“Imagine the possibilities” has been the motto of the Friends of the Truckee Library (FOTL) organization for years as they’ve worked their way as the main advocates for the new Truckee Regional Library. Thanks to an abundance of community support and dedicated workers, the dream is finally becoming a reality.
The need for a new Truckee Library arose from the limited space the current Nevada County Library or ‘Truckee Library’ has, which was built in 1976. With increased growth in visitors, the Truckee Library needed more space for programs and community gatherings.
The mission of FOTL is to build a new library where not only will these needs for more space be met, but the new Truckee Regional Library will carry a legacy and build a better bond between people in our small mountain town.
“I think that is the number one thing that a library does, it’s a community building. Where either people intentionally come together with programs, meetings, or maybe run into friends and neighbors there. But libraries are such a community gathering space, and I think our library is too small to do that now.” says Rebecca Anderson, Secretary for FOTL and Chairman of the Marketing and Communications committee.
The current Truckee Library serves 100,000 patrons each year, with about 200 visits per day and visitorship numbers growing every year. So the new library will be extensively bigger, as well as offer new programs, opportunities, and community supplies.
The plans for the new library include a large new teen section, a media center, meeting rooms, green screen use, gaming areas, and more. On top of that they will also offer opportunities like classes or speeches and talks Truckee citizens will be able to visit.
“If you have a legal question and you can’t afford an attorney, once a month there will just be an attorney at the library that you can just go and ask a question of, or there will be knitting classes or how to create a resume class. All those kinds of things,” says Anderson.
Unfortunately, there are not a lot of places for teens to go and hang out in Truckee that are indoors. Even though a bigger children’s space was wanted, a space for teens was a need too.
“You know kids go to the climbing gym but they have to get memberships, or other programs that are paid for, whereas the library would be a space where you could do group projects or wait for your parents to pick you up and give you a ride home, you could just wait at the library,” said Anderson.
Much of these ideas came from the Truckee community itself. FOTL advertised by using social media, and local newspapers and appearing with booths at events like Truckee Thursdays andor Truckee Day.
“That was a big effort, getting a bunch of community input, where people could vote on what they wanted the library to look like, even down to like ‘Would you like this kind of building material or this kind?” states Anderson.
Another plan for the new library is to make the building a safe space where people can go if ever evacuated, during power outages, or other extreme weather emergencies like a smoke event. The building will have backup power, air conditioning, and heat to provide to those in need. The library will also have tools available for temporary use.
“Some libraries lend out sleds and tools that people can borrow so they don’t have to buy a certain special tool because the library will actually lend out. So it’s books, but it’s also a lot more than books,” says Anderson.
“We will break ground in 2027,” Anderson says. The Truckee Regional Library is already in its first architectural phase of design. $1.5 million has already been raised for pre-construction work and a site has been secured at the Truckee Regional Park. Under the Joint Power Authority (JPA) of various organizations in Truckee, the library holds a place in the future of the town of Truckee.