Passing of initiative would provide funds for libraries

Jeffrey Libby

Wednesday, May 30, 2001 | 10:52 a.m.

On most days, when story time for children is offered, the staff at James I. Gibson Library in Henderson turns away twice as many parents as those who signed up.

The same goes for seniors who show up at the Water Street building to gain computer skills.

The library stopped offering programming for recitals, hearings and other public events a few years back, when the community room was remodeled as a children's book section.

Joan Kerschner, director of the Henderson Library District wants to change that.

"Libraries provide for the educational health and welfare of a community," Kerschner said. "Whether you use it or not, you have an investment in the kids and you have an investment in the senior citizens. I just can't imagine a community that doesn't value books and reading."

On Tuesday voters decide an initiative that would tax owners of a $100,000 home $14 annually over the next 30 years, raising about $80 million. That would be added to the $17 such homeowners pay now.

At 9 cents for every $100 of assessed valuation, Henderson residents would still pay less than Las Vegas and Boulder City homeowners. Those homeowners pay 9.5 cents and 18 cents respectively for libraries. North Las Vegas pays just 6 cents annually.

With three libraries and 185,000 books today, Henderson has the second-fewest books per person in the state. Only North Las Vegas is worse. Reno, a city of comparable size, has 10 libraries.

The library district, which serves about 170,000 of Henderson's 205,000 residents, plans to use the extra tax revenue to build and operate six neighborhood libraries.

Each library would have a special collection coordinated with other nearby services, Kerschner said. A heritage library is proposed near the Clark County Heritage Museum; a medical library would operate in Green Valley near St. Rose Dominican Hospital; a planned Pittman library would emphasize computer resources for children of less affluent families.

A survey by the library district showed that most Henderson residents did not want to travel farther than five miles to get to a library.

Construction bids have been requested for the Green Valley library, but without the tax initiative, Kerschner said, the library district would be short funds to completely shelve the new branch with books.

The Henderson Library District receives no funding from the city or from the Clark County Library District.