By Denise Dargan
Special to the Turnagain Times
The Scott and Wesley Gerrish Library has seen record-breaking numbers since the Anchorage Public Library opened the new branch in late May. Visits to the library have jumped 69% from January to June. In that same period, circulation of materials has risen 30% and attendance at children’s programs rose 57%. The library’s newfound popularity demonstrates the vital role that libraries play in bringing communities together and providing residents with important access to information and materials.
“We’ve received numerous comments from the public that the new Gerrish Branch is beautiful, with a welcoming feel to it. More patrons are motivated to use the library now, because in addition to being more aesthetically pleasing, with the additional computers and expanded space, it has much more to offer than the old library,” stated Branch Supervisor Denise Dargan.
The library and community room fills a big gap for Girdwood. Previously, the library operated out of a 1,500 square foot space in the Girdwood Elementary and Jr. High School. The new building provides 3,938 square feet for the library, 2,534 square feet for a community meeting room, and 396 square feet of office space for the Girdwood Board of Supervisors. The library has ten Internet accessible public use computers and the entire building has wireless capabilities, which allows visitors to the library and community room to access the Internet from their laptops.
The project has been a community priority for many years and was funded through a federal Denali Commission grant secured by Senator Stevens, state grants supported by Representative Mike Hawker, a special Girdwood property tax levy, and a grant from the Rasmuson Foundation. With support from Girdwood, Inc., the Girdwood Community Center and Library Task Force raised private donations from the community, including a significant gift from the Crews Family.
The Gerrish Branch is centrally located next to the fire station and visible from the very popular Girdwood Park and the Lions Day Park, off of Girdwood’s main road, the Alyeska Highway. Tourists frequently stop in after noticing the library on their visit through town and locals combine their library visits with their excursions to the neighboring park. The Glacier Creek portion of the Iditarod Trail runs parallel to the building, with the potential to connect hikers, bikers and skiers to the facility.
The project is part of Anchorage Public Library’s Anchorage Library Renewal Initiative, which seeks to create modern libraries that encourage lifelong learning and community engagement, and reflect the diversity of Anchorage’s neighborhoods and residents. In 2007, the Muldoon Branch moved into a newly renovated space and the Samson-Dimond Branch upgraded technology and furnishings. This fall, construction will begin on a new location for the Chugiak-Eagle River Branch and a restoration of the original Mountain View Branch. Plans are in the works to renovate the main Loussac Library and open a new branch Downtown.
The Scott and Wesley Gerrish Branch Library in Girdwood is located at 250 Egloff Drive and is open on Tuesday and Thursday from 1-6pm, Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is closed on Sunday and Monday. Branch map and other library information can be found at www.anchoragelibrary.org
For more details on the project and photos of the new building, go to: www.anchoragelibraryfoundation.org/projects.html