Carnegie Public Library blends history with new technologies, services
The Carnegie Public Library has been serving the people of Las Vegas since 1904. Though it was one of three libraries in New Mexico funded with grants from steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, it is now the only one in the state still serving as a library.
Today, the City of Las Vegas operates the library, but much of its funding comes from the nonprofit group Friends of the Carnegie Public Library, which offers book sales and other fundraisers throughout the year.
That funding is used to provide services to the community, including some services patrons may not know about, like portable Wi-Fi hotspots from Verizon Wireless.
Library Manager Zachary McNellis said the library has two “MiFi” hotspots available to anyone with a library card. The hotspots can be checked out for up to a week at a time, and though they cannot be renewed, they can be checked out again as long as there isn’t a waiting list.
McNellis said the library’s internet access was recently upgraded as well, thanks to funding from a federal grant program.
“We went from approximately 10 megabits per second, to 500 megabits per second, and we’re paying less than we were before,” he said. “We have seven public-access computers, we have Wi-Fi — or wireless internet — for anyone with their own smartphone, computer or tablet. Those can connect to our internet and use it completely free of charge.”
The next step, McNellis said, is updating the library’s servers and other components to go with the increased internet speed, a project he hopes to see completed in August or September. The cost would be covered by federal funds, but for the work to be completed, the Las Vegas City Council will first need to approve the city’s budget.
While McNellis is proud of the recent upgrades to the library’s internet and its services, he said he’d also like to see some repairs made to the historic building.
“One of the major things that I’d like to see done with the library, whether it’s during my time here or down the road, is some improvements made to the inside,” he said. “We have walls that, with time and age, have deteriorated. I’d like to get those fixed, but because of our budgetary shortfalls, we’re not able to pay for it ourselves.”
Funding for such projects will likely have to come from private donors, and McNellis said the public can help by donating to the Friends of the Carnegie Public Library, or by supporting its book sales.
“They can make a donation through the Friends of the Library, who do offer tax exemption for donations,” he said. “They help fund quite a bit for us.”
He said private donations can also be made through the city by writing a memo designating the donation go specifically to the library, which should keep the donation out of the general fund.
Even with budgetary constraints, through partnerships with other libraries, the Carnegie Public Library is able to provide many services to the public.
Through a consortium of a few dozen libraries across the state, the Carnegie Public Library is able to offer access to more than a million e-books and audiobooks. And through partnerships with libraries around the world, the library also offers interlibrary loans of physical books.
“If we don’t have a book here, we’re able to do a national and international search to see what library does have it,” McNellis said. “As long as it’s free to us, then it will be free to the patron.”
According to McNellis, the library will soon add access to an electronic database of study guides as well, including ACT, SAT, GRE and others.
“It’s a database that allows … access to over 1,900 different study guides.” McNellis said. “As long as someone has a library card, they’ll have access to this database.”
For children, the library offers an entire children’s area, a summer reading program and a weekly story time. According to McNellis, various groups volunteer to read stories, and the library will soon host a drag queen story time on Saturday, Aug. 31 from noon to 2 p.m.
“Come out and support the programs that we have,” McNellis said. “We’re working for the public, so if there are any programs you’d like to see … just come and talk to me or any of the other librarians here.”
