In 1868, local residents of Smithfield wished to open a library. They did not have the money to build a separate building for a library, so they used space in the Second Ward Tabernacle. It continued to be used as a reading room until 1917. On February 3, 1916, Daughters of Utah Pioneers worked with other civic groups to develop and present a plan for a community library to the Mayor, Joseph J. Richardson. The idea was approved by the Mayor and the City Council. The designer of the library and local architect was Fred W. Hodgson.  Hodgson was the brother of prominent Ogden architect Leslie Hodgson with whom he apprenticed. Around 1915, Hodgson and his wife, Mary Eleanor Bingham, moved to Logan. During the next 15 years, Hodgson developed architectural plans for numerous schools in Cache and Box Elder Counties as well as churches, jails, and private homes. Shortly after plans for the library were approved, the city was in contact with the Carnegie Corporation in New York. Andrew Carnegie had previously announced an initiative to help fund the construction of libraries across the nation. He granted Smithfield $12,000 to build its library.  Building commenced thereafter and, in 1921, it was completed.  On December 3, 1922, the Smithfield Carnegie Library held a dedicatory service in the Second Ward Tabernacle. When the service at the Tabernacle was finished, the congregation went over to the library where Sylvester Low Jr. of the Library Commission gave the dedicatory prayer.

Phoebe Appersom Hearst, mother of successful newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst, established the Phoebe Hearst Foundation in 1901. Her foundation built and ran some of the first public libraries in western mining towns, including the Hearst Free Library in Anaconda, Montana. Phoebe’s husband, George Hearst, cofounded Anaconda and invested in the nearby copper mines. After he died, Phoebe decided to build and finance libraries in Anaconda and other mining towns George had invested in to show her affection and gratitude to local communities. Construction of the Anaconda Free Library began in 1894 with San Francisco architect F. S. Van Trees as the designer. Local builder J. C. Twohy completed it four years later, and the library opened on June 1, 1898. The building resembles grand classical architecture and features a red brick exterior, granite columns, arched windows, copper molding, chandeliers, craftsmen woodwork, and a brick fireplace. Among the library’s best features are pieces of valuable and original artwork Phoebe selected for display. Phoebe Hearst hoped the library would provide a public space where locals could achieve self-improvement through reading and self-fulfillment through culture and community. That dream found fulfillment in 1903 when wives of Anaconda miners founded the Women’s Club, a community of women who shared similar anxieties about their partners working in dangerous mining conditions and hardships integrating into a new town. The club met in the women’s reading room just off the second-floor hall of the library. Records of early library board minutes show that the Women’s Book Club was infamous for brewing coffee, talking loudly, playing piano music, and dancing, but they also discussed books and research subjects like mining, politics, economics, American and European history, art, and culture. In this room, members cultivated and empowered themselves. They finetuned their public speaking, critical thinking, and writing, and they created a strong sense of belonging, culture, and identity. Hearst Free Library and the Women’s Club continue to actively operate. Phoebe Hearst managed the library until 1903 when she transferred ownership to the town of Anaconda, which has maintained its original physical and symbolic character for over 100 years. This landmark is now a focal point of Anaconda’s historic district, and in 1973, librarians procured funding for restoration efforts and a spot for the building on the National Register of Historic Places. The Women’s Club made a plaque in honor of that listing.

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The building that currently houses the Provo City Library was not always a library. The structure has taken on many roles in the community throughout the years, and it started as the home of the Brigham Young Academy, Brigham Young University’s predecessor. Architect Don Carlos Young designed the building, with help from the principal of the Academy, Karl G. Maeser. When completed in 1892, the impressive edifice was one of the largest school houses in the West. A contemporary newspaper article reporting on the dedication event described, “Visitors have been arriving since yesterday morning and today the street leading to the Union Pacific and Rio Grande Western depots was crowded with old and new students of the academy.” The Brigham Young Academy dedication was a momentous event in Provo’s history. This significant day in 1892 brought Utahns from all across the state together to celebrate the beginning of the building's rich history. Over the years, the name of the building changed to fit whatever need that it was currently filling. It was once the “High School Building” and later the “Education Building.” After many years of use, the building closed in 1968 and stood vacant for almost 20 years. During this time the building deteriorated and endured significant damage due to negligence. Eventually, fearing the historic structure might be demolished, the Brigham Young Academy Foundation led an effort to preserve the building, fronting an initiative in the late 1990s to preserve the building for a new purpose. Through their fundraising and lobbying, the city preserved the building, and in 2001, Provo dedicated the former academy building as its new Provo City Library. The building continues to host the Provo City Library, whose mission today is to “provide [the] community with an inviting center for information, instruction, learning, leisure, and cultural opportunities.” The vision of this historic library includes providing excellent services, staff, and collections, promoting digital literacy, and providing opportunities to participate in educational programs and projects. The library website offers tours of its resources and collections as well as a calendar of events appealing to various age groups such as “Teen Talk,” “Minecraft Club,” and “Author Links” with various authors. Similarly, the Provo library’s collection of literature spans from children’s books, to adult research materials, to rare historic books in the library’s Special Collections. In the twenty-first century, the Provo library has made significant efforts to digitize its collection, and it offers an extensive database of online books, movies, and music. Library card holders can manage their books, appointments, and other library needs online or through the Provo City Library’s App. The library also hosts an exhibit area on its top floor, known as “The Attic,” which displays art, science, and artifacts for the community to view during specific hours.  As the Library’s mission statement suggests, the library also offers rooms for events and recreation. Originally built for the academic use of Brigham Young Academy, the historic building that houses Provo City Library continues to uplift and educate all those who enter its doors. 

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The Weber County Library replaced the Ogden Carnegie Free Library (26th and Washington  Boulevard) which could no longer meet the needs of the city and county. The Carnegie  Library served Ogden City and Weber County from  1903 to 1969.  In 1962, a plan to create a consolidated city and county library system was introduced to the Ogden City Council. Also in 1962, the library board established the Friends of the Library organization which became instrumental in supporting the library and shepherding the design and construction of the new building to completion. In 1963, chair Frank M Browning successfully cosponsored a bill in the Utah legislature that changed state laws to allow for the creation of countywide library systems and the levy of a countywide tax to pay for library operations. A significant obstacle was the debate about where the new  library would be constructed. The debate was between Ogden's City Council, the Weber County  Library Board, and County's Commission chairman, Bud Faverio. Three building sites were proposed: the site of the Carnegie Library, 25th Street between Kiesal and Grand Avenues, and Lester Park. The latter was finally agreed upon.  The design of the building was by local architect John L. Piers (1922-1997). He used the New Formalist style popular at the time, as well as elements of the Brutalist style that was just gaining popularity. Piers made a distinct effort to collaborate with architects and design teams outside of the state and to incorporate national architectural trends into his design.The library took six years from 1962 to 1968 to open at 2464 Jefferson Avenue in Ogden. The Weber County Library became the new community library for Ogden and branch libraries were built within Weber County over time, the first county-wide system in Utah.

In 2011, an electric box within the building failed, almost catching the building on fire.  Soon the waterproofing started to fail. More infrastructure problems led the county to fund a multi-branch remodel. The  renovation extended from 2014 to 2018, and architects preserved key features of the building. The staff of the library continued to provide community-based programs throughout the remodeling. Sine the remodel, the library remains an important pillar in Weber County. 

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The famous Andrew Carnegie, native of Scotland, started the Carnegie Corporation. It's goal was to give endowments to cities across the United States and the world to build and maintain a library in their city. The Corporation was giving money to any city that requested funding with proof that their citizens were willing to pay for the library's upkeep.   The idea of requesting a grant to build a library from the Carnegie Corporation first occurred to the people of Brigham City in 1912, when the size and age of the library that was being used was brought into question. City officials met to discuss the possibility of having a Carnegie library and the benefits it would bring to the area. Having up to date literature, materials, and a gathering place for the citizens of Brigham City were all motivators for wirting to the Carnegie Corporation. Initially the city wanted an endowment for $20,000 to build the library, but the Carnegie Corporation made an offer of $10,000.  In 1914, after two years of correspondence between the city and the corporation, a grant of $12,500 was settled. Over the course of the next few months, the plans were drawn up and the architectural firm, Shreeve & Madsen of Ogden, was chosen. Construction began in the spring of 1915.  The Carnegie Library was finished on December 15th, 1915. The building was constructed in the Prairie Style, which was common in the state. Key features of Prairie style include a one-story building with a raised basement, horizontal emphasis, and geometric elements in the decoration of the building. Since its construction, only one major addition was built in 1977 and was constructed to match the look of the original building.  Special attention was given to maintaining the visual independence of the original building from the addition by using glass to join the old and new sections. Additionally, the brickwork was layed in order to emphasize the horizontal lines of the building. In 1984, the Carnegie Library of Brigham City was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

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