CE NEWS

July 1, 2022

Thorne Bay Public Library Grand Opening

New Thorne Bay Public Library. Photo by Karen Petersen June 2022.
After the ceremonial ribbon cutting, Thorne Bay Mayor Lee Burger thanks Library Director Laura Clark for dedicated service to the community.

On Saturday, June 11, the community of Thorne Bay came together to celebrate the grand opening of their new 1,300 square foot library building and reflect upon the years of hard work and collective goodwill that made this new building a reality.

The Friends of the Thorne Bay Public Library received a $50,000 ARPA grant from the Alaska State Library to build a covered deck attached to the back of the library. This protected outdoor space creates a comfortable area for library programs and allows residents to access the Wi-Fi when the library is closed. 

A Little History about the Thorne Bay Public Library

Photo of the Thorne Bay Public Library taken in 2018 by Ashley RichardsonIn 2005, the community of Thorne Bay needed a building for a public library.  When the school district determined they no longer required the use of a 900 square foot trailer, the community leapt at the opportunity to transform it into a public library. For the past 16 years, the 562 residents of Thorne Bay squeezed into that narrow trailer to check out books, access public internet computers, and attend summer reading programs and job training workshops.

The Thorne Bay Public Library was one of the partner sites for the Alaska State Library’s VISTA Project. Library Development staff worked with library board member Karen Petersen, Thorne Bay City Manager Wayne Benner, Thorne Bay Library Director Lana Clark and VISTA volunteers Jesse Drucker, Mark Lisowski and Ashley Richardson for three years (2015-2018) to support and improve the sustainability of the Thorne Bay Public Library. 

During their time in Thorne Bay, the VISTA volunteers developed community partnerships, created library programs (e.g., early literacy, children, and teen summer reading programs), and wrote grants that expanded and enhanced library services (e.g. Lapsit Reading Kits, EMS recertification grant, Tier 1 Rasmuson grant for technology upgrades, and a grant for materials to create a library garden).

Behind the scenes, the VISTA volunteers worked closely with the Thorne Bay Library Director and library board members to review and update library policies and recruit volunteers.  Jesse Drucker, the 1st year VISTA, researched and wrote Meeting Needs and Realizing Goals: A Community Needs Assessment of Thorne Bay; Mark Lisowski, the 2nd year VISTA, facilitated a series of community conversations; and the 3rd year VISTA Ashley Richardson incorporated the results of both activities into the library’s strategic plan. All three of the VISTAs wrote grants and worked to update library policies and procedures and offer library programs.

Friends of the Thorne Bay Public Library 

Meanwhile, Karen Petersen and members of the Friends of the Thorne Bay Library focused their energy raising funds for a new building. Members of the Friends met cruise ship passengers at the dock and led historic walking tours that ended at the Thorne Bay Library. They held art and wine auctions and numerous raffles and self-published a limited-edition book with photographs taken by Steve McCutcheon in the 1960s which highlighted Thorne Bay’s logging history. The Friends of the Thorne Bay Library raised $160,000.00 for a new building in 10 years. In 2020, Karen Petersen reached out to Timberland Homes to see if they were willing to work with the Friends of the Library to construct a custom manufactured building that would serve as the new library.

In 2021, the Friends of the Library received a $120,000 New Library Construction grant from the Rasmuson Foundation, and with land donated by the City of Thorne Bay, everything was just about in place for the new library. Once the library was constructed it was placed on a barge (in two pieces) and transported to Thorne Bay. Alaska Marine Lines gave the Friends of the Library a 40% discount on the shipping cost, saving them thousands of dollars. Before the new building could be placed on the site, a concrete footing had to poured and set. JS Warehouse in Craig allowed the Friends of the Library to borrow the concrete forms required to create the footings. Library board members set the rebar and poured the concrete. They also received several jobs offers from residents needing foundation work during the process. The Friends of the Library also received a $20,000 Crossette grant which provided funds to purchase fixtures and children's materials for the library.

Karen Petersen welcomes community members to the Grand Opening. Library Board member Lucy Aragon created 100 adorable bear cupcakes for the Grand Opening.
From left to right: Alaska State Librarian Patience Frederiksen, Thorne Bay Library Board Member Karen Petersen, and Alaska State Library Public Library Coordinator Julie Niederhauser.

The community of Thorne Bay came together in the building of their new library. Residents raised the building funds, prepared the building site, and moved books from the old library into the new one. "A public library is a gift a community bestows upon itself" Patience Frederiksen shared during her comments made at the Grand Opening. The residents of Thorne Bay gave themselves a gift everyone in the community will enjoy and benefit from for years to come.