Patrons, staff, volunteers and members of the community celebrated the 15th Anniversary of the Clearwater Area Library Saturday.
It was the second weekend of the celebration, which began March 29 as part of a 15-day event.
Clearwater Mayor Pete Edmonson was the guest speaker. He thanked all those who made the library a success over the years.
“What the library does is very important,” we have a great staff and support system. That’s why its been so successful.”
Edmonson said it’s been a cooperative effort between the GRRL, the community, surrounding townships and the support of the City of Clearwater.
“All of that meshed to make a perfect storm of success,” he said. “We’ve (the council) never had a debate about whether support of the library is necessary. It’s been a place holder in our budget. We’ve never considered not supporting it.”
He said with growth, the future may hold a community center, which could be the home of city hall, the fire department, the library, Clearwater Historical Society and possibly the food shelf.
“When you look at a wish list for Clearwater... it makes perfect sense,” he said.
Librarian Cyrene Bastien also thanked members of the community for their support over the years. She said the library was a success right from the beginning.
“The very first year we checked out 34,438 items and had 7,500 visits. Over the years, those numbers have steadily increased,” she said. “I feel from looking at those numbers we should be really proud of ourselves because we’re a 20-hour a week library.”
She said the success is a result of the people and staff.
“I think it’s because we listen to what the community wants. They want not only a place to order the book and easy access to pick up their item. But they want programs they’re interested in,” she said.
The library currently has its own book club that started in 2004. It also as a photography group, writers group and most recently, a Spring Forest QiGong Eastern exercise group.
“All those programs were started by people who walked in the door, and with our help they’ve taken off,” she said. “Last year we had 97 programs compared to 21 the first year.”
Dan Torgersen, a volunteer and a member of the Friends of the Clearwater Area Library, spoke about how the Friends have helped the library grow.
“A lot of the furniture, cabinets, kitchen and the TV were donated to the library from funds the Friends have raised,” he said. “If you’re not a member of the Friends please consider doing so.”
After the speeches were over, volunteers, former volunteers and staff each received a Star Award in recognition of their support of the library.
Then dozens of door prizes, donated by businesses in the community, were awarded to patrons who registered at the door.
Contributors included Clear Waters Outfitting, SNAP Fitness, Subway, Burger King, Eagle Trace Golf and Event Center, Taco Gringo, Coborn’s, Clearwater Travel Plaza, Caribbean Sun Tanning & Boutique, Flinstones, R&R Meats, Lee & Friends, Clearwater Tire & Autos and The Kettle.
The celebration concluded Saturday (April 15) with crafts for kids and adults, a show by Bobo the Clown and a book sale sponsored by the Friends.
