New shelves coming to children’s section of Carson City Library

The children’s section of the Carson City Library is made to be inviting. Brightly colored rugs and furniture are set against the backdrop of a playful mural of the Kennedy’s Children’s corner.

But there’s one problem: The shelving.

“Time and use have taken their toll on the shelves that are decades old,” said interim director Diane Baker. “They still hold books, but they’ve just been used to the limit.”

However, there is also a solution. Thanks to a donation of $10,000 from the John and Grace Nauman Foundation, the library will be able to replace the shelving in the children’s department.

“We’re hoping to order them and get them installed in the fall,” Baker said. “We are finalizing some additional funding.”

While the shelves aren’t unsafe at this point, Baker said, the many years’ heavy use of the children’s books will make this a concern in the future.

Mostly, she said, the shelves are mismatched with no end caps, and trim is missing or falling off.

“The shelves have been moved and used and configured any which way they can,” Baker said. “They’ve outlived their usefulness. The whole point of this is to encourage young readers, pre-readers and families with a fresh look and easy access to library materials.”

Other shelving in the library was replaced during the refresh project in early 2018. As part of the project that took eight weeks, the library replaced 20-year-old carpet with polished concrete floors. The walls were repainted and florescent lighting replaced with LED lights.

The floor plan was also rearranged in favor of a more open space, allowing for more natural light.

“We squeezed every penny out of the money we got for the refresh,” Baker said. “We just didn’t have any money left for this. These shelves are the last phase of the refresh project, really.”

She said the Storytime program is continuing to increase in popularity, bringing more and more children into the library.

“This is just the thing we need to make it more inviting and encourage the kids to use their space,” Baker said. “Our young people deserve the best space we can offer.”