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The Omaha Public Library prepares for its big move
Services and programs will still be offered during their transition into the Central Library
OUTSIDE FOR TODAY. THIS IS FROM OUR KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN’S VACUUM NETWORK. WELL, THERE IS A BIG TRANSITION COMING UP AT THE OMAHA PUBLIC LIBRARY AS THEY GET READY TO MOVE INTO THE CENTRAL LIBRARY HERE TO TELL US ABOUT WHAT SERVICES THEY OFFER AND WHAT THEY’LL HAVE DURING THIS TIME IS GENEALOGY AND LOCAL HISTORY. LIBRARIAN, MARTHA BECK. MARTHA, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. ABSOLUTELY. SO THE GENEALOGY AND LOCAL HISTORY ROOM AT 84TH STREET OFFICIALLY CLOSED ON MARCH 1ST TO PREPARE FOR THE BIG MOVE TO THE CENTRAL LIBRARY. WHAT SHOULD PATRONS KNOW ABOUT ACCESS TO RESOURCES DURING THIS TRANSITION? WELL, WHILE WE’RE CLOSED, WHICH WILL BE BASICALLY A MONTH AND A HALF UNTIL WE OPEN IN THE NEW PLACE, APRIL 19TH, THERE WILL BE NO ACCESS TO OUR GENEALOGY AND LOCAL HISTORY PHYSICAL COLLECTIONS, BUT PATRONS WILL STILL HAVE FULL ACCESS TO ALL OUR ONLINE DATABASES, EVEN THE ONE THAT YOU HAVE TO BE IN A LIBRARY TO ACCESS. ANCESTRY LIBRARY EDITION IS AVAILABLE AT EVERY OTHER BRANCH. SO WE’RE HOPING THAT THE PAIN OF OUR CLOSURE WON’T BE TOO SEVERE AND WE WILL STILL BE ANSWERING RESEARCH QUESTIONS AT OUR RESEARCH EMAIL, WHICH IS RESEARCH AT OMAHA LIBRARY. ORG AND WE WILL STILL BE CARRYING ON WITH ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS. THE IN-PERSON ONES WILL JUST BE HELD AT THE SWANSON BRANCH, AND WE ALWAYS HAVE A ZOOM PROGRAM EVERY MONTH ABOUT GENEALOGY. AND OF COURSE, THAT WILL BE UNAFFECTED. WHAT ARE SOME EVENTS OR PROGRAMS THAT ARE ON THE HORIZON FOR THE COMMUNITY? WELL, TONIGHT WE’VE GOT SHARON SAAL, WHICH IS A GENEALOGY DISCUSSION GROUP THAT WE HAVE EVERY MONTH. IT’S A LOT OF FUN. IT’S JUST PEOPLE CAN DROP IN AND CHAT WITH OTHER GENEALOGISTS ABOUT THEIR BRICK WALLS, THEIR DISCOVERIES. JUST TALK TO OTHER PEOPLE WHO LIKE THE SAME THINGS THEY DO. THAT WILL BE HELD AT SWANSON THIS EVENING AT 530. OUR BOOK CLUB, WHICH IS EVERY SECOND, EVERY THE SECOND MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH, WE’LL ALSO BE TAKING PLACE AT SWANSON THIS MONTH. AND THEN WE’VE GOT A WRITERS WORKSHOP AS WELL, IN PERSON AT SWANSON ON THE 18TH, WHERE WE’RE GOING TO BE PRACTICING WRITING MEMOIRS. SO THOSE ARE ALL THINGS YOU CAN FIND ON OUR CALENDAR AT OMAHA LIBRARY. ORG AND THEN OUR OUR ZOOM PROGRAM THIS MONTH IS A REALLY FUN ONE. IT’S SOLVING A FAMILY HISTORY MURDER MYSTERY. OOH. GENEALOGY STYLE. AND WE’RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. ALL OF THESE THINGS YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR ON OUR WEBSITE. AWESOME. MARTHA BEC
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The Omaha Public Library prepares for its big move
Services and programs will still be offered during their transition into the Central Library
The wait is almost over! Omaha Public Library is moving into the Central Library on the corner of 72nd and Dodge Street on April 19, 2026. But there will be some growing pains. The Genealogy and Local History Room at the Library’s 84th Street location officially closed on March 1st, 2026, to prepare for the big move to the Central Library.That means there will be no access to its physical collection.The library has collected genealogy and local history materials since 1877. Genealogy and Local History Librarian Martha Grenzeback spoke with KETV Newswatch 7’s Quanecia Fraser about the major transition.”We will still be carrying on with all of our programs, but the in-person ones will just be held at our Swanson branch”, says Grenzeback. She says patrons will still have full access online to all of the library’s databases.To submit a research question or to find out more about Omaha Public Library’s Genealogy Department, visit omahalibrary.org.
The wait is almost over!
Omaha Public Library is moving into the Central Library on the corner of 72nd and Dodge Street on April 19, 2026.
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But there will be some growing pains.
The Genealogy and Local History Room at the Library’s 84th Street location officially closed on March 1st, 2026, to prepare for the big move to the Central Library.
That means there will be no access to its physical collection.
The library has collected genealogy and local history materials since 1877.
Genealogy and Local History Librarian Martha Grenzeback spoke with KETV Newswatch 7’s Quanecia Fraser about the major transition.
“We will still be carrying on with all of our programs, but the in-person ones will just be held at our Swanson branch”, says Grenzeback.
She says patrons will still have full access online to all of the library’s databases.
To submit a research question or to find out more about Omaha Public Library’s Genealogy Department, visit omahalibrary.org.
