News Releases

Each year, Lit Fest celebrates a theme that reflects a sign of the times. During the eighth annual (downtown) Omaha Lit Fest on October 19 and 20 at W. Dale Clark Main Library, 215 S. 15th St., the manners and conduct of contemporary women writers and editors will be examined. The event is free and open to the public. Participants will hear new work, and explore answers to frequently asked questions. Does “the woman’s novel” exist, and if so, what is it and what does it do? Can women write convincingly about male characters, and can men write convincingly about female characters? Is literary publishing friendly to women?

Evelyn Haller will present the program Willa Cather and Quilts on Tuesday, Oct. 9, 6:30 p.m. at Millard Branch, 13214 Westwood Ln. Haller is a professor of English and chair of the Fine Arts/Humanities Division at Doane College in Crete, Neb. The event is free and open to the public. 

Established in 1872, Omaha Public Library (OPL) celebrates its 140th anniversary this year. All are invited to explore the rich history of OPL by taking a tour through the decades at branch locations. Each branch has adopted a decade of OPL’s history and designed programming during October and November to reflect that time period. Activities include movies, panel discussions, games, and even dancing! A complete schedule of events is available at omahalibrary.org.

During the week of September 30-October 6, Omaha Public Library (OPL) will participate in the 30th annual Banned Books Week by highlighting the value of free and open access to information. All are invited to attend a Banned Books Week panel discussion on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 6:30 p.m. at W. Clarke Swanson Branch, 9101 W. Dodge Rd. The panel will feature former OPL assistant library director Verda Bialac, author Marilyn Coffey, University of Nebraska at Omaha professor Dr. Charles Johanningsmeier, author and Omaha World-Herald columnist Rainbow Rowell, and author and University of Nebraska at Lincoln professor Timothy Schaffert. The panel will be moderated by Sally Deskins, blogger of "Les Femmes Folles: Celebrating Women in Art." Panel members will share their perspectives and answer questions about controversial book challenges and censorship. They will also take questions from the audience. The event is free and open to the public. 

Families who enjoy reading together are invited to Charles B. Washington Branch, South Omaha Library and Willa Cather Branch this fall. PRIME TIME FAMILY READING® is a six-week shared reading experience to help families discover great stories together. Each week, a storyteller will read aloud and discuss books.