Mission:
The Mission of the Weber County is to provide relevant information services to all segments of our community, enabling people to make meaningful decisions in their lives and participate as full-fledged members of our democratic society.
History:
On January 22, 1864, the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Utah created the first Ogden Library Board. Because there was no provision allowing local governments to levy a specific tax in support of a public library, local businessmen and public-spirited citizens provided funding for Ogden's first library.
Reading material was hard to come by in those pre-railroad days and space for a library was equally scarce. For several years, materials were moved from place to place as the demand for shelving and reading areas increased. The collection was built around a strong core of periodicals and reference works of great value to students, businessmen, and politicians who, in order to participate effectively in the intellectual life of the community, felt a need to develop their reading, writing, and oratorical skills. There were several debating societies in town, and in 1868, the Ogden Library Board actually changed its name to the Ogden Literary and Debating Society. The following year, the name was shortened to the Ogden Library Society.
The reading room expanded in size and popularity, and for almost 35 years was supported primarily by donations from interested residents, civic organizations, and local businesses. Finally, on January 11, 1898, after the first Utah State Legislature authorized cities to levy a tax specifically for the support of libraries, Ogden City agreed to appropriate $25 per month as supplemental funding. The collection now numbered more than 3,000 volumes and, with the City's added financial support, the old fire station was not adequate to provide space for a proper library.
