KAYSVILLE -- The new Kaysville Branch Library site manager has come a long way from his days as a part-time circulation clerk. Matthew Goff of Clearfield has been approved by the Davis County Commission to take over the reigns of the Kaysville Library, which will officially become a branch of the county system July 1. "I made my way up," Goff said of his positions at the library since that first position at the Central Branch Library in Layton. Since that time he has worked as an office specialist, circulation manager and associate librarian. Currently, Goff is the reference supervisor at South Branch Library in Bountiful, a job he's performed for about 6-1/2 years.

"He does a very good job," said Library Director Pete Giacoma. "We think he has a good grasp of what needs to be done and how we need to move forward in Kaysville. We're very pleased to have him in that position."

Giacoma spoke of Goff's interest in furthering his education, referring to an MBA which he hopes to complete by year's end from the University of Phoenix.

"I would just like to serve them (Kaysville area library patrons) the best I can," he said. "I think I've done a good job of understanding people's needs and concerns when I worked at South Branch.

"I know quite a few at South (Branch) by their first names, and I know that's im-portant here," he said of Kaysville, where he was al-ready visiting the library to meet the staff and personally assess challenges shortly after being approved by the commissioners earlier in the day.

Goff and his wife Chelsea are the parents of four children.

Supporters of the Kaysville City Library often spoke of the personalized attention paid by staff, of the "small town feel" that was in evidence there.

The city council voted by a three-two margin July 5 of last year to join with the county system -- a move that caused some division, at the time, in the community.

However, since that time, county library officials have worked to make the transition as easy as possible.

For example, although the library will remain officially city controlled until July 1 of this year, borrowing privileges were quickly extended to city patrons at county libraries.

And while city library staff had to formally apply for positions with the new county library system, training sessions were offered to acquaint them with county operations.

And while Mayor Neka Roundy originally supported keeping a city library, she immediately threw her efforts behind creating the best county library branch situation after the vote was taken.

Kaysville has the oldest library in the county, originating from 1921. The county library didn't formally get organized until 1946.

The library will be closed July 1 for about six weeks of remodeling to reconfigure the circulation desk, make some changes to the children's area and other modifications.

Of ongoing changes as part of the transition, Giacoma said "everything is moving ahead. Bar codes (county system) are getting put on books, everything is pretty much ordered. We're getting where we need to go."

tbusselberg@davisclipper.com