Omaha community invited to a series of open houses to share feedback, ideas for 2023 Omaha Library Facilities Plan
For more information:
Carrie Murphy — City of Omaha — 402-444-3520
Emily Getzschman — Omaha Public Library — 402-444-4896
Wendy Townley — Omaha Public Library Foundation — 402-444-4589
Sarah Baker Hansen — Emspace + Lovgren, representing Heritage Omaha
and Do Space — 402-210-9199
As part of the ongoing, community-driven Omaha Library Facilities Plan, the public is invited to attend free, family-friendly community open house events at partner locations across Omaha that will feature fun engagement activities and opportunities for feedback. Light refreshments will be provided.
Open house meeting times and locations are listed below. Each event includes an Eventbrite link where people can RSVP and find more details. Spanish interpreters will be available at The Simple Foundation and Village Empowerment Center community events.
Tuesday, March 21, 5-7 p.m.
The Simple Foundation, 3003 Q StreetWednesday, March 22, 2-6 p.m.
Village Empowerment Center, 5190 Sprague PlazaThursday, March 30, 5-7 p.m.
Omaha Public Library’s Millard Branch, 13214 Westwood LaneWednesday, April 5, 5-7 p.m.
Omaha Public Library’s Bess Johnson Elkhorn Branch, 2100 Reading PlazaThursday, April 6, 5-7 p.m.
Intercultural Senior Center, 5545 Center Street
Open house events will complement community input received through Omaha’s citywide library survey, which has received nearly 4,000 responses since launching February 15 at OPLSurvey.org.
The survey focuses on Douglas County’s 12 branch libraries and Do Space, one of the nation’s first technology libraries, and what community needs look like in each of those diverse Omaha neighborhoods. The community survey will be open for responses until May 1, 2023. Paper copies are available in English and Spanish at each OPL branch and Do Space. A Spanish version of the survey is also available online at OPLEncuesta.org.
About the Library Facilities Plan
With exciting investments in technology, collection capacity and distribution at Omaha’s future central public library, there will be new opportunities for each neighborhood library branch to reimagine and activate more public space to reflect the surrounding community’s needs, goals and lifestyles, while enjoying access to books, technology and vibrant community spaces. Information gathered during this process will be used to make future recommendations on spaces and places.
As part of this effort, Omaha Public Library (OPL) and project partners Omaha Public Library Foundation, the City of Omaha, Do Space and Heritage Omaha are working together with the Omaha community and Margaret Sullivan Studios (MSS), a nationally recognized library expert and design firm that specializes in civic projects, to develop recommendations for a new 2023 Library Facilities Plan.
For more information on the Library Facilities Plan, visit OPLSurvey.org. To read a recent press release about the Library Facilities Planning process, click here.
Project and community partners will present on initial community engagement findings and the developing 2023 Library Facilities Plan at a Community Share Out in summer 2023. Event details will be announced soon.
OPL will publish the final 2023 Library Facilities Plan to its website in June 2023.
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Omaha Public Library (OPL) has served City of Omaha and Douglas County residents for 150 years and is one of the most visited institutions in Nebraska. OPL’s mission is to strengthen our community by connecting people with ideas, information and innovative services. Learn about OPL’s collections, facilities, services, programs and more at OmahaLibrary.org.
The Omaha Public Library Foundation has raised more than $10 million in private support for Omaha Public Library programs and services since its creation in 1985.
Founded in 1854, the City of Omaha is principally responsible for the operational and capital funding, leadership and oversight of the Omaha Public Library (OPL) system.
Founded in 2015, Do Space is the first technology library in the United States. Created by Heritage Omaha and operated by the Community Information Trust, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Do Space empowers the community through free access to technology and innovative learning experiences. Do Space is a catalyst for innovation in Omaha. With more than 90,000 members, Do Space is uniquely equipped to expose community members to technology and to inspire them to take ownership of their digital learning experiences.
Heritage Omaha identifies substantial needs and opportunities with high community impact and supports the realization of viable and sustainable civic projects. To date, Heritage Omaha has raised more than $1 billion in philanthropic support for capital projects serving the Omaha community, making Omaha and the region a more dynamic and vibrant place to live. Heritage Omaha has a 30-year track record of success in capital campaign leadership, building design and construction project facilitation, multi-stakeholder engagement, due diligence and feasibility studies, and institutional and organizational development.
Margaret Sullivan Studio has worked with more than 40 public library systems to define what 21st century libraries should and can look like. Among their clients: New York Public Library, Richland (SC) Library, D.C. Public Library, Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, New Haven Free Public Library, Salt Lake City Public Library and Memphis Public Library.