Providence library, wearing bull's-eye, has its own special charms, director says

By Maddie Wilson

April 2, 2007 | PROVIDENCE -- The Cache County Library Providence-River Heights Branch had 3,000 more users than in 2005-06, but faces an uncertain future.

Marsha Herron, director of the library on 15 N. Main, said she is sad to hear that this library, which is in what used to be the city post office building, might go.

"This library was built with a lot of love, effort and volunteerism," said Herron. "There was even a grant from Jon Huntsman, and his plaque is up on the wall. There was an awful lot put into this library to start it."

Herron said the library was started 11 years ago with no materials. But now, as you walk into the small but long, narrow building, the walls are completely covered by bookcases filled with books, audiocassettes or videocassettes. There is not much walking space because of the rows of shelves, but when you get to the back, there is a semi-circle of chairs where preschoolers come to have story time.

"We have been collecting things [to put in the library] for many years now," Herron said. If her husband found a good deal on some bookcases or shelves, he would buy them and bring them in, she said. She said that now she doesn't think they could fit anything else.

All of this, however, could soon come to an end.

The Logan Library Board and Logan and Providence City Councils are discussing a $25,000 trial program that would allow Providence residents to use the Logan Library for 18 months. If residents liked the program, this would become a permanent agreement and would result in a double in Providence taxes. Without the program, Providence residents can use the Logan Library by paying $163 a year.

If Providence decides to make this permanent, "it's going to cost the city $262,000 a year, which would raise our taxes about $80 to $100 per $100,000 on our home. So, I figure, if you have a $200,000 home, there's the library card anyway," said Herron.

It also leaves the future of the Providence library uncertain.

Herron said she asked the Providence City Council what would happen to the library, but they did not respond. She said she wishes the council had a proposal for the future of the library.

Some residents have come to her with the same concerns, she said.

"There are a lot of people who feel like this is their library," Herron said, "and we don't want to give it up."

She also said she fears a lot of people are being misled with the proposal. She said the proposal leaves out the fact that during and after the trial program, Providence residents would have to pay for their library card.

Overall, she said she feels that this program is "not such a beneficial thing to Providence -- total package. But I can see that it will really benefit Logan."

The Providence Library has much to offer, Herron said. It has some things, she said, that the Logan Library cannot offer.

"We're far better off computer-wise," she said.

She said the Logan Library has 12 computers and Providence has 8, so when you compare the two city populations, Providence is more accommodating. It's also more personal, she said.

"Because we're smaller, I think that we can provide probably a more personal service to the people," she said.

Herron said there have been many times when she has taken a note home to try to find an item for someone.

"You can do that on a small scale," she said.

She also likes Providence's "story time" better. Every Tuesday and Thursday mornings and Thursday afternoons, children ages 3-5 can come and listen to stories, watch finger plays, sing songs, read poems, and play with puppets. She said she feels that there is a more "people friendly" atmosphere at the Providence Library, not only during story time, but in the library as a whole.

The Providence Library is also part of the County Bookmobile Program, which the Logan Library is not. The Bookmobile is an actual "automobile" that travels to cities throughout the county that do not have their own libraries.

Other programs the Providence Library offers include a Summer Reading Program, where kids can set goals to read during the summer and then receive prizes when they reach their goals. The kick-off for this summer's program is June 11, and will go until July 14. Herron said usually about 300 kids participate in the program.

The Providence Library also offers a young adult/juvenile reading club held the second Friday of each month.

Herron said about 100 people come into the library each day, and there has even been an increase since they recently expanded their hours to include mornings. In 2006, there were 29,537 users.

The library has 26,024 print materials, 872 audio materials and 1,269 videos, Herron said, as well as 36 databases.

"There's things that I wish we had that we don't, like private meeting rooms." Herron said. But it is still a special place, she said.

"There are people who come from Logan to use our library, and there is a reason why," Herron said. "Sometimes 31 flavors of ice cream is too many to choose from. Give me five, and I'm OK."

There are three other employees that also work in the library.

Library hours are 10 a.m. to noon and 3 to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.

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