WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — There are many different ways to escape the heat that has blanketed Utah this summer. One of the most common is a visit to the public library and grabbing a book to enjoy in the delightful air conditioning. But in West Valley City, as the temperatures rise outside, they're doing the same inside what's supposed to be an oasis for residents looking to beat the heat.
CLICK HERE for the Salt Lake County "Cool Zone Map" to find a location near you
This library has been sitting here for nearly 60 years, and she’s showing her age," said Salt Lake County Library Director Joey McNamme of the West Valley branch.
With age comes a new set of challenges.
“We have a few branches that we’ve identified as needing to be replaced," McNamee added, "and this is one of them. So when we’re looking at expenses to repair the space. That can be a really challenging position to be in because we, of course, want our libraries to be comfortable and maintain all our buildings so the public can access all of our services, but also we have to be wise with our taxpayer dollars.”
Because of the cooling issues, the West Valley branch has reduced its hours, now closing at 2 p.m. instead of staying open, as usual, until 9 p.m. McNamee said it was a decision library officials made with the community in mind.
How do outdoor workers stay safe in the extreme heat:
“This is a neighborhood library, so we want to make sure that we have that option available as much as we possibly can,” she said.
For people looking to get out of the sun, there are other options.
"I did a search on our little 'Cool Zone Map' and within 5 miles I counted 10 additional cool centers that folks can access," shared Katherine Fife, Salt Lake County Associate Deputy Mayor.
Cool centers in Salt Lake County include recreational centers, senior centers, and other public buildings like libraries other than the West Valley branch.
“We look for solutions," Fife explained, "so Salt Lake County, we have circumstances that happen that are beyond our control, and we all work together to find solutions and address it as quickly as possible, and, in the meantime, we have alternatives for our community members to access."
