Malcolm, Henderson’s first librarian, dies

Tuesday, July 30, 2002 | 8:20 a.m.

Lydia Smith Malcolm was Henderson's first librarian, five years before the city officially existed.

Working from a small library at the corner of Water Street and Pacific Avenue, she had to employ imaginative management skills -- such as renting books from other libraries -- to keep the place in operation.

Malcolm, who retired in 1969 after 21 years at the helm and had the town's second library named for her, died July 10 in San Marcos, Calif. She was 93.

Services will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Palm Mortuary-Henderson for Malcolm, who also was a member of the Clark County Museum Guild and the board of directors for the Salvation Army in Henderson.

"She really encouraged children to read in the early days," said Tina Smith, wife of former state Sen. Hal Smith and a fellow member of the museum guild. "The kids adored her because she was so attentive to them and their needs."

Malcolm went into the community and rounded up scores of children for summer reading parties. She continued to do volunteer work at the library well into her 80s.

While on the museum guild, Malcolm was involved in a number of fund-raising projects to refurbish historic local homes, including a fashion show of early 20th century clothing called "Yarns of Yesteryear," Tina Smith said.

Malcolm was hired as Henderson librarian in 1948. The city was not incorporated until 1953.

Faced with a lack of funds in the library's earliest days, she devised a plan to rent from other libraries and book outlets hundreds of books on a quarterly basis.

The library she started is now located at 280 Water St., at Basic Road. In November 1994, the Lydia Malcolm library branch opened at 80 Pecos Road.

Malcolm was born Aug. 22, 1908, in Middle Sprite, N.Y. She came to Las Vegas in 1946 and soon became involved in numerous local and statewide activities. She was a member of the women's auxiliary at St. Rose Dominican Hospital and served a term as president of the Nevada Library Association in 1953.

Malcolm is survived by two daughters, Constance Gates of San Diego and Marcia Merkel of Las Vegas; five grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

The family said donations can be made in Malcolm's memory to the Salvation Army, 830 E. Lake Mead Drive, Henderson, NV 89015, or to the Henderson District Library, 280 Water St., Henderson, NV 89015.