Trustees OK years-in-planning Young People’s Library expansion

Friday, Dec. 11, 1998 | 11:38 a.m.

The Las Vegas-Clark County Library District Board of Trustees approved a 4,863-square-foot expansion to the West Las Vegas Young People's Library on Thursday night.

The $575,000 project has been four years in planning. Daniel Walters, executive director of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, estimated that it will take 90 days to receive contract documents and nine months for construction.

The design includes craft areas, story areas and puppet areas. Plans on adding a computer lab to the library are in review, Walters said.

Community members say they are very pleased to have construction under way.

"It is something that our young people can be very proud, very pleased with," said Edward L. Watson, president of Friends and Family of the West Las Vegas Library, a 25-member organization created to work as a liaison between the West Las Vegas community and the board of trustees.

"This is the first time the community had input on where and what was done with the library," he added.

Members of the organization have had representation on the building committee that met with the architect, enabling the designers to hear the community's vision, Walters said.

Plans for the extension began in 1995, when a theater opened at the library, at 951 W. Lake Mead Blvd., drawing in more young adults.