One hundred years ago, Port Orchard citizens checked out books from their new library for the very first time. In October 1923, several members of the local Parent Teacher Association (PTA) petitioned the City Council for a library. The Council agreed a library was necessary for the community—but the City was unable to change the budget to accommodate library funding for 1924.
Undaunted, the PTA members asked for some allotted space in the Port Orchard Town Hall and assured the Council they would be able to start the library with donations and volunteers. The volunteer-run library soon opened and was later written into the City budget in September of 1924.
The volunteers continued their efforts, staffing and managing the library and making resources available. Books were borrowed, relationships grew, and the next time library volunteers asked for funding, voters made sure the library kept its doors open and its shelves full.
"The library has always been key to the vitality of downtown," said Kathleen Wilson.
Kathleen is the South Kitsap Regional Branch Manager who oversees the Port Orchard branch's operation today. Those original volunteers and supportive community members could scarcely imagine what the library branch would become to their city.
Every month, the branch sees more and more patrons. It is always, Kathleen emphasizes, the branch where the most people sign up for new library accounts throughout the entire Kitsap Regional Library system.
The library has always been a force of momentum. Photos and newspapers from the decades paint a picture of a community hub continually pushing the bounds of what its walls could contain. Children fill storytimes, and new staff come aboard to further develop programs and partnerships.
On a cold day in early January 1964, the library officially became a part of Kitsap Regional Library. It moved to a municipal building on Prospect Street, where more than 29,000 items were circulated its first year—a number that would nearly double by the '70s and rise more than 50% by the end of the decade. The library moved again in 1976, and more patrons followed. Adults packed classes on everything from cooking techniques to using the newly-minted computer, and more items were introduced to the catalog—like a Polaroid camera that could be checked out for two weeks at a time.
When the library outgrew its walls again in 1984, volunteers lined the streets to pass books hand-to-hand down to the old post office building, where the library is currently based.
"True to form, the Port Orchard branch today is "really busy, getting busier," said Kathleen. Commuters can easily drop off holds as they go to work and stop by on their way home. The buses and ferries right outside branch doors make Port Orchard an especially high-traffic location.
At Waterfront Wednesdays, a longstanding library tradition, hundreds gather to watch free Summer Learning performances.
Practically bursting at the seams, the library once again needs to expand and reform to support its vibrant community. So, as the branch celebrates 100 years of history, plans are in motion to ensure the library thrives in the future by raising funds to build a new Port Orchard branch as part of the Port Orchard Community Event Center.
The new building includes plans for an events space outside, with more area for teens and children inside, to better serve young families while providing access to extensive meeting rooms and covered outdoor spaces. "It's going to really take advantage of the waterfront," Kathleen said.
The new library will remain a downtown staple, moving just a few blocks from its present location. The vision is to provide more space and resources and facilitate a gathering space the entire community can enjoy.
After 100 years of service, the library is looking to the future, said Kathleen. "So we will be able to serve our patrons as their needs evolve."
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