Omaha Public Library
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Omaha Public Library Library | |
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| Location | Omaha, Nebraska |
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| Established | 1872 |
| Director | Rivka Sass |
| Website | http://omahapubliclibrary.org |
The Omaha Public Library is 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 10 libraries in the system.[1]
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[edit] 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 the 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, the Omaha Public Library opened in its first permanent home at 18th and Harney. A year later, the Omaha Public Library became one of 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 10 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.[2]
[edit] Governance
The 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.
[edit] Branches
The Charles B. Washington Branch is a branch library of the Omaha Public Library located at 2868 Ames Avenue in North Omaha.
The branch library was established in 1921 and was originally called the North Omaha Branch. In 1972 the branch was rebuilt, and in 1986 it was renamed the Charles B. Washington Branch.[3]
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.[4] A new teen center is unique to Omaha's public library system, along with a large collection of African American materials.[5] 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.[6][7]
Since 2002 the Omaha Community Kwanzaa Group has hosted an annual celebration at the branch.[8] In 2007 it hosted StoryCorps oral history gathering exhibit,[9] along with a presentation entitled "North Omaha Architectural History," which focused on Omaha architects Thomas Kimball and Cap Wigington.[10]
| Omaha Public Library locations (Alphabetical order) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Address | Notes | Link | ||
| Omaha Public Library (building) | 1823 Harney Street | Former main branch building - no longer a library | |||
| W. Dale Clark Library | 215 South 15th Street | Link | |||
| Milton R. Abrahams Branch | 5111 North 90th Street | Link | |||
| A.V. Sorensen Branch | 4808 Cass Street | Link | |||
| Benson Branch | 60th and Binney Streets | Link | |||
| Bess Johnson Elkhorn Branch | 100 Reading Road | Link | |||
| Florence Branch | 2920 Bondesson | Link | |||
| Millard Branch | 13214 Westwood Lane | Link | |||
| South Omaha Branch | 2808 Q St (as of June 2008) | Link | |||
| W. Clarke Swanson Branch | 9101 West Dodge Road | Link | |||
| Charles B. Washington Branch | 2868 Ames Avenue | Link | |||
| Willa Cather Branch | 1905 South 44th Street | Link | |||
| Saddlebrook Branch | 148th and Fort Streets | fall of 2009 | |||
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Omaha Public Library. Retrieved 1/11/08.
- ^ Omaha Public Library. Retrieved 1/11/08.
- ^ "Charles B. Washington Branch" Omaha Public Library. Retrieved 1/11/08.
- ^ 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.
[edit] External links
- Omaha Public Library official website.
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