After‐costs of library construction: a case study of Lied Library at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

All library construction or renovation projects are complete when contractors leave the site, staff and library users occupy the new space, and the accounts funding the project are expended and closed. Typically, additional necessary expenses after occupancy are borne by the library’s operating budget, and in this paper are referred to as “after‐costs”. This paper documents the after‐costs of one construction project, Lied Library at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, to serve as a planning tool for others who are currently involved in, or are considering library construction or renovation projects. Identifying the specific after‐costs of one library construction project can also serve as an example for estimating or avoiding some of the after‐costs of other library construction projects, and perhaps as a basis for justifying requests for reasonable increases in a library’s operating budget after new library construction or renovation projects have been completed.