BOUNTIFUL—The South Branch Library is more than 50 years old and has been in need of a facelift for some time. Now, plans are being made to not just do a remodel of the existing building but to build a completely new one on the lot next to it in front of Bountiful City Hall. The Davis County Commission gave the Library Board and staff a Notice to Proceed at the Feb. 27 meeting. 

“This allows us to start negotiating a contract for the land proposed by Bountiful that is adjacent to the south of the current library location,” said Davis County Library Director, Joshua Johnson. “The Library Board and Davis County Commission have been evaluating and examining potential options for around 10 months.”

Johnson said the board asked for proposals from each of the cities the library serves for possible locations in their city. “Those are West Bountiful, North Salt Lake, Woods Cross and Bountiful. Only North Salt Lake and Bountiful responded.”

After considering the proposals, Bountiful was selected, he said. “It is best suited where the land is located. It’s adjacent to public transportation and has good walkability.”

It’s one of the busiest locations, said Johnson. “It serves a lot of people. We look forward to the site Bountiful offered us.”

Every city would love to have a library, said Lynnette Mills, Deputy Director. “But we can’t afford to put a library in every city – it’s not feasible.”

Libraries can change the way they give service, she said. “It might be a locker with a book or a vending machine or kiosk. It may not be brick and mortar but that changes the game for what we can offer a city. We have to change with the times. There’s a lot out there.”

The library’s current construction cycle began in 2017 when it took a tax increase and the South Branch was included in the plans, said Johnson. “During the tax increase, the library promised to put a portion of the additional funding toward three capital projects: expand the Syracuse Branch, rebuild/remodel North Branch in Clearfield and rebuild/remodel the South Branch in Bountiful.”

It’s always been on the list to be done, he said. “We want to finish off the promise we made in 2017.”

“It’s something we’ve looked forward to for a long time,” said Bountiful City Manager Gary Hill. “We’re excited to have the opportunity for a facility in Bountiful.”

The property the library currently stands on belongs to Davis County, he said. “We’re going to trade property. Bountiful will give our land by City Hall to them and they’ll give us theirs. It’s open ground for open ground. It’s a matter of trading titles.”

It makes sense to keep it on the campus, Hill said. “It’s the closest to the center of the population. It would be difficult to move very far in any other direction.”

Also, people are familiar with how to get there, he said. “There’s a transit line already and other related services nearby including the senior center. The site has a lot going for it.”

The current building lacks meeting space, said Johnson. “There’s a tiny one upstairs. A conference room is a big deal.”

“The new building will have added TVs in the conference room where the public can come in to do presentations,” said Mills. “There will be better connectivity for WiFi. The old building is brick so the only place for wiring is in the floor. We want to give people the technology they want and need.”

The building is 50 years old, she said. “We want to make it last for the next 50.”

“We want to give the public the services they want,” said Johnson. “We want to use their tax money appropriately. The public is paying for these services, we’re aware of that.”

The commission’s approval for the official Notice to Proceed gives them the go ahead. Now there’s a lot to do, he said. “The door is open and we’re on the path, but there’s much left to be decided.”