New Highland library looking for book money

HIGHLAND — Listen up, bookworms.

Highland expects to open a new library in fall 2008, but if library supporters don't raise $300,000, there may not be anything on the shelves.

The newly appointed members of a city library board met Wednesday night at Highland's City Hall to discuss fund-raising efforts and committee appointments.

"I'm an avid reader; I have stacks (of books) that are ready to tip over on my night stand," said Terri Kent, a former elementary school teacher and PTA board member for Legacy Elementary in American Fork. "I have an addiction to checking out books at the library."

City officials began considering a library after some citizens approached them. Two of those residents, Justin Englebright and Stephanie Thacker, are now on the library board.

"When I came to Highland I was just very surprised and disappointed that we didn't have a library," said Thacker, board chairwoman. "So I contacted the mayor ... to get going on trying to get a library."

A survey in late 2006, in which 24 percent of residents responded, found that 75 percent of residents wanted the city to have its own library.

It's been about six years since the community has had a library and, even then, it consisted of a small collection of books, mostly oriented toward children, housed at Mountain Ridge Junior High School. The city decided to pack up the books in 2000 due to limited operating hours and selection, officials said.

The new library is scheduled to be open 60 hours each week and will be in a wing of the City Hall. Operation costs will be covered by the city's budget, but the board is responsible for the majority of the opening costs, which includes technological equipment, furnishings and, of course, books.

On opening day, board members hope about 26,000 items will be available for checkout, including DVDs and CDs.

Residents who donate money for books can have their name on the books. Dee Whitlark, fund-raising committee chairwoman for the board, said she hopes to reach out to businesses as well.

"This is going to be part of our community — something that gathers our community together," Whitlark said. "That's what a library has always been wherever I've lived.

---

Contributing: Amy Choate-Nielsen

E-mail: rwestenskow@desnews.com