The Vision
LibraryUP
The beginning of a movement
In 2008, a Nevada County Grand Jury reported that the Truckee Library required more space given its rising population and projected growth. What this report did was start a movement - and that movement has grown in numbers and interest. Over the years, Friends of the Truckee Library has become the central advocate to build a new regional library in Truckee – to build more than a space for books. To create a legacy. To build a place everyone in the community could come together and celebrate what makes our mountain town so special.
Imagine the Possibilities
In 2019 FOTL began our LibraryUP campaign to share this vision and ask you to “Imagine the Possibilities” of what a new modern library would mean to our community. And, to create an opportunity for the community to invest in the building of this space as Luminaries.
Our LibraryUP initiative is your opportunity to bring this legacy to our community. Read on to learn more about LibraryUP, the new library project, and how you can be a part of this movement.
Led by Friends
In coordinating and collaborating with the project’s agency partners (Nevada County, Town of Truckee, Truckee-Donner Rec & Park District, Truckee Donner Public Utility District, and Truckee Sanitary District), Friends has earned broad support by community entities. And although the campaign has gone public, reach has been limited. Our solution is LibraryUP!
LibraryUP is an awareness campaign led by Friends of the Truckee Library to share the need for a new, modern space, and engage the community around a shared vision of what we need most. We are ready for a new Truckee library!
The Site
After two years of discussions, our two-acre Regional Park site has been finalized!. The site will be owned by the Truckee Donner Recreation and Park District, made possible by land exchanges between the Truckee Sanitary District, the Truckee Donner Public Utilities District, and the TDRPD. FOTL is contributing $75,000 to the costs associated with surveying and recording these land exchanges. We are utilizing Luminary funds, which are dedicated to pre-construction development costs
Click the image to see our proposed site map.
Milestones
The new Truckee Library project has reached incredible milestones over the past year, including:
Together with our Core Partners Nevada County and the Town of Truckee, raised $1.5M for pre-construction.
Established a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) for the new library with Nevada County and the Town of Truckee.
Secured the site at Truckee Regional Park.
Developed the new Library Advisory Task Force which is comprised of diverse groups across our community whose mission is to advise the architecture team on design requirements.
New Partnerships
The new library effort is bigger than just the FOTL’s involvement. The Town of Truckee and Nevada County have been actively working together with Friends of the Truckee Library on the goal of building our new library. In January 2024, the new Truckee Library JPA was established between the Town of Truckee and Nevada County.
Advisory Task Force
In May 2024, together with the Core Partners and architecture team, we established the new Truckee Library Advisory Task Force. The Advisory Task Force is composed of community leaders dedicated to ensuring that the new Truckee Library serves the diverse needs of our entire community. This task force will play a crucial role in gathering community input on the design and functionality of the new library space, making sure it meets the needs of all residents.
Architecture Team
We’re thrilled to announce that after an extensive proposal and interview process, the Core Partners (Town of Truckee, Nevada County & FOTL) have selected JK Architecture & Engineering and Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning Inc, to design the new Truckee Regional Library!
JKAE is a local Truckee Architecture Firm, who led the design of the Steve Randall Community Recreation Center. Group 4 Architecture specializes in library design. It is the powerful combination of local Truckee building and library design expertise that will support building a library that uniquely serves our region now and in the future!
What are the next steps?
JPA
The new Truckee Library JPA has been formed, but several steps now need to take place to have the organization ready to conduct the work of managing the financing and construction of the library building. The JPA members are diligently working on these next steps.
Polling
Initial polling was conducted in early 2023 to assess the community’s willingness to contribute to construction costs. Track polling will need to be conducted in early 2025 to see is there are any changes in the original polling results.
Architecture & Design
The architecture team is in the first phase of the architecture design; conducting community input and finalizing the schematic design. Next steps will include obtaining land permits and entitlements and completing final construction documents.
Community Engagement
An engaged, supportive community will make all the difference in getting this project prioritized and built. FOTL will continue to prioritize community outreach.
Capital Campaign
In 2024, FOTL plans to prepare our organization, build our volunteer committees, and conduct the much-needed work to execute a successful capital campaign.
Grants
Alongside Nevada County and the Town of Truckee, FOTL will continue to pursue grant opportunities to fund the project.
Beyond Construction
One key need is to create a plan for supporting the library after it is built. FOTL is outlining our 1, 5, and 10-year fundraising plans for once the library opens.
When will we get there?
The groundbreaking date is a moving target for us. There are so many dynamic pieces with many stakeholders involved. We have big plans in the upcoming year and aim for a shovel-to-the-ground target of 2026-27.
An engaged and supportive community will make the world of a difference in getting this project built!
Luminaries: Library Champions!
Since we launched this fundraising effort, over 250 individuals and families heard the call and stepped up to donate funding to keep our efforts moving forward. Not only that, but 38 local businesses that have a real stake in the health of our Truckee community also invested heavily in LibraryUp to help us reach our goals. Without these commitments, we could never have made it this far! Thank you to all of you.
Agency Partners
Major Funding Partners
Thank you to the agencies, organizations, and businesses that have helped (and are helping!) along the way.