Donors enable SLT Library to expand offerings

Shelby Hadjes watches her son, Connor, play at the South Lake Tahoe Library. Photo/Kathryn Reed

By Kathryn Reed

South Lake Tahoe’s public library is about to be transformed.

Two generous donors are allowing the facility to rethink what it offers patrons in terms of materials and programs, hours of operations, and what it looks like.

An anonymous donor wrote a check for $30,000 with the sole purpose of revamping the children’s section.

“We are still examining what is available to us and what possible changes we can make,” librarian Katharine Miller told Lake Tahoe News. Improving and refurbishing the area in some manner to make it more fresh and flexible are goals.

For 3½-year-old Connor Hadjes he likes things the way they are – plenty of dinosaurs to play with and read about. His mom, Shelby, tries to bring him to the library as much as possible.

“They have good dinosaur books. That’s what he is obsessed with,” Hadjes said. She, too, likes what is offered today, but is intrigued by how the space might evolve.

While this donation came as a surprise to the library, a large endowment has been promised since the late 1990s. The $150,000 a year that will start arriving this year is from the Jean P. and Stephen D. Myers Trust. The local couple set this up years ago, with payment to start after both died. Steve Myers passed away last summer, and Jean Myers in 2008.

Beyond the legacy they will leave at the library, Steve Myers is known for starting the Tahoe Drive-In in 1947, and together the couple bought the Echo Summit Ski Area in 1957. Then they opened a series of retail stores. She was also a renowned stained glass artist.

“Their primary goal was to increase access to the library for the community. That may result in an extension of hours and services we offer,” Miller said. “We just have to look at the costs of possible changes and make sure they are sustainable in the long term.”

A group is working to come up with ideas on how best to spend this ongoing gift. A decision is likely to be made later this spring, with implementation possible in the summer.

Miller had met Steve Myers before his passing. They spoke a few times about his interest in the library remaining a viable part of the community. Now she is working with a trustee of the estate to ensure Myers’ vision comes to fruition.