Highland appears ready for own library

HIGHLAND — Residents in Highland may be ready to give the neighborhood library a second chance, now that about six years have passed since the city's old books were packed up and put in storage.

According to the results of a recent survey of Highland, in which about 24 percent of residents responded, 75 percent said they wished the city had a library of its own. Shortly after receiving the results of the survey, Highland Mayor Jay Franson formed a library committee to examine the possibility of the project.

The committee will present its findings at the next City Council meeting, at 7 p.m. Tuesday in City Hall, 5378 W. 10400 North.

"We moved here two years ago from Richfield ... we loved going to the library there, and we got here and there was no library," said Justin Englebright, a library committee member. "We were shocked — a town like Highland, and the money that's here. I went to a town meeting and I said I would like to volunteer in any way I could to put together that project."

Franson formed the library committee in early October, with councilwomen Claudia Stillman and Kathryn Schramm overseeing the project. Englebright and Stephanie Thacker, another town resident, also participated. The group has met together six times since its formation.

Aside from doing personal research into the feasibility of a library, committee members visited several libraries in similar communities, such as Eagle Mountain, Mapleton and Moab, to compare how they function.

"Highland has a lot of children and a lot of large families," Franson said. "There's interest in having a library. Whether (residents) are willing to pay for it, I don't know the answer to that question. And until we have some answers, nobody will know."

According to Stillman, the committee estimates a library's annual operating costs would be about $195,000, which is within the city's budget and wouldn't require a tax increase. Stillman says the committee has looked at cost-effective approaches to offset startup costs, such as collecting donations or purchasing inexpensive surplus shelving.

The town currently has about 12,000 books left from the city's former library, which was open in Mountain Ridge Junior High School from 1994 to 2000. The old library closed because of "restrictive hours" and "books that were not geared towards the whole population," Stillman said.

If the city opens a new library, Stillman said she hopes it will be open about 60 hours a week and have a much more extensive collection, including CDs and DVDs.