The Elk Mountain Branch Library will set out the treats and celebrate a ribbon cutting at its new location on Monday, July 17, at 6 p.m. The library, formerly the smallest in the Carbon County Library System, will roughly quadruple its space.
“The space is bigger, brighter, and new” said Jacob Mickelsen, CCLS Director. “We’ve been able to add a children’s room and meeting room, as well as upgrading the technology. It’s a much needed upgrade to a heavily used branch library.”
The new library features all new information technology infrastructure as well as a raised floor, which should simplify further upgrades in the future. The addition of a meeting room is a high point for those living in Elk Mountain, as options for meeting space are severely limited in such a small community.
Elk Mountain Library’s former location
The project began when the Town of Elk Mountain, which owned the property, made other plans for the building where the library was housed. “Fortunately the town really values their library,” said Mickelsen. “A public-private partnership was formed to raise funds for a new facility.” The old town shop right next door turned out to be a perfect fit, and the space was gutted and completely renovated.
Mickelsen said special thanks go to the Town of Elk Mountain’s government, particularly Mayor Morgan Irene, for assisting with permits and fundraising, as well as local resident Reed Brannon for heading up the fundraising committee. Major funders included the Peter Thieriot Family, the Double 8 Ranch, the Carol McMurry Foundation, the Walter Scott Foundation, and the people of Elk Mountain. Over $230,000 was raised for this project, and other donations, particularly from the Elk Mountain Parent/Teachers Organization, have allowed for the library to be outfitted with all new technology and furniture.
“I’m mostly excited to never have to climb up into the old library’s spider-infested attic to fix the heater again,” Mickelsen said, mentioning also his envy of Branch Manager Tammy Page’s new granite-topped circulation desk. “Elk Mountain is an awesome community, and I’m so happy to see all of their hard work pay off.”