Palmer council hits the books to discuss library's future

Keep it, expand it or sell it to the borough -- these are some of the long-term options Palmer has with its public library, and City Councilman Steve Carrington wants to know what residents would like to see happen.

Carrington is planning to lead a series of town meetings, open to all residents, to discuss some of the possibilities for the library's future. The first is slated for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 26. Another will follow at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8. Both will be in the community room of the Palmer Public Library.

Carrington said as discussions have continued between the Mat-Su Borough and the cities of Palmer and Wasilla regarding the library system and funding formulas, the Palmer City Council recognized a need to look at its long-term library plans.

"What do the patrons want to do?" Carrington said will be one of the primary questions during the meetings. At recent joint meetings, the city of Wasilla has indicated it might consider selling or trading its library to the borough. Carrington said he is interested to find out if Palmer residents share this position. While he said he doesn't want to bias people planning to attend the meetings, he said his sense is that Palmer residents value their public library.

The council has included a library expansion project on its capital project list for 2004. While Carrington said this is just a planning document, it does bring up the question of whether it is time to do something different with the library. For example, the city could keep the nearly 20-year-old building as is, expand it, or aim to build an entirely new facility. It could also consider trading or selling the library to the borough.

Carrington said his goal is to be an objective facilitator in the meetings and bring back public opinions to his colleagues on the council. For now, he isn't yet revealing which of the library options he would prefer.

It's clear, though, that Palmer has a long history of supporting its library system.

In preparation for the upcoming town meetings, Carrington printed a short history of the Palmer Public Library, information originally compiled by Helen Brundage in 1985. According to the pamphlet, the Valley's first library was developed in the 1930s in a tent in the Matanuska Colony. Later, the books were moved to the manse of the United Protest Church, also know as the Church of a Thousand Trees.

In 1945, the library found a home in the Matanuska Maid Co-op "rec hall" and the Palmer Library Association held its first meetings. The territorial government offered $150 to be matched by the community. Books were donated as well, and a schedule of hours was published in the local paper.

In 1948, the books were moved to a heated garage belonging to Al King on South Alaska Street after the Matanuska Maid Co-op indicated it wanted to charge $40 per month in rent. During the next decades, the library moved to a renovated chicken coop and then to city hall.

In 1985, Palmer Public Library got its first, brand new building. The more than $1 million facility was paid for by the state Legislature.

Even under the roof of this new, modern facility, the library continued to be supported by volunteers and donated books.

"So many have given their time, money and talents to make the Palmer Public Library what it is today …" Brundage wrote in 1985.