A paperback copy of “Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place” by Terry Tempest Williams passed from hand to hand down a line of community members, followed by another book. And another. “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch made its way from person to person, and someone handed ove r “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen. Copies of “The Namesake” by Jhumpa Lahiri, “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie and “Go as a River” by Shelley Read were also carefully delivered. One by one, a book brigade transferred publications that have connected Summit County since 2003 through the One Book One Community program, from the Summit County Library’s Kimball Junction branch to the library’s new location in the PEAK Center near Landmark Drive a half mile away. Summit County community members participate in a book brigade on Saturday in Kimball Junction. More than 100 people helped on Saturday, which Summit County Library Director Dan Compton considered a success. He said the community has a history of using book brigades to transfer library inventory — for example, in 1982 when the community helped the Park City Library move 2,000 books from Main Street to Park Avenue.  However, it didn’t seem feasible to relocate all 45,000 books by hand. Instead, the library had about 25 books that had been read throughout the history of the One Book One Community program, which is held in partnership with the Park City Library and Dolly’s Bookstore. There were murmurs throughout the line among community members sharing whether they liked or disliked certain books, if they saw the movie instead or if they had even heard of it. Pat Darcey, who worked as Summit County librarian for more than a decade and is still involved with the Friends of the Summit County Library, was one of the last in line for the book brigade. She was inspired to participate because of her love for books and the public library. “It gives us freedom to read what we want,” Darcey said. Longtime resident Jill Kopish agreed. She described the opening of the branch as important and monumental. As a teacher focused on after-school care, Kopish has witnessed the power of reading and its positive impact on students’ academic and personal lives.  Before the book brigade, the library asked community members to check out up to 50 items to help staff prepare for the move. Compton estimated around 15,000 items were loaned in about two weeks, which is about 35% of the collection. Library staff packed up the remaining items in boxes and slowly moved them into the new space over about four weeks. As of Saturday, about two-thirds of items were set up. Compton said the new branch won’t officially open for another two weeks and some areas are still under construction, so Saturday’s event was just a sneak peek for patrons.  “We’re at the finish line,” he said. Community members flitted through the space, exploring the stacks, testing out reading nooks and choosing books to read aloud. Summit Park resident Yvette Connely said she’s been a regular patron of the Kimball Junction branch since moving to the Park City area about 20 years ago. Connely said she was inspired to volunteer for the book brigade because she’s an avid reader who has spent a lot of time at the library. At any given time, she’s probably reading at least four books.  Connely reflected on the impending closure and demolition of the Richins Building, slated for the spring, with bittersweet nostalgia. She’s spent a lot of time there, but is looking forward to exploring the new, expanded space. The new PEAK Center branch is spacious and modern, with dedicated areas for adults, teens and children. There’s ample natural light and glass windows showing the open space surrounding Utah Olympic Park. There are also conference and study rooms as well as a soundproof phone booth. “This is for the community to enjoy,” Compton said. Summit County Library Director Dan Compton starts the book brigade on Saturday, with more than 100 community members lining up to help relocate more than a dozen books from the Kimball Junction branch to the new location in the PEAK Center. Credit: Jonathan Herrera/Park Record Summit County Councilor Megan McKenna, who participated in the book brigade with her family, said she was happy to see people excited and involved. Overall, McKenna said she’s heard positive feedback from people about the plans to transform Kimball Junction into a community hub. While the book brigade was the highlight, Saturday was also a chance for the community to learn more about the overall work in the area. Six Ridge Partners provided an overview of the Altus Park City development plans; Utah Department of Transportation discussed proposed infrastructure improvements, including a pedestrian overpass; and High Valley Transit displayed renderings of what the new transit center could look like. Six Ridge Partners Development Director Steve Borup said there was a sense of curiosity and “measured reserve” from the public regarding the development, but having representatives from everyone involved in the public-private partnership helped ensure a comprehensive overview of what the site could look like over the next six or so years.  The post Closing a chapter: Book brigade builds bridge to new Summit County library branch appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less