The Kuskokwim Consortium Library works to connect the community to information, resources, and each other. A library is far more than the books on the shelf- it is a gathering place for all people, a home for many activities (reading programs, the arts and so much more), the only internet connection to the world for many, and a safety net for some. In Bethel, our library is both a public library (with our City of Bethel as a partner) and a university library (with UAF-KuC as a partner).
To fulfill its mission, our library raises money through the Kuskokwim Consortium Library fund at Bethel Community Services Foundation. Funds raised provide the following:
-support public library services and programs. This includes fundraising towards the annual cost of the library Jesuit Volunteer position, who is responsible for improving access to community resources for low income, homeless, and unemployed residents in our community. The library JV represents the library on the Housing and Homeless Coalition, organizes Project Homeless Connect events, and helps run the Lions Club Food Bank.
– Support for educational and recreational library programs for adults and children.
– Professional development opportunities for library staff.
– Growing the library collection of physical and digital resources.
– Creating a Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Bethel, which we hope to expand region-wide in upcoming years. This will bring books directly to the homes of children ages 0-5 each month in order to start addressing the low literacy rates in the region and the important role that early childhood literacy has on future success in school.
