Omaha Central Library

This library is built to evolve with Omaha. It offers adaptable spaces that can respond to changing technologies, user needs, and programming over time. From browsable collections and interactive learning zones to a café, podcasting room, and makerspace, the library is designed to be as dynamic as the city it serves.

The library’s location was chosen for its accessibility and visibility, reinforcing its role as a central civic institution that is deeply embedded in the life of the city.

The design process was shaped by extensive community engagement, including workshops, surveys, and public meetings. These conversations revealed a desire for the library to serve as more than a traditional institution. People envisioned a space that felt open, welcoming, and reflective of Omaha’s diversity and energy.

APMA’s interior architecture and design emphasizes openness, warmth, and accessibility. High ceilings and generous floor openings allow for visual connectivity across levels. The interior includes 16 meeting rooms, gallery and event spaces, a children’s playscape, and a dedicated second-floor home for Do Space, Omaha’s community technology library. Materials, furniture, and lighting were selected with sustainability and long-term resilience in mind, supporting comfort and accessibility through universal design principles. These design choices reflect APMA’s commitment to sustainability and helped with the building achieving LEED Gold certification.

A key innovation is the integration of an Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS), the first of its kind globally in a public library. This system enables efficient storage and access to the library’s vast collection, allowing popular materials to be more visible and accessible on the floor. Beyond the Central Library, the ASRS functions as a Collections Hub for the entire Omaha Public Library system. It supports thoughtful curation and sharing of materials across all branches, while freeing up space for patrons to connect, engage, explore, and enables library staff to spend more time focused on the patrons.

Together with the ASRS (2), two additional shelving types, Traditional Shelving and Display Shelving, create a three‑tiered system for how patrons access the collection. This integrated approach balances depth, browsability, and visibility, ensuring that the library experience remains intuitive and engaging for all users.

Traditional Shelving (3) provides the familiar, browsable stacks that library patrons rely on. These shelves house the high‑interest, frequently accessed parts of the collection in an intuitive and user‑friendly format. With shorter, more accessible heights made possible by the ASRS, the traditional stacks improve sightlines across the floor plates, reduce physical barriers, and increase comfort for all users, supporting accessibility and universal design goals.

Display Shelving (3) highlights highly visible, high‑circulation materials at key touchpoints throughout the building. Designed to draw attention and encourage browsing, these displays promote serendipitous discovery, bringing books, media, and new releases directly into the flow of movement. Their strategic placement enhances engagement, supports thematic storytelling, and activates otherwise transitional zones, making the collection feel lively, current, and connected to patron interests.

All three types—ASRS, Traditional Shelving, and Display Shelving—offer patrons three complementary ways to engage with materials, fast access to the deep collection, intuitive browsing, and highly visible discovery points. This ecosystem strengthens both the in‑building experience and the system‑wide circulation network, reinforcing the library’s role as a dynamic and responsive community resource.