Glendale and Marmalade Library Branches moving forward (SLC)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Julianne Hancock
p: 801.819.3763
e: jhancock@slcpl.org

Glendale and Marmalade Library Branches moving forward
Final sites selected in hearts of neighborhoods

MAY 27, 2011, SALT LAKE CITY – The Glendale and Marmalade neighborhoods are each closer to seeing their library visions become reality, with the Salt Lake City Library Board approving the respective steering committees’ recommendations for site locations.

The Glendale Steering Committee presented 12 sites to the community, and recommended a site at about 1250 West 1330 South for their new library. The community provided input online, at dozens of assemblies and community workshops, and through hundreds of surveys. Over 3,500 people participated in the process.

“We are designing a library that truly reflects this diverse, vibrant community, and finding the right location was essential,” said Steering Committee Chair and Library Board Member Lizzie Barlow Gupta. “The new library will be accessible to all, at the heart of the neighborhood, walking distance to schools, and still convenient for vehicles.”

The Glendale Library construction is expected to begin in 2012, opening in early 2013.

The site allows for a library that meets the stated needs of the community, potentially including gardens and patios, technology and gaming access, craft and music facilities, eating facilities, performance space, and spaces for community gatherings. Programs and the collection will also reflect the needs of the community, which has more residents under the age of 18 than any other Salt Lake City Neighborhood and is uniquely diverse.

There are more than 17 languages spoken in the Glendale neighborhood, and as such, Gupta says that the library’s collection will reflect the community with foreign language materials for all to enjoy.

Less than five miles away, the Marmalade Branch experience is expected to be different from Glendale’s.

A 14-month input-gathering process lead the Marmalade Steering Committee to recommend a property at 270 West 500 North for the future home of the library. Like the Glendale site, the Marmalade Branch site is situated for easy access by foot, bike, or auto, and will be built to accommodate the latest technology and several functions identified as high priorities by members of the northwestern Salt Lake City community.
Most of the land surrounding the proposed site will eventually be developed by RDA, creating a mixed use space for the neighborhood, with commercial entities and community gathering spaces.

“We are looking forward moving to the next phase of our planning,” said Ella Olsen, chair for the Marmalade Library Steering Committee and Library Board Vice President. She anticipates a lively, engaging community outreach.

Construction for the Marmalade Branch is estimated to begin in 2013, opening in early 2014, according to Olsen.

The site selections will be formalized when the City Council approves the Library Budget in June.




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JULIANNE HANCOCK
Communications Manager | Salt Lake City Public Library
p: 801.524.8219 | m: 801.819.3763 | jhancock@slcpl.org