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Show Volume XXV Issue XIV The Ogden Valley news Page 13 August 15, 2019 LIBRARY cont. from page 1 County Officials Step Forward - After considering the future of the Ogden Valley Branch, and reviewing funding available from library capital projects that were completed significantly under budget, Commissioners Jim Harvey, Gage Froerer, and Scott Jenkins authorized the Library Board to proceed with much-needed improvements. The work began during June and, with the exception of one outdoor project that will linger into the fall, all the work will be done by September 1. As the projects have progressed, Library employees have stepped forward to oversee and do much of the work themselves, saving expense and ensuring quality in all that is being done on behalf of the public. Overview - Saunders Construction was chosen by competitive bid to complete many of the upgrades, which began with replacement of the failing wastewater system. Designed by Great Basin Engineering, a larger septic tank and a new pump station have already been installed, along with a drain field of greater capacity that was moved from the east to the west side of the Library property. The original east-side drain field is saturated and will be allowed to “rest.” The new system has a valve that will enable switching affluent flow from one field to the other, prolonging the life of each absorption area. The new wastewater pumps, located next to the septic tank, required a backflow warning alarm at the checkout desk. At the same time the wiring for the alarm was installed, conduit already available at the front curb was used to provide connectivity for a donated, electric vehicle recharging station, complete with a system for collecting fees for service. In addition to new concrete at the front entry and replacement sidewalk required by trenching for the drains, several damaged sections of curb and gutter have been replaced. At the same time, asphalt parking along 7400 E. was seal-coated and restriped. Stauffer Painting was the competitive bidder chosen to repaint all the exterior metal beams and rafters in the mechanical towers, as well as caulk joints and paint the exterior insulation finish system (EIFS) on the clerestory. This project is progressing during the cool morning hours and will be completed as temperatures allow for product application according to manufacturer’s specifications. The work will protect the metal building structure from corrosion and help prevent water penetration that can lead to mold growth where windows penetrate the EFIS. Work on the outside of the Branch is easy to see. However, work on the inside has been less noticeable. The first, and most important, interior upgrade in the works is the addition of a wall constructed on the backside of a work area that will provide for a small, clean data room. A secondary cooling system is being rerouted to protect sensitive equipment housed there from premature failure. Since the Library was designed in 1994, the communications infrastructure is voice grade (VG), rather than the category 6 (Cat 6) cabling now needed for higher performance. All the VG wiring is being pulled out of the conduits and Cat 6 cabling installed. This will enable the infrastructure to meet current and future public demands for more robust, technology-based services. Library users have no doubt noticed that a wall has been taken out of the children’s area, making two rooms into one larger, more usable space. Opening up the children’s area will accommodate installation of children’s computers that will provide access to age-appropriate learning materials as well as a “makerspace” play area where youngsters will have an opportunity to work with educational toys and learn by doing. While the original building lighting was long ago upgraded to light-emitting diodes (LED), there was one application for which there was not an LED equivalent. There was just no match for the powerful spotlights that illuminate the clerestory, which forms the north-south portion of the building transept. The original metal halide lights are expensive to operate and require ballasts that run so hot that box fans have been jury-rigged to circulate air around them 24 hours a day in an attempt to keep them from overheating, burning out, and requiring replacement. LED replacements with enough wattage to light the voluminous clerestory space are now being produced and will be used to retrofit 22 existing fixtures. Daylight quality light can be achieved with these LEDs, and electrical consumption will be a tiny fraction of what is currently required to power the metal halide fixtures. While significant attention is being given to the building and technology infrastructure, the Library Board has not forgotten that books are still the most powerful and sought after learning tools. The number of items loaned each month continues in an upward trend and, in fact, every month area residents now borrow approximately two hundred twenty-five thousand (225,000) items from Weber County’s libraries. Book collections for all ages, in various formats (print, electronic, and recorded) are being refreshed, reorganized, and enhanced at the Branch. DVD collections are also being refreshed and a streaming service will soon be implemented. After all the interior upgrades are complete, some of which require trenching through the floor to accommodate ductwork needed to carry data cabling and wiring, new floor coverings will be installed in selected areas. And, the answer to the most often asked question about improvements in the children’s area is, “Yes.” Interactive floor tiles, like those that identify signature children’s spaces in the other four Weber County Libraries, will also be included. The Grand Finale - The final and most dramatic upgrade will get under way during August and will not be completed until sometime in October. Nestled on the west side of the property, between the Library and the new drain field, on what has been completely unutilized land, will be a structure that resembles a bowery, but which will be so much more. Designed by Prescott Muir Architects, using a contribution provided by the Library Development Fund, the Outdoor Education Center will be a wonderfully flexible gathering and programming area complete with power, data, and audiovisual connectivity. It is right-sized to accommodate up to 160 individuals at picnic-type tables that will not be permanently affixed to the concrete floor, but, rather, will be capable of being folded, loaded on carts, and wheeled aside to open up the 32’ x 120’ interior space for all types of activities. Dance and exercise classes; farmers’ markets; summer camps that require a smooth, flat surface for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) competitions; and just about every other type of educational or community activity that can be dreamed of by Library staff and Valley residents will be able to be accommodated by the Center. The outdoor structure will have a scrim installed on the west side to mitigate the sun’s rays during summer afternoon and evening hours. Retaining walls, needed to deal with the significant slopes on the property, will give the Center a feeling of containment and intimacy. The property will be served by an irrigation system and planted with shrubs, trees, and native grasses that are drought tolerant and require mowing only once or twice each year. One of the joyful amenities in the Outdoor Center will be the installation of a metal sculpture that has graced the Library indoor gallery for several years. Created by renowned animal sculptor Frederick Prescott as an outdoor work of art, the Library’s seven-foot Rooster will find a new place to perch atop a concrete pedestal inside the Center, serving as a reminder that Valley residents have something to crow about: A place for family and friends to come home to roost. Like all meeting spaces in the Ogden Valley Branch Library. “The Roost” will be available for a fee to host private gatherings and other special events. Naming rights for The Roost are still available. Those interested in putting their family or company name on the Outdoor Education Center should contact Lynnda Wangsgard, 801-337-2618. The Weber County Library Development Fund is a 501(c)(3) organization, so your contributions are tax deductible. Weber State University Expands BFA Program to The Monarch with Visual Art & Design Studios Art and community has been the catalyst for the recently established relationship between The Monarch, Ogden’s new epicenter for arts and events, and the longstanding Weber State University’s Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities. Bound by a shared commitment to public art and to Ogden’s growing artistic identity, the two entities joined forces, along with the Ogden Nature Center, to bring the artist Jane Kim to town for three major art installations associated with her internationally renowned Monarch Migrating Mural project. The partnership continues as WSU expands its Department of Visual Art and Design (DOVAD) into The Monarch’s studio spaces this August, giving the university’s art and design program more visibility in central Ogden while contributing to The Monarch’s creative atmosphere. “It was a fruitful partnership to bring thoughtful and impactful pieces of public art to Ogden with the Migrating Mural project,” says Matthew Choberka, WSU professor and chair of the Depart of Visual Art and Design. “We see the Monarch studios as a continuation of that partnership and a chance to pool resources and to develop the arts and culture in our town in a very meaningful way.” A pilot group of ten to twelve students whose disciplines could range from painting and sculpture to photography, design and even art education, will occupy a shared space in The Monarch’s west studios at the start of the fall semester. The motivation is to provide BFA students with the proper space they need to prepare a body of work for their thesis exhibition at the Mary Elizabeth Dee Shaw Gallery, the culmination of their undergraduate art studies. “It’s an exciting opportunity to allow these BFA thesis candidates the space and time to develop their work, while understanding the level of independence they’re going to need as professional artists once they graduate,” says Choberka, who feels the students will benefit from the collaborative energy at The Monarch studios while contributing value with high-level work. “We want to bring more awareness to the caliber of what our Weber undergrads are doing in the Visual Art & Design program,” he says. “We hope they’ll be influenced by the hive of activity at The Monarch–-but they’ll also be influencers.” With dedicated faculty members actively contributing to their fields, the largest contemporary student gallery in the state, and the Lindquist College’s renewed emphasis on connecting the arts and humanities to 21st-century careers, WSU’s Visual Art & Design program is growing rapidly and with commendable strength. The program is committed to equipping students with the creative skills they need in today’s job market – whether in the arts or other creative careers - while exposing them to contemporary art practices through international artist lectures and exhibitions, and visits to art destinations such as the Venice Biennale. As the Dean of the Lindquist College of the Arts & Humanities, Scott Sprenger, noted, “Establishing professional experiences in offcampus studios at The Monarch is just another step in fulfilling our commitment to aligning student learning to career opportunity and to our mission to support the local community.” Developed by Fischer-Regan Enterprises, The Monarch is a collaborative environment where artists, creative businesses and makers of all types can connect, inspire and create together in the heart of Ogden’s Nine Rails Creative District. The Monarch strives to provide the region with uniquely artful experiences through artist engagement, creative dining and memorable events as the home to local artists and makers, WBs Eatery, The Monarch Venues and O1ARTS. Subscriptions available for out-of-area residents at $18 annually. Send payment with mailing address to: The Ogden Valley news PO BOX 130, EDEN UT 84310 |