HIGHLAND -- Trekking through magical worlds in library books may be a priceless experience but it's definitely not a cheap one, says a mayor interested in pushing for a countywide library system.
Highland Mayor Jess Adamson says he has discovered the cost of operating a full-service library exceeds the financial means of smaller towns like Alpine, Highland and Cedar Hills. He believes its time to combine forces as a county.The three cities combined efforts with the Alpine School District several years ago to create the library at Mountain Ridge Junior High School in Highland.
That has since proved to be limiting as the library is small and the three communities are growing rapidly, with increasing demand for books and resources.
Now Adamson plans to ask the county mayors at the next Council of Governments meeting to seriously look at forming a coalition that would share books and materials among all 23 Utah County cities and towns.
"We always considered the Mountain Ridge Library a temporary solution," Adamson said. "I think it's time to pattern a system after something like Salt Lake County. Books do us no good if they're sitting on the shelves. We need to be smart about the usage. They share. The concept is solid.
"I think it's a no-brainer."
Highland budgets between $50,000 and $60,000 annually for the Mountain Ridge Library.
Provo City Librarian Gene Nelson said the idea is indeed a good one but comes about 20 years too late.
"The question is how can we make it fair and equitable without double taxation and a huge drain on the larger libraries," Nelson said. "They would catch the brunt of the use."
Communities like Provo, Orem and American Fork that have poured millions into their libraries would find it difficult to justify suddenly opening up their facilities to communities that have never made libraries a priority, he said.
"They should have started 20 years ago. Now, it's going to be a tough road to go," Nelson said. "I love the idea of sharing, as a librarian, but what does the Provo taxpayer get who's paid an average of $120 to $140 a year for the library?"
Provo residents are also paying off a multimillion-dollar bond for restoration of the old Academy Square building as a new library.
"What happens to that debt?" Nelson asked.
Nelson said nonresidents are already offered the opportunity to buy into the Provo library, and inter-library loans are common between the libraries up and down the state.
"It's not like sharing isn't already occurring," he said.
Utah County Commissioner Jerry Grover said he will support Adamson and the concept but he believes the mayor is headed for a buzz saw.
"He's free to propose it and he's brave. I tried something like this a few years ago and I didn't even have a proposal," Grover said. "I was just trying to look at getting library access for county residents with some sort of voucher system.
"The idea was not warmly received. It didn't go anywhere."
Grover said he believes there is a better chance of success if the cities combine to form an independent library council that administers a cooperative system.
"I don't think the county ought to do it," Grover said. "There's a certain amount of fear on the part of the cities that they'd be giving up control."
He said a county library tax could be implemented to pay for a countywide system but it would require voter approval to do so.
Also, most cities do not have a separate library tax that is collected as part of the property taxes. Rather, they take out a portion of their general funds to pay for library services, a portion that would be difficult to cull and return to the county for taking over the costs.
"I think there are simpler ways to do it," Grover said. "(Possibly) charge the cities a fee for usage like Timpanogos Special Service District does for sewer service."