| FRIENDS OF THE HOMER LIBRARY Our mission is to provide support for the Homer Public Library programs and services, to raise funds that enrich the library experience, and to promote the use and enjoyment of the library. |
The History of the Homer Public Library |
| The Homer Women’s Club built the first community library in the 1940s when Homer’s population was about 320. When Homer became accessible by road in the early 1950s, the population began to grow more rapidly. The role of the library in the community became increasingly more evident and, in 1978, the library became a City department. In 1979, the first library building was moved and a new 3,500 square-foot library was built on the same site on Pioneer Avenue, funded by a state grant at a time when Alaska was flush with oil money from the newly opened Prudhoe Bay fields. The new library originally held 8,000 volumes and served an area population of about 3,000. |
The former Homer Library on Pioneer Avenue. |
By 1983, the library service area population had grown to about 4,200. Between 1979 and 1983, the library doubled its collection and circulation tripled. And in 1982 the Friends of the Homer Library was incorporated to help the Library's programming. By 1985, it was obvious that the library would need to be expanded or replaced by a larger facility, and the project was added to the City of Homer’s capital improvement planning list that year. Unfortunately, the price of oil plummeted in 1986, at the same time that oil production was in decline. When the State began trimming its budget, municipalities in turn had to make do with less. Plans to expand the existing library were discarded, in part because it was felt that the site was too small. By 2000, the library was bulging with 34,000 items to serve an area population of 10,000. In 2006, the library opened its doors to it current location at 500 Hazel Avenue. The "new" 17,000 square foot library serves more than 13,000 people and includes over 70,000 items for circulation. The building includes a separate children’s room with ample space for books, Story Hour, arts and crafts activities; a 16-seat conference room that can be utilized by community groups for small meetings at any time of day; a reading “lounge” that also provides meeting space for author visits and other programs; four private study rooms; space for 21 public-use computers as well as wireless “hot spots” to allow additional computer use in study rooms and elsewhere; and greatly expanded employee/volunteer work space. The new library is also Alaska’s first community-based LEED building, certified at the Silver level. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards were developed by the U.S. Green Building Council to encourage design and construction of energy-efficient “sustainable” buildings. |
The old library on Pioneer Street grew to be crowded. |
The "new" library on Hazel Avenue. | In 2016 the "new"
library celebrated its 10th anniversary. Friends of the Homer Library
unveiled a new water color portrait of the library, as well as
introduced the new bookmobile, subsequently named BOB for "Books on
Board". The Friends of the Homer Library continues to develop creative and meaningful ways to engage the
community and to encourage education, literacy and an informed and
engaged public. |
STAY IN THE LIBRARY LOOP!
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| FRIENDS OF THE HOMER PUBLIC LIBRARYFriends of the Homer Library is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 community organization.
907-435-3195
info@friendshomerlibrary.org
500 Hazel Avenue • Homer AK 99603 |