Omaha Public Library
| Omaha Public Library | |
|---|---|
| File:Opl.png | |
| Location | Omaha, Nebraska |
| Established | 1872 |
| Other information | |
| Director | Maggie Tarelli-Falcon (Interim) |
| Website | http://omahapubliclibrary.org |
Omaha Public Library is a public library system for the city of Omaha, Nebraska. Originally founded in 1857, the library struggled for many years before formally forming in 1877. In 1895, the library became one of the first six in the nation to create a children's section. There are currently 12 libraries in the system.[1]
History
In 1857, the Omaha Library Association was formed, folding after three years. In 1872, a tiny library was opened on the second floor of the Simpson Carriage factory at 14th & Dodge Street. In 1877, the Omaha City Council appointed a library board, which levied a tax to create Omaha Public Library. They immediately accepted 4,500 books from the disbanded association as a gift.
Real estate tycoon Byron Reed donated land and his vast collection of coins, books and manuscripts to the library in the early 1890s, and in 1894, Omaha Public Library opened in its first permanent home at 18th and Harney. A year later, Omaha Public Library became one of the first six public libraries in the nation to create a separate children’s section. A new central library called the W. Dale Clark Library opened at 14th and Farnum Streets in 1977 across from the Gene Leahy Mall.
Of the 11 libraries in the system, the W. Dale Clark Library currently houses the largest collection, including 7,000 genealogy books; 2,000 photos of the 1898 Trans-Mississippi International Exposition; a cuneiform collection; thousands of old postcards; and a rich collection of Omaha and Nebraska history resources.[1]
Mildred L. Batchelder, Namesake of the ALA award given to the publisher of a translated children's book was formerly a librarian at an Omaha Library. One of her stated goals in her work, which was encouraging the translation of children's books from around the world, was "to eliminate barriers to understanding between people of different cultures, races, nations, and languages."
Governance
Omaha Public Library is governed by a nine member board of directors that is appointed by the mayor of Omaha and confirmed by the Omaha City Council. Members serve three-year terms. Aside from the main library in Downtown Omaha, the system includes eleven branches throughout the city.
Branches
| Current Omaha Public Library locations | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Address | Notes | Link | ||
| W. Dale Clark Library | 215 South 15th Street | Main Library/Downtown Library | Link | ||
| Milton R. Abrahams Branch | 5111 North 90th Street | Link | |||
| A.V. Sorensen Branch | 4808 Cass Street | Link | |||
| Benson Branch | 60th and Binney Streets | library and community center | Link | ||
| Bess Johnson Elkhorn Branch | 100 Reading Road | became 11th Omaha Public Library location with annexation of Elkhorn on March 1, 2007 | Link | ||
| Florence Branch | 2920 Bondesson | Link | |||
| Millard Branch | 13214 Westwood Lane | Link | |||
| Saddlebrook Branch | 14850 Laurel Avenue | opened August 17, 2009, shared facility with the Omaha Public School District | Link | ||
| South Omaha Library | 2808 Q St | formerly South Branch, shared facility with the Metropolitan Community College | Link | ||
| W. Clarke Swanson Branch | 9101 West Dodge Road | Link | |||
| Charles B. Washington Branch | 2868 Ames Avenue | formerly North Branch | Link | ||
| Willa Cather Branch | 1905 South 44th Street | Link | |||
Charles B. Washington Branch
The Charles B. Washington Branch is a branch library of the Omaha Public Library located at 2868 Ames Avenue in North Omaha.
Original library service to North Omaha was a deposit station in a notions store. The branch library was established in 1921 in an old church building at 25th and Ames Avenue. It was called the North Omaha Branch. Within 10 years of the building service to the Omaha Public Library, the building began to deteriorate.
The old church building was replaced by a newly build library building in 1938 at 29th and Ames Ave. The first 29th Street location served the community for 30 years before overcrowding made the building obsolete. In 1972 a federal grant allowed the branch to be rebuilt again at the same location. The 1972 location was designed by Dana Larson Roubal & Associates architects. 1986 The North Branch Library was renamed the Charles B. Washington Branch after a longtime civil rights advocate [2]
In 2006 a major renovation and expansion was completed focused on upgrading the exterior of the building and increased the technology available at the branch. Mayor Mike Fahey, performers from North High School and University of Nebraska at Omaha, and actor/rapper Ice-T attended.[3] A new teen center is unique to Omaha's public library system, along with a large collection of African American materials.[4] The library is also home to a new community technology center, along with a new outdoor sculpture reading garden. Omaha artist Yanna Ramaeker's two bronze sculptures and a giant birdcage containing bronze birds interpret Maya Angelou’s poem "Caged Bird." Ramaeker designed the sculptures and garden to be a peaceful environment for reading and meditation.[5][6]
Since 2002 the Omaha Community Kwanzaa Group has hosted an annual celebration at the branch.[7] In 2007 it hosted StoryCorps oral history gathering exhibit,[8] along with a presentation entitled "North Omaha Architectural History," which focused on Omaha architects Thomas Kimball and Cap Wigington.[9]
Elkhorn Public Library
The Elkhorn Public Library in Elkhorn, Nebraska first began in 1874; however no record of it exists from 1875 to 1925. On February 15, 1925, Antlers Temple No. 24 Pythian Sisters took on the project for a local library. With books donated by the Omaha Public Library, a small library was opened up at 110 Main Street. In October of the same year, the library moved to the office of a local doctor named Doctor Brown. The library was moved again 4 years later to a room of the Elkhorn Town Hall where it remained until 1966. [10]
On June 12, 1966, the library was moved to an upstairs room at a new community center at 401 Glenn Street. The library remained at the community center until 1996; however, a move to the lower level of the community center in 1982 nearly doubled the size of the library. In June 1996, the Bess Johnson Elkhorn Public Library opened its doors to the public. The new library building at 100 Reading Road was nearly 6 times larger than the lower level room at the community center.
Due to the 2008 annexation of Elkhorn by Omaha, the Bess Johnson Elkhorn Public Library officially became the Bess Johnson Elkhorn Branch of the Omaha Public Library on March 1, 2008
South Omaha Library
The South Omaha Library is a joint venture by the Omaha Public Library and the Metropolitan Community College (MCC). The building at 2808 Q St replaces the OPL's South Branch at 2302 M St as well as MCC's South Campus library. South Omaha Library opened its doors for general business on June 19, 2008
Former Libraries
The Omaha Public Library draws its roots to the Second Library Association which existed from 1872 to 1877. However, several current Omaha Public Library branches started off as independent libraries. The Benson Village Library, Bess Johnson Elkhorn Library, Millard Library, and the South Omaha Carnegie Library are all predecessors of Omaha Public Library branches.
| Former Library Buildings & Locations (Omaha Public Library and Predecessors)[11] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name (date) | Location | Replacement (date) | Notes | ||
| Benson Branch Library (1923) | Benson Fire House, Benson | Benson Branch (current) | Located on the top floor of the fire house | ||
| Benson Village Library (1884) | Public school, Benson | Benson Village Library (unknown) | |||
| Benson Village Library (unknown) | Local pharmacy, Benson | Benson Branch Library (1923) | Became the 3rd branch with the 1917 annexation of Benson Village | ||
| Elkhorn Public Library (1874) | disbanded (1875?) | No record of this library exists after 1875, it is believed that the library was disbanded | |||
| Elkhorn Public Library (Feb 1925) | 110 Main Street, Elkhorn | Elkhorn Public Library (Oct 1925) | |||
| Elkhorn Public Library (Oct 1925) | Dr. Brown's Office, Elkhorn | Elkhorn Public Library (1929) | |||
| Elkhorn Public Library (1929) | Elkhorn Town Hall | Elkhorn Public Library (1966) | |||
| Elkhorn Public Library (1966) | 401 Glenn Street, Elkhorn | Bess Johnson Elkhorn Public Library (1996) | In 1982 library moved from top floor to bottom floor of community center | ||
| Elmwood Branch Library | |||||
| Florence Branch Library (1923) | North 30th Street, Florence | Florence Branch Library (current) | Was split briefly to two smaller locations in 1935 but restored after a month due to public outcry | ||
| Kellom Branch | Closed (1992) | ||||
| Lotis Branch | Dates unknown, mentioned in a 1945 promotional pamlet for the Omaha Public Library | ||||
| Millard Branch Library (1974) | Millard Shopping Center, Millard | Millard Branch Library (current) | This temporary move was one of the few agreements between Omaha and Millard over the annexation | ||
| Millard Library (1952) | Millard Hall, Millard | Millard Library (1963) | |||
| Millard Library (1963) | Millard Municipal Building, Millard | Millard Library (1968) | |||
| Millard Library (1968) | 301 Cedar Street, Millard | Millard Branch Library (1974) | Located in a private home, became Millard Branch Library in 1971 with the annexation of Millard | ||
| North Branch Library (1921) | 25th and Ames Avenue, North Omaha | North Branch Library (1938) | Old church building | ||
| North Branch Library (1938) | 29th and Ames Avenue, North Omaha | North Branch Library (1971) | |||
| North Branch Library (1971) | 29th and Ames Avenue, North Omaha | Charles B. Washington Branch (current) | In 1986 this facility was renamed Charles B. Washington Branch | ||
| North Deposit Station (unknown date) | Local notions store | North Branch Library (1921) | |||
| Omaha Library Association (1857) | Unknown, Downtown Omaha | Disbanded (1860) | Failed because of lack of funds | ||
| Omaha Public Library (1877) | 15th and Dodge Street, Downtown Omaha | Omaha Public Library (several unknown locations until 1894) | First official Omaha Public Library created with books from the disbanded Second Library Association | ||
| Omaha Public Library (1894) | 1823 Harney Street, Downtown Omaha | W. Dale Clark Library (current) | This was the first permanent Omaha Public Library location, and was referred to as "Old Main." The building still stands but is no longer a library. | ||
| The Second Omaha Library Association(1872) | 14th and Dodge Street, Downtown Omaha | Omaha Public Library (1877) | Located on the second floor of the Simpson Carriage Factory | ||
| South Branch (1954) | 23rd and M Streets, South Omaha | South Omaha Library (current) | |||
| South Omaha Carnegie Library (1904) | 23rd and M Streets, South Omaha | South Branch (1954) | This facility became the first branch of the Omaha Public Library with the 1915 annexation of South Omaha | ||
Friends of Omaha Public Library (FOPL)
The Friends of Omaha Public Library (FOPL) is a non-profit, volunteer run organization which helps to fund literacy and community outreach programs for Omaha Public Library and the Omaha community. FOPL raises money through membership support and sales of used books. General book sales are held quarterly at the W. Clarke Swanson Branch. The Friends of Omaha Public Library can also be found online on AbeBooks as the Omaha Library Friends and on eBay as the Friends of the Omaha Public Library.
See also
References
- ^ a b Omaha Public Library. Retrieved 1/11/08.
- ^ "Gateway to the West: Charles B. Washington Branch" Omaha Public Library. Retrieved 6/25/2008.
- ^ Connection, Omaha Public Library. Retrieved 1/11/08.
- ^ "2006 Fall Conference", Nebraska Library Association and Nebraska Educational Media Association. Retrieved 1/11/08.
- ^ "New garden", Omaha City Weekly. Retrieved 1/11/08.
- ^ "Sculpture Garden/Mirror", Omaha Public Library. Retrieved 1/12/08.
- ^ Nelson, A. "Kwanzaa '07 celebration: Cultivating pride, chang", Omaha World Herald. December 28, 2007. Retrieved 1/11/08.
- ^ "STORYCORPS AND KIOS-FM PARTNERING TO GIVE VOICE TO YOUR STORIES", Nebraska Arts Council. Retrieved 1/11/08.
- ^ (2003) Historical Newsletter, Nebraska State Historical Society. Retrieved 1/11/08.
- ^ Elkhorn Woman’s Club. Elkhorn, Nebraska, 1867-1967 : the first century of progress. Elkhorn, Nebraska: Elkhorn Woman's Club, 1967.
- ^ Ferguson-Cavanaugh, Joanne. Gateway to the West. Retrieved June 25 2008
