Stephanie Western, North Logan City Library
As our communities grow, so do our libraries. Library staffs are expanding, renovating and rebuilding so they can continue to meet the needs of local residents of all ages. Our mission is to offer the materials, services and tools that increase your quality of life while taking the pressure off your budget.
Did you know that 90 percent of a child’s critical brain development occurs before he or she is 5 years old? Talking, singing and reading with kids during these early years helps them grow their vocabulary, become better readers and succeed at school. This is why many libraries offer storytimes for babies through preschoolers and programs like “1,000 Books before Kindergarten.” In addition, they offer collections of board books and picture books to supplement your home libraries.
For school-aged children, we offer books to help them grow as readers (along with recommendations to tempt even the most reluctant readers). We provide online homework help sources through Utah’s Online Library. Summer reading programs keep kids reading to stay off the dreaded “summer slide.” We also have programs like book clubs, Lego clubs and coding clubs to help children explore interests and learn new skills.
Teenagers can grab the most popular and latest fiction titles and graphic novels at the library as well as ACT and SAT prep materials. They find leadership opportunities on Teen Advisory Boards and help plan events like Humans vs. Zombies. The North Logan City Library holds an annual Marvel competition and party for teens, which has grown to include teen groups from other local libraries, too.
In 2016, 25 percent of American adults reported that they hadn’t read a book in the last year. J.K. Rowling said, “If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.”
We are here to help you find that book. (And, we can probably find it in hard copy, audio CD, ebook or eaudiobook.) But we know you could use more than just the perfect page-turner. That’s why we offer Makerspaces to give you access to the technology you need for your big projects. Learning new skills will help you advance at your job or make a career change, so we provide services like Lynda.com so you can take business, technology and creative skills classes at your own pace —on our computers or yours. Want to learn a new language? You can get access to online language services like Mango. Want a free date night or family night out? Chances are your library has movie nights, author events, trivia nights and weekly classes. Going on vacation? Check out a parks pass, a GoPro and a wifi hotspot to take with you.
We hope people will always look to libraries for traditional programs like storytime and summer reading as well as quiet, comfortable places for reading and studying. But we can also use our space in multi-functional ways to connect people in big and small groups, bringing you together to learn, work, play and create. Our core commitment to our patrons never changes as we adapt to bring even more value to you and your families.
