The box around the West Jordan Library’s metal L-I-B-R-A-R-Y sign, which has stood empty for the past 12 years, is now a colorful kindness rock garden. The rocks were decorated and donated by Westland Elementary School students and their families as part of their annual service project, with supplies donated by Asphalt Materials and the Lowe’s at Jordan Landing.

“This year has been a little bit different for us, with West Jordan Elementary closing and a lot of their kids coming over to Westland, so our theme all year has been ‘Better Together,’” Westland PTA Executive Board Member Hillary Moser said. “We wanted to do something that would really bring us together and benefit our community, that our kids could see really tangibly, and that would affect them directly.”

The board had the idea for a kindness garden, but without the space to place it on the school grounds, they looked for a good spot in the community. 

“We just really loved the idea of the library, because we felt like that was a place that a lot of our student population could go to and see the community coming together and being better together,” Moser said.

When the PTA contacted West Jordan library branch manager Vern Waters about the rock donation, he said he would find a spot for it.

“I thought it was like a couple classes—I didn't really understand—but I thought I could find a spot for a box of rocks,” he said.

Waters was surprised when a truckload of hundreds of rocks in assorted colors, shapes and sizes was unloaded, but he and the library leadership team were pleased with how the rock garden turned out.

“The rocks are beautiful,” Waters said. “We’ve had such a good response.”

Each rock is painted with an uplifting message or picture, which have caught the attention of library patrons as they enter and exit through the library’s south entrance. λ