Grassroots initiative Library Love Letters focuses on the good

By Soncirey Mitchell
Reader Staff

Members of Bonner and Boundary counties have come together in a grassroots effort, Library Love Letters, to lessen the political divisiveness surrounding Idaho’s libraries. The program gives community members the opportunity to share personal stories and letters of gratitude with local libraries, which will then be sent to the librarians and volunteers who work diligently to provide knowledge, gathering spaces and opportunities to learn.

“There’s a trend right now, in my opinion, attacking anyone that’s an expert,” said organizer Kathryn Larson, whose campaign fund for the Idaho House 1B seat paid for the program. “We want to shift the stories away from the negative, from planting seeds of doubt in the minds of the public about our librarians and volunteer board members — which is really a thankless job.”

Larson and fellow organizers Jo Len Everhart, Amy Brown, Clarice McKenney and Nancy Wycoff hope to highlight the programs and amenities that make libraries popular gathering spaces — like tutoring, outreach programs, and free internet and computers — in addition to all the work they put into curating their collections.

“I want people’s sense, when they think about the libraries, to be incredibly proud in the sense that our libraries are so vital,” said Larson, later adding, “I want to shine a light on, and water, the good things so that we grow more and more, because that’s what our libraries do — they grow our community.”

Visit bit.ly/SendALibraryLoveLetter (this link is case sensitive) to submit your personal story.