Capitol Words a project of the Sunlight Foundation

Rep. Jim Matheson

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Murray City Library, which is celebrating its centennial this year. As in many communities throughout the state of Utah, Murray City's library began as an effort of local volunteers wishing to promote the value of reading, literacy, education, and self-improvement to its residents.

For many years prior to 1912, the Murray City Women's Club operated a library and reading room available to the entire community. On May 7, 1912, the Murray City Mayor and Commission voted to accept the Women's Club donation of its book collection and to set aside a library fund to establish, operate, and maintain a free public library. The vision of these citizens and their elected officials created an institution that has served the community with distinction since 1912.

Over the course of the century that followed, the Murray Library continued to grow and promote its core values of providing friendly, responsive, accountable, respectful, and inclusive service to its community. It is now locally governed by a dedicated volunteer Board of Trustees that encourages everyone to celebrate the Library's past, present, and future. The Murray City Women's Club and the citizens' group Friends of the Library continue to support and promote a strong and independent library where the community can gather and share common interests and concerns.

The Murray City Library, like all of Utah's public libraries, plays a critical role in providing our citizens with the information they need to live, learn, and thrive in our society. I would therefore like to celebrate the one hundred years of community service provided by the Murray Library and look forward to another one hundred years of excellence.