New Syracuse library opens today

SYRACUSE — After only nine months of construction, the new Syracuse/Northwest Branch Davis County Library, 1875 W. 200 South, will open for business today, two months ahead of schedule.

The approximately 8,000-square-foot, $1.8 million facility, located just south of Syracuse City Hall, has been completed about two months ahead of schedule, thanks to last winter's unusually dry conditions.

A dedication ceremony will begin at 8:30 a.m. today, followed by a flag ceremony, ribbon cutting and a host of special events in the nearby park.

"The look of this library is very different," Pete Giacoma, Davis County library director, said. "We like to give each library its own special look."

The building includes six stained-glass windows, a first in the Davis County Library System; a red/gray-tone brick exterior; and special murals and lots of woodwork inside.

Patrons from Syracuse, as well as West Point, Clinton and west Layton, will have some 35,000 items to choose from, and many will no longer have to drive to Clearfield or Layton, the nearest previous libraries.

Giacoma said that's not as many items as Layton's library (with 130,000), or Clearfield's (110,000), but the Syracuse library will be expanded to some 65,000 items within two to three years. Also, the building was built to be expandable and can double in size, as usage demands in the near future. The facility stayed slightly under its budget.

Library users will find all the high-demand items there — children's books, books on tape, "how to" books and Internet computer stations. Patrons can also order items from other libraries.

The facilities also include a children's room, private study room and a group meeting area.

Murals inside portray the surrounding area. For example, a 3-by-8-foot mural is of Antelope Island. Another is of the nearby Ogden Bay Bird Refuge.

"The interior is very beautiful," Giacoma said. "This is something the community can value."

The library will remain open until 6 p.m. today. Its regular hours will be the same as other Davis libraries — Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; closed on Sundays.

Those celebrating the library's opening will also be treated to magicians, yo-yo displays, antique car displays, rocket launches, carnival games, fossil digging, watermelon eating and other events.

Fourteen librarians, four or five full-time and the rest part-time, will staff the facility.

Giacoma said a new library for Centerville is next on the county's project list. Design work will begin next March or April and construction should be completed by October of 2005.

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E-mail: lynn@desnews.com