For the first time in nearly 158 years, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln plans to take its library collection off campus. UNL plans to open a roughly 5,000-square-foot branch inside Lincoln's future central library at 1111 O St., focused entirely on Lincoln and Nebraska history, with occupancy expected when the broader project wraps up in 2028.
The move marks a historic first for a university system that, according to Omaha World-Herald, has never before operated a library outside its own campus boundaries. UNL Libraries currently runs six libraries and two Archives and Special Collections reading rooms, including ones dedicated to architecture, math, music and law, according to UNL Libraries. Those collections draw more than 3 million volumes and over 1 million visits to physical spaces in a typical year, the university system notes.
A New Home for Local History
The downtown branch will make available some 400 linear feet of local-history materials, periodicals and microfilm, the World-Herald reports. University Libraries will occupy approximately 5,000 square feet in the southwest corner of the second floor once construction is complete, with programming for the space still being developed, per the same account.
UNL librarians also plan to produce oral histories and build exhibits and displays inside the branch, while a community archivist will work directly with residents to preserve and digitize their own historical materials, supporting wider public access to that history. The university system will also offer online resources and technology not readily available elsewhere in the area, the station's report notes.
Why the Partnership, and Why Now
UNL announced its role in the central library project earlier this month, according to the same outlet. Liz Lorang, dean of University Libraries, called the pairing of an academic library with a public library system unique, and said UNL hopes the model gets copied elsewhere. Lorang described the partnership as a key piece of what she called the “Nebraska model” for public research libraries, one that envisions connecting Nebraskans to high-quality information and treating collective information wealth as a measure of quality of life.
UNL Interim Chancellor Katherine Ankerson framed the arrangement as a meaningful example of a public land-grant university acting as a resource for its community and state. Connecting university research expertise, collections and scholars with Lincoln's city libraries and the public, Ankerson said, can create opportunities to access knowledge and engage with ideas shaping Nebraska's future.
The Building Behind the Branch
The central library itself is planned for the former Southeast Community College Education Square building at 1111 O Street, according to Lincoln City Libraries. The project is intended to support lifelong learning, creativity and community connection, and city officials describe it as substantially less costly than renovating the aging Bennett Martin Public Library or building an entirely new facility. Bennett Martin, at 136 South 14th Street, was built in 1962 with additions in 1968 and 1978, and the city says it no longer meets modern library needs for space, accessibility and function.
Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird said the city would break ground on the library by the end of 2026. Reported project timelines and costs have varied: a November 2025 announcement covered by 1011 Now described construction starting in summer or fall 2026 with a ribbon cutting targeted for 2028, and put the project at $46 million, while a more recent 1011 Now report in October 2026 cited an expected total project cost of about $58.8 million. Both figures come from 1011 Now's reporting, and the discrepancy between them has not been resolved.
