Ritzville Library’s new location, offering programs for students

The donations of Andrew Carnegie, an industrialist of the 19th-century, were responsible for the construction of 1,679 libraries across the United States.

Of Carnegie’s $40 million contributions to the education of Americans, worth over $1 billion today—$10,500 went into starting the Ritzville Public Library.

Since local farmer and politician Daniel Buchanan’s donation of 550 books to begin the library’s collections in 1902 and Carnegie’s donation to start construction in 1907, the Ritzville Public Library has grown into a center of community knowledge and involvement.

Nearly 110 years later, the building and the operations inside of it continue to be improved upon for the benefit of the public.

While an elevator is being installed in the Ritzville Public Library to allow handicap access to the basement, they are taking temporary residence in the LRHS library.

The changes in conditions are so far running smoothly.

Director of the Ritzville Library Kylie Fullmer explained, “We’re really enjoying working in the school library! The staff have been very welcoming <and> the students who come in during the school day are respectful of our public patrons.”

She added, “It’s great to see the kids who come to our after-school programs using the school library during the day.”

Making such a drastic change is not without challenges.

Fullmer said, “The main concern that the school and library board had going into this partnership was protecting students.

To address the problem, the library made adjustments. Measures to ensure student safety include having patrons sign in, preventing library users from leaving the library portion of LRHS, and separating public library technology from main student areas.

“So far we haven’t had any issues,” Fullmer noted, “and the public has been quick to accept and adapt to the changes.”

Along with construction to the physical building and the adjustments made in the temporary relocation, Ritzville Public Library is also changing to increase the involvement of middle and high school aged students.

One of the newest programs, the Teen Scene Fandom Fair, will take place in LRHS on Friday, Jan. 27, from 3:30 to 5 p.m..

German Valdez, the youth services librarian for Ritzville Public Library is organizing the event.

He explained, “A Fandom Fair is an event in which a group of individuals share their art work, collections and interests in various types of media.”

Valdez continued, “The various media include: books, movies, anime, comics, sports, cartoons, games, television shows, and music.”

Possible choices for “fandoms” are endless and range from franchises like the Seattle Seahawks to novel series like The Hunger Games.

Although the program encourages students of ages 12 to 18 to create displays, community members are invited to the library to view the displays from 4-5 p.m..

The goal of the fandom fair proves that the purpose of the library is expanding. Not only is it only a source of books, but it can be an outlet for creativity.

Valdez explained, “Having a teen fandom fair will give the local teens an opportunity to express themselves and talk about what they enjoy. They will also have the opportunity to make friends that have similar interests in the process.”

The Ritzville Public Library plans to continue its temporary residence at LRHS for about six months.

However, as it has since its humble origins in 1902, the library continues to expand its horizons to benefit local patrons of all ages—regardless of its location.