Photo: TownLift // Meredith Kluever

PARK CITY, Utah — We all know that we can rent books from the library or grab a coffee at Lucky Ones, but did you know that the Park City Library is a powerhouse of research help, cultural education, rental equipment, and events? There’s much more than meets the eye when it comes to our local library.

10. The building wasn’t always the Library

1255 Park Ave was built in 1927 as the new building for Park City High School. It was built for $200,000, according to the Park City Museum, which would cost $3,405,873.56 today. In 1977, it was converted to the Carl Winters Middle School, and in 1981 abandoned until 1995.

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9. Outdoor Space

Yes, there’s the patio outside of Lucky Ones that offers pup, playtime, and park views, but did you know there’s an upstairs deck? On the second floor, off of the quiet room area, are two deck spaces. One with tall tables and some umbrellas, the other with a large table, umbrella, and scattered chairs.

Lael encourages folks to grab a coffee or snack from Lucky Ones and enjoy it on the deck with a newspaper or book.

Chipeta (1843 or 1844-1924), “White Singing Bird,” was adopted and raised by the Uncompahgre Utes of present-day central Colorado after her Kiowa Apache parents were killed. She married Ute Chief Ouray and became his advisor, often sitting beside him at tribal council meetings when it was not usual for women to attend. They worked for better conditions for the Ute people and strived to live peacefully with white settlers. She negotiated several treaties with the U.S. government in partnership with her husband. The terms were seldom kept by the government, and Chipeta and the tribe were still removed by the U.S. government to northeastern Utah, now the Uintah and Ouray Reservation.

8. Supports local artists and cultures

On the second floor of the library, you will find rotating featured art. Currently, illustrations by Utahn Brooke Smart don the walls highlighting women that advocated for women’s advancement, mainly in Utah.

For pride month, the library organized an LGBTQIA ‘Living Library’ where curious community members could rent someone in the LGBTQIA+ community for a conversation.

“We had a parent and child attend the Living Library event this summer. They both sat with community members to learn about the LGBTQ+ community and navigating personal identity. It was a heartwarming experience that the Library and the City’s LGBTQ+ task force could provide a safe space for community members to speak with each other,” said Senior Community Engagement Librarian Becca Lael.

The library also has a Sustainability Resource Center with a seed bank, a bike that produces electricity, a lettuce tower, and informational resources.

7. Subscriptions and Research Tools

Ever get into a New York Times article just to be blocked when the going gets good? The Library offers free access to The New York Times, Consumer Reports, LinkedIn Learning, and more. Learn a language with Mango, give the kids “librarian-approved screen-time,” or watch Sundance films with streaming service Kanopy.

6. Rent almost anything

The Library has a variety of rentable equipment, games, tools, and camping gear. From sewing machines and giant Jenga to photography and video equipment and gardening tools, start in on any project or hobby without the monetary commitment to trying it out first.

The YouCreate Lab has tons of equipment and programs to rent or use, like 3D printers, sound booths, a green screen room, and much more. All rentable items can be found on the website here.

5. Ebooks and Audiobooks

If you’re an avid Kindle or e-book reader, you can still enjoy the newest titles from the Libby App. All you need is your library card, the Libby App, and your e-reader. Libby can also be used to check out audiobooks if that’s more your thing for walking, road tripping, or just relaxing.

4. It is a Kulture City compliant space

The Park City Library is a Kulture City Venue; it is a sensory-inclusive location. Before visiting, sensory-sensitive people can virtually walk through the library and learn where there may be sensory triggering environments and areas to wind down like the Quite Room and the phone booths. Sensory bags can be checked out at the front desk that include items like headphones and fidget tools.

3. Park City room

The Park City room has a microform machine to peruse and research old Park City documents and newspapers. It also has Park City-related books, police records, Utah legal codes, magazines, Sundance catalogs, and an ongoing puzzle.

2. Full-time Spanish services librarian

For the first time ever, the Park City Library has a librarian dedicated to Spanish speakers and services like Spanish story time and Spanish-speaking events. There is an entire section with Spanish texts and books.

“Our library’s staff is on of our strengths,” said Lael. “They make the library a welcoming and thriving place. One thing I love about our staff is that if you bring your child into the Library, they treat the child as their customer, not just talking only to the parent. Staff help children find what they are looking for and learn about their interests to foster the best experience they can have at the Library.”

1. Events

From movie screenings to bilingual storytime to author visits, the Library keeps busy throughout the year. You may have attended the 4^th of July used book sale. The events page is filled with weekly events like toddler time, music on the patio, baby and me time, Minecraft or chess club, and a lot more.

The next author event features Jess Walter and his novel The Cold Millions on August 25 at 7:00 p.m. Get the book in physical or electronic and audio form from the library.

Bonus fact: Beau, the library dog, is a very hard worker.