New Library

It took just one call from the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services and Carson City Department of Health and Human Services to Tod Colegrove, PhD, MSLIS, director of the Carson City Library, and the wheels were set in motion.

Sunshine ahead for Monday, Nov. 18 around the capital city before valley showers and light Sierra snow settles into the region late Tuesday. Activities and events the first day of the work week include a kindergarten open house at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic School, a free yoga class offered through Partnership Carson City, a discussion with the capital city's new library director, art events and more.

Featured speaker at Monday's Carson City Democratic luncheon will be Tod Colegrove, who recently took the reins as Carson City Library Director, replacing Sena Loyd who resigned in February to take a job in the private sector. He holds a doctorate and masters degree in physics, and a masters of library and information science with concentration in competitive intelligence and knowledge management.

Heading into the weekend, there’s a bevy of activities around the Carson City region over the next three days. Events include the final V&T Railway train rides of the 2019 season, the 27th annual Carson City Pumpkin Patch at Seeliger Elementary School, fundraisers around town, coin press demonstrations at the Nevada State Museum, comedy at the Carson Nugget and more!

The Friends of the Carson City Library, with the library board and staff, are offering a meet and greet with the new library director, Tod Colegrove, on Friday, October 11 from 4:30p.m. to 6 p.m.

No RSVP is required to meet the new director. Those interested should simply head over to the library digitorium located at 900 N. Roop St. for an opportunity to get to know Colegrove more over coffee and a treat.

Abby Vawter, 6, was among the first in line to check out a new book when they were delivered by the Carson City Library to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada.

“Reading books is like my heart,” she said. “The more you read, the smarter you get. That’s what my teacher always told me.”

Her selection: “Bat Girl.”

“It was really amazing,” Abby said. “I like the way she saves the day.”

For the past few years, the youth room at the club had a satellite library with about 60-70 books to serve 300-400 kids.

Storey County is one step closer to opening the door to its new library — while Carson City and Churchill County library staff are more efficient at their jobs — thanks to a Nevada Library Cooperative training.

Flexibility and versatility are two distinguishable qualities that Western Nevada College’s new library and learning resource director brings to the college. Denise Frohlich has worked in a public branch library, as well as at a private university and a K-12 school district.

The Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday approved a complicated land swap deal that will see the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District build a $14 million library near Eastern Avenue and Charleston Boulevard while the Natural History Museum takes over the old Las Vegas Library near Cashman Fiel...

Surrounded by officials from the Carson City School District, the Board of Supervisors and Library Trustees, Library board president Sandy Foley cuts the ribbon at a grand reopening of the Digitorium on Thursday at the Carson City Library.

In 2012 the people of Carson City voted DOWN the ballot initiative CC #1 which called for a 1/8th cent hike in the sales tax, to be used for a new library and other development downtown, including the reduction of traffic on Carson Street from 4 to 2 lanes so as to make room for wider, more pedestrian friendly sidewalks or additional street parking or both.

Sena Loyd, who is the current technology trainer at Carson City Library, was selected Thursday as the new director.

The Carson City Library Board of Trustees held the interviews from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the new library director in Carson City. Loyd replaces former Carson City Library Director Sara Jones, who took a job earlier this year as Marin County Director of Library Services in California.

In the main photo, from left, director candidates Amy Geddes, Sena Loyd, Mary Scott Wallace and Diane Duquette answer questions from the board.

Carson Now has removed this letter due to several questions about its authenticity and that Mr. Javanovich doesn't appear to have ever been a resident of Carson City. Carson Now has asked Mr. Javanovich a second time for authenticity of the letter in which we have not had a reply. If Mr. Javanovich steps forward with legal documents saying who he is, including a Nevada driver's license or state ID card, we will put the letter back online.

Carson City Library has initiated a new library card status, Premiere, for users of the soon-to-be launched @ Two Digital Learning Center, located on the second floor of the library.

What are we voting on? The only design that has some cost estimates is a grandiose wish list with artist’s renderings presented in July 2011 that has been pared down and down… down to what? Vote NO on CC #1.

Cost estimates vary from $28M to $49M (plus financing costs), depending on what’s included. Even with the tax hike, the intent is to raid NNDA, sewer, federal and private funds. Vote NO on CC #1.

The concept dated July 2011 shows a grandiose wish list for a public-private development. Where is the pared down wish list that CC #1 asks us to approve? Vote NO on CC #1.

Let’s get real about the proposed new library. It will do nothing for downtown development and will not serve the twenty-first century needs of our community. I grew up in Indianapolis, went to college in Cincinnati, and lived and worked in San Diego, Los Angeles and Washington, DC. All have monstrous downtown libraries none of which slowed or prevented the decay of their downtowns. My brother, an activist Cincinnati developer for such
controversial efforts as stadiums and light rail, sees little community value to downtown libraries.

While watching the Giants' baseball game last night, I searched for an alternative during a commercial break.

Tuning into the local public access station, I saw the Carson City Library Board meeting in progress. Perhaps what would be said could help clarify the debate about building a new library.

My mother taught me that only a foolish man insists on learning from his own mistakes at his own expense; a wise man learns from the mistakes of others. In that spirit, I am grateful to friends who sent me this link:

Library faces fiscal crisis - Wyoming Tribune Eagle Online
http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2012/08/18/news/19local_08-18-12.txt

Supporters. "naysayers" and fence-sitters alike, please PLEASE read this article. I am not going to insult you by paraphrasing it here. Just let it be enlightening and fair warning before you vote.

Thank you!

Peter Hennessey, Ph.D.

16 Questions about CC1

While few can claim to have all the answers about the CC1 advisory, concerning the funding of a new city library, here are a few questions that I think everyone might consider – especially those in our city government.

Why are libraries being closed and sold all over the country?

Why are universities closing and selling libraries?

How fast will all books be replaced with eBooks?

What is the future of the library in the Internet age?

How many books can I carry on my keychain flashdrive or in my smart cell phone or eBook reader?

Let me start with a disclaimer. I am not against libraries. I have an entire room dedicated to my books. But I have not used a library since I was in graduate school, because everything I needed for work was on-line or in a bookstore, too new to have made it into a library, public or private.

If Carson City really needs a new library, I have an excellent idea. Let’s just buy the Ormsby House. Not for sale? Make em’ an offer they can’t refuse. Think about it.

On the 1st floor: foyer, auditorium, and changing exhibit area, all adjacent to an outdoor plaza (current valet parking). Second floor will have main library desk, space for newspaper and periodical reading, and restaurant without outdoor seating. Floors 3, 4, and 5 would be the main library collection. Floors 6, 7, and 8: computer labs, meeting rooms, and BRIC.

Carson City residents are being asked to vote on a quarter-cent increase in sales tax to pay for a new library complex when they head to the polls in the coming weeks.

From the Carson City sample ballot for the general election on November 6:

Question CC1.

"Shall Carson City, Nevada, be authorized to impose an additional sales tax of up to ¼ of 1 percent pursuant to NRS Chapter 377A to finance the design, construction, and maintenance of a library and public plaza park in the downtown on lands donated by the Hop and Mae Adams Foundation?"

Where to begin....

One of the biggest, once-in-a-lifetime thrills this writer experienced was first-time voting eligibility in local, state and national elections. What a privilege to have my official opinion added in to the larger community, with an impact on public decisions going forward. Much can be learned from the morning-after election results, which chronicle where we are as a community at a given moment. . .a snapshot of what's on people's collective minds, or at least those who choose to exercise their voting rights.

The Carson City Board of Supervisors yesterday approved wording for ballot question seeking a sales tax increase to fund the Carson City Center Project, aka Nugget Project.

See the live Tweets of the meeting here.

Supervisors agreed to two important changes to the original wording released last week.

I support reasonable efforts to redevelop the downtown area or our city, and feel that it can be done with just a little help from the city/taxpayers.

But the present concept is excessive, not well considered and unnecessary. Further, consideration of increasing property taxes to fund this effort is irresponsible. Folks in this town are having a difficult time making ends meet.

There is absolutely no justification for building a new library. The present library is more than sufficient for our needs.

A vocal minority’s intermittent cheerleading promotes the massive City Center project. Their objective: replace the city library with a +$75 million, three-times-the-size library complex just east of the Nugget Casino. (The ‘official’ $49 million cost curiously excludes 30 years of interest payments.)

Absent from this well-intentioned, but ill-conceived project are viability, necessity and prudence.

I love libraries. You love libraries. All of us love libraries. But that doesn't mean we think city officials should spend more than $20 million taxpayer dollars to build a huge new library next do...

Monday night's presentation of the new plan for the Carson City Center development to the Nugget Advisory Committee has put this much-criticized project back on track, even winning over some long-time opponents.

The new plan is different enough it needs a new name: Nugget Project 2.0.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uLECuGK07U

Several people at yesterday's Board of Supervisors meeting mentioned the generosity of Mae Adams for donating land to Carson City for the proposed Knowledge and Discovery Center and public plaza, the centerpiece of the City Center/Nugget Project.

I've heard some critics complain about this donation, which does little to bolster their case. Despite the unorthodox lease deal, it really is a donation we should be thankful to have the option of using for a new library.

But this donation does come with one very large and expensive string attached.