Architects check out children's vision, too

North Las Vegas children got a chance to be architects and give input into the new North Las Vegas Branch Library during the Lucchesi Galati architectural firm's children's workshop.

About 12 children, ranging from kindergartners to a sophomore at Bishop Gorman High School, participated in the design session that produced some different ideas and a lot of fun.

"We let them use their imagination and show us their ideas for the library," architect Craig Galati said as he walked around the tables and asked the young designers about their creations.

Participants were given large poster board to create their ideal library. From there the children used popsicle sticks, crayons, markers, rubber cement, pipe cleaners, construction paper, scissors and staples to make their creations.

"My library has Homer and Bart on it, because we are big Simpsons fans," said Case Kepner, a seventh-grader who drew likenesses of his favorite cartoons on the front of his library design. "I also want the new library to have a room where you can listen to books on tape."

Another seventh-grader, David Kultala, was concerned with security at the new library.

"They should have a person watching on cameras so that nobody steals anything," Kultala said. "But that person would probably get fat, because they'd probably eat cookies while they watched the cameras."

Conner Casey, a sophomore at Gorman, said he wanted some modern conveniences and an easier way to locate books incorporated into the library.

"I want the new library to have printers so that if you write a paper, there is a place to print it out," Casey said. "They also need to come up with an easier way to find books that is not the Dewey Decimal system. No one I've talked to understands how it works."

Valerie Bugni, president of the North Las Vegas Friends of the Library, brought her four kids to the workshop and said there will be a pillar in the new library with the handprints of all the children who helped in the design.

"It has been a very fun process and it's nice that the children can be involved," Bugni said. "My son was a little nervous when I told him he was going to come help design a library, but they are all having a good time."

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