Utah cultural-engagement director highlights bookmobile, Museum of Utah and America 250 plans

Donna Lai, the executive director of Utah’s Department of Cultural and Community Engagement, told the radio program 'Utah Libraries Have You Covered' that the State Library provides specialized statewide services — including a braille and audiobook program and a bookmobile that serves rural communities — and will play a central role in the state’s America 250 events next year.

Lai said the State Library “has around 50 employees” who support libraries and patrons statewide and that the department’s work includes services for people who are blind beyond Utah’s borders. “We have the world's largest braille and audiobook library,” host Geri Olpentra said during the interview, highlighting the service for patrons who need tactile and audio materials.

The department is also supporting the Utah Historical Society’s Museum of Utah, which Lai said will consolidate artifacts now stored in several Salt Lake City locations into the North Capitol Building’s garden level. “Those treasures have been stored in three different buildings… and now they will be in a place that is really prepared for them,” Lai said; the museum is expected to open in 2026.

Lai described several other program areas overseen by the department: the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), which she said works with more than 400 volunteers to monitor cultural sites; Utah Main Street communities and tax-credit programs for historic buildings; arts-and-museums grants and professional development; and the STEM Action Center, which Lai said was funded about 10 years ago and connects schools, families and industry through hands-on programs.

The department also administers the commission You Serve Utah, which connects volunteers with service opportunities across the state. Lai said the America 250 Utah commission (appointed in 2023) has six initiatives including training 500 teachers in civics and organizing 250 service projects; she also noted private-sector partners including Zions Bank, Intermountain Health and the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation.

Lai emphasized the bookmobile’s impact in rural communities, reciting listener anecdotes: one 12-year-old who rode a bicycle eight miles to reach a bookmobile stop and a resident who ties a horse to retrieve books. Lai said these examples illustrate how libraries act as community hubs and help residents access reading, digital resources and services such as benefits assistance.

Hosts and Lai described programs for children with dyslexia and other print disabilities: thermoform (plastic-covered) braille editions, audio players and lending materials. Lai and the hosts recounted a case of a 12-year-old who received a thermoform edition and an audio player and then began reading for the first time.

This interview was a program feature and did not include formal votes or policy decisions. Lai described ongoing programs and upcoming public events and encouraged libraries and communities to participate in America 250 activities.

The interview ran from the program opening through a closing segment thanking Lai for her appearance; no formal actions or council votes were recorded during the segment.