Gardening in the American Southwest (SW) is an extreme sport. Not only are gardeners challenged by geographic extremes from tropical deserts to subalpine locales, they must also deal with a wide range of climates. Winter in the mountains and higher regions means heavy snows, frozen soils, and temperatures that can dip below zero. In contrast,…

This article describes the Grand County Public Library (GCPL) which was awarded the 2007 Best Small Library in America, an award sponsored by "Library Journal" and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Some 4800 of Grand County, Utah's 8,826 people live in Moab and the rest in the adjacent Spanish Valley and environs. The locals are a…

This annual report of Utah public library services presents data useful for local library planning. This information is presented in two sections: core performance measures and general tables. Statewide summary data and breakouts by the populations of the library jurisdictions are provided for the following core performance measures: (1) visits…

This report is an evaluation of public library service in Utah from 1990 to 2000. The introduction summarizes findings; a map of public library jurisdictions is included. The report contains sections the following sections: (1) Utah's Population; (2) Circulation and Interlibrary Loan; (3) Holdings and Subscriptions; (4) Library Staff; (5) Income…

This document presents standards for Utah public libraries. The benefits of standards for public libraries and for the state library are listed, and responsibilities, benefits, and characteristics of three types of public libraries (i.e., volunteer, transitional, and certified public libraries) are summarized. Specific standards in the following…

A five-year plan for the Salt Lake County Library System is presented to meet the complex needs of patrons and to comply with American Library Association's "Minimum Standards for Public Library Systems" (1966). A new main library building is planned to house the main collection, and enlarged nonprint collection, and audiovisual and…

This document reports results of a study of Utah's public libraries that included four specific tasks: (1) analysis of demographic data, library use patterns, and projected demand for the next 10 years; (2) a statewide public opinion survey to determine the level of knowledge of and support for Utah's libraries; (3) facilities review, assessment…

This five-year plan for the administration of Utah's Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) program contains the following sections: (1) principles; (2) assumptions; (3) the current scene of Utah libraries, including public libraries, academic libraries, school library media centers, and private and research libraries; (4) establishment of…

Until 1972, library services in Salt Lake County consisted of a group of branch libraries with nearly identical collections for recreational reading. Because the needs of the community had become more complex, a new regional library was built to coordinate library operations and establish new services. Among the innovations in public library…

This annual report of public library services is part of "The Upgrade Process," a tool for Utah's public librarians and library trustees to use as they work to improve the quality and effectiveness of public library service. The process has three major components: public library service standards; a flexible planning process for public…

The Utah Public Library Service annual report for 1975 includes a financial and statistical report of the State Library Commission. Then for each public library in the state, data are given on staffs, circulation, collections, income, and expenditures. A comparative table for 1973 through 1975 shows total library spending per capita by county.…

A data comparison was made between 33 rural libraries in Utah and the essentially rural bookmobile service maintained by the Extension Services Division of the State Library Commission of Utah. The comparison revealed that, in terms of cost per item circulated, bookmobile service was slightly more expensive. Using cost per capita served as a…

Explores current patterns of recency, structure, intent, scaling, and planning and measurement in state library standards. Ways that four states--Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, and Ohio--have adapted basic standards elements are considered, and issues in linking planning and measurement to standards are discussed. (MES)

While much progress has been made since the creation of the Utah State Library Commission more than two decades ago, much more remains to be done to improve library and information services in the state. There is a critical need in school media centers for professionally trained library personnel where non-professionals may now be substituting,…

The need for a reconsideration of policy in the Utah library community is driven by three factors: (1) the success of the Upgrade Process and state development grants in developing local library service; (2) the rapid expansion of revolutionary network technology; and (3) changing patterns of federal funding. This paper focuses on specific…