OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Libraries across Omaha could see a range of changes and developments over the next 20 years, through the Citywide Facilities Plan for Omaha Public Library.
"Outside spaces and public spaces and meeting rooms and places for community events and places to have fun," said Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert.
The recommendations come after a year of research, including a survey with 5,000 community responses.
"What we have learned is that folks value their relationships both with the Central and their neighborhood libraries and so that has been something that has also driven this work," said Margaret Sullivan, principal with Margaret Sullivan Studio.
Margaret Sullivan Studio coordinated the community input process for this plan and is a national library leader.
Sullivan explained that they found folks want resources that meet traditional and nontraditional needs. With requests ranging from reading nooks to food trucks.
The plan is designed to be a guide, with options ranging in price.
"The first level of course is the least expensive and it is the things that were determined that pretty much must be done, that really need to be done. Then there is a middle range and then there is one that is most aspirational," Stothert said.
This map shows all of the library branches and the recommendations for the physical buildings. Some show a possibility of a rebuild, and it maps out the already planned building of a branch in Southwest Omaha.
For example, Sullivan said expansion for the Millard branch was not a recommendation but instead suggests focusing on the interior by increasing work spaces while still working to serve the families that make it the busiest branch.
"Each location will also have a wide variety of meeting rooms, spaces of a variety of sizes to activate partnerships," Sullivan said.
Changes could mean spaces to reach the creative audience in Benson, a child play space at Swanson and an outdoor space at Florence. But nothing is set in stone as these are recommendations with flexibility embedded.
"The decision-making process annually is revisited and it is recommended that annually that same process and methodology that we went through this year, with the community feedback, will also be embedded into that," Sullivan said.
Parts of the plan like the timeline of which branches could see changes first and funding for the different options are still part of the work that needs to be done.
Mayor Stothert said if every recommendation were to be implemented by 2043, it would cost about $215 million.
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