Done with February

We are at the end of February and there is no better time than to focus on books, in my opinion. We are at the stage of the season when the natural light is returning and there is hope in the world. We are limited in our capacity to do a lot of outside stuff except the 5 S’s of winter—shoveling, slipping, skiing, skating, and sledding. So this is a great time to concentrate on our Palmer Book Resources.

SO MANY BOOKS—Books are everywhere in Palmer. They are in restaurants, coffeeshops, medical offices, breweries, and in multiple little libraries around town. This wealth of books was the singular effort of Bright Lights Book Project which is now providing books to other places in the valley, state and country. It is astonishing to know that old Palmer School books and readers are now being read and studied by youngsters in different countries. Various villages now receive shipments of second hand Palmer books. Donated books from individuals, groups, schools, and the Recycling Center all join the collection which is cleaned, stamped, inspected, catalogued, sorted and distributed according to need. The Bright Light Book Project delivers chosen books twice a week to the Palmer Senior Center and delivers books to dozens of various groups and repositories weekly. There will be more about this facility in future columns.

So Many Users—The Palmer Public Library remains a popular force in this town despite the heartbreaking collapse of the physical building two years ago, this month. All schedules had to be modified and all programs rechanneled along with a temporary physical location. Children of all ages gather in groups for age appropriate activities. An odd selection of community groups used the community room have struggled to find affordable substitute spaces.

Winter is long and winter is the time that many groups get together including the Grange, FAA, Rock Club, Painting club, Knitters, Geology club, Cribbage club, Cub Scouts, Book fairs, Book Sales, Travel lectures and Trip reports. Fortunately there is still some reserved timing for once a month get togethers for many children events and Craft Day. But the space is very limited although the City has allowed many uses to expand to the Train Depot when possible. It is good news to know that the new Palmer Library is now on track and construction will start this summer. The construction plans are available and show multiple community rooms in addition to the traditional library facilities which we all honor and love.

So Much History—Bridgette Preston, an independent writer and researcher, has been working hard to develop a history of the Palmer Public Library. Her creative group, Grandmother Raven Productions, has collaborated with the Palmer Historical Society to develop fascinating events in Palmer, based on local history. She presented an amazing presentation on Monday night’s meeting of the Historical Society. I will share a bit of it here but her entire presentation is so worthy of full viewing. The Palmer Public Library started in a tent in 1935. Through out the decades, generations worked tirelessly through dust, storms, snow and change to keep the library functional.

Bridgette explained the deep connection between the goal of libraries and the nation’s Bill of Rights which is simply free speech, free press and the right to gather. Free public libraries are the result of those foundational values and freedoms. Since 1935 the people of Palmer have valued those same freedoms through their undying and tireless support of ideas, books, stories and community. In future columns, more of Bridgette’s presentation will be shared.

So Many Book Clubs—Book Clubs are growing in popularity nationally and certainly in the Palmer area. There are History, Mystery and Cozy Book Clubs. There are neighborhood bookclubs. There is the Quiet Company Bookclub and the BYOB (Bring Your Own Book) Bookclub. There are Faith bookclubs and Banned Books bookclubs. There are History Bookclubs, Pickle-ball Book clubs, Trail Runners book clubs and Nature bookclubs. Bar and brewery bookclubs are all becoming a thing…..because people love to talk about what they read. It’s simple. Book-reading generates thinking and sharing and its richness is appealing to any reader. Fireside Books, the wonderful bookstore in Palmer, has it’s own bookclub plus now there is a list of open bookclubs on the wall! This is a growing list and a growing trend and we are so happy. our

Say goodbye to February and “Love Your Library” Month. This year promises to be very bookish!

Barbara Hunt is both Palmer writer and artist. She works hard to keep the robust pulse of Palmer, Alaska. She shares the good stuff in the weekly Palmer Alaska Buzz Column in the Mat Su Valley Frontiersman and daily on the Palmer Alaska Buzz Facebook Group. Contact at bhunt@mtaonline.net or text 907.315.3222