Consider Saturday morning booked
Celebrate the opening of the brand-spanking-new Yachats Public Library at a ribbon-cutting and open house this Saturday, Feb. 28.
Speakers at the ceremony will include State Rep. David Gomberg, State Librarian Wendy Cornelisen and Mayor Craig Berdie, along with local kids who use the library.
Guests at the celebration can also try their hands at “new library bingo.”
“It’s very easy but will get you moving around a bit,” said Library Administrator Traci Altson. “People that finish and turn in their cards will get raffle tickets for chances to win prizes.”
The new 3,450-square-foot building is roughly 30 percent larger than its predecessor and features wood detailing, high ceilings and abundant natural light. Improvements include expanded shelving for the library’s 13,000-item collection, a larger children’s area with a mini amphitheater, additional adult seating and workstations, new public computers and a community room with seating for 25.
“Now that we have a community room, we can host events, author readings, book clubs and things like that,” Altson said. ”We also have a lot of community-donated art which helps make the space look really nice.”
The project marks a major milestone for the coastal town. The original library, built by volunteers in 1973, served the community for decades but faced growing structural and space limitations. A 2019 facilities assessment concluded that replacement would be more cost-effective than renovation.
For the past few years, the collection was spread across spaces like a room at the Yachats Commons and a storage space in Waldport. Altson is excited that the new space will allow the library to increase its collection.
“We are constantly adding the latest and greatest, like New York Times bestsellers,” she said. “We are also committed to growing our Pacific Northwest collection for both kids and adults, with books on regional plants, vegetation and animals and by Northwest authors. I would put our library up against any other library from an area this size.”
The funds for the new building came in part from the Friends of Yachats Library, which raised about $480,000 through grants and community donations. Donations to the Friends from individual Yachatians totaled more than $185,000, including a sizable gift from the Bent E. Petersen family.
“When you understand that Yachats is a community of just over 1,000 permanent residents,” said Yachats Mayor Craig Berdie, “it is a testament to the spirit, imagination and dogged determination of our tiny city that we were able to make this happen.”
And the reception from the community, now that the library is open, has been very positive.
“Everybody loves it; I’ve had no complaints,” Altson said. “Most people come in and just say ‘Wow.’”
Saturday’s celebration runs from 10 am to noon at Yachats Public Library, located at 560 W 7th Street. The library is open from noon to 4 pm Monday and Friday, noon to 5 pm Tuesday through Thursday and noon to 3 pm on Sunday. For more information, go to yachatslibrary.org or call 541-547-3048.