September is Library Card Sign-Up Month, and Kitsap Regional Library Custodian Specialist Keifer Wheeler already has 205 reasons to celebrate! An avid library lover, Keifer’s adoration began young. As a kid, Keifer was limited geographically to the Kent branch of the King County Public Library. Still, his imagination ran wild when he observed stickers affixed to books with other branch locations listed. “I was curious about where those places were, but my parents said they were too far away to visit.”
As he’s gotten older, Keifer shared that he’s been obsessed with visiting libraries across the state, collecting library cards along the way, which he stores in a beloved binder. Keifer says that the furthest he has traveled to visit a library is three hours, visiting the Amanda Park branch of Timberland Regional Library. One day, with little to do, his wife encouraged him to visit as many branches as possible of the Seattle Public Library (SPL) as he could. Keifer did just that, devoting 10 hours to visiting most of SPL’s locations. But his collection extends beyond state lines, and family members and friends, particularly his mother-in-law, are passionate about helping him add to his collection. Boasting library cards from as far away as Florida and Canada, Keifer’s favorite library card in his collection is a galaxy-themed card from Tacoma Public Library. Combining his love for libraries with his family, Keifer even has a tattoo on his calf featuring his wedding anniversary date and kids’ birthdays displayed on a library card.
Keifer W. displays his library card collection.Keifer W. displays his library card collection.
Keifer W. visits Longview Public Library.Keifer W. visits Longview Public Library.
Keifer W.’s favorite library card design, Tacoma Public Library’s galaxy card.Keifer W.’s favorite library card design, Tacoma Public Library’s galaxy card.
At work, Keifer is a valued member of the team and shares, “What I love about working at Kitsap Regional Library is that I feel like a family member. Whenever someone needs help, many of the staff are willing to help. I feel that this job has by far been one of the best when it comes to giving praise and taking care of their employees.”
Library cards are your free passport to adventure! Get your library card by visiting any branch or online at KRL.org/cards. Want to join our team? Be sure to stop by KRL.org/careers.
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