Davis County Library to host US Holocaust Museum traveling exhibit Oct. 1–Nov. 6; survivor talk, school tours planned

Kim Valleka, the Davis County Library outreach manager, told the board on Aug. 14 that the library has been awarded a grant to host the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's traveling exhibit Americans in the Holocaust and is finalizing programming and logistics.

Valleka said the exhibit will be on public display at the Clearfield Auditorium during regular library hours from Oct. 1 through Nov. 6, 2025, though shipment and setup dates are uncertain and fall within a setup window the museum provides. Staff told the board they would be notified within the museum's delivery window and could receive the exhibit on short notice.

The library plans a series of public events tied to the exhibit. Valleka said Ben Lester, a survivor who was originally scheduled for April but recovered from an illness, will present virtually on Aug. 27 at 6:30 p.m. She described Lester's outreach goal as aimed at young people: "never again and don't forget type thing," and said the talk will be livestreamed with a link for remote viewers. The board also heard that Matthew Entz, a Bountiful High School teacher who is a museum education fellow, has acted as an advisor and will lead teacher-training and overview programs.

Planned programming includes a film screening of Denial (based on court transcripts), scholarly presentations on antisemitism, a reading of letters from the novel Address Unknown performed by actors, and panels with museum educators. The library is arranging reserved school tours and expects to welcome K–12 groups; staff said they will provide a reservations system for teachers.

Valleka estimated a typical walkthrough of the exhibit would take 35–50 minutes. She and other staff raised practical concerns for large public turnouts, including parking near the Clearfield Auditorium; staff suggested after-hours parking at the county health department and possible use of Clearfield City lots, but cautioned nearby facilities sometimes host conflicting events.

Staff said the Clearfield Community Arts Center (adjacent to the exhibit site) will be used for related presentations and that the library will do targeted outreach to schools and media closer to the exhibit date. Valleka said the library was the second in Utah to host this traveling exhibit and that staff have been preparing since the previous year.

Board members asked about recording and online access. Valleka said some public programs are filmed and posted, often on the county's YouTube channel managed by IS; she said decisions about archiving specific events depend on presenter permission and technical suitability.

The board requested staff continue logistics planning and outreach; no formal vote was required for programming updates.