OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The W. Dale Clark Library branch is set to be demolished in October. To prepare, everything is being moved out.
Most of the contents of that branch, which has long-served downtown, will be housed at OPL's new Library Administrative Building, or the "LAB". That building, which is the old Shopko off 84th and Frederick, will house the library archives and some books.
As of Friday, Sept. 23, the building was still under construction. OPL's Executive Director, Laura Marlane, tells 3 News Now, what's still being built out is the office area. She says the archived material is safe.
When the KMTV team took a look inside a window Friday afternoon we saw what looked like shelves of books not far from some construction and an unfinished floor.
Many in the community feel as if the entire process of moving the downtown and central library has been rushed.
"My major gripe is that the leadership in this city do not listen to us," Riley Wilson, an Omaha resident and library patron, said. "Even when they do have any type of listening process, it's kind of like we're doing this because we have to but we don't actually care."
In an email, the mayor's office told 3 News Now that any contracts over $20,000 were presented to the city council and subject to public hearing.
Her office also said, "The move has not been rushed. The contracted moving company arrived on their scheduled date and is moving the collections and furniture according to schedule."
Marlane says the rest of the process for the LAB will not be long and is moving forward really well.
The building is set to open to the public Oct. 3. It currently has internet service.
