Library Tours

Its a weird thing about the librarians I know, most of them love to look at other libraries whenever they are on a personal trip. I don't know if people in other businesses like to look at the facilities of their competition - do tellers and bankers like to look at other banks? Do grocery clerks like to see how other grocery stores align their shelves? Do hospital workers enjoy browsing other hospitals?

Librarians like to see how other libraries handle the same problems and if they do it better. Is there a way we might find a solution for a space issue, or how might we display our books better, how do they handle Internet signups, what resources do they have that we might utilize.

I recently had the chance to visit Moab, and, of course, I stopped to see their brand new library which has won the award of Best Small Library in America for 2007. You can check out their website at http://www.moablibrary.org/ It is a beautiful library painted in desert colors. The entry way houses three Internet computers for visitors so they can make a quick 15 minute in -and-out to check their e-mail. They actually have a total of 50 computers and have them separated into areas for teens, children, adults and research.

They have many people sitting around in comfortable couches and chairs reading and soaking up the atmosphere. They have enough bare wall space for art works. Since the teenagers have their own separate space, they can be noisy and work in clusters without bothering other library patrons. Books are all in order thanks to 14 volunteer staff who work regular shifts.

The people of Moab decided they wanted a good library "the town's living room" and they voted to cough up the tax money to build it. Then they pitched in with money, books, and time to ensure a great library and its services. For a county with a small population of 8,826, they've been excited enough about their library to create one that attracts people from outside their area and is no longer a place where "only deadbeats" go.

Some of our library staff is going to look at the remodeling job done at the Tremonton library and then over to see Hyrum's new library. Maybe we'll get some good ideas we can use here, or maybe we'll just be drooling over something we'll never have.

Susan