By Kathryn Pruett
On January 19, the Lehi public library will be closing its doors in preparation for a long-awaited move into new quarters.
The Lehi public library will no longer be part of the Recreational Legacy Center, but will reopen Feb. 6 in the renovated building located at 120 N. Center Street.
Janeen Watkins, Lehi library director, estimates the new library will add 50,000 new square feet, doubling the size of the current library location.
'There will be a lovely new circulation desk,' Watkins said, 'and there will be a lot of lovely new books.'
The new library will include a new children''s center as well as an expanded technical center service area.
'The library will also house our literacy center,' said Robert Fox, a Lehi city council member.
The literacy center will be open for anyone to learn to read or to advance already established reading skills.
'The literacy center really is supported by the community.' Fox said. 'We felt it important to put the center under the umbrella of the library.'
A Municipal Building Bond, approved by the city council in July 2000, provided funding for the library.
Money from the bond was allotted for a renovation of the library but was insufficient to complete the project. Ron Foggin, Lehi City Financial Director, said money was transferred from the Capitol projects fund to complete the renovation.
'We''ve also been lucky and we''ve been awarded some grants and donations,' Foggin said.
The state of Utah awarded Lehi $55,000 for library services and improvements.
'We will also be hosting a fund-raising dinner on Feb. 5 to help even more,' Foggin said.
The library''s first move into the Legacy Center was a long and complicated process, one that the library staff hopes to simplify this time.
Volunteers were allowed to box and move books, however the process was not well organized.
'It''s a very complicated process,' Watkins said.
This time, a professional moving company will help move and reshelf the books located in the current library.
While the new library will be twice the size of the current building, minimal new staff will be hired.
'We will just move the current staff to the new building,' Watkins said.
The library moved into the Legacy Center June 7, 2001 when the city council gave final approval for the library.
The public library has since been housed in the Legacy Center while awaiting the new facilities.
After the library moves into their new building, the Legacy Center will restore its full recreational and senior citizen activities.