By Elizabeth Graber

From 2-5 p.m. on 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.

When the then-new 3,500 square-foot Homer Public Library opened its doors on Pioneer Avenue in 1979, it housed about 8,000 volumes and served a population of about 3,000 people. By 1985, when it had already become obvious the new library was too small, an expansion project was added to the City of Homer’s capital improvement list. Unfortunately, when the state’s oil production tanked in 1986 and municipalities had to drastically trim their budgets, the library project quickly lost traction.

Fast forward to the year 2000 when the population of the Homer area had tripled to more than 10,000 people, and the library’s collection had ballooned to more than 35,000 volumes. Supported by evidence from three space-needs studies, the need for expansion had become dire, but there was no clear plan for addressing it. Once again, enter the transformative power of volunteers who come together with a common goal.

One community member who played a key role in pushing for a new library is local author Nancy Lord. As she recalls, after returning home from a writing residence near Chicago and loving the library there, she told her husband Ken Castner, “We deserve a good library. I’m going to work on that.” 

As a first step Lord applied for and was appointed to a position on the Library Advisory Board. Although it took several years to get the necessary support, once Helen Hill was hired as library director, and volunteers from both the LAB and the Friends of the Library created a partnership with the City, a planning meeting was held in 2002 at the Pratt Museum and plans for a major capital campaign were launched.

Before attempting to secure necessary funds, some big issues needed to be resolved, including choosing the best building site and determining priorities for both the building design and its optimal use. As a result of considerable public input, the chosen site was a long, narrow 3.1-acre tract of land on Hazel Avenue behind Safeway in the central business district that had been “gifted” to the city through a foreclosure. 

After additional public participation established building priorities and design, the architectural firm ECI Hyer was chosen through a competitive process. Among the priorities that emerged were a substantial children’s room, several study rooms, a fireplace lounge, an area for access to public use computers, a conference room, a staff workroom, energy efficiency, low maintenance and the use of sustainable building materials.

Volunteers continued to be the driving force behind the arduous task of raising more than $8 million to make the 17,000 square-foot building that planners were envisioning a reality. Strong support from the mayor and Homer City Council, local donors large and small, (including school children), The Homer Foundation, and both state and federal elected officials convinced a number of larger foundations, including the Rasmuson Foundation, to make substantial gifts. 

Groundbreaking took place on May 16, 2005, following a community march from the old building on Pioneer Avenue to its current site, and on Sept. 16, 2006, the new building, built by local construction firm Jay-Brant, opened its doors. Among its notable attributes that prompted the Anchorage Daily News to describe it as “an architectural sensation,” the building was awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council, the first public building in the state to earn this silver certification based on its use of materials, indoor air quality and energy use, and overall environmental impact, including water management and natural vegetation on the grounds.




Adding to its appeal, thanks to funds acquired from the City’s 1% for Art program that allows for creativity in finished construction, the Homer Public Library opened its doors with artistic details that continue to contribute to its welcoming aura. These include the hand-crafted alphabet tiles bordering the entire children’s room by Lynn Marie Naden; the birch trees extending floor to ceiling by Paul Dungan; a recycled wood “reading bar” overlooking Kachemak Bay; the fireplace in the reading lounge crafted by Leo Vait; the front door metal crane sculptures by Tarri Thurman and Marlon Prazen; the sculpted bike rack by Lisa Krebs; and the metal “fish wall” leading to the entrance commemorating local donors.

While enjoying a leisurely stroll around the library grounds and interior, an observant eye reveals even more works of art: the hand crafted signage both on the side of the building and the corner of Hazel and Heath Streets; paintings and photographs provided by local artists; an etched glass wall and handmade quilt commemorating local benefactors; other glass and metal sculptures; and three life-size cranes in flight above the reading room crafted from twigs and wood. 

While this facility is spectacular in and of itself, the dedicated staff and volunteers are the heroes who keep it thriving. According to Friends board member and long-time library volunteer Sara Reinert, it’s the staff that provides the foundation for the library’s many programs and services, with 90 to 100 volunteers from groups like the LAB and Friends of the Library offering broad and deep support to keep things flowing.

Who are the Friends of the Library? According to their website, “We are like you, really. We love books. We love community. We love what happens when you put books and community together… a library that is the hearth and heart of our town and the surrounding areas.” 

In this increasingly digital age, some folks may scoff at public libraries, saying they aren’t needed anymore, but in Homer, the 100,000-plus visitors who walk through our library’s welcoming doors every year offer strong testament to its continued importance.

R. David Lankes, a professor of Librarianship at Syracuse University’s School of Information, believes that “good libraries build collections and services. Great libraries build communities.” The Homer Public Library is clearly a great one.

(The final installment in this series will focus on the library’s evolving responsiveness to community needs over the years and inviting public input regarding what they’d like to see happen in years to come.)