Long-awaited Logan Library opens

Several hundred Logan residents braved a winter storm and gathered in the recently finished Logan Library for its ribbon cutting on Monday, March 4.

The audience exceeded the number anticipated and filled the chairs set up. Attendees stood, sat on the ground and gathered around the doorway to the new community room on the first floor of the library.

The Cache Valley Chamber of Commerce performed the ribbon cutting. Donors and members of the city council held the ribbon as it was cut.

The new library is located at the same site as its predecessor, 285 N. Main St. Mayor Holly Daines said people liked the location of the old library, which received an average of 700 visitors a day.

Rebuilding the library has been in the works for at least 20 years, and Daines acknowledged many before her that worked to make the project possible. Craig Petersen, former mayor, even donated a year’s worth of his salary to the project.

“We opted to demolish the old, dark, rundown building with many failing systems,” Daines said.

The new library is three stories tall, with large windows, open space and artwork done by local artists.

There are several statues in and outside of the library, and the plaza and parking outside of the library was revamped.

Daines praised the children’s area, which is full of artwork, including tree sculptures that overlook the books.

“It’s like walking into a magical forest,” Daines said.

During construction, a temporary library was set up at the Logan Service Center. Daines said over 195,000 physical items were checked out from the temporary library, and she praised the library team for their effort to keep the library open.

Representative Dan Johnson of the Utah State House of Representatives was in attendance at the ribbon cutting, along with members of the city council, library board and state library board. Many parents and children who will soon enjoy the library as patrons were also among the audience.

During the event, the Caine String Quartet from Utah State University performed a piece. Logan’s poet laureate, Shanan Ballam, read a poem.

Daines said during the planning and construction process, the city had to stick to a very specific budget.

“It became clear that rising costs and our dreams were bigger than our budget,” Daines said.

Daines approached donors to see if they could help fund the construction. The Hansen Sisters, Dell Loy Hansen, Cytiva, Cache Valley Bank, the Friends of the Logan Library, and the Paul and Kim Willie Family Foundation gave more than $1.7 million toward the library.

Keri Hansen Hale of the Hansen Sisters Foundation said it was an “easy sell” as she was excited and grateful to be a part of the project. It brought up childhood memories of reading.

“My memory is of being in the library constantly in the summer,” she said.

Paul Willie was also grateful to contribute.

“We’re having fun giving away their inheritance,” he said of his children.

The library is now open to the public, with visiting hours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.