OPL executive director wants new Central Library to send a clear message: “you belong here”

This column, featuring a message from OPL Director Laura Marlane, appeared in the Aug. 17, 2025, edition of the Omaha World-Herald (NE).

When I joined the Omaha Public Library ten years ago, it was clear we were a big system with a small-town budget. We had a vast reach, a growing city to serve and a
team fueled by passion and creativity. Our staff wore many hats in the determination to keep services strong and responsive. What we lacked in numbers, we made up for in
ingenuity and an unwavering commitment to the public good. We stretched every dollar because the community deserved nothing less.

In recent years, with renewed investment and support from city leadership — and the extraordinary generosity of local philanthropists — we’re finally in a position to grow our services and staff to match the size and spirit of the community we serve.

The new Central Library isn’t just a building. It’s a civic declaration. At a time when libraries across the country face unprecedented challenges — from funding cuts to coordinated efforts to censor ideas and politicize libraries — Omaha is boldly bucking the trend. In an age when public space is shrinking and loneliness is rising, when information is weaponized and communities are fractured, Omaha is choosing to invest in a place that is open to everyone. No membership required. No questions asked.

We live in a time when more and more of our daily lives unfold in places that cost money to enter — from cafes and co-working spaces to gyms and entertainment venues. Public space is being quietly privatized, sending a not-so-subtle message: if you can’t pay, you don’t belong. Libraries push back against that every day.

As sociologist Ray Oldenburg reminds us, “If there is no neutral ground in the neighborhoods where people live, association outside the home will be impoverished.”
Libraries say: come in anyway. Come read, rest, connect, learn — without needing to open your wallet. That is radical. And right now, it's exactly what we need.

Libraries strive to reflect their communities — and we’re working toward that more fully every day. While our branches are already shaped by the neighborhoods they serve,
true representation means continually expanding whose voices, faces and experiences are reflected in our spaces and our staff. A Central Library offers not just a reflection, but a rare opportunity: a place where all the threads of our city can weave together. It can be a home for everyone — from the job-seeker to the toddler at storytime to the teen searching for safety and belonging. But none of it happens without people.

Over the past three years, library staffing has increased by nearly 50% — a transformative shift that allows us to deepen our impact, extend our reach and meet the needs of a city
that deserves more than “just enough.” That growth isn’t about numbers alone; it’s about ensuring that every patron is met with the time, expertise and care they deserve.

This new Central Library can be many things: A technology hub — especially with the addition of Do Space bringing cutting-edge digital access and innovation under one
roof. A cultural destination, featuring original works by local artists that celebrate Omaha’s vibrant creativity. A haven of quiet, a stage for community voices, a space to preserve and explore our shared history through the genealogy and local history archives. But above all, it can be a space that says, with clarity and conviction: you belong here.

We are not who we were ten years ago. Omaha is not who it was. And that’s the point. We’re growing into something more — together. So let’s build a library that matches the scale of our vision, the depth of our compassion and the strength of our city. Let’s build a place where all of Omaha can find itself — and each other.

“Libraries are the heartbeat of our communities,” Laura Bush once said. “They’re places where we learn, discover and connect. They enrich lives and inspire growth.”

That’s exactly what the new Central Library is designed to do — a place where every visitor can find a spark, a story or a sense of belonging. This isn’t the capstone of Omaha Public Library’s story. It’s the first sentence of the next chapter. And that chapter is filled with possibility.