Every resident would benefit from the best parts of every library.

About a decade ago a movement began to start a countywide library system in Utah Valley.

Today, a scaled-down version of that goal may be approaching reality -- and if it is successful, organizers believe it could be the start of a valleywide system.

The librarians of north Utah County's only four libraries, located in Pleasant Grove, American Fork, Lehi and Eagle Mountain, are shopping a proposal for a "reciprocal borrowing cooperative" to the library boards in each city, said Sheena Parker, director of the American Fork Library.

The group hopes to present a formal plan to mayors this fall, she said.

If approved, residents from any of the cities could use their library cards at any of the four libraries or their branches, Parker said. Nonresidents would be able to buy a card with the same privileges at a price yet to be determined.

The goal is to provide residents with better access to library materials and services "which would otherwise be unavailable under current and anticipated funding," according to the proposal written by the librarians of the four cities.

The idea for such a system gained momentum last fall after a joint meeting of all Utah County librarians, held at the bequest of mayors, made it clear that a countywide library system would not happen anytime soon, said April Harrison, director of the Pleasant Grove City Library.

Orem and Provo felt their libraries could be inundated with users, she said.

"I'm aware the larger communities have invested a great deal in their collections and their libraries themselves and I can understand their hesitancy," she said. "From that meeting, Pleasant Grove, American Fork and Lehi started talking."

Put together, the collections of those three libraries about equal the collections of Provo or Orem, she said.

If the cooperative is a success, north county cities without libraries -- Alpine, Highland, Cedar Hills, Lindon, Fairfield, Cedar Fort and Saratoga Springs -- would be invited to buy into the system, meaning their residents would not have to pay individually for library cards, she said.

Residents are pushing for changes, Parker said.

"We've had a lot of people move into the area and have been in systems like this and they are surprised we don't have one," Parker said. "Almost every other county in Utah does."

Because all four libraries have new computer systems, technology differences are no longer an issue, she said.

A cooperative library system would encourage more nonresidents to purchase library cards, thereby bringing more revenue to the libraries, she said. In addition, each library would be able to concentrate more money and resources on its specialties.

Perhaps most importantly, the cooperative would work as a test case.

"If we can make it a success here then maybe the south county could try something similar and then we can get these pockets going and then unite the pockets" into a countywide library system, Parker said. "I don't think it's impossible."

"We are taking it one step at a time," said Harrison. "To me, information is vital for all citizens and so this would benefit all citizens."

Caleb Warnock can be reached at 443-3263 or cwarnock@heraldextra.com.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page D1.