Clark Fork Library celebrates expansion with open house

CLARK FORK — Four months of work are about to pay off as East Bonner County Library District officials prepare to introduce an expanded Clark Fork Library.

The library staff undertook the expansion in August to increase meeting room capacity and shelf space for books and DVDs. Administrators are eager to show off the improvements at an open house scheduled for January 22 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Diane Newcomer will also give a presentation on the history of the library at the outset of the open house.

“We just want to welcome the whole community to come out and see what we’ve done here,” library director Anne Nichols said.

The library’s new layout and remodeling will significantly increases its ability to host gatherings, as well as boosts its appeal to specific audiences like children. The primary area features additional space to house books and DVDs, while the old meeting room has been converted into a reading and play room for kids. As for the new meeting room, its enhancements and larger size will make it adaptable to suit the needs of a variety of groups and activities. Finally, another new room will function as a quiet area for visitors to focus in silence.

 But library enthusiasts have more to celebrate than the remodeling. The event will also commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Friends of the Clark Fork Library organization, a group dedicated to providing additions that smoothed the library’s operation. Since 1986, members have helped provide the library with repairs, technology upgrades, furniture and support for various library programs collectively worth more than $29,000 since the organization’s founding.

Library officials are inviting new members to join at the open house event for $5 a year in dues. Residents of east Bonner County can also grab a library card for free. Nichols said she believes the upgraded facility will be a great benefit to the community.

“I hope the community will be able to take full advantage of all the improvements,” she said. “I like to remind everyone that it’s their library — they pay taxes to support it — and we hope they’ll come out and use it.”