The Las Vegas-Clark County Library District (LVCCLD) will celebrate the grand opening of its new library in East Las Vegas on April 25 at 10 a.m. The 41,051-square-foot facility, which is located at 2851 E. Bonanza Road, includes innovative 21st century design elements, as well as free educational resources, materials and programs, intended to facilitate learning and personal achievement for library users of all ages.
“Libraries are hubs for economic activity, civic engagement, imagination and learning, which is why this new library is an important milestone for East Las Vegas,” said Dr. Ronald Heezen, executive director of LVCCLD. “This long-anticipated, state-of-the-art building will bring cutting-edge technology, career assistance, English language classes, after-school tutoring, and so much more to this vibrant community. East Las Vegas residents will soon discover what all of our customers know, that the word ‘library’ has been redefined.”
The East Las Vegas Library is surrounded by 14 elementary schools, two middle schools and three high schools, and an estimated 71 percent of residents living in the area are young parents with children. With this in mind, the East Las Vegas Library was designed to offer a variety of critical resources for this diverse community.
To reflect the needs of the East Las Vegas community, the new library will include bilingual staff who are fully fluent in Spanish and English. About 10 percent of the East Las Vegas Library collection is Spanish-language; nearly one-third of magazines and newspapers are available in Spanish; and bilingual resources in Spanish and English are available for children.
The library will house a materials collection of approximately 45,000 items, of which nearly 40 percent is dedicated to youth, including innovative STEAM offerings such as a Toy Lending Library. Kicking off in fall 2019, thanks to the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District Foundation, the Teachers in Libraries program will offer free after-school tutoring.
As part of the new East Las Vegas Library’s 21st century model, customers will have access to cutting-edge technology and collaborative spaces, which include:
• iPad Lending Program, a new service with 10 iPads available to check out and take home;
• Computer Center, with 32 computers and 20 laptops available for check out (see Fact Sheet for more details on free computer access);
• Tech Lab, featuring an audio/video production studio with an isolated recording booth, plus editing equipment and software, digital video cameras and a green screen; plus industry-standard DJ equipment where teens and adults can learn these skills;
• Teen Sphere, where teens can meet up, hang out and participate in gaming, crafts and other cool activities;
• Over 1,000 programs per year in early childhood and parenting education, media production, makerspace labs and culinary and nutrition classes in our first-ever Demonstration Kitchen;
• Multipurpose Room, with 3,461 square feet of dividable space, which is available for the public to rent, and;
• More places to gather, which include an art gallery, multigenerational living room, homework help center, children’s story room and outdoor play area, print center, conference and collaboration rooms and more.
In addition, the Adult Learning Center/One-Stop Career Center, will house the library’s Community Adult Learning in Libraries (CALL) program, which offers classes in Adult Basic Education, English-language training, and Career Online High School. In the same space, the One-Stop Career Center will offer customers workforce training and readiness, financial aid, digital literacy, interview coaching, and employment searches to help move people into sustainable careers. The East Las Vegas Library also offers many free programs and eResources for creative, educational and career development, available both in the branch and on the Library District website at www.LVCCLD.org.
The new library also features Café Con Leche, serving a variety of food and drink for library customers, with an exterior walk-up window where customers can order without having to enter the building. Another convenient exterior access point in the building is a drive-thru window, where customers can pick up and return their books and materials from the comfort of their cars.
The modern, L-shaped East Las Vegas Library was built on an 8.5-acre parcel on East Bonanza Road, at the corner of 28th Street. The building features colorful canopies and tile at its entry, inviting glass walls, which flood the building with natural light; and an adjacent outdoor plaza for community gatherings, festivals and activities. The library is also surrounded by lush, old growth Aleppo Pine trees, which classify it as an “urban forest.”
According to the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, an urban forest is defined as a collection of large trees within a city area, which helps improve air quality, serving as a filter for urban pollutants and fine particulates; and, improving physical and mental health by helping to decrease blood pressure and stress. The library was carefully positioned on a 5.63-acre section of the property to preserve as many of these trees as possible.
The old Las Vegas Library building at 833 North Las Vegas Blvd., now belongs to the city of Las Vegas and will no longer be a library site.
