Sno-Isle Libraries celebrates 50th

Published 8:05 pm Tuesday, June 12, 2012

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — In 1962, Johnny Carson took over “The Tonight Show,” the New York Yankees won the World Series, John F. Kennedy was president and it cost 4 cents for a postage stamp.

That same year the World’s Fair was held in Seattle, shaping Seattle’s skyline, and two county library districts fused together, forming the Sno-Isle Libraries.

Fifty years later, Sno-Isle Libraries continues to serve Snohomish and Island counties. Mountlake Terrace Library, a part of the system, celebrated the landmark and its association with the system with an open house and used book sale June 9.

The celebration was hosted by the Friends of the Mountlake Terrace Library and the Mountlake Terrace Library Board.

“Libraries are more than books,” said Jonalyn Woolf-Ivory, director of Sno-Isle Libraries. “They’re vessels jam-packed with information.”

Sno-Isle Libraries offers a place for people to study, enjoy books and, after the economy turned sour, to apply for jobs, Woolf-Ivory said.

“Libraries are needed more than ever as our neighbors, families and friends struggle to find work,” she said.

The library system has evolved with technology by offering a place to browse the Internet, learn how to use e-readers and for military families to connect with deployed loved ones via Skype.

“We’re here to support our community,” Woolf-Ivory said.

“We’re celebrating the children and adults who took advantage of the services and resources the library offered,” said Rosy Brewer, managing librarian of the Mountlake Terrace branch.

The partnership between the city and library system dates back decades, City Manager John Caulfield said.

“It’s strong and sound and will continue to be so,” Caulfield said.

Part of the proposed Civic Center bond measure on the Aug. 7 ballot would pay to renovate the library.

With major bookstore chains going out of business and people relying on websites to purchase books, there is a belief that libraries are no longer needed, Caulfield said. That reminds him of Mark Twain’s quote: “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”

“Libraries have adapted and continue to adapt,” Caulfield said. “They’re important for children who have no books or Internet access at home.”

Growing up in a large family, Caulfield needed a quiet place to study. He remembers riding the train to the Boston Public Library, a beautiful Gothic-style building. He can still remember the way the building smelled.

“I wouldn’t be where I am without libraries,” he said.

Libraries are there to serve anyone. The accessibility to knowledge defends the community’s right to know, Woolf-Ivory said.

“I can’t imagine the Mountlake Terrace community without a library,” she said. “I can’t imagine Sno-Isle Libraries without Mountlake Terrace.”