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The exterior of the nearly completed Library Hall building in Spanish Fork.

Courtesy Spanish Fork City

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Spanish Fork residents help move books from the old library to the new one on Main Street on Saturday, March 25, 2023.

Courtesy Spanish Fork City

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A large event area in the new Library Hall in Spanish Fork.

Courtesy Spanish Fork City

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A rendering of the new Library Hall in Spanish Fork.

Courtesy Spanish Fork City

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Reading nooks next to bookshelves sit in the new Library Hall in Spanish Fork.

Courtesy Spanish Fork City

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A sound booth in the new Library Hall in Spanish Fork.

Courtesy Spanish Fork City

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Spanish Fork residents help move books from the old library to the new one on Main Street on Saturday, March 25, 2023.

Courtesy Spanish Fork City

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The glass exterior of the nearly completed Library Hall building in Spanish Fork.

Courtesy Spanish Fork City

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Bookshelves in the new Library Hall in Spanish Fork.

Courtesy Spanish Fork City

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Reading nooks next to bookshelves sit on the second floor of the new Library Hall in Spanish Fork.

Courtesy Spanish Fork City

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Spanish Fork’s new Library Hall, a combined library and city hall, has been in the works since September 2019. The long-anticipated opening will begin at 9:30 a.m. April 29 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, after which patrons will be able to explore the new library starting at 10 a.m.

The library has been closed since March 24 to allow time to set up the new space. Spanish Fork residents were able to assist in this process by moving books to the new facility during the Book Chain Across Main Street event on March 25. Main Street was closed between 100 South and Center Street for a little over an hour to facilitate the move.

“We were overwhelmed with an amazing turnout. We estimate over 400 people helped move over 8,500 books during the hourlong event,” said Nick Porter, public information officer for Spanish Fork City.

The original library was built in 1965 for a town of approximately 6,000 residents. Today, the city is home to almost 45,000 people. Although the library has been renovated over the years to accommodate the growing population, city employees decided it was finally time to expand.

“Our beautiful new Library Hall is a physical representation of our city motto, ‘The Home of Pride and Progress,'” Spanish Fork Mayor Mike Mendenhall said. “You’ll see references inside celebrating our rich history, but the modern architecture and space for the residents to grow and learn together will protect and foster the quality of life for decades to come. We couldn’t be more excited for it to be complete.”

Instead of demolishing the old library and rebuilding on the same site, the city decided to build in a new location. This allowed the city to preserve a nearby park, save the original building for later use by another city department and, most importantly, keep the library open for patrons during the new building’s construction.

Compared to the town’s original 12,000-square-foot library and its one activity room, the new venue is approximately 45,000 square feet and holds three activity rooms — two of which can be divided to create additional places for events — as well as city offices.

There will be customized spaces for children, teens and adults, featuring story time areas, gaming systems and public computers.

“One program that I’m really excited to start offering in this building is a sensory story time,” said Scott Aylett, Spanish Fork’s library director. “Springville library offers one and … a majority of parents and families in that class are Spanish Fork residents. They go there because they don’t offer anything like that (here) for kids that may be on the autistic spectrum. A traditional story time is going to be difficult for them. … So (we are) offering a story time that has fewer people and more tactile activity options that they can touch and feel during story time, where it’s OK if a kid is having a hard time and needs to pace around, or go to a quiet corner, or do whatever they need to.”

The new library will also host science, technology, engineering, arts, math and cooking classes for children ages 8 to 12, as well as activities for teens and adults.

“It’s kind of a popular place among some of our teenagers. They’ll come hang out at the library after school, which I think is great. It’s a safe place where they can be involved in meaningful activities and programs. We would love to see our teenage patronage increase with having some more teen-friendly spaces in this building,” Aylett said.

The grand opening will feature activities for all ages, including a sample of different story times held during the week, a Mario Kart tournament, a demonstration by Mad Science of Utah and an interactive presentation by a reptile group.

Library Hall is located at 80 S. Main St. in Spanish Fork. City residents can apply online for a free library card at https://www.spanishfork.org/departments/library/policies.php.

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