History of the Homer Public Library: Part 1

Special to the Homer Independent Press

From 2-5 p.m. Sept. 19, the Homer Public Library holds an open house to celebrate 20 years in its current location on Hazel Avenue. As part of that celebration, Elizabeth Graber looks back at the history of the library. The Sept. 19 event includes displays, activities, tours, games, special storytimes, informational tables and a presentation about the library’s past and future. The evening will close with the dedication of a time capsule, to be opened 20 years from now. If you have any questions, contact the library’s front desk at 907-235-3180 or circ@ci.homer.ak.us.

For so many who weren’t born and raised in Alaska but were moved enough by Homer’s charms to uproot from their jobs, extended families, friends and familiar surroundings to start a new life here, two common themes often emerge when telling their stories: first, being gob-smacked by the drop-dead beauty everywhere you look, and second, the strong sense of community that quickly opens its arms and draws in anyone willing to both give and receive its creative energy.  

As best-selling author and part-time Homer resident Dan Coyle reminds us in his recently published book, “Flourish,” when certain people, projects and places come together with a common goal, it is the transformative power of creating community that equates to the feeling of a life well-lived. One such project in Homer, largely driven for decades by dedicated individuals with a common purpose, is the Homer Public Library.

As the library celebrates the 20th anniversary of its current state-of-the-art facility, it seems both timely and appropriate to look back at how it all started, how the library continued to grow and develop even during tough times, and why it continues to be a well-used, much-loved and downright flourishing hub of our small but vibrant community.

In the late 1930s and early 1940s, Homer was a tiny, isolated settlement of about 325 people, populated in part by a wave of homesteaders who were drawn to its maritime access despite its lack of a highway connecting it to the rest of Alaska. The heart of the community was located near Bishop’s Beach and what is now referred to as “Old Town,” including a general store where Saturday night dances drew neighbors together.

The first seeds of the Homer Public Library were planted in 1938 when territorial delegate Anthony Dimond offered local teacher Mabel Shotter help in starting a public library. Soon after, led by Arlene Kranich and the Homer Women’s Club found housing space in the old West End School. The volunteer organizers received books at no cost from Washington, D.C., and collected donations from local residents. In 1944, Homer Public Library Inc. was formed in order to qualify for a $50 territorial grant.

By 1950, a permanent 600-square-foot library had been hand-built by volunteers on Pioneer Avenue across the street from what is now the Porcupine Theater at a cost of about $1,500. Run entirely by volunteers, it continued to receive $50 annually thanks to funds secured with the help of Anthony Dimond.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the library continued to thrive, supported by volunteerism and community fundraising. Events such as charging admission to view “The Red Wagon,” a movie shown in living color at the Skyway theater in Old Town,” were held to help fortify a fund aimed at building a larger facility with a reading room. Other examples include a “Parcel Post” sale where local folks were asked to send a package containing a donated item worth a dollar that would then be sold for a dollar after arriving in the mail, and a two-day talent show featuring home-grown performers that was also held at the local theater.  

In addition to fundraisers, community “parties” were regularly organized where volunteers worked on projects such as landscaping the area adjacent to the library building, painting the outside trim, and later holding a “skirting party” to board up the base of the library building — a project where women notably did the construction while men served the refreshments. 

Throughout the mid-20th century, volunteers continued to run the library, implementing the Dewey Decimal System and managing circulation out of local spaces such as the old Homer Fire Hall located next door on Pioneer Avenue. According to city documents, that partnership wasn’t entirely without its problems, including some disagreements over parking space, but that issue became moot in 1971 when the Homer City Council voted to transfer the old fire hall building to the library board.

Then, in 1974, after more than 30 years of operating on a shoestring budget, voters approved a bond to build a new 3,500-square-foot building. Prior to the beginning of construction, the library became a separate department of the City of Homer, which was a necessary step toward acquiring $200,000 of state funding to help finance the project. With this move, the city took on responsibility for the construction and operational expenses of the new library, with HPL Inc. now providing supplemental support.

That beautiful new building — which is now a chiropractic clinic next door to Don Jose’s — opened for business in 1979, and its first professional librarian, BJ Mauseth, was hired. Soon after, in 1980, the city created the Library Advisory Board to replace HPL Inc., which split administration of the library between city government and a community advisory panel. 

With the loss of HPL Inc., the city was urged to maintain a mechanism for volunteer support, and thanks to the unwavering enthusiasm of community volunteers, the Friends of the Homer Library was soon established with a mission statement that still drives it today: “to provide support for the Homer Public Library programs and services, to raise funds that enrich the library experience, and to promote the use and enjoyment of the library, including outreach and lifelong learning.”

The use of the new library more than tripled in just over 10 years, and by 1999, it was filled to capacity with more than 35,000 books stacked from floor to ceiling. With patrons literally stepping over children in the aisles during the popular story time program facilitated by local volunteer Joy Griffin, and no room for expanding services such as access to public use computers, the bottom line became clear: Homer had outgrown its current facility. It was time to envision the future. 

The next installment of this series will focus on the community’s inspiration, fundraising campaign, and design dreams that gave rise to our current facility.