Public Library A Community Project I
By Mrs. A. Holmes Johnson
Head Librarian
The Kodiak Public Library is
an organization that has materializ
ed from the personal efforts of the
citizens of the community. It was
founded and has grown and flour
ished under the efforts of civic
minded and dedicated individuals,
rewarded only in the satisfaction
cf having supplied something of
real worth to the community.
The library was founded in 1946
as part of the Kodiak Community
Center in the building that is now
the Slavic Gospel Mission. During
•the second world war this build
ing, which belonged to the Ameri
can Legion, was loaned to the
American Red Cross and was
operated as a Red Cross Service
men’s Club. The Red Cross turned
their equipment over to a group of
citizens who formed the Kodiak
Community Center made up of
representatives from all clubs in
the city and from the City Council.
As a part of the Community Center
program the Kodiak Community
Library, as it was then called, was
iounueu.
Gift books came from the
“Nellie Erskine” room at the Fort
Greely Hospital and the Kodiak
Rotary Club. Many individuals
also donated books. The library
was first housed, with its modest
collection of books, in two “skid
shacks” adjacent to the Commun
ity Center building. The Business
and Professional Women’s Club
furnished the librarians and operat
ed the library until the Commun
ity Center was closed when the
U.S.O. organization came to Kodi
ak. The library was then turned
over to the City of Kodiak as a
municipal responsibility.
City funds were not sufficient
lo continue the library service,
and the Business and Professional
Women’s Club was asked to re
sume the responsibility for the op
eration of the library. A committee
was formed within this organiza
tion and a number of civic-minded
women became interested in the
project. These women, under the
tutelage of Sr. St. Hilary, were
schooled in the art of library oper
ation enabling the library to again
become functional and of service
to the community.
In September of 1953, interest
ed citizens formed a corporation
called the “Kodiak Public Library
Associationand a Board of Dir
ectors was established. The articles
of incorporation were filed with
the Territorial Auditor of Alaska
and the Clerk of the United States
District Court, First Division at
Juneau, and a set of By-Laws were
adopted. At this time the library
was open to the public three nights
a week and Wednesday afternoons.
In 1956, the library was moved
from the “skid shacks” at the
original location to its present
site in the old Domestic Sciences
building on the downtown school
grounds. The Girl Scouts, librar
ians, Board of Directors, Rotary
Club and the City of Kodiak all
participated in the move. At its
new location, service was soon ex
tended to five nights a week and
Saturday mornings, the present
schedule.
Presently, the City of Kodiak
pays the building overhead, heat
and electricity and buys workroom
supplies. The source of funds for
books comes from the sale of mem
bership cards which are $1.00 for
adults and $0.50 for students (in
cluding high school), fines for
overdue books, personal and organ
izational donations and the State
of Alaska. The Emblem Club us
ually donates $100.00 per year.
The Officer’s Wives’ Club usually
donates an annual cash bequest in
memory of Margaret Drane, a
former Commanding Officer’s wife
who took a great interest in the
library'. The Marshall Crutcher
Memorial fund amounted to over
$500.00 and established the Alaska
Collection. The Business and Pro
fessional Women’s Club has given
cash gifts from time to time and
the Rotary Club has purchased a
library site which has been deeded
to the City for that specific pur
pose. Temporarily the Historical
Society Museum is located upon
this site. The State reimburses the
library each year up to the amount
of $250.00 in the purchase of
books. Funds for equipment are
received from a Federal plan for
rural libraries—a five-year plan
due to expire shortly.
All holders of library cards are
members of the Library Asso
ciation and are entitled to attend
annual meetings and to vote for
members of the Board of Direc
tors. The annual meetings are an
nounced in the Kodiak Mirror.
The Kodiak Community Library,
now known as the “Kodiak Public
Library Association, Inc.” con
tinues to flourish as a completely
voluntary organization. Too many 4
individuals to mention have dedi
cated themselves and continue to
More More More
work in its operation. The Board
of Directors who make decisions
regarding the purchase of books
and the policies of the Association,
the work crews who catalogue,
sort, arrange displays, order books
and clean the premises, the librar
ians who are on duty nightly and
on Saturday mornings,- all give
freely of their time that the
citizens of this community will
have the benefits of a modern
library. The selection of reference
books, Alaskana, classics and best
sellers has been rated "tops” a
mong libraries m the nation of
comparable size.
The future of Kodiak will see a
new building with modern con
veniences, study and conference
rooms, erected on the site donated
for the purpose, housing the Kodi
ak Public Library very likely in
conjunction with a new Kodiak
Museum.
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MAKE A DATE TO
Hearty Meals
Bar-B-Q
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Sourdough
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It’s a good habit for happy family living — to eat out more often and enjoy
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