The Spanish Springs Library will celebrate 20 years of service with an anniversary party this Sunday, May 18, at 2 pm.
Members of the Eagle Wings Pageant Dancers from the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony will perform. A food vendor will be on-site from 11:30 am to 4:30 pm. The library will dedicate a plaque commemorating Paiute leader, activist, teacher, and interpreter Sarah Winnemucca, and her descendants will speak about her life and legacy. The library will have birthday cake, a giant birthday card for the community to sign, and a display of artifacts from the life of Sarah Winnemucca.
The Spanish Springs Library opened in May of 2005. It was constructed with funds generated by the 1994 Library Expansion Fund. The library building, on the Pyramid Highway near the Lazy 5 Regional Park in Spanish Springs, is based on a Native American hogan dwelling and is octagonal in shape, set off by a 64-foot ceiling over the atrium. With a distinctive Native American design, the decor features petroglyphs from local caves and a carpet treatment featuring a traditional Paiute basket weave pattern in the atrium. Animal silhouettes and hoof and paw prints can be discovered in tiling throughout the library.
There’s comfortable seating, public access computers, and areas for teens and children. The library’s newly renovated Teen Zone was funded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Funds for the library’s Zoom Room and upgraded meeting rooms with state-of-the-art technology were provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Records. Other features include meeting rooms with newly updated technology, a drive-through service window, and a 24-hour automated book return.
The Spanish Springs Library regularly offers programs for all ages, including weekly Story Times and Toddler Times, a Baby Social event for babies and caregivers, guest speakers, craft programs, book discussions, art exhibitions, computer coding classes, LEGO Robotics, a weekly teen Dungeons & Dragons program, and more. As part of Washoe County Library System, users have access to the wide range of books, movies, ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines available in the catalog.
The anniversary party this weekend will be an opportunity to celebrate two decades of exceptional service, a chance to learn more about the services and facilities available, and a moment to look forward to the possibilities of the next couple of decades. For more information about the Spanish Springs Library, visit washoelibrary.org/spanishsprings.
