Library Appreciation
Dear Editor: Library Appreciation Week has ended, and one task remains – to publicly thank the Sitka Public Library and its staff for leading the way in providing services during COVID. The library had an incredibly short one-week closure before offering curbside service to Sitkans pining for their books. Soon librarians were operating out of a seaside window and then they reopened – giving Sitka an experience of normalcy during a hard time. Librarians everywhere were looking for ways to get books in the hands of children experiencing the deprivation of distance learning and the lack of access to books.
SPL instituted “grab and go” and kit giveaways to provide reading, learning, and hands-on activities to Sitka’s children. Stories online, Zoom meetings, and access to national programming helped fill the void while parents scrambled to sort out the new normal.
Adult patrons also had new opportunities. The Armchair Travel series was initiated. Sitkans shared their everyday and extraordinary experiences of travel to their friends and neighbors. The series has proved to be quite popular and well-attended. And then there was the Spelling Bee. A partnership between the library and the Friends, the bee provided just the kind of entertainment that has been missing this last year – Sitkans willing to amuse and amaze their neighbors for a good cause.
The director of the Sitka Public Library, Jessica Ieremia, has seen the COVID year as a year of opportunity – a time to implement new services, tackle longstanding concerns, and branch out into new possibilities. In this last year, the Sitka Public Library has implemented a new self-checkout system, created a tween area, and reorganized to create a graphic novel section. They have worked on increasing the DVD collection, weeding, and improving collections. An oral history project has Sitkans sharing their experiences under COVID. Also exciting will be a return to seven-day service at the end of April.
What can patrons hope for over the next year?
The director and staff at the Sitka Public Library have been busy planning for a bright future. Some of that includes a return to the familiar.
“The bulletin board is now just back up, and we are taking reservations for the study room, but there will be new services, too. Besides an increase in laptops becoming available for inhouse use, we will be welcoming an intern for our User Experience library project. She will uncover how patrons interact with the library’s services and facility, as well as uncover what patrons value and do not value about the library.”
The Friends plan to oversee a permanent book cart sale that will operate daily in the lobby of the library.
Please join the Friends in thanking the Sitka Public Library for nearly a century of service as a municipal library. The Friends will soon start work on a centennial celebration for March of 2023. Two years should be just enough time to prepare for the party SPL deserves! Thank you!
Kari Sagel, President,
Friends of Sitka Public Library
Thank You
Dear Editor: The American Legion Post 13 would like to take this time to thank the F/V Archangel – Phil Wyman and Todd Nevers – for their generous donation of fish to our club.
It will greatly help our fundraisers. Thanks a bunch from the Legion crew.
Margaret Carlson, Club Manager,
American Legion Post 13
