The Sandpoint Seed Library began in

2011. East Bonner County Library

employee Camile McKitrick was inspired to begin the first seed library

in Idaho after reading an article

about a seed library in California. What caught Camile’s interest - this

seed library was housed inside a

public library and operated 100% by

volunteers.

It took nearly a year to reach the

stage where

seeds were ready to be

‘checked

out.’ Many

local garden-

ers and seed

companies donated

vegetable,

herb and flower seeds.

Although the

Seed Library volunteers cannot guarantee every

seed donated is 100% non-GMO,

non-hybrid, organic and heirloom (an ultimate goal!), they did carefully

sort, catalog and place seeds into

labeled packets and finally into old card catalog drawers. The nearly

2,000 seed packets were available for

gardeners to take home to plant, free

of charge, no strings attached.

The exchange system has been modi-

fied several times to make it easy to

‘check out’ and to return seeds. A binder sits upon the card catalog and

each packet taken home is recorded.

Suggestions for planting and best gardening practices materials are

readily available. A bulletin board

above the card catalog announces upcoming programs and community

events. Empty seed packets are availa-

ble at the Information Desk for filling up with new

seeds!

Seed saving is

the core of this

adventure. Our

public library

has a diverse selection of

books, maga-

zines, and DVDs to help

explain and

demonstrate gardening and seed saving methods.

To assist the beginning gardener and

seed saver, the Library sponsors clas-ses on basic gardening, seed saving

techniques, composting, encouraging

natural pollinators such as bats and bees, and even a couple of cooking

classes with the bounty from the gar-

den. This spring, a plant exchange took place – gardeners brought plants,

and in return took home different

plants they might not have had in their

home garden.

Knowing it might take at least two years to establish a sustainable seed

exchange system, several grants and

wonderful donations enabled the Seed

Library to share seeds again this

past spring and summer. Many

thanks go to the cadre of volunteers

that have made this possible! From

counting seeds to inputting the data

into the computer and the packets

into the drawers, these volunteers

make the Seed Library a reality!

But the future of the Seed Library

remains tentative. Seeds are going

out into the community, but not

returning in equal number. This fall

and winter, more seed saving and

gardening classes will be offered

and a new one-on-one mentoring

program has just begun. If you are

interested in volunteering, sharing

seeds, learning more about the

Sandpoint Seed Library and/or

joining the email information list,

we encourage you contact the Infor-

mation Desk. Alternatively, you

may contact our Volunteer Coordi-

nator, Annette Anderson directly:

Annette@ebonnerlibrary.org

Saving seeds today for a healthier tomorrow by Elise Tuma, Lifelong Learning Coordinator

The Bookmobile turns 100,000 miles by Susan Bates-Harbuck, Bookmobile Driver

It’s hard to believe, but on July 9th, a little north of Westmond on Hwy 95, the Bookmobile drove its 100,000th mile. The big book- (and movie- and music-) filled bus is the same age as the Sandpoint Library, so that means it has travelled about 620 miles per month or 150 miles each week as it travels to Ponderay, Samuels, Vay, Careywood, Westmond, Hope and the Sandpoint Farmers’ Market. The four drivers, Lynn, Susan, Michelle and Robyn, take turns traveling to these far corners of the East Bonner County Library District. They carry every type of material that the big libraries in Sandpoint and Clark Fork have, except for magazines and video games, and if you ask for partic-ular ones of those, they will bring them out as well. The bus even has its own Wifi hot spot onboard.

As an example of the use the Bookmobile gets, on a typical week in May 170 people visited the bus and checked out 199 books, 180 movies, 25 music CDs, 18 books on CD, asked 40 reference questions and placed 19 items on request.

When the current bookmobile headed out onto the road in

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Volume 1, Issue 4

Sept 2014 to Dec 2014

2000, it was one of 879 bookmo-biles in the country, down from a high of 1,125 in 1992. It is 1 of 6 in Idaho.

Come see us at any of the stops; your EBCL library card is good on the bus!

Monday 10 – 1 Ponderay Post Office; 1:30 – 4 p.m. Samuels Store

Tuesday 10:30 – 4 at the Vay Store

Wednesday 10:30 – 12:30 Car-eywood Fire Station, 12:45 – 4 Westmond Store

Thursday 10:30 – 4 Outskirts Café in Hope

Saturday 9 – 1 Sandpoint Farm-ers’ Market (May through Octo-ber)

Hope Preschool students anxiously waiting to visit the Bookmobile.

my life through the game, during a tumul-

tuous time in my life when nothing seemed

stable and my outlook was grim. She

helped me through every step of this jour-

ney (Both in game and out), and every

bump, every trial we encountered only

brought us closer together, despite the in-

credible distance of two-thousand two

hundred miles between us.

This July, we made an

incredible journey togeth-

er from Louisiana back to

my home town of Hope,

Idaho, where we now live

together with her two

children and both of our

dogs.

Despite my love for the game, and the

people I've met through it, my interests are

much broader than just a simple game.

Having lived here all my life, I've devel-

oped a love for hiking and rock climbing,

especially in the mountains surrounding

the Trestle Creek area. I can recall many

fond summer memories hiking through the

forests and climbing up the rock walls of

the mountains surrounding my home with

a tight group of friends all exploring the

unknown, and savoring the sights and

sounds you can only achieve in the Pend

Oreille area.

I am a new addition to the library, and

thanks to the great training and friendly

atmosphere of everyone here, I'm learning

quickly and doing my best to keep up with

the pace. The Library is the first job I've

really had where I feel like I belong here,

where I truly enjoy my work and look

forward to the little surprises that come

with each day. I look forward to learning

even more as I go on, and meeting all of

the great people that work, study, and

spend their time here.

I grew up on a mountainside overlooking

Pack River. Born and raised a child of the

mountains, curious and adventurous since

the day I was born. At a very early age I

was introduced to computers, and all the

glorious technology that comes with

them. By the time I had reached the sixth

grade, I possessed a typing speed that was

the envy of my class.

At the age of eighteen, I

suffered a compound frac-

ture in my right leg, effec-

tively immobilizing me for

three months until I could

return to work. It was at

this time I discovered one

of the greatest, and most

important things in my life

to this day: World of Warcraft.

Through the World of Warcraft, I discov-

ered a place where I could truly be my-

self, with little fear of judgment or criti-

cism. I met people like myself, made

connections with others hundreds, even

thousands of miles away who shared the

same interests as myself, and who held

the same personality quirks that made me

so shy and awkward during my years in

high school. Last year, I met the love of

One of the first things I did when I was

considering moving to Sandpoint was

visit the library. Seeing such a new

and spacious facility, bustling with all

ages of people, indicated that our li-

brary is a well-loved institution and

that this community supports its quali-

ty of life services.

This cemented my relocation decision,

so, two years ago my husband, a re-

tired fire chief, daughter (also a library

volunteer), dog, cat and I moved here

from Half Moon Bay, CA. I began

volunteering by doing story times, but

I primarily now do tech tutoring.

As a retired librarian, I’m passionate

about library services and I believe

access to information is a basic human

Page 2

Staff Profile - Brenden Bobby by Brenden Bobby, Sandpoint Branch Circulation Desk Attendant

Volunteer Profile - Jeanine Asche by Jeanine Asche, EBCLD Trustee and Sandpoint Branch Volunteer

“The Library is the first job I've

really had where I feel like I

belong here,”

T HE LI BR ARY QU AR TE RLY

Heather and husband, Roger snorkeling

with dolphins in the ocean.

right, so this volunteer assignment fits

me perfectly.

When a library trustee position became

vacant, I was happily appointed to that,

too.

If I’m not at the library in one capacity

or another, I travel, dabble in oil paint-

ing, hike and bike a little, enjoy an occa-

sional concert or movie, and, of course,

read. I love serving my new community

through our wonderful East Bonner

County Library.

Come by and meet me some Saturday

morning or email me at

jeanine@ebonnerlibrary.org.

Jeanine (center) hiking with her

daughter and husband.

V OLU ME 1, ISS UE 4

The Friends of the East Bonner County Li-brary was formed in 1989, inspired by Jim Clarke. At that time, the library building was at 419 N. 2nd Avenue which had previously been the Post Office.

Book sales were held downstairs in a room adjacent to a large vault. Jim Clarke and Ewell Stevens built shelves around the room and books were shelved or displayed in box-es. The sales were popular and sometimes 30 people were crammed into the small room until the fire code caught up and limited the number of people who could be in the room.

Numbers were given to those in line and one could enter only as another exited. In the early days, FOL was glad to make $45-60. Then the profit went up to average $200. (2014 sales average between $750-$1000)

One story goes that on a sale day, the elec-tricity went off in the sale room, but people continued to shop or use flashlights and took their selection up some stairs to a window or the outside door before making their pur-chases. Despite the power outage, no one left!

Being a library cat takes a special sort of feline, one whose specialty is public rela-tions and knows the ins and outs of greet-ing patrons. Our Pete has his job descrip-tion down to a tee. He keeps both older and younger patrons coming back for the “purr flirt,” the “lap flop” and the “keyboard scramble.” He also knows when to walk away and be just enough of a tease to keep his fans coming back for more. Pete is good for a timely walk through or holding down your favorite chair and is patient with the younger set. Yes, he’s getting older and may need to rest up from his nap but he’s most always good for a catly greeting or a serious cuddle.

Our Pete, now 11, took a transfer from his

original job at the Westwood Veteri-nary Clinic as a “greeter,”- beating up the canine clientele was frowned upon, he was asked to move on. He was recommended for the newly reo-pened position of Feline Public Re-lations expert at the Clark Fork Branch. We had recently lost our long-time favorite

Pewter and Pewter’s replacement Panther kept checking out other openings for cat posi-tions in the neighbor-hood and never returned from walkabout. At times Pete forgets him-self and may be caught with his spectacles on perusing the latest Daily Bee or chittering at birds on his bird feeder, but that’s only at break time. Come by and meet Pete and his friendly staff at the Clark Fork Branch.

Page 3

An Early History of the Friends of the Library by Pat Ramsey, FOL Member-at-large

Clark Fork Corner: the Pete Edition by Sharon Wallace, Clark Fork Branch staff member

Embracing Change by Pam Webb, EBCLD Trustee

Most people check out tourist attractions when on vacation. I check out the library. I have this innate curiosity about libraries because I believe libraries are a reflection of the community they serve. This summer I visited four libraries. One of them being my hometown library. It’s not the library I grew up with, and this is a good thing, and here’s why: it has kept up with changes in the community. I am happy to say that our own EBCL has also kept up with changes.

The library, as an overall institution, is changing because times are changing. Our library has taken on the challenge of adapting to changing times through thoughtful consideration of its patrons’ needs. No matter what library I visit, I maintain that our library is my favorite. One reason is because it’s not only keeping up with the changing times, it’s foreseeing them. Our library embraces change because it

embraces the concerns of the community. The most exciting part of change is having

a voice in shaping that change. You are

part of that change. Your suggestions,

needs, and concerns help shape the deci-

sions that the library makes. Taking time to

contribute your input will ensure the library

remains the best it can be.

Pete enjoying lots of attentions. It’s all in a

days work for Pete, Clark Fork’s Feline Pub-

lic Relations expert.

Former location of the Sandpoint Library

on 2nd Ave. in downtown Sandpoint.

Save a tree and never miss an issue.

You can sign up to receive every issue of the Library Quarterly via email.

Call 208-263-6930 ext. 0

email us at infodesk@ebonnerlibrary.org.

East Bonner County Library District

Mission Statement The mission of the Library District is to provide free and open

access to information and ideas which are essential to a de-

mocracy. In support of this mission, the District encourages

lifelong reading and learning, supports activities important to

our diverse community and is dedicated to the basic First

Amendment principles of intellectual freedom and access to

information without censorship.

Sandpoint Branch

1407 Cedar St.

Sandpoint, ID 83864

Phone: 208-263-6930

E-mail: infodesk@ebonnerlibrary.org

Clark Fork Branch

601 Main St.

Clark Fork, ID 83811

Phone: 208-266-1321

EAST BONNER COUNT Y L I BRARY

DI ST RI CT

We’re on the web:

www.ebonnerlibrary.org

“Check Out” the Numbers: A statistical snapshot of library usage in your district by Dawn Hughes, EBCL District Admin

June had 20,416 patrons come through its doors. This number not only includes its regular patrons but those on vacation to the area, cyclists, and other travelers who pass through our beautiful town of Sandpoint. We constantly have travelers come through and tell us it’s one of the nicest libraries they have been to across the country. On the average we issue 200 new library cards monthly. And believe it or not, other libraries borrow materials we have here! The Interli-brary Loan Department sends materials to other libraries all over the United States eve-ry month. Around 167 loans are made monthly to other libraries! Sadly, not everyone owns a computer. And some do not have printers. Well, that’s where your Library comes in! We provide this service free and every month 4,500 or more check outs to internet computers occur just at the Sandpoint Library. Clark Fork also provides Internet computers for the public and with a normal check out count of 700 or more times a month they are also busy at the Internet stations. These comput-ers make it possible for you to access your email, create a resume for job searching, print out important forms or play a game of solitaire! Like I said, it’s a hub of activity here and you should be proud! Give yourself a pat on the back Sandpoint & Clark Fork! You have amazing libraries. We know it and now you know it! Just “check out” the numbers!

Selkirk Press

1714 Industrial Dr.

Sandpoint ID 83864

208.263.7523

weprint@selkirkpress.com

Special thanks to

Selkirk Press

for their help in

preparing this issue

for distribution.

DVDs left for you to choose from? With over 25,000 DVDs in the collection you are sure to find something to watch! Not only are people watching a lot of movies they are reading a lot of books, which by the way came to 20,206 for June alone! That doesn’t even include the books folks are downloading to their favorite device….OR the books they are listening to on their CD player! Com-bined, it’s a total of 22,602 books wheth-er its print, electronic or audio. For just ONE month! Grand total? For all items checked out (all formats), that is over 55,000 items JUST for the month of June! Isn’t that wild?? Have you ever thought of just how many people use the Library? For such a small town, the Clark Fork Branch services quite a large number. On average each month about 3,400 people go through the Clark Fork Branch doors! They have an outstanding Youth Services Program available for kids. That and the Maker-Space program brings in up to 137 kids monthly! This doesn’t even include the regular patrons that visit the library daily or those traveling through. And since they are so close to the Montana border some of the patrons who do use the Clark Fork Library come from the small towns over in Noxon and Heron. The Sandpoint Library for the month of

Sandpoint. Summertime. Tuesday. 2:45 in the afternoon. The Library. What is happening here you ask? Let me tell you! This is a bustling community hub within the city of Sandpoint. It’s filled with tod-dlers and youngsters attending story time. We have teens, tweens and all ages par-ticipating in the Make-It Program. We have retirees, snowbirds, and any other demographic you could think of. Right here. At the Library. And by 7:00 p.m. on most days 1000 people have walked through these doors. Not only do we have the public attending programs offered by the Library but we have patrons that are returning materials, checking their email, uploading books, checking out movies or seeking infor-mation. There are folks listening to guest speakers and yes, some just sitting and reading a book! I’m constantly blown away, and you should be too since it’s your library! Did you know for instance that 19,898 DVDs were checked out at the Sandpoint Li-brary? And that was just for the month of June! Of course, it doesn’t include the Clark Fork or the Bookmobile Branches. Those two branches combined checked out almost 3,000 DVDs for the month of June. A lot of movies are being watched! And isn’t it amazing that when you come in to the library there are still so many