Carson City Library Board welcomes new trustees, talks library’s strengths, issues and opportunities
On Friday, the Carson City Board of Supervisors held interviews to fill four vacancies on the Library Board.
Two of the trustee positions were filled by current trustees asking for reappointment, and two positions were filled by new applicants.
The two trustees reappointed are Trustee Betts Markel and Trustee Sarena Nichols.
New applications were submitted by 11 residents, and the two selected of the bunch were Reena Spansail and Anne Lenhares.
Reena Spansail
Spansail is a teacher with the Washoe County School District, and graduated with her Masters of Secondary Education from the University of Nevada, Reno, where she also achieved her bachelors degrees in English and Art.
“I would like to serve on this committee because I believe that literacy is a vital component to a healthy and happy community, and I know that libraries are literacy hubs,” Spansail wrote in her application.
During her interview, she said that she is focused on increasing access to literacy for all citizens of Carson City, increasing transparency for the public, and continuing the work the library has been doing especially when it comes to youth programming.
She said that the library is currently excelling in providing youth programming, especially with the summer reading series which included a teen reading night. She said the programming is successful because it’s letting the youth lead.
She said librarians and support staff provided guidance, but the program invited younger readers to share their own ideas and enthusiasm for reading, and involved young volunteers who helped foster intergenerational collaboration.
She said that she would like to see more transparency on additional funding sources for the public, especially as it comes to the partnership between the Browser’s Corner Bookstore and the library itself. She clarified she doesn’t believe that funds are being mismanaged, but rather further explanations or signage could bring in more customers to support the library through book purchases at the store.
When presented with community feedback asking for more STEM, vocational and certification programming, and if the library has enough space to incorporate more of these asks, Spansail said that there is opportunity to collaborate with other city departments rather than building new facilities.
“That sounds like what the community wants, and that’s what all of us are here to do, right, is to help facilitate what the community wants, but I think that perhaps there can be some creative use of space in the stopgap between deciding: ‘this is what they want, this is what we have, this is what we can pay for, but with what we have and what we can do already, these are our options.’ I’m interested if there could be collaboration between departments about getting some of that programming off the ground before brand new facilities were appropriated for it.”
When asked what the library is doing well, she said the important function of a community library is to maintain the “community archive.”
“I think one of the most important things the library does is keep an archive of our community. If you go into the library, there’s the popular fiction, the new releases, but then there’s also a little section in the back that is an archive of us, of our community, and one of the most important things that it does is maintain that archive, keep that archive available for people who want to access it, and kind of keep the boring paperwork, as it were, of the city in a safe and well-maintained place.”
She said that the library also offers a range of books and materials for the community’s varied demographics, providing access to all reading levels and in multiple languages.
She was appointed unanimously to a partial term expiring in June 2026.
Anne Lenhares
Lenhares is a 44-year resident of Carson City and has volunteered with a number of local organizations including FISH, Boy Scouts, Laubach Literacy, the English Language Learners In-home Program, the Nevada State Museum, the PTA, and more.
She holds a Bachelors of Science in Education and a Masters of Science in Curriculum from the University of Nevada, Reno and Western Governors University.
Lenhares believes that the library’s programming is exceptional when it comes to young children, and that bringing in young people, their parents and families helps them become “library users for life.”
She said that the library is a nice, safe space especially for teenagers, and the library’s programming for teens has expanded to reflect this need. She said the summer reading program especially is a great way to foster enthusiasm for literacy.
When it comes to gaps in the library, Lenhares said that some people aren’t aware of everything the library has to offer, and don’t see it as a relevant or vital force in their lives beyond children’s programming.
However, she said this is just coming from her own experience, and that she would need to base a true opinion on research and data about who the library serves, which programs are rising, and which are not working to give a really good answer.
When asked what the most important function of a library is, Lenhares said it is providing access to information and knowledge; being a community-centered, community-based organism; and providing a sense of welcome and accessibility to its users.
She said that the library is achieving these goals because it provides access to materials and access to a larger network as needed, and it provides a place where people feel welcome and have access to various meetings, game events, and quiet study areas. She said library staff creates a space of accessibility, comfort and non-judgement to its patrons.
Lenhares was the top choice for all supervisors, and she was unanimously appointed to partial term expiring in June 2027.
You can watch the full meeting below:
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