New Weber County Library branch to be built in area

Starting next year, students looking for an extra place to study will have a new option. The Weber County Library is building a new branch in Washington Terrace. Weber County Library Assistant Director Karen Burton said the library would offer a variety of services for Weber State University students, including state-of-the-art computer technology, places to study and reflect inside and outside the facility and "a cool place to hang out." The new library will have a café area where patrons can read and have a cup of coffee. In a time when some people have wondered if libraries will be used less because of the Internet and home computers, numbers at the Weber County Library have only increased. In 2005, the library system recorded about 1,253,000 visits, 92,000 active library cards, 1,687,000 requests for information and 1,225,000 items loaned to patrons. The libraries have also had more than 50,000 people attend programs hosted at the facilities throughout the year. The facility, to be built on 4.25 acres of land, will be the largest branch of the Weber County Library as far as square footage for public service. The new South Branch library will also have other resources, such as a 250-seat auditorium, meeting rooms, an art gallery and a Consumer Health Information Center. This center will provide information and guidance about diseases, healthy lifestyles, and medical terminology. The addition will provide material such as pamphlets and books, as well as Web sites that offer credible resources and information. "For those students in the College of Health professions, this branch will offer many opportunities for resources," said Lynnda Wangsgard, Weber County Library director. "It will be a place to hold practicums, and it will have collaborative study space." Wangsgard also said the new library will have large computer areas and a lot of computer software access that isn't available at the schools, including practice tests and architecture programs. Wangsgard also said it will be a great place for students with children. "It will have a place for kids to be engaged while their parents are doing research," Wangsgard said. Jordan Hensley, a WSU accounting major, said he doesn't know how much the library will be used by college students. "I do think the technology they will have will be useful to students," Hensley said. Wangsgard also said the new branch would be beneficial to WSU students because it will create a lot of jobs. Groundbreaking for the new branch is Nov. 9; it will be near Ogden Regional Hospital and five miles away from WSU, at 5568 Adams Ave., Washington Terrace.

You can leave a message for reporter Mindi Mueller Silva by calling 626-7655.