Artwork by Lori Angdahl.
I grew up in the book stacks.
My mom was a children’s librarian in Kelso when my sister and I were younger, and we haunted the two-story building many days.
We also got to see a side of things few other kids did, as my dad was a window washer/carpet cleaner and was contracted to clean the library from top to bottom each year over a holiday break.
When that happened, the four of us stayed there overnight, eating in the librarian’s kitchen, otherwise off limits to young ruffians, and listening to the haunting strains of passing trains in the night on nearby tracks.
I was expected to help my dad from time to time, mainly when it was time to drain the carpet cleaning machine, but otherwise I could devote my hours to reading anything and everything I could get my hands on, regardless of which section the books and magazines were stored in.
There has hardly been a moment of my life when I didn’t have a library card, and my sister has kept that tradition alive with all three of her sons.
The past 20 years or so, I’ve lived less than a mile from the library in Coupeville, making the trip easy, even during times when I’ve been without a working vehicle.
While I might not get to hang out there reading Mad Magazine at 2:00 AM like in my younger days (and why not??), the Sno-Isle system has been invaluable.
Now, with one simple vote, you can help repay all that our librarians bring to our communities.
Coupeville Sports, and the son of a librarian, fully endorses voting Yes on Proposition 1, a replacement levy which renews and restores funding as the current levy, passed by voters in 2018, expires.
There is much to be said for why this is the right choice, and all the facts and FAQ’s can be found here:
Do it for my mom’s memory.
But mainly, do it so your own children can have all the same benefits my sister and I were given when a lifetime of library love was nurtured.
Coupeville Sports 