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Show Grand County Taxpayers Way Below Stole Average In Lirery Spending Per caipta expenditure for support of public libraries librar-ies in Grand County was ?0.94 in 1967 compared to a state average of $2.70, according ac-cording to a research report released this week by Utah Foundation. Average per capUa circulation circula-tion of library items in Grand County was 4.13, ranking 2fit'n among the 29 counties. Library services in Utah show wide variations in terms of most accepted standards stan-dards of library measurement, measure-ment, it was noted by the Foundation, a private, nonprofit non-profit public service agencv. Of a total of $2.8 million in 19G7 expenditure for public library support in Utah, almost al-most 85 per cent was attributable attrib-utable to the six largest libraries libr-aries (Salt Lake County, Salt Lake City, Weber County, Davis County, Murray, and Provo), while the six smallest small-est public libraries (Daggett . County, Monroe, Wayne Co., Park City, Kanab, and Roosevelt) Ro-osevelt) spent about ona fourth of 1 per cent of the total. Public library service in Utah has improved markedly marked-ly in recent years, especially since the establishment of a State Library in 1957. Utah was the last of the states to set up a state library to serve the general public. A 'Utah State Library" had existed since statehood, but. this was in reality a State Law Library, which still exists ex-ists and has great value, but bears little relation to the library needs of the public. In 1956 it was reported that outside of Salt Lake and. Davis Counties, more than half the citizens of Utah, were without library service. It is estimated that fewer than 5 per cent of Utah residents resi-dents lack library service today, according to the Four-dation Four-dation report. The State Library operates 13 bookmobiles in 17 counties, coun-ties, bringing at least some library service to remote areas of the state. However, many small counties and municipal libraries furnish only limited library service, the Foundation noted. In 1967, two public libraries in Utah served fewer than 1,000 people each, and 2G public libraries had population bases bas-es between 2,000 and 5.000. Only five Utah public libraries libr-aries had ponulation bases of more than 25,000 and only three exceeded 100,000. Many librarians believe that most Utahns could be provided better library services ser-vices at less cost if smaller libraries were consolidated into modern library systems on county or regional lines. Library costs are rising rapidly, due to the keen competition com-petition for trained librarians and also to the rapidly rising ris-ing cost of books, the Foundation Foun-dation reported. According to trade publication figures, the average cost of books has increased 50 per cent since 1957-59 and more than doubled since 1947-49. Library Libr-ary authorities report that there are now 17 job openings open-ings in the United States for every new graduate of an accredited ac-credited library school. The University of Utah research re-search library is one of 71 which have been awarded membership in the American Research Libraries Association. Associa-tion. Only other research libraries in the Mountain West recognized are those of the Universities of ' Arizona and Colorado. The University of Utah library li-brary has more than 975,000 volumes and is about on?-eighth on?-eighth the size of that of the largest member institution, institu-tion, Harvard, and half again as large as that of the smallest, small-est, Iowa State. The library at Utah State Universiy as about 44 per cent the size of that of the University of Utah. Utah public schools at primary pri-mary and secondary levels are working to improve their libraries or "media centers" cen-ters" as they are now generally gen-erally called but most still fall below accepted standards, the Foundation reported. re-ported. Most school libraries are better supplied with books and other library materials ma-terials than with trained per-:, sShnr. the report indicated. |