Engineering on display at Carson City Library

Kael Walt, 7, and his sisters made their way through a series of activities and displays set up Monday as part of a traveling engineering exhibit at the Carson City Library.

“The games are smart,” he said. “They help us learn.”

His sister Chloe, 12, clarified: “They’re educational. You learn from your mistakes.”

The exhibit, Discover Tech: Engineers Make a World of Difference, is supported by the National Science Foundation and will remain in the library’s auditorium through May 24 during regular hours.

“It’s very hands-on, and the kids love it,” said Carson City Library Director Sena Loyd during the grand opening Monday evening. “We hope the exhibit shows that engineers are real people who, through a creative and collaborative design processes, arrive at practical solutions to help solve the world’s problems.”

The exhibit opened to the public after Nevada State Engineer Jason King and four of his predecessors cut the ribbon.

Carson City Mayor Robert Crowell said it was an honor to be in the gathering with the group of engineers — King, Hugh Ricci, Mike Turnipseed, Pete Morros and Roland Westergard — who served as far back as 1967.

“Seldom do I get to be at an event where you have five giants of Nevada all in one room,” he said. “This is truly spectacular. They’ve been integral to the development of Nevada.”

Loyd said the Carson City Library is one of eight libraries across the nation chosen to house the exhibit from 63 applicants.

It is a part of the STAR Library Education Network, a national program led by the Space Science Institute’s National Center for Interactive Learning. Exhibit partners include the Lunar and Planetary Institute, the National Girls Collaborative Project and the American Library Association.

The exhibit will be open to the public and available for classroom field trips. A series of special presentations and lectures are also planned, including a visit from Diandra Leslie-Pelecky, author of “The Physics of NASCAR” at the Carson City Community Center this evening.

“This is just really special for the kids,” said Carson City School board trustee Ron Swirczek, “but it’s also special for businesses. It’s tying a lot of things together. This is one of those things that truly makes a community.”