Volunteers rally to help clean up Big Lake Library

BIG LAKE — The Big Lake Library is set to reopen Wednesday at 10 a.m. But following the massive earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 that hit Southcentral Alaska the morning of Nov. 30, library staff needed the help of a few volunteers to help clean up the extensive mess.

The library had just about every book off its shelves according to one volunteer, Glen Butts, who showed up with his wife, Natalie, to help clean up.

“It was a mess,” Glen laughed.

Glen and Natalie showed up on Dec. 1, the day after the earthquake, to find piles upon piles of books strewn across the library. Glen said that multiple, heavy shelving units even moved a few inches during the earthquake. He said that the piles of books on the floor were about two feet deep and it took about eight people around seven or eight hours to clean everything up.

“There’s a lot more books than what it looks like,” Glen said. “Huge bookshelves danced their way across the library.”

Glen said that Natalie used to volunteer at the library she told him they, “really gotta’ help out.” He said that he is still “gimped up” and due to his physically limitations, spent most of his time scooting around stacking books while the more able bodied people did the heavy lifting.

Glen said that the volunteer crew finally left once all the books were either stacked up or on shelves, in order.

“When we left, you knew an earthquake happened but you could go in pick out a book too,” Glen said.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com