Homer Library Enhances Quality of Life

Posted on: September 30, 2009 | voteyesyes | Comments Off | Print Article | Rate Post:

(6 votes, average: 4.17 out of 5)

Sept. 23, 2009

Dear Editor,
I understand that Seward voters will be voting on October 6 on a bond proposal and advisory sales tax measure to fund the proposed new library and museum building. Whether those pass or fail is up to your voters and their priorities, but I thought I might pass on some experience from Homer with our new public library, which opened three years ago. (If you have not visited it when in Homer, I encourage you to do so, to see what a modern library can offer a community. It’s located just off the Homer Bypass, behind the Safeway and banks.)

We dreamed of a new library for years, and we have not been disappointed. As is usual with new libraries generally, visitation doubled upon the library’s opening and has never eased up. With space for programming, the library is now able to offer all sorts of community activities, from book and writing groups to game nights, story tellers and magicians in the children’s room, a weekly knitting group, visiting writers and speakers, and computer classes. The small group study rooms are well used, and the collections of every media—not just books—all have room to grow. It’s hard to quantify the economic benefits to the town, but tourists use and praise it (and presumably find it enhances and prolongs their visits to Homer), retirees locate to Homer for the “quality of life” contributed to by the library and other educational and cultural opportunities, and everyone who enters its doors is able to find information to help with education and job opportunities.

We had a public vote in Homer, too. We approved a government loan (like a bond) to partially fund the library. That show of local support was essential for securing grants from other sources.
Nancy Lord
Homer

Posted with the permission of Nancy Lord by:
Vote Yes Yes Library Museum Committee
PO Box 722
Seward, AK 99664

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