resume builder and virtual career library. More info
Ancestry Library Edition Genealogy information. More info. Access to this resource is available only from within Lincoln City Libraries facilities. For off-site access, please consider using our MyHeritage resource as an alternative.
Legal Information Source Full text consumer legal information. Legal Information Source does not provide legal advice, nor is it a substitute for legal counsel. More info
Bennett Martin Public Library houses the central Reference Collection for the library system. A selection of essential reference materials are also available at each library branch to assist you with your informational needs.
Local Reference Resources: Specialized Lincoln, Lancaster County, and Nebraska Research Tools
Lincoln City Libraries maintains a collection of over 1,300 clipping folders, known traditionally as our Vertical File Collection. These folders are all located at Bennett Martin Public Library in downtown Lincoln, NE. This collection of clippings, primarily from the Lincoln newspapers from the 1930s through the 1990s, as well as a few other sources, focuses on the following topics: Lincoln, Lancaster County and Nebraska history.
Vertical File resources are part of our reference collection and must be used in the library only. Photocopiers are available in the Periodicals room for local researchers wishing to make copies. Long-distance researchers wishing to make use of our Reference-by-Mail or Reference-by-Email services, can have copies made of any documents in the Vertical Files. See the Ask a Librarian page for a list of possible fees.
The Vertical File Index
This basic (PDF) index of all the Vertical Files (updated February 2024) is a simple text listing of the names of the 1,000+ Vertical Files in our collection. The contents of the list include:
Lancaster County
Lincoln, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska-related biographical or miscellaneous files
Holiday Files
Miscellaneous Files
Specialized Vertical Files:
The Starkweather File
One special and unique part of our Vertical File collection is the Charles Starkweather box — an extensive collection of laminated clippings about the 1957-58 Lincoln-area murder spree of Charles Starkweather and Caril Fugate. You can see a list of the contents of the Starkweather box, plus numerous other Starkweather-related resources in the Starkweather section of this page.
9/11/2001
A special collection of clippings from local newspapers and around the country, covering the tragic and historic events of September 11, 2001, is available for perusal at the downtown library.
The following folders of clippings about the Mayor’s Office exist in our Vertical Files Collection:
Lincoln — City Offices — Mayor’s Office — Historical List of Mayors
Lincoln — City Offices — Mayor’s Office — up to 1974
Lincoln — City Offices — Mayor’s Office — 1975
Lincoln — City Offices — Mayor’s Office — Jan-Jun 1976
Lincoln — City Offices — Mayor’s Office — Jul-Dec 1976
Lincoln — City Offices — Mayor’s Office — 1977
Lincoln — City Offices — Mayor’s Office — 1978
We also have several Vertical Files folders about individual past Mayors of Lincoln:
Anderson, Victor Emanuel [1950-1953]
Boosalis, Helen [1975-1983]
Boyles, Bartlett E. (Pat) [1959-1963]
Campell, Robert E. [1939-1941]
Harris, Bill [1987-1991]
Martin, Bennett S. [1956-1959]
Schwartzkopf, Sam [1967-1975]
Other Resources
The library also has a microfilm reel containing clippings about the following five Lincoln Mayors: Victor A. Anderson; Ralph G. Brooks; Robert L. Cochran; Bennett S. Martin; and Fred A. Seaton.
Press Clippings, Lincoln Journal Star, Lincoln Nebraska [Microfilm 920.078 Pre]
The following folders of clippings about the Governors of the State of Nebraska exist in our Vertical Files Collection:
Nebraska — Governors
Nebraska — Governors — Mansion
Nebraska — Governors — Messages
Nebraska — Governors — Wives
We also have several Vertical Files folders about individual past Governors of Nebraska:
Morton, J. Sterling [1858] — appointed position
McKelvie, Samuel [1919-1923] — this and all below were elected
Griswold, Dwight [1941-1947]
Peterson, Val [1947-1953]
Crosby, Robert [1953-1955]
Anderson, Victor Emanuel [1955-1959]
Brooks, Ralph [1959-1960]
Burney, Dwight [1960-1961]
Morrison, Frank [1961-1967]
Tiemann, Norbert [1967-1971]
Exon, J. James [1971-1979]
Thone, Charles [1979-1983]
Kerrey, Robert [1983-1987]
Orr, Kay [1987-1991]
Nelson, Ben [1991-1999]
Other Resources The library also has a microfilm reel containing clippings about the following Nebraska Governors: Victor A. Anderson; Ralph G. Brooks; Robert L. Cochran.
Press Clippings, Lincoln Journal Star, Lincoln Nebraska [Microfilm 920.078 Pre]
The names of Charles Raymond Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate hold a place in the history books as Nebraska’s most notorious mass murderers. Their saga began when 19-year-old Starkweather killed a gas station attendant in December 1957. Then, in late January 1958, Charlie and his 14-year-old girlfriend Caril began an eight-day murder spree that started with the murder of Caril’s family, and eventually led to ten total deaths before they were captured on the highway outside Douglas, Wyoming. Tried and convicted of murder, Charles Starkweather was executed at the Nebraska State Penitentiary on June 25, 1959. Also convicted, Caril Fugate’s initial life sentence was commuted to a 30 to 50 year sentence in 1973. In 1976, after serving 18 years, Fugate was paroled and she eventually resettled in Michigan.
The Starkweather case, seemingly tame in comparison to serial killings that have followed it in subsequent years, was one of the most heavily publicized mass murders in U.S. history, drawing national attention both to Nebraska and to the psychological issues surrounding disaffected youth. The community of Lincoln, and most of the rest of Nebraska, lived in a near-constant state of hysteria and panic for several days. The events inspired a fictionalized 1973 feature film — Terrence Malick’s Badlands (starring Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek) — and a 1993 television mini-series — Murder in the Heartland (starring Tim Roth and Fairuza Balk). Even a hit song, “Nebraska”, released by Bruce Springsteen in 1982, was based on the events of 1958. In 2004, Liza Ward, the granddaughter of Starkweather victims C. Lauer and Clara Ward, published the bestselling novel Outside Valentine, which incorporated the Starkweather spree into a fictional storyline. In 2023, a four-part documentary series on Showtime, The Twelfth Victim, became available, based on a 2014 book by Linda Battisti and John Stevens Berry.
Over the years, the Lincoln City Libraries has proven to be a prominent research site for individuals wishing to learn more about the Starkweather case. We have several unique or rare resources available to individuals wishing to do research on this topic.
COURT TRANSCRIPTS Court transcripts for the Charles Starkweather trial and Caril Ann Fugate’s trial were filmed, and are in the possession of the Nebraska State Historical Society Archives. This information was provided by the Clerk of the Lancaster County District Court.
NEWS CLIPPINGS Bennett Martin Public Library at 14th & N Streets has two unique resources, available for use in the library only.
The Starkweather-Fugate Press Clippings, 1958-1973, Lincoln Journal-Star (microfilm) A separate microfilm reel containing only the newspaper stories related to the Starkweather case.
The Starkweather Clippings Box All known articles from the Lincoln and Omaha papers (and a few other sources), photocopied and laminated, for easier readability. Click on the above link to see a complete index of the contents of this file.
The Starkweather Timeline An abbreviated timeline of the events surrounding the Starkweather-Fugate murder spree, arrest, trials, and subsequent legal maneuverings that led to Starkweather’s execution and Fugate’s eventual parole.
All of these resources complement the book Headline–Starkweather by Earl Dyer (364.152 Dye) in the list below.
Revisiting the Starkweather Murder Spree: A Lincoln History Library Series Program, August 30, 2023
Library Service Associate Scott Clark, maintainer of the Starkweather resources for Lincoln City Libraries, looks back at the events associated with the infamous Starkweather murder spree, with materials from the Library's collection of historical newspapers and magazine articles from 1957-1959.
In this program from August 30, 2023, Library Service Associate Scott Clark, maintainer of the Starkweather resources for Lincoln City Libraries, looks back at the events associated with the infamous Starkweather murder spree, with materials from the Library's collection of historical newspapers and magazine articles from 1957-1959.
BOOKS AND DVDS The Lincoln City Libraries system owns numerous books either exclusively about the Starkweather case or including references to it. Many of the books in this list are located only in the non-circulating collection available in our Jane Pope Geske Heritage Room of Nebraska Authors, or are in the non-circulating Reference Collection. Please click on the titles or jacket illustrations for the books below to check on the titles’ locations and availability in the libraries. Note: More titles may be available in our digital eBook collections through Overdrive and/or Hoopla, but are not listed here. Additional note: Some of these titles may have been withdrawn over the years — if an item is no longer hotlinked into our catalog, consider ordering it through our InterLibrary Loan service, and we will attempt to borrow it from another library!
Encyclopedia of World Crime by Jay Robert Nash
Massive, four-volume chronicle of all types of crimes, worldwide. The Starkweather entry in volume 4 is only two pages, but still features a detailed recounting of the case, including an entire page of photographs of several of the victims. (This set is no longer available at Lincoln City Libraries.) (The Starkweather entry is in Volume 4.)
Encyclopedia of American Crime by Carl Sifakis Huge volume chronicling all types of American crimes and criminals. The Starkweather entry in this volume is approximately two pages long, with no illustrations. Published in 1982. (The 1982 edition is no longer available at Lincoln City Libraries. Also available in an expanded 1992 edition and completely updated 2001 edition in 2 volumes.)
The Encyclopedia of American Crime by Carl Sifakis (R 364 qSif 2001 v. 2) Updated 2-volume set chronicling all types of American crimes and criminals. The Starkweather entry in this volume is approximately two pages long, with no illustrations. In this 2001 edition the Starkweather entry is in Volume 2.
Bloodletters and Badmen: A Narrative Encyclopedia of American Criminals from the Pilgrims to the Present by Jay Robert Nash Five pages of the original edition of this encyclopedic volume are dedicated to the Starkweather case, with photos of nine of Starkweather’s eleven victims. Published in 1973. (The print version of this set is no longer available at Lincoln City Libraries. The link above is to an eBook of the 1995 edition, available through hoopla.)
Starkweather: The Story of a Mass Murderer by William Allen (Heritage 364.152 All) Perhaps the most in-depth examination of the Starkweather case, with references to several of the other books published prior to 1976 (particularly the volumes written by Professor James Reinhardt). This book contains detailed timelines, plus numerous photos of Starkweather, Fugate, the victims and the crime scenes. Published in 1976. (Also available in a 1977 paperback reprint edition and 2004 retitled edition, below.)
Starkweather: The Story of a Mass Murderer by William Allen (Heritage 364.152 All 1977) Paperback reprint of the 1976 edition above, with only very slight updates and/or corrections. Published in 1977. (Also available in the original 1976 hardback edition, above, and 2004 retitled edition below.)
Starkweather: Inside the Mind of a Teenage Killer by William Allen Yet another reprint of the 1976 volume by Allen, with only very slight updates and/or corrections. Published in 2004. (This edition is no longer available at Lincoln City Libraries.)
Caril by Ninette Beaver (Heritage 364.152 Bea) A look at Charlie, Caril and the events that led to Caril’s imprisonment — in three parts: Part One details Caril and Charlie’s backgrounds and relationship, and the crimes that were committed. Part Two is a detailed examination of the trials of both suspects. And Part Three is an exploration of Caril’s life growing up in the State Reformatory for Women in York, NE, and her on-going efforts to exonerate herself of the crimes for which she was convicted. Told almost exclusively from Caril’s point-of-view, after a series of interviews with Omaha news reporters. Published in 1974.
Caril by Ninette Beaver Paperback reprint of the original 1974 edition, with no apparent changes. Published in 1976. (This edition is no longer available at Lincoln City Libraries.)
The Quality of Murder: Three Hundred Years of True Crime by Anthony Boucher (Heritage 364.152 Bou) The case of Charles Starkweather and Caril Fugate is one of 24 profiled in this anthology of true crime essays. “The Status Seeking of Charles Starkweather”, by James McKimmey, comprises 8 pages in this volume. Published in 1962.
Headline: Starkweather — From Behind the News Desk by Earl Dyer (364.152 Dye) Earl Dyer, retired executive editor of The Lincoln Star, was a 30-year-old city editor on January 28, 1958, the day three members of a Lincoln family were found brutally murdered at their home. With Star editor James Lawrence out of town, it fell to Dyer — and his counterparts at the competing Lincoln Journal — to cover those shocking deaths and the series of killings over the next three days. In Headline: Starkweather, Dyer recounts the story of the two hometown newspapers’ coverage of the murders; the multi-state manhunt for Charles Starkweather and his 14-year-old girlfriend, Caril Fugate; their arrests; their trials and convictions; the execution of Starkweather in 1959; and the eventual release and parole of Caril Fugate in 1976. Published in 1993, this book reprints many of the articles that appeared in these two newspapers, with typographic errors corrected and retrospective comments included.
Murder Cases of the 20th Century: Biographies and Bibliographies of 280 Convicted or Accused Killers by David K. Frasier (No longer available at Lincoln City Libraries.) "This reference book contains entries for over 280 killers from the famous Richard Speck to the relatively unknown Jack Henry Abbott who stabbed a waiter for not allowing him to use the toilet. The bibliographic biographies note (when applicable) birth and death dates, aliases, occupation, location of the murders, weapons, number of victims, time period, quotations, and a brief overview of the murder case with a bibliography of related books, films, plays, videos, and audio programs." — Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc. The Starkweather case is covered in five pages. Published in 1996. (This title is no longer available at Lincoln City Libraries.)
Berserk: Motiveless Random Massacres by Chester Graham From journalist Graham Chester come terrifying true stories of notorious mass murders and the deranged killers who committed them. 8 pages of shocking photographs. Includes references to Charles Starkweather and Caril Fugate. Published in 1993. (This title is no longer available from the Lincoln City Libraries.)
Mass Murder: America’s Growing Menace by Jack Levin & James Allen Fox Following an in-depth five-year study investigating simultaneous and serial murderers, Levin and Fox attempt to construct a profile of the kind of person who commits such crimes against their fellow man. Includes approximately eight pages dedicated to the Starkweather/Fugate case. Published in 1985. (This title is no longer available from the Lincoln City Libraries.)
Starkweather: The Untold Story of the Killing Spree That Changed America by Harry N. MacLean (364.152 MACL) Bestselling author Harry N. MacLean tells the story of this shocking event and its lasting impact, a crime spree that struck deep into the heart of the heartland. (Also available as an eBook through hoopla.)
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