Carson City Library re-opens its doors

When Charity Dale walked into the Carson City Library on Friday, she was overwhelmed.

“It’s so light. It’s so open. It’s set up so much better, it makes more sense,” she said. “Before it was so dingy, and now it’s clean and fresh. It’s so amazing, it gave me goosebumps.”

The library opened its doors Friday evening for a Grand Reopening Ceremony to show off the results of a refresh project. As part of the project that took eight weeks, the library replaced 20-year-old carpet with polished concrete floors. The walls were repainted and florescent lighting replaced with LED lights through the city’s Ameresco initiative where the energy savings pay for the replacement.

The floor plan was also rearranged in favor of a more open space, allowing for more natural light.

“You got a huge bang for your buck,” said city supervisor Karen Abowd. “I’m looking at this with my design hat on, and it’s 100 percent better. It’s got that real modern feel.”

Director Sena Loyd listed dozens of community agencies, private businesses and individuals who donated time, space or materials to the effort.

“The list is extremely long,” she said. “It was definitely a community effort to make this happen.”

Mayor Bob Crowell credited the library for making up for what they may have lacked in money with enthusiasm and love of learning.

“Carson City has every reason to be proud of what you’ve done here,” Crowell said. “We’ve got people here who understand what libraries can really be in the future and what it can be now. This library is just the epitome of what Carson City should be.”

The open house included demonstrations in the Capital Makers Space, which included soldering, 3D printing and a laser cutter.

Participants could use library tools to experience a podcast or fly a drone.

“Flying a drone is cool, but it’s really different,” explained Pavel Solin, founder of NCLab. “It’s like you don’t know how to walk. It’s a strange motion.”

Through NCLabs, library patrons can learn to code, from the most basic to advanced building of 3D models.

Loyd said the opening was a good chance for patrons to see the changes and learn about programming available.

“We are a cutting-edge library, offering 21st century skills,” she said. “The new look more accurately reflects who we are.”