Fast Facts

At a Glance (FY 2016-17)

  • 12.9 million: Books and other materials checked out
  • 6.2 million: Visits to the branches
  • 2.9 million: Number of items in the collection – almost 20 times the number of slot machines in Las Vegas
  • 2 million: Computer use
  • 21,597: Library-sponsored and community programs
  • 633,400: Children and adult program attendance
  • 45,309: Volunteer hours

Service Area

  • City of Las Vegas and most of Clark County except for North Las Vegas, Boulder City and Henderson.
  • Serves 1.6 million people over 8,000 square miles—larger than the state of Connecticut.

Governance and Funding

  • Is an independent government agency and is not part of Las Vegas city government or the Clark County government.
  • Operations are overseen by a ten-member Board of Trustees, five appointed by the Clark County Commission and five appointed by the Las Vegas City Council.
  • The Board appoints the Library’s Executive Director and has the authority to make policies and approve the budget for the programs, activities, and services the branches provide.
  • Regular Board of Trustees meetings are held the second Thursday of most months (except May) and are open to the public.
  • Funding is primarily from property taxes and consolidated sales tax.

Staff

  • 313 full-time and 340 part-time staff.
  • Staff includes 104 professional librarians with MLIS degrees (Master of Library and Information Science).
  • Remaining staff are professionals and support staff in Administration, Branding & Marketing, Community Engagement, Development & Planning, Financial Services, General Services, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Library Operations.

Facilities

  • The West Charleston Library includes a Consumer Health Collection that provides consumer health information for the public.
  • Includes 13 urban libraries, 11 outlying libraries, and one outreach library.
  • Larger libraries offer meeting rooms, conference rooms, children's storyrooms, and art galleries.
  • Clark County, Summerlin, West Charleston, West Las Vegas, Whitney, and Windmill Libraries have performing arts centers.
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