In this second installment of OPL’s video series taking a closer look at the new Central Library, the spotlight turns to families. Central Library, opening Spring 2026, will feature vibrant spaces designed for children, teens, and caregivers, along with expansive collections of books and materials to inspire readers of all ages. From storytimes and interactive programming to welcoming areas that encourage play, discovery, and learning, the library’s new design emphasizes the importance of supporting families as they learn and grow together.
Read on for the full transcript of the video.
“You know, there's going to be something for everyone in this building, that's the incredible thing of Central,” said Stacy Lickteig, senior manager of community engagement for OPL. “Everyone wants to feel like they're part of something, and a public library allows you to come in and be a part of a bazillion different things, right?
OPL Supports Early Literacy
“A huge part of what we, as the library, believe is we want to support early literacy because we know fundamentally supporting those early readers and that development of those early literacy skills will only help our community grow and amplify the greater knowledge, and hopefully, you know, bring them back to the library users in the end,” said Rachel Steiner, assistant director of OPL.
“So our library's collection supports literacy by its, you know, right there in the collection. We have the books and materials for kids to explore, whether they're reading a print book or listening to an audiobook. It's all helping advance their literacy skills and, you know, ability to learn more things,” explained Melanie Feyerherm Schultz, Collection Development Librarian.
About Central Library Children’s Collection
“We're also going to have an outstanding children's collection there. We know children's books, children's books in particular, are a huge, continue to be hugely popular across our locations. So we're going to have a really stellar children's collection for families and kids to enjoy when they come to see us,” said Elizabeth Johnson, OPL’s senior manager of operations. “We'll have face-forward shelving, which means it'll be really easy for kiddos to go browse board books, picture books, and find their, find the titles they want to take home.”
“It goes from kind of our earliest readers, our toddlers, our board books into our picture books, into our, you know, just getting into the chapter books into our, you know, now I'm into my intermediate, right, my third and fourth graders, and then I'm moving into young adult,” Licktieg described. “So I love that it shows kind of this growth and it allows this growth. But it also allows you to play and to look and say, ‘oh, maybe that's for me or that's for me.’”
“When you're a kid, there's just so much to explore about the world. And I think being able to have our collection sort of mimic that and include any subject that somebody is interested in is really what, what we're striving for,” said Feyerherm Schultz. “Our collection is really the core of what we do to be able to allow that access of information to anyone that wants it.
“I'm excited at Central to see the indoor playscape when that comes in and how it will open out to an outdoor playscape for kiddos and I think it's great that it's going to be right next to the cafe,” she added.
A Place to Play and Explore
“So we have an outdoor playscape, and then we've got the indoor that Rodo did. You know, we really thought about nature. We thought about our community. So, inside, it's based on the, our state tree, the Cottonwood,” said Licktieg. “On the outside, the playscape mimics the curve of the river. And so that's kind of interesting.”
“And it's a play area for, you know, for your little ones to engage with. And, you know, that adjacency to the Zen Coffee place where you have the cafe where, you know, mom and a friend can, or mom or dad, they can grab a coffee at the cafe and be able to to watch them in a pretty secure area and still let them just kind of go go crazy,” explained Tom Trenolone, with HDR.
“The ability for this, adaptive or creative play that they've, you know, and I think for most of the folks out there or parents at least, like good energy-burning zone, to let them get it out before you get them, you know, by the time you get them home from the library, they should be ready for a nap,” he added.
“I think it's going to create just a really fun vibe in that building. To be able to sit, read, chat, drink your coffee, watch the kiddos play around, I think that'll be really cute,” said Feyerherm Schultz.
A Place to Learn and Discover
“So as we get into the children's area, I think intuitively people are just going to understand that's clearly the children's department. It gets a lot more, I will say, kind of playful,” said Nancy Novak, with Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture. “So as you enter their space, they have a really unique, 100-seat story time, kind of tiered, upholstered, bench area. One of the neat, unique features that I think all ages are going to enjoy on that. As you step up, it's kind of the precipice of that 72nd and Dodge intersection. And as those windows kind of wrap around that corner, you can really get up and looking out to almost the highest window down onto that cityscape there, which is pretty dynamic, even though we've got a lot of traffic there. I think the kids are going to find it really interesting to look at from up above.”
“I always love it if I'm at a branch after storytime and you see that kind of immediate connection with, between caregivers and kiddos both before and after. And so, again, really, in designing this space, we're really trying to facilitate that,” said Johnson. “So there's that engagement with literacy. There's engagement with community and neighbors, which is also such a huge part of development, at that age.And I think it's really going to be flexible and welcoming and have all those different kinds of experiences. So you'll find one that kind of resonates with you that day, or maybe more than one.”
“We have great seating for all ages, including seating that accommodates a child and a parent that might want to, you know, kind of cuddle up and read. And then, kind of flanking the end of that towards the south, we have the little labs area,” said Novak.” So activity room, great area for lots of different activities, including the floor, robotics with the mats, arts and crafts activities. And then again, who knows what's coming in the future.”
“No carpeting so we can get messy if we need to. And we can hold fun workshops in there that are STEA- related so we can learn more about science. We can learn about math, all kinds of fun things in there,” said Nancy Novotny, program manager for OPL.
“This is going to be pretty awesome for them to have their own specified space where they can take ownership and know that space is really for them to be themselves and creators, in our community,” said Steiner.
“I talked to one of the artists today who will have artwork in the children's area, and she talked a lot about how as a child, you get inspired by imagery and pictures,” said Amy Mather, partnership manager for OPL. “And I can imagine, like being a small kid walking through that space and just your mind is just opening up to all this imagination and very excited to, like, hear stories and, and, learn and have fun.”
A Place for Families
“These are the components of early childhood literacy. And we're going to give them to you in this physical library space. I think most parents are looking for that. And what I love about being at the library, it's free,” said Maggie Petersen, outreach manager for OPL. “You don't have to check in with anybody again. You don't have to be a member. You can just come and offer this really enriching, wonderful experience for your children at no cost.”
“This new building is really huge for us. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to build a branch like this. And this wouldn't have happened without the partnerships that we have. And the investment that the city has made and the consideration that this isn't just a luxury that's provided for the community. It's something that the city really takes seriously,” said Laura Marlane, executive director of Omaha Public Library. “This is an essential in our community. And Central Library will be a go-to-place. It'll be a place where communities welcomed and encouraged to be.”
“We're waiting for you and we're ready for you. Come on in and see what we have. We've got books. We've got computers. We've got fun tech to play with. We've got toys for the kids. We've got an outside space. We've got an inside space. We've got coffee in the cafe. So come and see and stay a while. We want you to stay. We want you to plop down, get comfortable and hang out with us,” said Novotny.
OPL’s Central Library Opening Spring 2026
As OPL prepares to open its new Central Library, the voices featured in this series will offer a glimpse into the heart behind the building, a shared belief in the library as a space for everyone. The Central Library is more than a building, it’s a reflection of OPL’s commitment to strengthening our community by connecting people with ideas, information and innovative services.
On November 18, 2021, the Omaha Public Library Board of Trustees approved a resolution to work with Heritage Omaha to explore opportunities aligned with OPL’s 2017 facilities master plan, which recommended a new central library on Dodge Street between 72nd and 90th streets. On January 28, 2022, project partners confirmed that the library will be located at the southwest corner of 72nd and Dodge. Learn more about the vision, design, and progress at omahacentrallibrary.org.
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