Beyond Books: The Vital Role of the Kenny Lake Public Library

Library board member Gay Wellman greets community members at the open house on Dec 14. Photo by Anna Somers.

Anna Somers

In an era dominated by e-readers, smartphones, and audiobook streaming, you might wonder if public libraries are becoming obsolete. The Kenny Lake Public Library is proof that even in this digital age, libraries that serve rural Alaskan communities are more important than ever.

But although small libraries provide vital services to their communities, rural libraries in Alaska face a number of unique challenges.

In December, when the Kenny Lake Public Library (KLPL) hosted their annual open house and book basket fundraiser auction, I had the chance to talk with director Felicia Riedel about the importance of the library to the community, as well as the difficulties that come with running a small library in rural Alaska.

Most people don’t think of shoveling snow off the roof or keeping an outhouse operating as regular aspects of a librarian’s job description. But whereas libraries in municipalities can expect oversight, funding, and support from local agencies, the KLPL is responsible for all upkeep, maintenance, and repairs for its building.

Kenny Lake is estimated to have a population of around 220 people, which can make it challenging to find enough volunteers to keep a library open five days a week, especially since some of the library volunteers only live in the area during certain seasons of the year.

But apart from its location in a sparsely-populated area, the KLPL serves residents as far away as Chitina, Strelna, and McCarthy. It also becomes a stopping place for travelers passing through the region.

When most people think of libraries, they think of print books, but the KLPL offers a lot more than just a collection of paperbacks. Its Alaskana section has been accessed by authors and researchers, and they maintain archives of local newspapers and the Kenny Lake School yearbooks. 

KLPL also provides movies for people to check out, as well as science kits for students and teachers. Patrons can use their library card to access a digital database of eBooks, magazines, and audiobooks, and the interlibrary loan system allows anybody to request nearly any book desired.

The library building is itself a community resource. For children, the library offers regular storytimes, a meeting place for Upstream Learning homeschool classes, an annual summer book camp, and special check-out privileges for teachers. It’s also a designated safe place if the school building ever needs to be evacuated. 

For adults, the library provides public meeting places, printer and scanner services, and Wi-Fi for people looking to file taxes, fill out job applications, check their email, and more. They also can provide teleconferencing services if people or organizations want to meet on Zoom to video chat. In this way, KLPL is advancing technologically along with society at large in a way that makes it even more crucial to its community than ever.

According to its website, donors are the only source of revenue for the KLPL, which is one reason why its December auction has become a fun holiday tradition. During its annual open house, friends of the library and members of the community can bid on theme-based gift baskets, with funds supporting the library.

You can learn more about the Kenny Lake Public Library by stopping by Mile 5 on the Edgerton Highway or visiting their website at kennylakelibrary.org.