The sounds of live music, laughter and games ripple through the bookshelves Monday as the Soldotna Public Library marks the 10th anniversary of its expanded location. The library officially opened in 1972 and has undergone numerous renovations, most recently in 2013 when the space more than doubled in size.
Since then, the library has increased its circulation and has seen major growth in the number of community members it serves. It’s also onboarded more staff members, including clerk and program coordinator Kim McMilin.
“We want people to know this is a community asset, a community hub," McMillin said. "We’re here to stay for the community. Really, it’s a celebration of the community more than it is just the library.”
In addition to offering more than three million titles for checkout through the Alaska Library Catalog, the Soldotna location puts on numerous programs, from its weekly Bouncing Babies Story Time to teen gatherings and more. It also hosts resource-driven events, most recently an informational presentation about the naturalization process for immigrants in the community.
“Making sure that everyone has access to information is the number one tenant of libraries,” said Rachel Nash, Soldotna’s city librarian. “No matter who you are, where you come from, you’re welcome in the library, and you can come here and learn whatever you want to learn to improve your life.”
Nash has been with the library since 2013 and has watched children grow up through its doors. Eleven-year-old Johnny Ruina has been coming to the Soldotna library since he was a toddler. He’s an avid reader, and has discovered some of his favorite books at the Soldotna library.
“Someone who might not be able to afford books, they can get the card, they don’t have to pay for it, and the books are free," Johnny said. "You can check them out, you don’t have to pay for them. Just being able to find a quiet place to stay and relax, sometimes a lot of loud noises can be overwhelming, so that’s another advantage of having a library.”
“The library has just really been on top of keeping it going in spite of anything,” said Gloria Sweeney, a member of the library’s advisory board. “Thinking back to the COVID years, and all the extra things that the librarian and her staff did, making the library accessible to people that still wanted to read and check out books was amazing.”
Soldotna’s first library, opened in 1962, was volunteer-run and was housed in a single room within an old clinic building. Despite changes and progress made over the years, the library’s mission of bringing information and resources to the community has never changed.
“The importance of a public library is that everyone has equal access and opportunity to any information that they need," McMillin said. "Not only access to information, but access to resources. It’s a great place for everybody, all are welcome.”
The Joyce K. Carver Memorial Soldotna Public Library is open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It’s also open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
