Over the past year, the Park City Library has expanded its community offerings at nearly every opportunity. From hosting new events, providing a dedicated telehealth station and keeping pace with evolving book trends, the library’s growth has aimed to broaden how community members access information and connect with one another.
A central part of that effort has been the expansion of Spanish-language services. Since stepping into the role of Spanish Services Librarian in November 2024, Flor Santa Maria has led an intentional push to grow Spanish and bilingual programming, along with a growing Spanish-language literary collection, the largest the library has ever offered.
Moving into 2026, Santa Maria said the collection continues to grow alongside programming designed to meet people where they are, whether through language learning, cultural connection or simply feeling more comfortable participating at the library.
Last year’s events like Sabores Hispanos — Empanada Edition and an exhibit featuring artists from the Latino Arts Festival brought cultural experiences into the library, offering family-friendly activities while giving visitors opportunities to learn about different traditions and discover new interests.
“It’s been really fulfilling to see families come back, to see kids grow up in these programs and feel comfortable using Spanish here,” she said.
Rather than treating Spanish-language services as a separate track, Santa Maria said the goal has been to integrate Spanish more fully across library offerings, adapting existing programs and creating new ones that feel accessible to all library patrons.
“A lot of our events don’t require perfect English or Spanish,” she said. “People can just show up, watch what’s happening and take part.”
In addition to expanding books and media, the library has added Spanish-language materials to resources that previously existed only in English, including audiobooks, learning tools and portions of its memory care collection.
Programming has followed a similar approach. Family storytime and bilingual baby programs give families the opportunity to listen, learn and participate in their native language while supporting early literacy and language development.
“I’m seeing families where their kids knew a little Spanish before, and now they’re answering questions in Spanish,” Santa Maria said.
For teens and adults, offerings like the English-Spanish Conversation Club provide a group-based setting for practicing conversational skills without the structure of a formal class and an opportunity to converse with neighbors.
Santa Maria said the conversation club is currently being updated with new tools and activities designed specifically for the Park City community. Rather than relying on off-the-shelf language games, staff are developing custom materials that encourage participation while keeping the sessions informal and welcoming.
All of the programming continues being shaped directly by community feedback, she said.
For example, beginning in late February, the library will launch Maker Thursdays, a twice-monthly workshop series aimed primarily at adults. The sessions will focus on hands-on skills such as tile work, air-dry clay projects and other crafts that participants could potentially turn into a personal business or side hustle.
The idea grew out of conversations with Latino community members who expressed interest in creative workshops that felt purposeful and practical. Over time, the library plans to bring in guest instructors and community experts to lead sessions, with an open invitation for local makers to get involved.
Beyond new programs, the library has also focused on making existing events more accessible. Santa Maria now attends the library’s long-running Tuesday night legal clinics to provide live Spanish interpretation when needed. The library has also hired several new bilingual staff members over the past six months, expanding day-to-day support and allowing more programs to be promoted as bilingual rather than English-only.
To help visitors more easily identify inclusive programming, the library recently added a visual marker to its calendar indicating which events are bilingual. Santa Maria said the change helps remove uncertainty for community members who might otherwise assume an event is not meant for them.
Outreach has been a critical part of the growth, Santa Maria explained. Library staff have increased their presence at community events, where interest in Spanish books and programs has grown steadily from both native and non-native speakers.
Library staff have also begun collaborating more closely with neighboring libraries in Summit and Wasatch counties, exploring ways to share resources, cross-promote programs and coordinate future events, including a planned regional health fair later this year.
The broader goal, she said, is to make all people feel welcome and help shift perceptions of what a library can be, particularly for community members who may come from places where libraries are limited to stacks of books and quiet reading rooms.
“I want people to feel comfortable coming into the library and using the space,” Santa Maria said, “whether they’re here for books, events or just a place to be.”