About Us

The Nancy Hanks Lincoln Public Library is a IRS certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It opened worldwide to a global audience on October 5, 2014 coinciding with the 196th anniversary of the death of Nancy Hanks Lincoln in 1818. Created and founded by publisher Gary Brin, this site envisions a simple idea of a universal online library for a global (mostly English speaking) audience. And while companies such as Google have attempted an online library previously, beginning in 2004, what resulted was a disappointing archive cellar (not a real public library) where many copies on display were unreadable because of poor scanning procedures and multiple missing pages per book(s). Other issues concerning Google Books were never addressed due to the poor communication skills of the Google team (past and present). And yes, despite many emails to Google to correct the issues mentioned (over a period of years) nothing was ever done about the stated problems and so the problems mentioned still exists in 2024 as they did in 2004.

In addition to the issues stated, numerous titles included in the Google Books library were carelessly mislabeled while others had upside down pages throughout or were cut in half or damaged for whatever reasons due to sloppy scanning practices by inexperienced and incompetent employees or volunteers. Nevertheless with such issues obviously an online topic of discussion for many book enthusiasts throughout the years, the idea of a real Internet public library was born, where not only would complete copies of books be made available to a worldwide audience without the previously mentioned issues, they would also be able to be easily read online from anywhere (within the United States and most countries around the world with wired Internet access) but without the hassles that have plagued many online libraries since the idea of books (in a digital format) first became reality.

Named in honor of President Lincoln’s beloved mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, for her devotion to education and learning, this library is dedicated to putting the best collections of books ever published (as well as other material) under one roof for the first time ever. However, every book published in Europe and the United States (both past and present) will not be made part of this library (whether available or not) just because it exists. Material selected for this library will be based on historical, educational or entertainment value, and not commercial or temporary popular value. Obviously everyone has their favorites but many of the specially selected titles that is (and will be) included in this library have not been seen publicly (in some cases) for centuries and are worth reading whether well-known or not. Reading enriches knowledge, and knowledge is power, so it is the goal of this library to make available as many titles as is possible in the coming years from public libraries (state and college) in the United States, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia in the hope that a worldwide audience will have the opportunity to look back on yesterday and appreciate contributions that have come from various individuals in the form of published fiction and nonfiction works that inspired and still continue to inspire. Books published in other languages will be included in this library as well on occasion based on historical importance.

In addition, in order to make books easier to find (on this site) than at a local library, all titles are cataloged by title under their associated subject matter and not under the Dewey Decimal System which is presently believe by many to be outdated. Books would also be listed in only one specific section and not be displayed in multiple sections based on similar subject matter (as they sometimes are in most public libraries) in order to avoid confusion as to where a specific title is located. An example of this idea would be the novel Black Beauty. It would be cataloged only under Classic Works because it is a fictional work of literature published before 1900. From 1901 onward all fictional works of literature will be cataloged under Modern Works. Another example of this idea would be the nonfiction book Memoirs and Letters of Dolly Madison. It would be cataloged under American Politics due to Dolly Madison’s political role in the history of the United States. Other examples of noted nonfiction works such as the Mayflower Compact and its Signers and Diary of a Nursing Sister on the Western Front would be cataloged under Colonial America and World War I respectively, due to the subjects described in each book. That said, books about well-known American historical figures like former Presidents Abraham Lincoln or George Washington, who were also associated with well-known notable events in United States history such as the American Civil War and the American Revolution would be classified only under American Politics due to their extended political careers and because it defined their historical legacy more accurately than of other areas in US history.

Much thought have gone into making this library a reality using a simple online format easily understood by everyone (experienced user or novice) and though improvements will be continuously made, the general idea will remain the same, to make online reading of great books and other writings easily accessible for the masses worldwide. It should be noted that ALL books featured in this library are in public domain. Books published after 1929 will not be included in the Nancy Hanks Lincoln Public Library (due to legal reasons pertaining to copyright violations) unless otherwise stated or until present copyright expires per title(s). However, a select list of presently unavailable copyrighted (and future library) titles will be available in a downloadable list on PDF shortly which will be updated regularly several times per year as new titles are added, based upon stated qualifications.

Note: Wi-Fi supported computers and other mobile devices may not be able to display or download books due to file sizes of material on this site. Cable-based Internet services such as Comcast is recommended for viewing instead. PDF editions of all books are compressed (for size) but remain in HQ format based on the quality of original scans. Scans were not photoshopped and are as they appeared when scanned. Text is not searchable in present scanned copies.

This library is funded through donations and grants only and not associated with any specific government entity, organization, school, college or university. Books in this library are not chosen based on financial donations or suggestions from readers. Some titles have had warnings added to them when necessary based on content or outdated material. Books in this library are made available for educational purposes only and do not reflect the views of this library.

(Note) This library is family friendly. But it is NOT child friendly. Please choose books for pre-teen children responsibly. Books written in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were from a different time when morals and standards were not what they are today. Classic novels such as Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and Treasure Island (1883) are suitable for teens and adults but are NOT suitable for children under the age of 12 due to its depictions of violence and course language. When titles such as these (mentioned above) were published they were meant for adults and young adults only. They were never meant for children (under 12) despite what has been implied by schools and libraries since the late 1940s throughout the United States.  While a child (under 12) can certainly read books like those mentioned above, most of what they read will be misunderstood. It would be no different than someone reading Coma (1977) by Robin Cook. While it can certainly be read by teens and adults, the medical terms mentioned in the book as part of the storyline would probably misunderstood by a teenager not versed in the medical field. The same could be said for Gone with the Wind (1936) by Margaret Mitchell. Someone unaware of the legacy of American slavery might think that the depiction of slaves in the beloved novel were based on fact, and not a revisionist account created by a talented writer for dramatic purposes only, but of course the depictions of slavery was completely unrealistic. Books are wonderful ways to enrich knowledge, but understanding what you read is also important. This library has a wide variety of books but not every book is meant for everyone.