In the stacks at the rear of the building,
metal shelving provided high-quality storage for the large collection
of newspapers, books, manuscripts, and government records.
The library, archives, and administrative
offices occupied most of the second floor, where these girl scouts
learn how to use the card catalog.
The reading room provided convenient workspace
for researchers.
A one-hundred-seat auditorium in the basement
hosted puppet shows, films, and public meetings. The auditorium
was converted to offices in the 1970s.
The closing of Fifteenth Street and the construction
of Centennial Mall in 1968 brought significant change to the
building's environs.
In 2003 the R Street building continues to
house the Society's administrative offices, the Library/Archives
Division and public reference room, and the Research and Publications
Division.
As the R Street building begins its second
half-century as a home for Nebraska history, funding is needed
to bring it into compliance with current codes for environmental
controls, life-safety systems, and handicapped access.
