Notes from Your Alta Library

At last we have reached December -- the last month of 2009. The ending of the year is a good time for us to finish our history lesson and get our Library into its present site. To put things in perspective, we need to back up a bit. We ended in 1991, with the Library's move to the Community Building. All was going pretty well, except for parental concerns about the safety of the children in having to cross the highway. Requests for a stoplight were made, or other forms of traffic control. There was also concern about space for the children's programs being offered. Now we need to briefly look back at 1967 when Alta built a new elementary school. It had its own library. The school enrollment continued to grow, and state mandated classes needed more space, so about 30 years later the school board began to plan for a new middle school adjacent to the "new" elementary school. Knowing of the concerns from Alta citizens about the aforementioned conditions, the school board and the town made preliminary overtures to combine the two libraries, and requested the architect to draw up plans to show this. The bond issue passed with this plan in place, and work began on the new building in 2001.

All that remained was to hammer out the details with the Library Board. This was no small task. The elementary library was computerized, but the public library was not; the public library was crowded in its old space and wanted to be sure there would be enough room; the concerns about staffing, maintenance (both inside and out); budget issues, had to be addressed, and a formal agreement drawn up. With some concessions on all sides, the agreement was finally formalized and signed and the Public Library began its move in 2003 -- when the school addition opened for occupancy. This was more complex than a matter of moving the books to the new location. The system had to be upgraded, and all the books had to be bar coded. It was a tremendous amount of work. Joan Curbow, our present Library Board President, was the person responsible for getting all this done. The furniture and shelving from the old library had to be moved and installed -- and more shelving ordered. Credit must also be given to Sue Pederson, the City Librarian, and Ila Galvin, the School Librarian, whose help in the transition was invaluable. Out of all this chaos and commotion, our present Library emerged in 2003. With a few refinements and many literary acquisitions, it remains today, an institution in which the City and the school can take pride.

Now -- to reading in this last month of the year. It is for most, a hectic time, with many demands on our time. So I will recommend some old favorites that will be satisfying, and will help put us in the right frame of mind and spirit. How about A Christmas Carol, The Polar Express, A Christmas Memory, The Gift of the Magi, and, of course, the story of the first Christmas from the Gospel of Luke.

Merry Christmas to all! Joyce