LJ Talks to Wasilla Public Library Director KJ (Kathy) Martin-Albright

Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 10/13/2008

There’s been a lot in the news about the Wasilla Public Library, AK, circa 1996, when then-mayor Sarah Palin, now the Republican Vice-Presidential candidate, asked then-library director Mary Jane Emmons (now Baker) about the process for banning books, an episode that, according to the local Frontiersman, Emmons described as clearly distinct from the established book-challenge policy.

But what’s it like now at the Wasilla Public Library? LJ queried director KJ (Kathy) Martin-Albright (left) about the challenges of running a library that gets most usage from outside the town that supplies most of its funding and outgrew its building during the early part of Palin's mayoralty (1996-2002). 

Martin-Albright, who was drawn to the profession after working in the library during her undergraduate years at Towson University, MD, earned her MLS from Indiana University, Bloomington in 1999, then worked at Pitt Community College in Greenville, NC before her husband-to-be got a job offer in Anchorage. She was hired as the Adult/Electronic Services Librarian for Wasilla in January 2003 and became the director in May 2005, both during the tenure of Mayor Dianne M. Keller. 

In the wake of the Palin news, an activist donated two gay-themed children’s books to the library. Martin-Albright tells LJ, in news not previously reported, that the library will give Heather Has Two Mommies and Daddy’s Roommate to its Friends group for sale.

You had already stated that one reason that Heather Has Two Mommies isn’t in the library is that a book has to earn its real estate.

The library strives to achieve a balanced collection of materials in the major information categories, as well as a fiction collection calculated to satisfy the widest possible variety of tastes. All viewpoints and opinions on controversial subjects are represented whenever possible. Wasilla Public Library’s collection development states that materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation and that the library should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval. 

In the past, Wasilla Public Library held both Heather Has Two Mommies and Daddy’s Roommate, although the books are no longer on the library’s shelves. Wasilla outgrew the size of its library about 20 years ago. Library collections are dynamic, and anything on the book shelves has to earn its real estate. If it is not circulating, it does not stay. This is not the ideal, but it is the reality. The books were removed as part of on-going collection development and not due to the subject matter presented in the books. Wasilla Public Library holds many titles that deal with the same subject matter, including the popular And Tango Makes Three.

All one has to do is look at the books in question next to Tango, or any other well-made picture book, to see that Heather and Daddy’s Roommate are poorly constructed, lack engaging illustrations, and have too many words on the page to be useful to young readers. The books are poorly manufactured; they are insubstantial paperbacks that would not withstand repeated use. Moreover, the books are dated in illustrational style and content. Since they were published, several better-made books which are more appealing to children that deal with the same subject matter have been released. Wasilla Public Library houses quite a few of these titles on its shelves.

(Interior photos from City of Wasilla web site.)

While the library agrees that Heather and Daddy’s Roommate are important books because they were ground-breaking and because of the controversy and discussions that have occurred in the 15-plus years since they were published, there are better choices for a dynamic, current, and appealing children’s collection. The donated materials, in accordance with our Donations Policy, will be given to the Friends of Wasilla Library for its annual book sale. You are the first reporter who has asked since the decision was made, so I guess this will be our first public announcement.

Can you tell us about the library?

The library is about 8000 square feet and holds a collection of approximately 56,000 items. There are 9.4 FTE; the director, the Youth Services Librarian, and the Adult/Electronic Services Librarian each have an MLS. The library is in the core area of Wasilla–within walking distance of City Hall, several parks, the middle and high school and is located on Main Street between the Dorothy Page Museum and Post Office.

Wasilla is part of the Mat-Su Library Network (MSLN), which includes the seven public libraries in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. There are two city libraries–Wasilla and Palmer—and five libraries owned and operated by the Borough.

What’s the current budget and materials budget?

Our FY09 budget is $851,543. Our materials budget for FY09 is approximately $86,000; both the City Council and the mayor have been very supportive of the library. The legal service population, according to the state library and based on FY05 numbers which are the most recent available, is 29,534. [The town of Wasilla has a population of 9780, as of 2007.]

How does library service work in the area?

Back in the 1960s, the residents of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough voted to give the borough library powers in any area that is not incorporated. Currently, there are three incorporated areas in the borough: the City of Palmer, the City of Wasilla, and the City of Houston. Wasilla and Palmer each have a city-run and -operated library; the borough does not have library powers over these two libraries. However, roughly 80% percent of the items checked out from the Wasilla and Palmer libraries are borrowed by borough residents who live outside of the city limits.

The core area of the borough, where the bulk of the borough population resides, is 91 square miles between and around the cities of Wasilla and Palmer. The borough does not have any libraries in this core area. Moreover, the way the road system is laid out, people literally would have to drive past one of the city libraries to get to a borough library. Both Wasilla and Palmer have a sales tax; people who live outside of the city limits still come in to the cities to shop. The borough believes that the monies raised by the sales should fund the entire city libraries’ budget.

I understand that, while the borough supports the Matanuska-Susitna Library Network (MSLN), involving city and borough libraries and schools, it has retreated from a borough/city funding formula and instead offers block grants.

FY08 was the fourth fiscal year that the funding formula was supposed to be used, and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough’s block grant to each of the cities was 20% less than the previous year's block grant amount. This left a $72,000 deficit in the Wasilla Public Library’s budget.

The Wasilla City Council transferred monies to cover the shortfall in the library budget, to the relief of the public. The FY09 block grant was reduced 40% from the FY07 level. If that continues, it will reach $0 in FY12 (we're on a July 1-June 30 fiscal year).

What about charging library users from outside the city?

There was a discussion of charging non-city borough residents a fee to get a library card to help make up the deficit; however, a charge has not been instituted. The argument for instituting a charge was that non-city borough residents were not paying for a service being provided by the city. The cons were that people who live outside the city limits pay the 2.5% sales tax within the city limits and that should compensate for library use.

What's next? Neither Wasilla nor Palmer is ready to give up library powers to the borough.

When the City Council transferred the monies, it also passed a resolution supporting city library service. From this, there was a work session between the Wasilla City Council; the board of the Friends of Wasilla Library, our advocacy group; and the city administration and staff. I think that this leaves the Wasilla Public Library in a much more stable position than we've ever been in.

The library is much too small—what are the chances for a new building?

The library moved into its current building in 1978 and outgrew it in 1995. A space needs assessment done in 1997 showed that the facility was not adequate. The needs assessment was updated in 2006; there are marked deficiencies in collection size, access to technology, reader seating, meeting space and work space. A new library building is on the City of Wasilla’s FY09 Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) list, and the city council has indicated, on numerous occasions, they support this project.

In January 2007, the Wasilla City Council approved $78,000 for a preliminary design of a new library. The selected firm, ASCG, with library consultant Isaac Benton from Albuquerque, NJ, completed a preliminary design and presented to the council in March 2008. The preliminary design was created with input from the community via a charette and a survey and input from the library staff.

How long will the next stage take?

The Library Steering Committee must determine if community support for a new library building exists and, if so, to determine if there’s support for a joint facility housing a new library building and a new theater building (for Valley Performing Arts). Also, the committee must determine how the public would like to finance the new building(s). We're still in the planning stages; a site has not been determined, and we're still looking into what the community wants and would support. That said, I'd personally love to see a new building in time for 75th anniversary, which would be 2013.

I read that books on knitting, gardening and arts and crafts are particularly popular and nonfiction circulates more than fiction.

That’s merely a reflection of the interests of the people living in the greater Wasilla community. Last fiscal year, the library had 84,096 visits by library patrons who borrowed 156,521 library items and had 9,145 patrons attend 143 library programs over the course of the year.

I understand that copies of Pastor, I Am Gay were in the library once but disappeared. Do you know when the library last had copies?

In regard to Pastor, I am Gay, by Howard Bess, the Wasilla Public Library does not have a copy; however, there are three libraries in the Mat-Su Library Network that do. Since the network provides intralibrary courier service, these copies are available to any library patron. I don’t know when the library last had copies—even if our library automation kept information on deleted materials, which it doesn't, we migrated from Dynix to Sirsi in August 2004, so there's no way to mine that data.

Given the unexpected focus on the library in the last month or so, what’s it been like for you and staff?

Having a spotlight shine on Wasilla and the library has been really interesting and educational in regards to watching the evolution of a news story. We have received several calls and emails from all over the world. Although it has been challenging to handle this added element and continue to serve the library users in our community, the staff has handled the entire matter professionally and with grace. The staff is the library’s biggest asset.