By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Leaders of a new group, Friends of the Nephi Library,
told council members that they are interested in the library
and offered to assist the council and the library board and
staff to meet some goals.
Jennifer Rowley, who acted as spokesperson for the
group, said the group had recently met with library board
members to share goals and vision of library services.
Attending the meeting with her were Pamela Foster and
Danette Arns.
The non-profit organization is hoping that other
interested library patrons will also join the group. They
currently have approximately 20 members, half who are active
and the others who are interested and supportive but do not
have time.
"We are not trying to take over, but are trying to
enhance," she said.
The goals of the organization are to promote literacy
in the community. One of the ways to do this, she said, is
to sponsor children's summer reading programs. Another is to
provide a children's summer story time.
Friends of the Nephi Library members are running a
summer program this year. They have talked to the librarians
and are cooperating with them. A story time will be held to
provide an additional service for children.
The group also wants to have guest lectures and
literary events for adults which would be held on a
year-round basis.
A children's theater is also one of the programs the
group would like to assist in implementing.
Rowley said the Friends of the Nephi Library
organization would also like to expand library services by
offering a variety of programs to the community such as
after school activities at the library for children and
adults.
They would also like to have community computer
classes and want the library to become a community resource
center.
"Traditionally a public library serves as the medium
in most communities where resources are available," she
said.
The library at Hurricane, for example, has a self-help
area where laminating services are available.
An additional service could be to provide copy
machines after hours. "It is hard to get a copy in Nephi
after 7 p.m.," Rowley said. Of course, she said, providing
such services as the group had suggested would be possible
only if the library could be open later in the evening.
Having the library open later in the evening would
also be a good idea for patrons who wanted to check out a
book.
"It is difficult for commuters to get to the library
to get a book," said Rowley. If they leave work at 6 p.m.
and commute from Utah County, it is impossible to be in
Nephi by 7 p.m. when the library closes for the day.
Brough said he understood. On a recent trip to Provo
for a meeting, the group went to the Provo City Library. He
said noticed the building stayed open for quite a while that
evening in order to provide a variety of services.
"We feel that the library should be a center of the
community to promote programs that increase literacy and
make available a variety of activities for members of the
community as well as a resource base with sufficient
material and access to enable these goals to happen."
"The present library seems to impose limitations that
prevent additional services and materials from enhancing our
community," said Rowley.
She said the group wondered about the possibility of
the city obtaining the doctor's clinic, the newest of the
buildings at the old hospital complex, which was no longer
in use since the new Central Valley Medical Center had
opened.
"The police department is also crammed into the space
they now occupy here at city hall," said Brough. The city
council had been looking at possibilities for moving the
police department as well as the library.
Rowley suggested that if the library were to be moved,
the old library space at the city building would become
available and the police department could move into that
area since it is much bigger than the space the police
department now occupies.
Another problem the Friends of the Nephi Library see
is that the library is a city library but actually serves
the East Juab County area.
Brough said the council had wondered, for some time,
if an annual fee should be charged those who live outside
Nephi or if the county should sponsor the library.
One of the members came from Spanish Fork where the
library does charge an annual fee to those who live outside
city limits or in another of the small communities
nearby.
Rowley said, since she did not have the statistics
available, she was not certain of the best answer to the
question. "Perhaps it would be better to have it as a county
library," she said.
Rowley said the Friends of the Nephi Library is an
independent group and, like many communities in the nation
including surrounding communities, the groups work directly
with the library to accomplish specific goals and expand
services.
"Research shows that if there is a high print
environment in a child's life, there is a higher literacy
rate as well as a higher achievement rate," Rowley said. "A
higher print environment means access to a variety of
materials."
Brough said he was pleased to meet the leaders of the
organization and was also pleased at the ideas they were
supporting.
"This is every city government's dream," he said.
"Citizens who become involved and are willing to help do
work."
However, Brough said he did have a word of caution:
"Hold off on fund-raising to do with a new building." Such
fund-raising activities often take such a ling time that the
organization membership becomes discouraged.
"Tackle little projects at first and have successes,"
he said. "The real need in Nephi is for cultural activities
and your organization seems to be one that will fill a real
need."
|
