Millcreek library manager reports top-10 circulation, new programs and resources

Laura Renshaw, manager of the Millcreek Branch Library, briefed the council on recent awards, services and new programs at the branch during the Jan. 13 meeting.

Renshaw said the Salt Lake County Library System was recognized as one of the top 10 circulating libraries in the country. She told the council the system circulated more than 12,500,000 items last year and that the Millcreek branch’s share was “probably close to around 600,000 items,” though the branch had been closed for a portion of that year.

Renshaw described several recent and new offerings: a propagation station for plant-cutting exchanges; an expanded puzzle-and-games exchange; a walking book club that combines reading discussion with walking for exercise; a new “teen zen zone” offering a quieter, low-stimulation area with lo-fi music and calming activities; and new “memory care kits” (backpack-style kits with activities for caregivers and people with memory issues). She also demonstrated the library’s business research resource, AtoZ Databases, which can generate lists of local businesses by address and radius and can be filtered by industry or size.

Mayor Jeff Silvers praised the branch’s creativity and local programming, saying, “I’m not surprised that Salt Lake County Library won that award based upon the creativity that we've seen from you and the Salt Lake County Library in general.” Renshaw also asked the council to circulate event notices and suggested sharing library resources with local business council members for market-research potential.

Renshaw noted the library recently experimented with a joint New Year’s Eve event that paired youth and senior programming in the shared community center space and said the branch would repeat the event next year.

The presentation was given during the public-comment portion of the Jan. 13 meeting; no formal council action on library programs was recorded in the transcript.