Elaine Shelburne
Abstract
This interview examines the role of the manager of the Children’s Department of the
Weber County Library, Ogden, Utah. Since the first library in Ogden was built in 1903,
the philosophy of its benefactor Andrew Carnegie has continued for free, equal, and
democratic use of the library for all citizens of the area, regardless of their economic
status. The library organization has changed hands from the Ogden Free Carnegie
Library to the Weber County Library, but it still serves all of the area residents who come
through its doors. The Children’s Department is vibrant and staffed with hard-working
continues to serve the youth and their parents, in Ogden. Mr. Carnegie’s initial
investment continues to reflect its original purpose, over a century later, democratically
At the dedication of the new Ogden Carnegie Free Library in 1903, Mayor
William L. Glasmann read aloud from a letter from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie as
follows:
library which knows no rank or wealth. It is the home of the best society
the world knows, and the laboring man [woman and child] should be made
to feel more at home there than the millionaire…” (Weber Cty. Library
Website)
The first building in the state of Utah that was dedicated exclusively to public
library services was thereby established -- the Ogden Carnegie Free Library. At
no time other than the present are the words of Mr. Carnegie truer than they are
today. Although the organization and resultant name was changed to Weber
County Library in 1966, and a new building dedicated in 1968, the Children’s
Department reflects the at home feeling and multiple services available to all
When Phoebe Carter was an undergraduate student at St. John’s College, Santa
Fe, New Mexico, she wasn’t considering a career in librarianship. Her work study
program was in the college library, however, and co-workers encouraged her to continue
in the library field upon graduation and obtain an M.L.S. to become a library
professional. With this nudge to pursue graduate work, she chose Simmons College, in
Simmons program appealed to her--their application process was based more on essays
than scores on the GRE scores, and was organized so that she could be done in one year,
She is currently employed at Main Branch of the Weber County Library and is the
everyday, at this branch. The patrons reflect the surrounding community, which is
multicultural and diverse, with Spanish being the dominant second language.
the programming, and scheduling personnel, in this department. The positions in the
children’s department include two pages, two assistant specialists, and one librarian,
besides herself. Out of that group, one full-time assistant specialist and one page are
native Spanish speakers who help with translations and with Spanish/English children’s
programs.
Originally, Phoebe didn’t plan on entering the public library profession, and had
central Ogden, Utah, with the community surrounding the Main Branch, she really feels
it’s indeed a service that is continual, day in and day out, to the people who live in the
area.
ULA, and she utilizes and enjoys the AMERICAN LIBRARIES publication.
and PUBLISHERS’ WEEKLY. She also peruses several reputable websites to review
The patrons and users of the Main Branch include a wide range of
multicultural/multiethnic people, of all ages. From her point of view, the library and the
• Some patrons don’t have phone service, but are able to use the library
phones in needy situations, albeit the library staff monitors the use so that the privilege
isn’t abused.
• It’s a warm place with activities for kids after school, who sometimes stay
from 4-6 p.m. until their parents pick them up. Many parents in the area work – many
have shift work – and they need a safe place for their kids.
• In the summer, some kids are there all day; the librarians wonder about
• Parents who don’t have online computers at home come in to look up their
The Children’s Department has a special program that has been attended in
increasing number, by the community. This is the “Bi-lingual Story Program” which is
held in the library on Thursday evenings. It’s planned and carried out by the full-time bi-
lingual assistant specialist who conducts the entire hour-long event in both Spanish and
In the Service of Children 6
English. He includes music, movement, arts and crafts, and language arts, implementing
attend each week, and they “get a lot out of it,” states Phoebe, emphatically (Carter).
Some parents send their English speaking kids in order to learn some Spanish, while
native Spanish speaking parents send their kids to enjoy the stories and program in their
native language, while learning some English. The programs vary from seasonal themes
to topics that children enjoy, and they might even include the library assistant in
Phoebe’s relationship with patrons is that of assisting them and helping them find
answers so that they are not intimidated in approaching her at the children’s reference
desk. She strongly believes everyone needs to feel empowered to ask for help.
Ethical issues that seem current in the library are those dealing with keeping an
on-going balanced collection. Some books are challenged around the “Banned Book
Week” each fall. In particular, books that have a homosexual lifestyle as a theme are the
currently most challenged by patrons. The library has a ‘challenged book’ policy in
There was an interesting re-organization a number of years ago, that involved the
children’s and youth services. The library administration decided not to staff a separate
“YA” department, but manage it under the Children’s Dept., instead. The re-organization
including shelving the YA books that are for younger readers (middle school kids) in the
children’s department and shelving books for older readers or teenagers (high school) in
with the adult fiction. The children’s department manager became responsible for the
In the Service of Children 7
collection development of both age sections of YA books. These books that form the
‘bridge’ between middle school and adult books are funded with funds labeled for YA.
Current social trends have affected the library, as they affect the neighboring
community. Inside the library, there occasionally are crises such as gang confrontations
or inebriated patrons. The library has a security person who works from 4 p.m. until
closing, and is positioned working at the circulation desk. She is dressed in normal attire,
but is trained to handle physical problems. The library administration is sending her for
Recent trends in circulation include more CD/audio materials checked out; these
seem popular among the younger patrons. These patrons seem to be responsible, for the
most part, for these materials. DVD’s are also popular, and the library is not purchasing
VHS any longer. The electronic devices for e-books still seem to be too expensive for
most library patrons at this branch, and there hasn’t been a slowdown in circulation since
e-books or Amazon’s Kindle has been for sale. However, patrons can utilize a state e-
book download, for free, but since this can be done in patrons’ homes, the library
The atmosphere in the Children’s Department is pleasant with the happy sounds
of children enjoying computer games and books. There are low chairs for the young ones
and comfortable seating for parents; sets of tables and chairs are spaced strategically for
reading, throughout the stacks of books. The natural lighting from spacious windows
From it’s inception to today, the Weber County Library, formerly named the
Ogden Carnegie Fee Library, has served the people. Although clientele have changed in
In the Service of Children 8
terms of spoken languages and culture since 1903, and certainly new technologies have
been implemented, the services provided by altruistic staff and library services have
continued to carry out Andrew Carnegie’s legacy. Above the first library building’s
entrance was the following quotation, carved in sandstone, “In the education of its
people, lies the safety of the republic.” It only takes one visit to the Children’s
Department at the Weber County Library to see that Phoebe and her staff continue this
education daily.
In the Service of Children 9
References
Roberts, Richard C. & Sadler, Richard W. (1985). Ogden: Junction City. Northridge,
CA : Windsor Publications.
In the Service of Children 10