From 2-5 p.m. on Saturday, 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 many locals who have called Homer home since before the turn of the century, it’s hard to believe 20 years have come and gone since more than 1,500 friends and neighbors gathered on September 16, 2006, for the grand opening of our beautiful library building on the corner of Hazel and Heath. As we gather again this weekend to celebrate the facility’s 20^th anniversary, it seems timely to highlight why the Homer Public Library remains such a thriving and much-loved community hub.

Author and educator Sharon Weil, who has long engaged in conversations about change and courage, firmly believes that “in order to be effective, be responsive. In order to be responsive, listen.” Over the years, city personnel, library staff and an army of volunteers have done just that. During the library’s design phase in the early 2000s, community input played a significant role in imagining a new state-of-the-art facility, and their wishes were heard. Today, a stroll through the interior reveals children in a large dedicated space nestled into plump bean bag chairs savoring picture books; a smattering of people hunkered down in the fireplace lounge and at the reading bar; patrons of various ages working at computers; single users and small groups occupying nearly every study room; and all the while friendly, knowledgeable staff quietly tending to patrons and keeping things running smoothly.

The Homer Public Library offers our community much more than books and quiet spaces. For example, in response to parents looking for wholesome activities for their children when school is not in session, the library offers in partnership with Friends of the Library volunteers an array of options including a volunteer-led chess club, an outdoor StoryWalk trail, BOB the Bookmobile and a popular summer reading program.

For adults who may be craving intellectual stimulation, mental exercise or social engagement, some of their options include borrowing puzzles, games or birding backpacks; joining a knitting circle or book club; sitting in on an author talk or organized chat with a city council member; participating in Lit Lineup or Big Read activities; enjoying local art displays; or signing up to be a much-valued library volunteer.

In the larger picture, one particularly stark example of HPL’s responsiveness to changing needs is the many ways it adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic that literally shut down day-to-day life as we know it in the spring of 2020. A skeleton crew began by implementing curbside check-out and quarantining and cleaning all books returned via the outdoor book drop. Soon after, they expanded phone access to library resources and materials and extended free WiFi access to include the parking lot. Perhaps the most extensive change was providing online access to tens of thousands of e-books, audiobooks and periodicals.

Once the pandemic began loosening its grip, the library gradually re-opened, and today face-to-face use is again robust while most of these expanded outreach services remain — a timely twist considering the rapidly changing era of technology in which we now find ourselves. As we celebrate the 20^th anniversary of our current facility, the wave of change we’ve seen in the wake of COVID-19 raises an important question: where do we go from here over the next 20 years?

Rapidly changing technology, including the controversial explosion of AI, is changing how we produce and access information as well as how we judge the credibility of information we see, hear, read, share and trust. Comedian Paula Poundstone, who also serves as a long-time advocate of libraries, recently said something worthy of contemplation as we attempt to navigate these uncharted waters: “It’s funny that we think of libraries as quiet, demure places where we are shushed by dusty, bun-balancing, bespectacled women. The truth is, libraries are raucous clubhouses for free speech, controversy and community. Libraries can never be shushed.”

Nor should they be. In these challenging, changing times, we are so fortunate to have such a vibrant, responsive, and downright wonderful library in the heart of our town. It first took root in the early 1940s because homesteaders believed a library was important, and community volunteers answered the call. Over the years it continued to grow as the city embraced its value, a larger facility was built, core staff were hired and volunteers continued to provide essential support. Then, shortly after the turn of the century, the transformative power of community ushered in a vision that became the spectacular facility we have today, guided by dedicated staff and supported by a multitude of volunteers who stand on their shoulders and continue to answer the call.

Author Sidney Sheldon believes that “libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination. They open windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve and contribute to improving our quality of life.” This weekend, everyone is invited to help celebrate the Homer Public Library’s rich history, the many programs and services it currently provides for our community, and to help chart its future. Every voice makes a difference. The library is listening and welcomes hearing yours.