By Brook Cox

NORTH LOGAN -- After breaking ground in late August last year, the North Logan Library plans to open its doors Nov. 2.

The grand opening celebration is scheduled for Nov. 6 at the library, at 2500 N. 475 East.

Friends of the Library and many others have been working to make the new library possible.

Kaylene Griffin, president of the Friends of the Library, and other members have organized volunteers and raised money through book sales, fund-raising dinners, and applying for many grants.

"We were very fortunate to get $225,000 in grant money," said Sue Randleman, library director. "North Logan residents voted to secure a $2 million bond for the North Logan Library, but only $1.7 million was used."

Many construction items are still being finished in preparation for the grand opening, including setting up furniture, installing shelves, and finishing the carpeting. Currently the library staffers are working to install and network all the computers and correct the cataloging of the library's 17,000 books.

"Every book and video needs to be checked for accuracy and possibly corrected," said Randleman.

Currently library cards will only be given to North Logan residents and only residents will be able to use the computers in the library. The library is hopeful that soon Hyde Park and possibly other small cities will offer acceptable proposals to the North Logan City Council and be able to receive cards and fully use the library.

The library is next to the Greenville Elementary School and is also close to the North Park Elementary. Randleman said she pushed for this to be their new location because it made the library close to both schools. Greenville Elementary is allowing the library to hook onto their "T1" line free of charge, which is "a big savings for the library," Randleman said. The T1 line will help the online computers operate faster.

Teachers at Greenville Elementary want to use the library, but said Greenville and North Park Elementary have both North Logan and Hyde Park children attending their schools, and as of now Hyde Park residents can not check out books. Teachers commented that although some children can't check out books, the library will still be a place they can do class research and other activities. Greenville Elementary teacher Sandy Wallentine said, "If we are able to utilize it, we will."

The library will be open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. Randleman fears they may have to cut back the hours.

"One of our biggest problems is the fact that we are 14 times larger than our original library and we were only able to obtain one more part-time person for 20 hours a week," Randleman said, "so we are apprehensive of our work load. We may need to secure some qualified volunteers."

The library has magazine and video collections available and a CD-ROM collection including reference materials and educational and entertaining games. It also has 16 computers, four for preschool-age children, two to hold the library's own online catalog, and 10 with Internet access, word processors and various other software programs.

The library also offers two small study rooms and a large meeting room that the staff hopes to rent for meetings, conventions and receptions.

MS
DC