Friends of Forks Library
A FRIEND TO THE ENTIRE FORKS COMMUNITY Story by Chris Cook
Forks High School’s multi-million dollar addition is now open, a 21st-century centerpiece for the rural logging community. Now it’s time to spruce up and modernize the town’s downtown library. Both the high school and library are busy crossroads for residents of Forks, La Push and other neighboring towns. The library, located on South Forks Avenue in a brick-walled former bank building built in the 1960s, is solid, but needs a replacement for its outmoded flat roof. The original commercial-grade carpeting has stood the test of time, but is ready for replacement. Knocking out walls would open up the interior. A meeting room in the back corner of the building is used regularly for library talks plus community meetings. The room, and its kitchen facilities, would be modernized and set up to be used securely after hours when the main library rooms are locked. Thanks to the Clallam County library levy of 2010 the Forks Library and the three other libraries in the NOLS system are seeing increased circulation of their books, DVDs and other materials. The tally for the Forks Library for 2011 was 84,827 items, quite a count for a town with under 3,200 in population. “The library is a cornerstone of our community,” Friends of Forks Library treasurer Ellen Matheny says of the role of the library in the rural West End community. “In contrast
to Port Angeles or Sequim that have a wider variety of resources, our library provides an essential meeting place and information resource for our community. Through the library, we can access recently released books, audio books, movies, newspapers and magazines. It provides a portal to the Internet for those without computers at home and for people traveling through town. It also offers periodic programs of interest to learners of all ages.” At the forefront of the effort to raise $175,000 in funds from community sources for the library renovation are the members of the Friends of the Forks Library. The nonprofit organization is actively pursuing that goal. “We currently have $60,159 in the fund,” Matheny says. “Several community members have stepped forward with contributions of $15,000 and $10,000 and many other people with contributions of $500 or less. No contribution is too small. We have a donation can on the book cart in the lobby where folks can leave smaller donations for the renovation. Friends of Forks Library has contributed
$10,000 toward the renovation and is sending an additional $3,000 to them this week. This money has been collected by the group over the past several years primarily from book sales.” The North Olympic Library System – a junior taxing district within Clallam County that staffs and funds the Forks Library – has committed $559,000 to the library renovation project. The NOLS funds are mostly coming from 2010 library levy funds and from timber tax receipts. "The Forks Library needs an upgrade and renovation,” a flier sent to West End residents by the FOFL states. “In its prior life, it was a bank building. Now we need to tear down the interior walls and create a library for Forks that is modern, efficient, accessible
Friends of Forks Library president Debbie McIntyre and treasurer Ellen Matheny continued the organization’s ongoing Forks Library renovation efforts at “Raise the Roof.” Photo courtesy of Friends of Forks Library
Above: This conceptual drawing produced by Jerry Schlie Design of Beaver shows how the children’s section of the Forks Library would look following a remodel. At right: This conceptual elevation drawing shows how the Forks Library’s exterior would look following the proposed $775,000 renovation. Most notable is the raised roof, which would replace the building’s problematic flat roof, a troublesome design feature in the rainiest town in the lower 48 states. Drawings courtesy of North Olympic Library System
LIVING ON THE PENINSULA | WINTER | DECEMBER 2012
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