Nebraska Town Approves Library Elevator Replacement

The North Platte City Council in Nebraska voted 8-0 on October 18 to approve the US$77,824 bid by Otis to replace the elevator between the 1967 North Platte Public Library’s first and second floors on October 18, The North Platte Telegraph reports. Since faulty electronics disabled the elevator last November, library patrons wanting to access second-floor collections have had to climb the tall staircase or have librarians bring down materials. City officials said they put off a full elevator replacement while trying to avoid a large replacement bill, but they finally decided in July that replacement wasn’t an option. According to the source, the three bids came in lower than expected, even with the need for the new elevator to meet current building codes. Based on information from Otis, “this should be another 50-year elevator.” The city hopes to have the new library elevator in service within six months.