95 Years Supporting Gretna
In 1929, two years after the Gretna Women’s Club was organized, the Club decided that their community should have a proper library. They secured space in the fire barn from the village board to use for their collection, which started out with just 12 donated books. Within nine years, the collection had grown to 1,800 books, so they rolled up their sleeves and set out to find a larger space for their growing community resource.
In 1937, The Standard Oil Company of Nebraska gifted the Gretna Women’s Club the then abandoned gas station at 253 S. McKenna Avenue to be used as a library. It was formally dedicated on May 31, 1938 and thus, the Gretna Public Library had been established!
The Women’s Club turned the Library over to the town in 1967, which is also when the community’s first Library Board was established. Over the years, remodeling and improvements were made to the little brick library to make it a more usable and comfortable space for the community. The cozy library served the community for 53 years and was highly utilized with more than 10,000 books circulated annually by the late 1960s!
As the community grew and more resources were needed, the Library Board recognized that a larger library facility for the community was essential. On August 25, 1983, the Board formed a Library Foundation for the purpose of raising funds to build a new Library, and in early 1991 enough grant money had been awarded to begin construction. The current Main Library at 736 South Street was dedicated to the community on June 14, 1992.
For 20 years this building was home to the Gretna Public Library, before space needs were once again an issue. Gretna’s fast-growing community desperately needed a larger library to serve them. However, the funds were not available with the state of the economy to build one.
The City of Gretna found a compromise: they would renovate an existing building three blocks from the current Library to temporarily separate the Library into two buildings. The Gretna Children’s Library, would contain the youth services collection, and the Main Library would serve adults and young adults. This building, located on the corner of McKenna Avenue and Wallace St. originally served as the community’s Post Office during the 1960s. Years later, it became The Coin Emporium.
Planning for the Children’s Library began on December 13, 2010 and renovations began in August 2011. On February 21, 2012, the Gretna Children’s Library at 119 North McKenna Avenue, opened its doors to welcome children and their families.
The Gretna community’s can-do attitude has persisted throughout the years, and is one of the reasons that Gretna continues to be the dynamic and supportive community that it is today.
This year marks Gretna Public Library’s 95th anniversary. The library-founding women would be astounded at the growth of their legacy: The Gretna Public Library currently has over 25,000 physical items for patrons to check out – and not just books! There are cake pans, ukuleles, pickle ball kits, board games, telescopes and more! Then there’s over a million digital items patrons can check out, or resources to use without the need to leave the comfort of home.
Programs and events organized by the Library have also been highly attended over the years. The Library held 609 events in 2023 for people of all ages! Book clubs, storytimes, crafting programs, Music Bingo, summer reading activities, and even events like Free Comic Book Day and HalloWeeRead, are just a few examples of the engaging programs that the librarians at GPL plan for the community.
As we near the 100th anniversary of this community institution, Gretna community members are again rolling up their sleeves to build a legacy worthy of another century and beyond. If you would like to learn more about the “Writing Our Story” campaign, or get involved, then please visit the Gretna Public Library’s website page!
Libraries are the heart of a community – where every community member is welcome to come together regardless of income, faith, or education-level. Through the changes and growth, GPL has been, and will continue to be, Gretna’s library. We take pride in our past, and are excited for our future! Thank you for embracing and utilizing YOUR library for 95 years and beyond!
