Start of $40 million UNLV library construction draws nearer

Friday, Jan. 30, 1998 | 10:17 a.m.

A notice to proceed with the construction of a $40 million library at UNLV could be announced within two weeks, says a university spokesman.

"We're looking for an opening in January of the year 2000," said John Amend, associate vice president for administration.

Bids on the long-anticipated Lied Library project were opened Tuesday by the Public Works Board.

The apparent low bidder was Tibesa Construction of Las Vegas, with a bid of $40,482,858.

The next two apparent low bidders also were Las Vegas firms -- Grove Inc., who offered a bid of $41,417,774, and Sletten Construction, who bid $41,934,000.

Eric Raecke, manager of the Public Works Board, said he hopes to announce the low bid Monday, "but no later than Tuesday."

Architects for the 300,000-square-foot project are Welles and Pugsley and Leo A. Daly.

"We've been planning this for two years with the architects," Amend said.

The existing Dickinson Library is too small to meet the growing needs of the university, according to Amend.

It houses 800,000 volumes, with an additional 35,000 books and publications added annually.

Lied Library will have space for 1.8 million volumes.

The new five-story structure will have more space for its collections, but also will add more reader stations where people can sit and work.

"The two separate buildings we have now are inefficient in managing the library collection," Amend said. "They will be consolidated into one facility."

The new building will have a maximum occupancy of 3,666 people.

Other architectural features will include:

* an information commons housing more than 100 microcomputer stations for research.

* an automated storage and retrieval system providing maximum capacity for 1.2 million volumes.

* a 24-hour study lounge.

* interactive electronic learning centers.

* skylight over the central reading area on the fifth floor.

* networked group study rooms for collaborative learning.

* five-story central atrium.

* an escalator serving the first and second floors.

* reading rooms overlooking the central atrium.

* faculty and graduate study lounges.

* exterior courtyard campus entry.

* public parking and dedicated entry for convenient public access.

The 1997 Legislature approved $32.8 million for the new library and the Lied Foundation pledged an additional $15 million.

UNLV's Dickinson Library was named for James Dickinson, an English instructor at the University of Nevada, Reno who became head of the university's extension school in Las Vegas in 1951.

In 1964 the Las Vegas campus became Nevada Southern University and in 1969 was renamed University of Nevada, Las Vegas which now has an enrollment in excess of 19,000.