With a three-story “book robot,” community event space, 3D printing lab and genealogy research hub, Omaha’s new main library is one of the largest investments in a public library system in the United States in recent years. And it now has an opening date.
“Mark your calendars for opening day Sunday, April 19, 2026,” Omaha Mayor John Ewing announced Thursday.
The 96,000-square-foot building was filled with community members, city leaders and project partners in celebration of the library’s completed construction. Overlooking 72nd and Dodge streets, the hundreds of horizontal windows along the building’s exterior filled the space with light from the setting sun.
On the main level, floor-to-ceiling windows offered a glimpse of the Automated Storage and Retrieval System. The three-story, secured, climate-controlled “book robot” can store more than 600,000 materials. Library leaders say it will be used to grow the Omaha Public Library’s collection without being limited by shelf space in branches…