Teton County Library Events

Teton County Library Alta Branch Celebrates Grand Opening Jan. 15

Jackson, WY –After only a month in their brand new library, Alta residents and library staff are threw a party. Teton County Library Alta Branch invited one and all to their Grand Opening Celebration on Friday, January 15 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Celebrators enjoyed music by concert guitarist and library staffer Byron Tomingas, while festivities included kids’ games, dancing, an art project and a fund-raising auction for a “Daisy Truck” (a real truck that runs and is brightly painted with daisies) donated by Gallagher’s Sue’s Roos and auctioned by Leland Christensen, County Commissioner and auctioneer. Proceeds went to the Teton County Library Foundation to benefit the Alta Branch. Light snacks were served while library staffers and volunteers were on hand to give library tours and sign up eager new library patrons for library cards. Cards at the new Teton County Library Alta Branch and the main library in Jackson are free to area residents in Idaho and Wyoming.

“I keep worrying that we will awaken from this fairytale and be back in the ‘pumpkin,’” said Gretchen Notzold, Alta Branch Manager, referring to the temporary bookmobile where the library provided services to the public during construction. “Staff and volunteers were hard at work creating a great event to officially welcome the public to the new Alta Branch.”

Hours for the new Teton County Library Alta Branch are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 12-6 p.m., and Saturdays 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Weekly storytimes will resume Wednesday, February 3, from 11-11:45 a.m., and will feature stories, songs, arts and crafts. Kids should be prepared for “jumping and jiggling” at the storytimes as well, according to Notzold.

Funding for the Alta Branch Library has been a state, county, town and Alta community collaborative effort. The cost of construction for the branch library building was $812,400 and was funded by a grant from the State of Wyoming. Receiving the grant was a collaborative effort between Teton County and the Town of Jackson since both entities had to agree on the projects submitted to the state for funding. Teton County led negotiations and purchased the land for the library site for $162,000. Alta community residents played a key role in fundraising through donations in the Tin Cup Challenge, and through continued volunteer efforts and fundraising for the Alta Branch.

Even the Sublette County Library donated chairs and shelving, which now furnish the Alta Branch’s new meeting room and staff office. The library also reused furniture from the main library building in Jackson. Landscaping around the Alta Branch Library will be done in the spring with the assistance of Teton County Parks & Recreation. A planned collaboration with the local non-profit, InterConnections 21 will plant trees at the library, through a tree planting and educational outreach program funded by 1% for the Tetons.

“I believe it is a real tribute to our community’s dedication to libraries that everything came together so well for the Alta Branch,” said Deb Adams, Library Director. “Libraries are an integral part of the fabric of any community, and it is especially true here in Teton County.”

The Friends of the Alta Branch Library volunteers have been an essential, integral group in realizing the dream of a library in Alta, and in supporting library staff before, during and after the new building opened.

“Dedicated volunteers are doing everything from shelving books, fixing book spine labels, posting fliers and recycling to hospitality and coordination assistance for our December 1st opening and January 15th Grand Opening,” Notzold said. “They will continue to be essential in our fund-raising efforts, as well as, future programming assistance and collaboration.”

The Alta Branch Library also strives to be “green” as priorities have been to make ongoing operations sustainable. Library staff, architects and construction crews worked to make the new building most efficient by taking steps, such as, positioning windows to maximize natural lighting; purchasing building supplies from suppliers within a 500-mile radius of Alta whenever possible; and using beetle-killed wood for the library ceiling. Inside the building, lighting fixtures use compact fluorescent bulbs and the flooring is stained concrete, which is durable and simple to maintain.

“Looking toward the future, we designed the building to keep maintenance costs low and to allow for possible future installation of solar power,” said Facility Manager Dail Barbour. “The design is living up to expectations for energy efficiency, especially in terms of lighting and warmth by taking advantage of the southern and eastern exposures. So far, we have rarely had to turn on lights during the day.”

The Teton County Library Alta Branch is an extension of the Teton County Library in Jackson, Wyoming. The new Alta Branch Library is located at 50 Alta School Road, adjacent to the Alta Elementary School and St. Francis of the Tetons Episcopal Church, across from the Teton Teepee Lodge in Alta. The Alta Branch Library circulates books, magazines, audiobooks, DVDs and videotapes for adults and children with access to materials from the main branch in Jackson. Computers with Internet access, word processing and Spanish language capabilities are available to the public.

To learn more about the Teton County Library Alta Branch, visit the Alta Branch Library online at http://www.TCLib.org/alta, call the Alta Branch Library at 307-353-2505, find ongoing updates from Library Director Deb Adams online at http://www.TCLib.org/director/, or subscribe to Teton County Board meeting schedules and agendas at http://www.TCL.org/administration/board.php.

Tell-a-Friend about this article.