Closure of MV County Library
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EVANSTON — The Uinta County Commissioners made a devastating announcement at their meeting Tuesday, June 6, when they informed the Uinta County Library Board the Mountain View Public Library may be closed down by the end of the month.
The Uinta County Library Board was established to manage finances and operation for the county libraries in Mountain View, Lyman and Evanston, but have been struggling to do so, according to County Commissioner Craig Welling.
“With the last hit we had with tax assessment, the income for the county has been reduced by $3 million,” Welling explained. Because of this, the commissioners have had to result to cutting several programs in order to keep other programs up and going.
The Mountain View Public Library might be one of the programs that won’t survive the cut.
“I have asked it [closing the library] to be put on the agenda for our next meeting on Tuesday June 20,” explained Welling. “There is no doubt in my mind that one of the facilities will be shut down because of lack of funding, but it is only fair to give the people one more chance to come in with any questions or comments they may have.”
“The thinking of the commissioners is to use the building for public purposes,” explained Welling, “and the public purpose most needed by the county is public health.” Therefore, upon closing, the Mountain View Public Library will be transformed into a public health building.
Once the books and shelves have been moved out and several repairs have been made, the commissioners will move forward with their plan of turning the building into a public health facility.
However, if the plan follows through the space will be greatly missed as a library as it has opened its welcoming arms to the community for so many years.
“I am very sad about it,” said Misty Baker, Mountain View librarian of 14 years. “It is going to be a huge loss for our community.”
The Mountain View Public Library got its start in the mid 1930s when a group known as the Happy Hour Club began to wonder what could be done about having a circulating library in their own town.
