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SALT LAKE CITY — The South Main Clinic, located at 3690 South Main Street in Salt Lake City, serves at-risk residents in Salt Lake County. Eighty percent of the clients speak Spanish; all are low-income; and many are refugees.
In 2012, the clinic provided more than 68,900 services, including pediatric care, OBGYN, foster services, teen mom program/teen mom prenatal and midwifery. But through a partnership with the Salt Lake County Health Department, the University of Utah Hospital and Clinics and Salt Lake County Library System, it strives to provide much more than medical care.
One unique service of the clinic is the Byington Reading Room, a small library located inside the clinic.
“One of the most important elements of the South Main Clinic is providing materials that parents can use to help teach their kids," said Michelle Call, one of the two part-time library assistants who staff the reading room.
Every child who visits the clinic to see a doctor also stops into the reading room and is given a book to take home and keep as their own. Books are donated from the library system, Primary Children’s Medical Center and many individuals; more than 1,000 are given away every month.
The Byington Reading Room librarians take a small amount of time with clients to help build reading skills. “We read, sing, make simple crafts, and talk to the kids when they visit us,” Call said. The goal is to encourage parents to do the same at home.
“A child excited to take home a book of their very own is only the first benefit," Nyssa Densley, assistant branch manager at Whitmore Library and supervisor of the reading room, said. "It’s the gateway to reaching a diverse, at-risk population and a way to connect with families to build literacy skills.”
The reading room provides monthly story times and daily literacy activities for children of all ages. Librarians hope to help parents recognize age-appropriate reading materials, struggles children may be having or provide answers to any other literacy-related questions. They also educate parents on services available to them throughout the county, such as library access, all in an effort to improve the future of the families.
“We are lucky to have an opportunity to engage with this community on behalf of our libraries and educate families on the resources offered," said Stephanie Anderson, Byington Reading Room's second part-time library assistant.
If you would like to volunteer or donate new or gently used books to the Byington Reading Room, please contact Densley via email at ndensley@slcolibrary.org.
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About the Author: Teri Harman
Teri Harman, author and book enthusiast, writes a biweekly column for ksl.com and also contributes book-related segments to Studio 5. Her debut novel, "Blood Moon," comes out June 22, 2013. Find her online at teriharman.com*
