Sitka Public Library
Dear Editor: Thank you for the “above-the-fold” story concerning our library. Naming our new library is a simple decision but with long-lasting implications. Do we want to carry on the name Kettleson Memorial Library for the next 50 years? I don’t feel it is fair to the many other people who kept the library going for the last 92 years. In fact, in reading the 135-page history of our library by Alan Brown, I quit counting at 100 the names of people involved in the library history. I feel it is the right time to name our new library what it started as and where it is located, the Sitka Public Library. We all appreciate the contribution of Mr. Kettleson, but is money the only reason to name a building? If anyone should have their name on our library it would probably be Louise Brightman, who served our library for 40 years.
Mr. Kettleson’s name will live on since most of the 60,000 items in our library have the Kettleson name stamped, sometimes seven times. In the new library we can have a display honoring many of our library heroes, including Mr. Kettleson.
Remember if we had hesitated on changing a name we would still be living in New Archangel, going to Verstovia School and the Isabel Miller Museum.
Also, I have no desire to change any other Sitka name. My only interest is our library; however, in the interest of full disclosure I must admit I do have something named for me. For a modest donation Roger Schmidt promised to name one shingle for me during the re-roofing of the Sitka Fine Arts Camp laundry building. The only problem is I don’t know which shingle it is.
Bill Foster, Sitka
