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SALT LAKE CITY — The library system in Utah's capital city is still growing after 125 years.
Work will begin soon to renovate a duplex near Smith's Ballpark, so it can be turned into a new temporary 600 square-foot "express branch" opening in the summer of next year, Salt Lake City Public Library System officials said Thursday.
The small library, located at 1406 S. West Temple, will provide a space where residents can browse a small collection of materials to borrow. Patrons can also select books, CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray items from the library system's collection and pick them up at the forthcoming facility.
Visitors will be able to use its public computers and Wi-Fi, as well. The facility is meant to provide the neighborhood with some library service for about the next three to five years until a permanent library branch opens.
"While the Glendale Branch sits relatively close to Ballpark, library usage — broken down by census tracts — shows that Ballpark residents are unlikely to travel across I-15," officials said in a statement. "The Ballpark Express branch will improve coverage of library services."
Salt Lake City and Ballpark neighborhood leaders have pushed for a public library in the Ballpark area for a while. The city released a draft version of its "Ballpark Station Area Plan" in 2021 that included a new library branch, noting that the facility could be a "neighborhood anchor and public amenity space."
The City Council approved the plan last year with the library idea still intact. City planners are currently in the process of rezoning the neighborhood to help implement the plan, which may also lead to new development and other improvements near the Utah Transit Authority TRAX station in the area.
Of course, the city is also in the process of trying to reimagine Smith's Ballpark because the Salt Lake Bees are set to move after the 2024 season.
Salt Lake City library officials said they worked with GSBS Architects to design the express branch concept. They will continue to collect "data and community feedback" regarding a permanent location while the new express location is open.
The city's library system, which opened in 1898, began this year — its 125th year — with a catalog of more than 650,000 books, e-books, DVDs and other items.
