Story Time By Friends
These stories were previously printed in FOBBL Flyers.
We want to hear your library story—your favorite, earliest, or happiest experience in a library. If you would like to contribute your story of what a library means to you, we’d like to hear from you. Up to 500 words. Please include a photo & title.
Contact: fobblpublications@gmail.com * Friends of Birch Bay Library Communications Committee
So Much More by Sylvia Willis
…At fifteen, I used to venture into Mr. [Ralph Waldo] Emerson’s library and ask what I should read…His kind hand opened up to me the riches of Shakespeare, Dante, Goethe and Carlyle, and I gratefully recall the sweet patience with which he led me round the book-lined room, till the “new and very interesting book” was found. ~ Louisa May Alcott, Author of the beloved classic Little Women, from “Recollections,” 1888.
My own earliest recollections of a library were of crawling across our local library’s patterned carpet, in a suburb of Birmingham, England, aged about two or three, making a beeline for the bottom row of the stack, which held the delights of picture books! Pulling them out, I was treated to barnyard animals, zoo animals, and pictures of everyday things that helped build my vocabulary and introduced me to interesting places.
My toddler years were filled with library collections of beloved stories about characters such as Winnie-the-Pooh, Thomas the Tank Engine and Peter Rabbit. The stories came to life on the pages. I learned about the greater world, being a good friend and handling challenges, among other valuable developmental lessons.
During my school years, when I was able to walk to the library myself, I discovered adventures such as Enid Blyton’s Famous Five and the “Twins” series, which were fictional stories of twins from around the world. Classics such as Little Women, Heidi, Charles Kingsley’s The Water Babies, and the Wizard of Oz fired my imagination. They opened up the greater world and new cultures to me, and taught me about facing adversity, improving social interactions and appreciating diversity.
When I left home in my teens and everywhere I have lived since, I have sought out the local library as my first “home from home” in my new community. Then and now, libraries offer so much more than a wonderful array of books. They are community gathering places, where newbies like me can connect with people, groups, and be put in touch with community support to help me find my place in my new home. Libraries are constantly evolving to accommodate new technology, support school curriculums, and to provide the latest, state-of-the-art equipment to make research and book-lending more efficient in today’s world. They offer early childhood education through stories and games as well as after-school homework support and a place for teens and others to do research.
Through moving to Birch Bay and visiting Birch Bay’s library, I learned about and am delighted to become part of a wonderful, energetic group in the Friends of Birch Bay Library. I met them at local events and read about their hard work for our library. I look forward to doing my part with FBBL as they continue their work to see that Birch Bay has the best state of the art library to serve all its residents well, as the wonderful libraries along my journey have always done for me.
Sylvia Willis
Friends of Birch Bay Library
It's a Big World After All by Sacha Sanguinetti
My friends had color TV with cable, Atari’s, Commodore 64’s, and flushing toilets. We had a 13-inch black and white TV with one channel, an old AM radio and an outhouse…not exactly the entertainment hub of the island. In addition, we lived out of town and there was no road to our house. We had to walk a quarter of a mile through the woods to get to home sweet home. But I’m not complaining. Actually…quite the opposite…because we had the library.
I grew up in Kodiak, AK, a fishing town of about 13,000 in the Gulf of Alaska. It was a very diverse community made up of local natives, and people from all over the world that came to fish, work in the canneries, or who were stationed at Kodiak Air Station, the largest Coast Guard base in the Pacific. And everyone met at…you guessed it…the public library.
Every trip into town with our mom included a trip to the library. We would do all the “normal library things” like pick out books, look at the latest headlines from newspapers and magazines, and maybe even rent a VHS or BETA tape to watch on our small black and white TV. Anything to satisfy our entertainment cravings. It was a wonderful library that provided all the great services and resources you’ve come to expect. However, the real value in those library visits for me came from the people I met there.
I’ve always been a social person and have never had issues striking up conversations with anyone anywhere, even in the “quiet zone” that was the library. As a result, I got to learn about faraway places, different beliefs and cultures, and hear stories of both success and failure (some true, some 100% BS, and most somewhere in the middle). When talking with someone from an exotic place I was able to immediately reference and study their place of origin because, well, I was at the library. This isn’t as big of deal today with the internet and smart devices, but my childhood pre-dated these technologies by a couple of decades.
Living on an island can often make you feel isolated and cut off from the rest of the world. Our Kodiak Library went a long way in helping bridge the gap to the mainland, the “Lower 48,” and to the rest of the world.
Sacha Sanguinetti
Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce
Carnegie's Legacy by Harieklia Bryant
It was 1944 in a small town called Havre, Montana; I was 5 years old and my parents were Greek immigrants. My father could read and he read to me. However, our neighbor, Mrs. Francis, took me to a big stone building with these words engraved over the door: THE CARNEGIE LIBRARY and I said, “This must be a very important person to have their name on their own building.”
She took me to the basement which was the children’s section and I did not want to leave. I never saw so many books and you could put this “thing” up to your eyes and the two images would converge into one photo. I could take books home and write my name on this little card, feeling so very important. From that day on, I walked the five blocks, even in snow and rain, to Mr. Carnegie’s stone house and read, looked through the “thing,” and dreamed.
I taught my mother English from the books I brought home. My mom died 13 years ago at the age of 97; she told me many times what those books from the library did for her and how she never worried when I traveled as she understood my curiosity. I suppose one could give this as the reason why I hitch-hiked for six months through Europe at the age of 19 and continued to travel and get educated, had a bookstore for nearly 20 years back in the seventies and eighties…and why I am still enveloped in reading the ideas, dreams and stories of others.
The town library holds great significance for me, not only because of its impact on my life as a child of Greek immigrants but also because it played a fundamental role in shaping my identity as a human being.
The library’s influence can be traced back to multiple sources. Firstly, it stems from the initial contributions of my parents, whose unwavering support and encouragement paved the way for my love of learning. Additionally, the library itself is housed in a remarkable building, an historic landmark listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. This architectural gem, constructed in 1914, stands as a testament to the collaborative efforts of a group of women and the financial contributions made by the community through taxes.
Together, these elements have woven a tapestry of inspiration and community spirit that continues to shape my life to this day.
Harieklia Bryant
Birch Bay Resident and FOBBL & Book Club Member
My Library Story by Christine Perkins
I’ve been a librarian for 26 years so far, but my earliest memories of visiting a public library go back to when my family lived in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey. Imagine my surprise when I went to the library website Worth-Pinkham Memorial Library (hohokuslibrary.org) and discovered images of a library built in a former house, with a broad reading porch and pillars, clad in river rock! Inside, a brick fireplace, cozy seating and walls of books. It looks remarkably like the future Birch Bay Vogt Library Express!
Alas, it seems this building was donated to the community back in 1988, long after my family moved away. Despite the fact that I can’t remember the actual library I first visited as a child, the feeling of that library, and the library staff members who worked there, is imprinted in my soul.
Such fun! Such possibility! So many choices! I remember piling up stacks of books each week – even more in the summer – and eagerly bringing them home to devour. I lived in New Jersey from first to third grade, and zipped through Amelia Bedelia and Encyclopedia Brown books to Trixie Belden, Little House on the Prairie and beyond. The staff happily fed my curiosity and plied me with more and more challenging books to read.
When my family moved to Colorado, my public library served a socio-economically diverse community and I realized that libraries were where the helpers were – people who connected others to the resources and information they needed to improve their lives.
In Connecticut, I got my first library job, as a reference assistant, when I was 14 or 15. My mom drove me there several times a week. I realized that the library had all the tools I needed to complete my homework assignments. The librarians terrified me, hovering near me to make sure I shelved items in proper Dewey Decimal order and kept those golf pencils and scratch paper pads straightened. But they impressed me with their knowledge and recall.
When I went to college, I discovered vast research collections, librarians with subject specialties and PhDs, and 16 different locations to pick from, depending on my mood. The A.D. White Library at Cornell University is truly a library lover’s fantasy.
As a newly minted advertising executive, I discovered my first library with an escalator: The Harold Washington Library in Chicago. It was there that I first started wondering whether “selling cereal” was my life’s work (I was assigned to the Kellogg’s account, among others). My next stop: University of Washington’s Graduate School of Library and Information Science to obtain my Master’s degree.
Since then, I’ve worked in libraries in Oregon and Washington, big and small, systems and stand-alone. I’ve served teens, and young children, seniors, and everyone in between. I’ve shared my joy of reading with readers of all genres. I have a great job, where my never-ending curiosity and fascination with people and the world around me are assets and help me deliver great library service. One of my favorite things is meeting people who, like me, understand the value that public libraries bring to peoples’ lives, and want to build a library in their own community.
That’s why I love the people I’ve met in Birch Bay, and can’t wait for the next step in building the Birch Bay Vogt Library Express!
Christine Perkins
Whatcom County Library System (WCLS)
Executive Director
Libraries of Magic by Michael Cox
While growing up in a rural farming community of 1,700 people, I quickly learned that the public library offers a window to the world. It was also the place that made me feel special. Whether I was learning about magicians or abstract art, the library staff always found secrets to share and art that would blow my mind. They would also let me use the photocopier at no cost, and that made me feel like a king. So, when I created my own magic show as ‘Mike the Magnificent’ and started performing at weekend birthday parties and family gatherings, I felt thankful for the library that helped me learn my tricks. My first Summer Reading Program magic show was for my local library, and it ignited a steady stream of paid shows. As a magician, I gained confidence in public speaking, earned enough spending money for gas and dates, and I felt like a part of the community.
When I moved away for college, again I turned to local public libraries. I spent my summers traveling around central Illinois presenting at library Summer Reading programs and paying enough to help get me through school. Then, as a recent graduate and new high school English teacher, I kept my evening job shelving books in the children’s department mainly because the people I worked with there were so great. They listened to my stories about being a first-year teacher. They heard about my attempts at working with school administration to update the required reading list to include more contemporary options. Then they helped me to realize I wasn’t a teacher; I was a librarian. Again, my world grew, and libraries were at the heart of that growth.
Throughout my life, libraries have given me the tools and courage to change my story. One reason I loved working as a children’s librarian for 8 years is because I was in the right place to meet people who were learning, growing, and looking for support. The sense of awe I got while impressing an audience with a magic trick was also there when I found the resource someone needed but didn’t know existed or found a book that expanded someone’s perspective. These connections were more impactful than a magic trick, and library work became my new magic wand. This work, I could see, was truly transformational to people’s lives.
I became a library administrator two years before coming to the Whatcom County Library System in 2015. The sensation of magic, of surprising an audience and filling them with wonder, curiosity, and awe, is still at the heart of what I do. The difference is that now, my audience is the entire county. Whether we are working to remove overdue fines, secure funding for new initiatives, or find ways to connect patrons with the resources they need in that moment, I know firsthand how even a small library in a small community can make a world of difference.
Thank you for your support for libraries. With them, so much more is possible.
Michael Cox
Whatcom County Library System
Deputy Director
Why I Love Libraries, by Su Kelly
Do some humans have an innate need to collect? If so, place me in that group! From an early age, I’ve experienced satisfaction by keeping similar things together. Whenever I identified a pair based on likeness, I sought out a third, fourth, and more. Dolls, spoons, Nancy Drew Mystery books, record albums. I have a collection of over 100 walrus figurines. When my husband and I downsized from a 4-bedroom house to a tiny cottage here in Birch Bay, trimming my collections was the hardest part of the process. (Those 100 walruses made the cut!)
Maybe my desire to form collections explains my love of libraries. In the house where I grew up, we had two long shelves of books. On those shelves, novels had a section, poetry books had a section, and of course The Encyclopedia Britannica occupied a well-deserved, prominent section. After all, a set of encyclopedia volumes is an eloquent collection-of-collections. My school libraries were wonderlands of organization. Fiction, non-fiction, reference, periodicals. Thousands and thousands of printed texts, already sorted for my exploration pleasure.
Even though the Internet has revolutionized the way humans access knowledge, I still love to visit a library. When I step through the door of it, I feel a sense of order and place. I can find a book that interests me, seek out a cushy chair, and curl up there for hours if I chose. I can be alone together with others of my kind. No need to make small talk. I can just pass my time in peace.
In these chaotic times, maybe you also need some order in your life. If so, go to a library. Find something to read, look for a cozy chair, and sit next to me. I’ll smile at you and nod, but I promise I won’t say a word.
Su Kelly
FOBBL Member
Needs, Wants & Chocolate, by Connie Beach
I was one of those lucky children whose mom and dad, Carolyn and Jim, taught me letters and numbers way before I attended kindergarten. We played the alphabet game riding in the car and counted steps from our Birch Bay summer cabin to The C Shop. When we were home in Federal Way, we visited our library often.
I recall when I was young needing some help finding a “just right” book for chapter reading, and I was having trouble choosing one of the many books available. My mom was probably recommending many, but what do moms know? She knew enough to lead me to the librarian to ask for help, teaching us independence and self-advocacy. (I didn’t know how important those lessons were, but now that I teach executive function to my students, I realize their importance.)
I asked the librarian if she could tell me about a book I might like. She smiled and asked me some questions about myself and showed me a few books. The one that sounded the most interesting was “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, a 1964 children’s book. It sounded a little different from the other books I had read and maybe a little weird. I still like weird things.
This fond memory came back to me in 2010, when I helped direct our Maywood Middle School drama club in “Ronald Dahl’s Willy Wonka Junior”. Have you ever tried to make a stage version of a chocolate river?
Throughout my school years, I found fiction to read at the library but I also found all the information I needed to write the reports I was assigned. Classmates met at our neighborhood library to work on our group projects. We were on our own, but in a safe place with a big table to spread out our work and produce our final project.
I continued the literacy training with my own children by taking them to story time at the Renton Library. They would choose several books while I browsed the movie section. We found audiobooks we could listen to on vacation road trips. We would meet other families at the library and visit with them. The Renton Library is built over the Cedar River and has beautiful views of the river.
I continue to be a lucky woman with plenty of computer access where I can Google questions of great importance, such as, “When did Charlie and the Chocolate Factory get published?” However, I know that not all of my students living in Birch Bay have these tools, a library would give them this access. A neighborhood library would also be a place to meet with community members to talk and learn together.
I hope my granddaughter, Eleanor Carolyn, born recently, will be able to go with me to the Birch Bay Vogt Community Library and find a “just right” book for her. And then we will take it to the reading porch, the front lawn, or the beach, and read.
Connie Beach
Birch Bay Lover since 1960 * Teacher * FOBBL Board Member
Always Loved Libraries, by Holly Witte
Lucky enough to live across the street from the magnificent Brooklyn Public Library main branch during my formative years, I grew up inhaling not just the particular aromas of books but what was inside — worlds of wonder. The building itself is a landmark of art deco design and soaring space. My first recalled experiences are as a user of the Children’s Section, an entire separate wing for just us. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t have a Library Card!
My crowd hung out in the Children’s Section all the way through elementary and middle schools, until we realized we had outgrown the small chairs and -– even better -– had achieved enough stature to allow us to choose anything we wanted from any shelf in the entire Library.
There was an exquisite pleasure in learning to master the Dewey Decimal System and go through the drawers of thousands and thousands of paper cards, each describing all of the precise information one needed to be directed to the exact shelf in the exact section. In those days, we could check out 10 books at a time and then plot and plan in which order we would read them. There were times I couldn’t get through all of the books in the allotted time. There was a solution — the Reissue Desk, where I could bring my treasures and have someone check to see if anyone else wanted that book or I could renew it for another period of time.
Imagine my delight when I was old enough for a first summer job and got that one as the Reissue Clerk!
Access to the vast treasures a library contains has certainly changed –- now I can be at home, click on the Libby icon and order up just about anything to be delivered either to a library site or my own electronic device and I can read or listen as I please. Nothing quite matches the feeling of promise, however, upon entering a building specifically created to open the world to everyone.
Holly Witte
FOBBL Board Member & Development Coach
Book Rewards, by Ruth Higgins
For my older sister and me, going to the library was like entering a cathedral. We didn’t know much about cathedrals but had vivid imaginations, and were in awe of the massive beams and hushed atmosphere.
As I recall, those visits were in the summer when school libraries were not available. The library trips were not a hop and a skip around the block from our rural home in the municipality of Coquitlam, B.C. The appointed day would start early because all chores had to be done before we could leave and that had to be to the exact time of the Pacific Stage Lines schedule. With only four buses a day, we never risked missing the intended one.
Once inside the hushed and revered library, we scampered (quietly) to the children’s section. We had an allotted number of books, but I don’t recall how many that was.
We took our selection back to a home already lined with books. Our parents subscribed to a Book of the Month Club; mom was (and her mom before her) a teacher, i.e. a reader; and dad bolstered his limited formal schooling (terminated at the eighth grade) by being a voracious reader. We were also very lucky to have aunts who gave us books for birthdays and Christmas. We had, as well, books our Mom had as a girl, and even some of her father’s.
My sister and I read whenever and wherever we could—under the blankets with a flashlight smuggled in at night; on a perfectly curled tree branch in the nearby woods; or on a blanket in the yard. When all else failed, I would read all sides of the Corn Flakes box.
I believe, and I shared this with a youngster struggling with difficulty reading, that it is worth the effort because you can go anywhere, do anything and be anyone for a brief time if you can read. I hope to see the Birch Bay Vogt Community Library become a reality so Birch Bay’s kids can easily have this opportunity, too.
Ruth Higgins
Active Birch Bay Library Supporter Since 2015
The House of Stories, by Joan Connell
It was a short walk from my house to the public library in our town. I could get there by myself, which means a lot to a little kid. That building buzzed with activity; it was never quiet. But the atmosphere was calm. And the people who ran the place were helpful and kind.
Like the Birch Bay Library we are now creating, this old brick house of my childhood had been reimagined into a clean, well-lighted space for books and maps, science and literature, music and a big spinning globe. It was a haven for a child who wanted to go places and do things, but had no idea where or what.
The library was my House of Stories: Sacajawea, Sojourner Truth, Amelia Earhart, Clara Barton, Marie Curie – real people who had adventures, cared deeply and made the world a better place. I wondered if I could ever be that big and what gifts I could possibly offer to the world.
This House of Stories had a singular effect; I became a storyteller, too. Now, after 35 years as a writer and editor, I teach at Western Washington University. One recent day, in ethics class, my students considered the sources of civic virtues and values that enable diverse people to live together in harmony.
Where do we learn tolerance, respect for law, justice and fair play? Generosity and courage? Where do we learn to appreciate science, art and beauty? To practice the Golden Rule? To nurture the curiosity, empathy and critical thinking that allow us all to flourish?
One by one, my students identified the cultural reservoirs of these values: Family. School. Government. Sports. Religion. And yes, the Library.
This Birch Bay Library, our House of Stories, will be a gathering place for all that promises to expand our horizons and feed our children’s dreams. Join us and help make it happen!
Joan Connell is a journalist, senior lecturer at Western Washington University, Co-owner of Connell Wright Media. She is co-author, with Adam Bartholomew
My True Home, by Dr. Patricia Bloom
Years ago, a book had these lines which I’ve never forgotten: “Where do you go when you have no place to go? You go home.”
But how do you define “home,” especially as families are increasingly scattered and the rapidity of changing technology is outstripping our sense of permanence. Home, for many in our society, has become an elusive phenomenon.
This rapidity of changes is not the only thing that has transformed us. “Things were different in my day,” goes the old refrain. Now, I’m one of those oldsters and marvel, not always in a good way, about the changes in our lives. One striking example, to which many seniors can relate, was the sound of our mothers yelling, as we banged the screen door going outside to play after school, “Be home for dinner when the streetlights come on!” Where we went and what we did was ours to decide. The most haunting caution we ever heard was: “Don’t take candy from a stranger,” which, I guess, implied that it was okay to take the candy if it was someone we knew.
Life seemed serene in those “olden days.” But it wasn’t. Family secrets were just that: secrets. And every family had them. So, if you were a kid, where could you go for solace? There was always one great answer – the library. In those days, there wasn’t a “children’s section” and I probably read books that would have shocked any reasonable parent today.
As my family moved around the country, books became my most trusted companions and libraries my refuge. They say every child needs two things to successfully traverse the difficult years into adulthood: (1) the unconditional love and acceptance of an adult, and (2) a place where the child feels safe. I suppose I had the first condition, to one degree or another, from my parents. I definitely had the second. It was the library. No matter that the buildings changed over the years, but the kindness and help I received from those who worked in those buildings, never did. Even today, just the word “library” evokes something akin to a whiff of chocolate, the warmth of a fireplace, a place of gladness and gratification.
Thus, I amend those initial lines: “Where do you go when you have no place to go? You go to the library.” Because that’s my true home.
Before retiring to Washington, Dr. Patricia Bloom was a faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami School of Medicine. She and her husband moved to Camano Island in 2006, then to Birch Bay in 2018. Having been a member of the initial Friends group which brought a library to Camano, she was delighted to join our efforts to create a permanent library in our area.
Library Time Travels, by Brian Bell
Skeptics insist that time travel will always be the stuff of science fiction. Around 58 years ago the Kerrisdale Elementary School library in Vancouver, B.C. informed me otherwise.
We all know Grade 3 is a busy time for a kid. Between classes, goofing around in hallways, eating lunch, and recess, there’s not a lot time left over. Eventually my first library period rolled around. On entering the library, we slapped eyes on a largish room with bookshelves on every wall and low reading tables scattered around. And more books than I’d seen in one place in my entire life! Time seemed to slow down the instant I crossed into the room… It was a bit like when I lost control of my new bike and crashed into a girl; I had plenty of time to think, “Is this actually happening? Should I yell out a warning? How am I going to explain this?“ – all in the seconds before she turned and braced for impact. My 8-year-old’s ego was the only thing bruised in the encounter, but in that instant my mind captured details enough for a small book…
Which leads me back to the school library. I finally picked a book at random from the Fiction section. It was a story about magical talking parrots, set in the prehistoric past. The class lasted only 20 minutes, but I’ll swear that by the time it ended my young mind was smelling volcanoes and wondering how it was that birds could be so darn clever. I was far away and long, long ago when that buzzer snapped me back to the present. Blink. Blink. Some people seek out libraries for sanctuary. That’s cool, but mainly I go there to travel in time.
Library Time Travels is the second story in a series and is brought to you by Brian Bell. Brian serves on the Friends of Birch Bay Library Board and Chairs the Communications Committee, where he is able to utilize his many years of IT experience. He has been a resident of Birch Bay since 2012.
History of Mount Lake Library, by Dorlee Booth
While writing my original story I found the history of the Montlake Library, established in 1944. One year after I was born! I am grateful to those who worked hard to establish the Montlake Library as a legacy gift to future generations!
The Montlake Community Club, and the Montlake Parent Teacher Association launched a campaign to raise money. A flyer went out to the neighborhood proclaiming:
“THERE IS NO JUVENILE DELINQUENCY in our district. We shall see to it that such a situation never exists. It seems to us very vital that this library go through as THIS IS ONE MORE STEP TO INSURE OUR CHILDREN BEING GUIDED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION’”.
Within six months, 808 residents and businesses contributed $2,151.32. TheMontlake Library Committee was organized.
The old Montlake Price-Rite grocery and meat market was rented for $35 a month. Utilities and custodial services came to $61 a month. Volunteers fixed up the old store. The library board held up its end of the bargain and provided a librarian and 1,500 books. Does this story sound a bit familiar?
This is the second of Doralee Booth’s two-part story. She says she’s been coming to Birch Bay since she was “in my mother’s womb”, as her family always spent summers here. She and her husband, Bill, built a summer cabin in Birch Bay that they expanded upon retirement to be their permanent home. She has always been a pillar of the community and, among many other endeavors, is a Friends of Birch Bay Library board member.
Adversity to Advocating, by Keith Alesse
Libraries have had an extremely positive impact on my life. In early grade school I struggled with reading. My parents, both schoolteachers, used their skills to support me, given my inclination to question everything. They got me the extra help I needed to overcome what I eventually came to understand as a dyslexic wiring of my brain.
The group effort was successful and, once over the initial hurdle, I quickly grew to love reading as a way to answer my questions about the world around me. I am sure it wasn’t the first book I checked out, but the one I remember was a book on chemistry from the Blaine Elementary School library that I’d hoped would teach me how to build fireworks.
My parents continued to encourage my brother and me to read. They enticed the Whatcom County Library System to move the Birch Bay Bookmobile stop to the parking lot of our candy shop. There, they offered to give out snow-cones to everyone who came in with a book they had checked out; an offer The C Shop still honors today. My brother and I thought it was mighty brilliant that our parents had figured out how to get the library to come to our house every week! We took full advantage of our fortunate situation.
These early reading experiences, reinforced by a long sequence of other positive interactions with librarians through college and beyond, underpins my thinking that libraries are amongst the most important contributors to both human and community development. When I have looked for ways to volunteer my time in an effort to give back to the world around me, I have found myself drawn to libraries.
The chance we in Birch Bay currently have to bring a library here is one that has not existed before and may never exist again. I think it is worth my effort, time, and money to contribute to making it a reality.
Let’s work together to overcome the challenges and to enrich our community by creating a focal point for the sharing of knowledge and ideas that we will call the Birch Bay Vogt Community Library.
Keith Alesse grew up attending Blaine schools and working at the family business in Birch Bay. Since 2010 he has worked in Birch Bay to carry on his family business, The C Shop. Keith has been an active member of Friends of Birch Bay Library since its inception.
Libraries: My Way of Life, by Di Marrs-Smith
I love books. I love libraries.
My love of books started before I was a year old. My mother gave me the gift of reading and the love of books by reading to me every day. As I grew, my mother would buy me a Little Golden Book at the grocery store, letting me pick out the book or two that I wanted. She would read those books to me over and over, until I could “read” them to her; really just memorizing them. At 3 years old, I was “reading” to my brand-new baby brother. My mother and father were both avid readers and we were never without books.
My love of libraries really started on my 5th birthday. My mother took me to our Fresno, CA, Leo Politi Library. I can remember smelling the old books and seeing the librarian at her desk. My mother was given a form and we filled it out together. I signed a pledge (I had been practicing how) that said I would bring my books back on time, take the best care of all the books I checked out, and I would be financially responsible for any damage to booked or late fees. I was presented a yellow children’s card with my name, library card number, and signature. In that moment, my whole world opened up.
I took my library privileges very seriously, shamefully paying my late fees when necessary, but secretly happy I was able to finish the book. Librarians in my early days were so helpful, teaching me how to use the card catalog, recommending reading materials, and learning what I liked and didn’t like.
Throughout my life, the library and its librarians have been there for me and my family. In my teens they became a place of calm, consistency, safety; a place I could be my true self. In my adult years, the library has been a place of learning, stability, and economic balancing when times were tough. My children learned that even when experiencing financial hardship, you can walk into a library and feel like you have a million bucks; checking out whatever you want, staying connected through technology and keeping up on the latest entertainment.
When I started working for the Whatcom County Library System in 2006, I decided that I wanted to emulate the librarians that had cared for me over the years and give back to the institution that has been such an important part of my life. You can find me managing the Lynden Library and around the county at events promoting library services throughout the year.
When I am not at Lynden, I am dedicating my time, energy, and funds to supporting building the Birch Bay Library, championing for library services, defending the freedom to read and encouraging curiosity.
Dianne Marrs-Smith
President of Friends of Birch Bay Library
This is just part of her story
