The Chattanooga Public Library is excited to announce a new addition to its Beyond Books collections, MindSpark Memory Kits.
This new collection features kits with activities, puzzles and games that help people with dementia or other cognitive impairments unlock old memories and create new ones.
Memory kits have been around for a number of years. Based on reminiscence therapy, these tools work by helping people look back at their lives while recalling and discussing topics with someone in the present. Like with many other library collections, libraries began providing kits in response to the needs of professional caregivers and families of those with dementia.
According to a 2024 report, the Alzheimer’s Association estimates that nearly 7 million people are living with dementia in the United States. The Library’s new MindSpark Memory Kits include two puzzles, conversation cards, a crossword puzzle, memory books, a title matching game and a watercolor activity.
They can be checked out for 21 days at a time. By completing the activities alongside individuals with dementia, family members and caregivers can help improve cognitive function and create positive, rewarding experiences for their loved ones and patients.
“The most rewarding aspect of the kits are the positive experiences they create,” says Librarian Zandria Robins, who created the MindSpark kits alongside other library staff at the Downtown Library. “Not being able to connect with another person over shared memories and experiences is the most frustrating aspect of dementia, for both the patient and the caregiver,” she said. “By helping people connect through conversation like these kits do, you’re not just recalling old memories. You’re also often alleviating depression and loneliness.”
MindSpark kits are now available to check out at all library locations. More information about library collections, services, events, and programs can be found online at chattlibrary.org.