Nevada City, CA – Tuesday, the Nevada County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved going out to bid for construction of a new Bear River Library location at 11010 Combie Road. The current location is a shared spaced located at Bear River High School, limiting open hours, internet capabilities, and programs available at the branch.
“The next closest library to Bear River is our Grass Valley branch, about 20 minutes away,” said Nevada County Librarian Nick Wilczek. “We’re grateful to have partnered with Bear River High School to provide some library services in this area, but we’re looking forward to expanding those services with a new location.”
The new space will be modeled after the recent upgrades to the Penn Valley Library branch, and will include a community meeting room, a children’s area, circulation area, lounge areas, a patio for outdoor reading programs, and ADA accessible restroom, parking, and entrances. The updated space will also include an Open+ after-hours entrance, allowing library patrons to access the space and library services outside of regular hours.
"This is going to be a much-improved location and services. I'll personally utilize the community room,” said District 2 Supervisor Ed Scofield, whose district includes the Bear River Library. “I want to complement the team and what they did in Penn Valley. It's exactly what we need in south county."
The project is expected to be completed over the next few years. With Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors approval, Nevada County will begin the construction bidding process for eligible contractors. The upgrades are made possible by Measure A, a ¼ cent sales tax approved by voters 2016 to expand library services in Nevada County.
About the Nevada County Library
The Nevada County Library has six branches across Nevada County. In addition to providing access to books, internet, community programming and spaces, the Nevada County library offers Career Online High School, literacy programs, and partners to provide sports equipment, musical instruments, California State Parks vehicle day-use passes, and Discover & Go free or low-cost passes for museums, science centers, zoos, theaters and other cultural destinations.