Green Valley Library prepares for switch

By Jeremy Twitchell

Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008 | 4:25 p.m.

Library workers from the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District plan to bid farewell to the Green Valley Library next Thursday.

But it’s not the library branch that’s moving. They are, and they are taking the furniture and books with them.

The Las Vegas-Clark County Library District will close the branch on Dec. 23 and turn it over to the Henderson District Public Libraries, which plans to remodel the facility and reopen it later in 2009.

Librarians will host two special children’s story times on Dec. 18, at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

“We’re doing one last big story time for all the kids who are our regular patrons and those who have grown up with the library,” Andrew Kaplan, youth librarian at Green Valley, said.

Kaplan said the move is causing mixed emotions among library workers.

“We’re all excited about the move,” he said. “We’re sad to be leaving the community that we’ve gotten used to over the years. … It’s always sad to have to move on, but that just goes with the growth of the community.”

The changeover between districts is the culmination of a deal that began in 2005, when the two districts agreed to realign their taxing boundaries so that the Henderson district’s boundaries would coincide with the city of Henderson’s.

Both sides have hailed the agreement, saying it makes the taxing boundaries more logical and also allows the Henderson district to better meet the needs of the community it serves while allowing the Las Vegas-Clark County district to move its resources at the Green Valley branch to its new Centennial Hills branch, which is set to open Jan. 10.

“It’s a win-win for everybody involved,” said Robb Morss, deputy director of the Las Vegas-Clark County district.

Some patrons might disagree, however. Since the Henderson district decided in February to close its branches on Sundays as a cost-cutting measure, workers at the Green Valley branch said they have seen an increase in Sunday traffic.

When the Green Valley branch falls under the Henderson district’s control and begins closing on Sundays, there will not be any public libraries open on Sundays in the city.

Henderson district Executive Director Tom Fay said he has heard from several Green Valley branch patrons. And while he shares their concern, he has no choice but to close the branch on Sundays, he said.

“Unfortunately, the economy doesn’t allow (Sunday openings) right now,” he said. “As with all businesses, we’ve been tightening our belt, and this is a decision we’ve made to save money. We don’t want to do it forever; that’s not our goal. If it can come back, it will.”

Fay said his district saw revenues fall 9 percent last year and, even though the district tried to budget conservatively for the current year, revenues are still 2 percent below projections.

With the annual operating budget of the Green Valley branch expected to be as much as $400,000, Fay said closing branches on Sunday is the best cost-saving option the district has that doesn’t include eliminating services.

“That decision was the hardest I’ve had to make, and all of my staff doesn’t like it either,” Fay said. “We just have to ride it out.”

The Henderson district will continue to evaluate its finances and reopen its branches on Sunday as soon as it is able, though that likely won’t be for at least a year or two, he said.

“If we had the money, it would be the first thing we brought back,” Fay said.

Jeremy Twitchell can be reached at 990-8928 or [email protected].