Library auditorium space goes digital

News of a “digitorium” on the Carson City Library’s main floor was announced Wednesday evening during a joint meeting of the Board of Supervisors and city school district’s Board of Trustees.

The digital auditorium space, dubbed a digitorium by the Carson City Library Foundation and Friends of the Library, will provide space for additional computers where the auditorium and the friends’ bookstore have been located. The Friends of the Library Bookstore will move across the street to 711 E. Washington St., to expanded headquarters. Completion is expected some time next year.

The announcement came from Phyllis Patton, president of the friends’ organization, and Pam Graber, president of the foundation, both of whom also serve on the Library Board of Trustees.

At the same time, the foundation issued a news release in which it said $33,000 has been committed toward renovating and furnishing the library auditorium-bookstore space to house the new unit with a build-out for 20 MacBook Pro computers.

“This is a win in so many ways,” said Graber. “The library stands tall to serve the needs of its patrons, the Friends of the Library will have more space and more bookstore hours, and the foundation is delighted to help make it all happen.”

Tammy Westergard, interim library director, said this is another step in providing tech innovations that are addressing the “facts of life in the 21st century.” She said it will further library ability to be a meaningful link for proper generational skill sets.

“Focus is on the youth, particularly teens, to help them become makers of digital content and in the process develop marketable skills,” she said.

The Wednesday evening meeting was to meld city and school board strategic plans for community-wide collaboration on education and related issues.