Facilities Updates

Updates provided were current at the time this publication went to print. Due to the accelerated pace of these projects, the status may have changed from what is reported here. Visit omahalibrary.org/facilities-projects the most up-to-date information.

Library Facilities Plan Update

Throughout the spring months, OPL, the Omaha Public Library Foundation, the City of Omaha, Do Space, and Heritage Omaha worked together with the Omaha community and Margaret Sullivan Studio (MSS), a nationally recognized library expert and design firm that specializes in civic projects, to develop a community-driven 2023 Library Facilities Plan.

The goal of the 2023 Library Facilities Plan is to offer recommendations for present and future OPL facilities. The plan also aims to envision future Do Space workspaces and programming in partnership with OPL, and align Do Space services with Omaha’s digital equity needs and the needs of the city’s entrepreneurs and makers.

A community survey launched on February 15 to gather feedback to shape the future of OPL and Do Space services, spaces and more. The community survey was available in English and Spanish, both print and online, and open for responses through May 1, 2023.

A series of neighborhood-focused community engagement opportunities took place in March and April at locations throughout the city.

“The plan’s recommendations and future funding investments will be rooted in the community’s needs and aspirations,” said Margaret Sullivan, principal at MSS.

OPL’s board of trustees will vote on the plan in June 2023 and, if approved, OPL will publish the final 2023 Library Facilities Plan to its website soon thereafter.

New Downtown Branch Opens

Downtown Branch opened at 1401 Jones Street on Sunday, May 21, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and opening remarks from Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, City Councilmember Danny Begley, OPL Board President Mike Kennedy, and OPL Executive Director Laura Marlane.

Participants explored the new space, which includes a large children’s area and story house to encourage the imaginations of Omaha’s youngest readers; a quiet reading room in which to get lost in a favorite book; meeting spaces and study rooms designed for community collaboration and engagement; and technology and other innovative services to connect people with ideas and information.

The two-story brick building was designed by renowned Omaha architect John Latenser in 1912, and originally served as the site of the David Cole Creamery. Following its closure in 1940, the building was renovated into cold storage, and later operated as an auto parts supply business before being sold to investors in 2013.

Special care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the original structure, including its masonry, tilework, tin ceilings and exposed wooden beams. New additions such as a feature wall representing the downtown Omaha street grid, commissioned artwork, and distinctive photography also pay homage to the history of the city.

New Summer Titles

These titles will be added to OPL’s collection between June 1–August 31, 2023.

Soldiers Don’t Go Mad: A Story of Brotherhood, Poetry and Mental Illness During the First World War by Charles Glass

This book examines the origins of PTSD after World War I through the friendship of poets Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen. The Air Raid Book Club by Annie Lyons

In 1938 London, as World War II starts to take over, bookstore owner Gertie decides to take in a young refugee who is willful and fearless. Together, they start a book club and have animated discussions while facing loss and tragedy.

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James

McBride

In 1972, workers uncover a skeleton while digging for a development project. This discovery reveals secrets about a neighborhood where Jewish immigrants and African Americans lived side by side, sharing the sorrows of living on the margins.

Recipes for Murder: 66 Dishes That Celebrate the Mysteries of Agatha

Christie by Karen Pierce

This cookbook is filled with recipes for dishes inspired by the mysteries of Agatha Christie.

Lexington: The Extraordinary Life and Turbulent Times of America’s Legendary Racehorse by Kim Wickens

Lexington’s story has been told in novel form by Geraldine Brooks in “Horse.” This is Lexington’s biography, from his days in early American horseracing, through the Civil War and his success as a sire.