Latest news with #SaltLakeCityPublicLibrary
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How this small library fills a big need for a Salt Lake City neighborhood
Eight main or branch library locations are strategically scattered throughout Salt Lake City, but city leaders were well aware the map left a 'big hole' in and around the Ballpark neighborhood. In fact, District 5, including parts of the Central Ninth, East Liberty and Liberty Wells neighborhoods, was the only Salt Lake City Council district without a public library. That is no longer the case. A group of Ballpark community leaders and residents applauded as city leaders cut a ribbon to open the Ballpark Library Lab, located at 1406 S. West Temple, before the group piled into the building to explore its offerings. 'This is really a dream come true,' said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, adding that it's also a temporary space before a permanent solution is found. Salt Lake City's newest library is about five years in the making. After hearing from residents and spotting the gap, the mayor said she pushed Salt Lake City Public Library officials to 'get something going' in the Ballpark neighborhood. Some in the neighborhood have wanted a library for at least a decade, said Amy Hawkins, chairwoman of the Ballpark Community Council. A future library branch somewhere in the neighborhood is included in the Ballpark Station Area Plan, which the city first released in 2021 to revitalize the neighborhood around Smith's Ballpark. The library system purchased a duplex and a neighboring home about a block south of the ballpark for $1.1 million as the plan was being finalized, setting up a potential site for a permanent library. Then, the city's vision hit a snag. Its plans revolved around the Salt Lake Bees, but that changed when the team relocated to a new stadium in South Jordan. Smith's Ballpark will undergo an adaptive reuse, Mendenhall announced earlier this year. However, it could still be years before a permanent library is constructed and ready to open, so the library system decided to turn the duplex into its first-ever library lab while the neighborhood's future is sorted out. About another $600,000 was invested in building repairs and retrofitting to prepare it for Friday's opening, while the other building is being rented out as affordable housing in coordination with the Salt Lake City Housing Authority. The Ballpark Library Lab isn't like the other city libraries. It has no regular operating hours, but it will be open during events hosted inside it. People can reserve the building from noon to 6 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. That could change depending on how the lab is used, said Salt Lake City Public Library CEO Noah Baskett. 'This is an experiment in bringing library services that are grounded in community engagement and feedback,' he said. Some events and classes are already planned, including children's reading events, language learning courses and after-school activities, said Xris Macias, the lab's manager. It could also host community events not planned by library staff, while an outside patio will also offer WiFi to patrons even when the building is closed. While some books and movies are available inside, it'll eventually become the city's first '24/7 library' where patrons can pick up items they have placed on hold from the library's vast collection at any time. A locker where people can pick up these items will be installed once it arrives, which is yet to be determined at this point, but a book return bin has already been installed. 'Unfortunately, with some shipping concerns, it's probably at least a couple of months out,' Macias told 'In the meantime, we'll be having holds within (the building) and book drops already available.' To top it off, library officials commissioned Caro Nilsson, a local artist, to wrap the building with a bee-themed mural, which has a double meaning. It gives bees a new Ballpark home following the departure of the baseball team while also paying homage to the Salt Lake City Public Library's mascot. A few baseball themes can be found inside the building, as well, as a nod to the neighborhood's history. Hawkins was among the new library's first patrons, quickly checking out a book to read on Friday. 'This is thrilling ... It's a really, really big deal,' she said, explaining that it can be 'challenging' at times for families in the neighborhood to access library resources in other parts of the city, especially for people without a car. Mendenhall believes the new library has become more important since the Bees left. It will provide a community gathering spot after the neighborhood lost its biggest one. It's a place where kids can learn and play while families have access to resources without needing to purchase a ticket. A new lab is part of that goal, but the city's Ballpark Next project could include a permanent library, moving it closer to the corner of 1300 South and West Temple, as compared to the land the library owns. It's still 'too early in the design framework' to indicate if that's the case, the mayor added. An update to the city's interim ballpark plans is expected in June. Residents are hopeful that short-term and long-term plans, like the lab, can help rejuvenate the area. 'I think there's no sprint to establishing the new use as long as we get a really good intermediate use (and) activation for the space,' Hawkins said.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Salt Lake City library workers officially unionize, move to bargain ahead of ban
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Employees at the Salt Lake City Public Library have become the first library workers in Utah to gain formal union recognition. According to a press release from the Local 1004 American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME), 92% of the employees at the SLC library voted to unionize. The election was held on April 30 and May 1. This comes after employees began the campaign in April 2023. 'We as workers are looking forward to negotiating our first contract,' Christina Ordonez, associate librarian, is quoted in the release. 'We've always been here for our community, and we finally have the tools to advocate for ourselves and for each other.' In January, the Salt Lake City Public Library Board approved a resolution to recognize the union. On Feb. 5, 2024, the Salt Lake City Council met to approve the employees' right to unionize, the vote passed unanimously. PREVIOUSLY: Salt Lake City approves Utah's first library union amidst controversy on Capitol Hill 'To our Salt Lake City librarians and staff, we are so excited for this opportunity for each and every one of you. You deserve this, so thank you for fighting and bringing this forward,' Council Member Sarah Young said at the time of the resolution being approved. Brad Asay, executive director for AFSCME Local 1004, spoke to ABC4 about what went into forming this union. 'A lot of work with attorneys, a lot of work with different entities to make sure everyone is on the same page,' Asay said. 'It was a two-year process, so it took quite a bit of work to get here.' H.B. 267 concerns H.B. 267, Public Sector Labor Union Amendments, 'prohibits a public employer from recognizing a labor organization as a bargaining agent for public employees,' according to the bill's text. This would prevent public sector unions — like the new Salt Lake City Public Library Workers Union — from organizing for collective bargaining. More than 320k Utahns sign referendum to appeal labor union bill, double the required amount While Asay says there is concern regarding H.B. 267, the referendum signatures will likely put a block on the bill going into effect. Those signatures are currently being verified. 'There are so many public workers affected by this bill — our amazing library workers of course, teachers, firefighters, police, and the thousands of city employees across the state, the people who keep your water and sewer systems running, who clear your streets of snow, who keep your neighborhoods safe, and ensure your city functions smoothly. All these workers are who lawmakers are trying to silence — workers who deserve a say in their training, safety, and working conditions,' AFSCME 1004 President Jerry Philpot said about H.B. 267 in the release. Despite concerns regarding H.B. 267, the union employees are looking forward to exercising their new abilities as a recognized union. Asay says that a lot of the support that got them to where they are today is thanks to the SLC community. 'We just really appreciate all of the support that the public workers have had,' Asay shared. 'It was a huge amount of support from the Salt Lake community… all of us in the union and all the library workers really appreciate that support.' Latest headlines: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Salt Lake City librarians officially unionize, but likely referendum to determine next steps
Despite potential headwinds from a new state law barring public collective bargaining agreements, which is now likely headed for the ballot, Salt Lake City librarians made Utah history this week by voting to unionize. A whopping 92% of Salt Lake City Public Library employees voted to unionize during a formal vote that wrapped up on Thursday, union officials said on Friday. They now join the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local 1004, which represents many other Salt Lake City employees, setting up negotiations for what could be the first-of-its-kind collective bargaining agreement in the state — should HB267 be overturned. 'We, as workers, are looking forward to negotiating our first contract. We've always been here for our community, and we finally have the tools to advocate for ourselves and for each other,' said Christina Ordonez, a Salt Lake City associate librarian, in a statement after the votes were tallied. The city library system 'respects and affirms' the election results, Noah Baskett, CEO of The Salt Lake City Public Library, said after the results were announced. 'This moment reflects a renewed and shared commitment — by our employees and our leadership — to continue to be a workplace rooted in dignity, fairness and respect. I deeply appreciate the thoughtfulness and care with which our staff have engaged in this process,' he added in a statement. This week's vote marked the end of a long process that first went public over two years ago. Over 60% of the city's workforce is represented by various unions, but city librarians were the largest department not unionized at the time staff revealed their intent to form one in April 2023. Employees said at the time they wanted to resolve 'long-standing issues' related to the job, including safety concerns, below-average wages, inaccessible or expensive health care, and exclusion from decisions made by library system leaders. Their request sparked lengthy negotiation efforts, which ended with the Salt Lake City Public Library board of directors voting in December 2024 to allow employees to unionize, and the Salt Lake City Council voting in February of this year to create a collective bargaining structure process should employees unionize. They're now the first public library union in the state, following the recent vote. 'This is a historic moment not just for Salt Lake City, but for the entire state of Utah,' said Jerry Philpot, president of the local union chapter. 'Library workers have always served their community with dedication, and now they will finally have a voice at the table to ensure their workplace is fair, safe and sustainable.' However, it's unclear how those negotiations will play out because of HB267, which bans collective bargaining in the public sector, among other things related to public unions. It was slated to go into effect in July, but groups opposed to it collected enough signatures on a referendum to put it up for a public vote. Once finalized by the state, the legislation will be held before going on the 2026 ballot. Unionization may not factor into the library's upcoming budget, but the system plans to pay employees 'equitably and competitively' based on the results of a compensation study carried out by a third-party company, Baskett told Salt Lake City leaders last month. He added at the time that library staff had been 'in close conversation' with union lawyers over the next steps. Next year's likely referendum will ultimately play a role in the future steps. 'We are moving forward in the hopes that Utahns will vote in the best interests of their public workers,' Philpot said. 'This isn't just about union rights. It's about protecting the people who serve our communities every single day.'
