Mapleton librarians are going shopping

MAPLETON — Ten years of learning from borrowed books has Mapleton itching to buy a few hardbacks of its own — 20,000, to be exact.

Mapleton is planning to create a city-run library, independent from the Utah County Bookmobile, which is currently checking books out to residents.

"The Bookmobile has been a great resource for the city, but we're growing up as a city, and it's time for us to have a library," said City Administrator Bob Bradshaw.

In then next three to five years, Mapleton, which has about 5,800 residents, is expected to double in population.

The county-run Bookmobile service is designed to drive the latest titles from city to city, bringing literature to small towns without library facilities.

But Mapleton has a library venue in the city offices so for years Bookmobile didn't make a stop in the city. Instead, Bradshaw said the county stocks Mapleton's shelves with the "outdated books" the Bookmobile no longer has room for.

"All the best books are on the road — and quite rightly because that's what the service was designed for," he said. "If somebody wants to come read the newest Harry Potter book, it's going to be down in Goshen if they come to our library."

With a full-scale, city-owned library, Mapleton also hopes to expand the breadth of literature available to residents, said Mayor Jim Brady. Whereas the Bookmobile focuses on best sellers, a city library has room for older, more classic books.

"With our current service, if you try to get the 'Lord of the Flies' or 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' because it's more than four or five years old, we won't have it," he said.

The new book collection will be tailored to the city's specific needs, said City Councilman Keith Stirling, who is overseeing the library project.

To get a basic idea of what books to buy, the city is taking a look at the library catalogues of other cities of similar size. But, Stirling said, Mapleton's book collection won't be a "rubber stamp" of neighboring libraries. City officials are planning to meet with residents Sept. 1 to discuss plans for the library.

The city recently formed a five-member library board to oversee the book shopping, among other things. Right now committee members are focusing their efforts on fund raising, Stirling said.