November 11 has been a legal holiday since 1938, when an Act was approved to primarily honor World War I veterans. In 1954, President Eisenhower issued a proclamation declaring that the day be set aside to honor all veterans. For more information about the history and significance of Veterans Day, check out the Department of Veterans Affairs page.

In addition, the Library of Congress has sponsored the Veterans History project and provided access to interviews, memoirs, and photographs of veterans of various wars.

Many Veterans Day celebrations are being held around the state on November 11, including the University of Utah's Veterans Day Commemoration.

Columbus Day has been a federal holiday since 1971; the first recorded celebration in the U.S. took place on October 12, 1792, 300 years after Columbus' landing.

For more information about Columbus Day, check out the Library of Congress' page about the holiday.

Pioneer Day has been a legal holiday for over 100 years, and was even on the law books for the Territory of Utah.

For information about the history of Pioneer Day, check out the Utah History Encyclopedia.

The 4th of July became a designated Federal holiday in 1870. Today it is a legal public holiday that many State and private employers also recognize as paid vacations for employees.

To read about historical Independence Day celebrations, check out the Library of Congress' Today in History page.

If you're looking for directions to another courthouse, click on Court Contact Information and select the Court you want to visit. Under each Court address, you'll see a link to "View Map," which opens up a map with the location of each courthouse. At this screen, enter your start address to get driving directions.

We're back from our library road show. We met with librarians, court staff, and the public throughout Southeastern Utah, with stops in Price, Moab, Monticello, and Mexican Hat.

The librarians were trained on court resources, especially those available for free, so they could become navigators of the Courts' website for their own patrons. Library patrons attended public information sessions, where we focused on resources for self-represented parties, including OCAP, other court forms, and the Self-Help Center. We encouraged librarians and patrons to call with any legal reference questions, emphasizing that we are a state-wide law library. We also met with court employees to share resources and brainstorm about how to update employees in rural areas with new forms and changes to Court resources.

One of the most interesting visits was with an attorney practicing on the Navajo Reservation near Mexican Hat. While he represents clients mostly in Navajo court, he occasionally refers people living outside of the reservation in Utah to district court. We provided him with information about the Courts' website and the Self-Help Center.

According to Federal law, Memorial Day is a legal public holiday to be celebrated on the last Monday of May. See 5 U.S.C. § 6103. In 1950, Federal law changed the date of celebration from May 30 to the current date. However, some states continue to hold Memorial Day celebrations on May 30.

For more information about the origins of Memorial Day, check out the Department of Veterans Affairs' website and the Library of Congress' page called "Today in History: May 30."

A committee selects the five best photos in five different categories:

- Librarians as Information Evaluators and Managers
- Librarians as Expert Researchers
- Librarians as Teachers and Trainers
- Librarians as Trailblazers in New Technology
- The Artistry of Librarianship
- Most Humorous

We were thrilled to learn that two of our entries were finalists ... and one was a winner!

This photo - Blended Reference - was voted the best photograph in the Librarians as Expert Researchers category.

This photo - Simple Marketing - won third place in the Artistry of Librarianship category.

We submitted several photos that didn't make it to the finals. We will post these on our blog and our Facebook page soon.

Dec. 29: 8 am - 5 pm
Dec. 30: 8 am - 5 pm
Dec. 31: 8 am - 5 pm
Jan. 1: CLOSED
Jan. 2: 8 am - 5 pm

The Matheson Courthouse is also open during regularly scheduled hours except for Christmas and New Year's Day.

Each week, we'll let you know what the wireless password is that allows wireless access in 11 courthouses throughout Utah.

We'll also be using the library blog to notify you when the library is closed for a Federal or State holiday.