In May 2009, someone from the Rainier Historical Society (RABC) mentioned a library at a Board meeting. Little did they know the wheels they had set in motion! Within a couple of weeks, Julie Dallavo and Linda Tarrant offered to “help them create a library”. Almost a year later (May 8, 2010), the RABC celebrated with an Open House in the Historic School’s First Grade Room.
Our library is unique in that it relies completely on volunteers and donated materials. The Rainier community, as well as other Thurston County businesses, have donated their time, materials, and services, AND we partner with Timberland Regional Library (TRL) to provide a convenient location to pick up holds from all of TRL’s 27 branches, in five counties, using the self-check-out kiosk!
We are exceedingly grateful to TRL’s Jodi Reng, Michael Crose and Gwen Culp for their willingness to provide library furnishings, the kiosk, barcodes and Rainier stickers. We also appreciate Ted Nash and Greg Carter at TRL for helping us select just the right library furnishings, moving the shelving, computers, printers, tables and chairs into the library and installing the shelving. We could not have done this without Timberland’s support!
It has taken literally thousands of volunteer hours and more than 30 volunteers to complete the library project. We spread the word that volunteers were needed and seventeen people came to the first meeting. Many helped raise funds to purchase labeling supplies by staffing a book sale at the Rainier Roundup in Fall 2009.
While John Lloyd and Franklyn Gallup refinished the floors in the library and the foyer, the word was sent out for volunteers to help change a room full of boxed books into a library. Thank you John and Franklyn! In the 5th/6th grade room, volunteers spent weeks opening and sorting through hundreds of cartons of books and videos that had been donated for a “someday library” and even more materials began to arrive after the project appeared in the Nisqually Valley News. Thank you Susan Louis at NVN!
In September and October (2009), dozens of volunteers worked daily cleaning, labeling, barcoding, applying Rainier stickers, and shelving each one…over 8,000 items!Thank you, Tim Brogan for refinishing and beautifully painting our two book carts!
Brandon Hope and Jamie Rutter installed the seven computers donated by TRL. Daniel Adamski (a Rainier middle-schooler) was instrumental in acquiring the flat screen monitors and assisting with loading the software. DSL was connected in December and we now have a fiber optic wireless network, compliments of Mike’s Electric and Rainier School District!
Throughout the following months, volunteers came and went and the myriad details needed for the smooth working of an organization began to fall into place. TRL’s Barb Durney trained the volunteers on how to work with the kiosk. The Library opened its doors to the public on November 12, 2009. “Someday” had finally arrived!
Julie Dallavo
April 2010
