I went to the Z. J. Loussac Public Library Tuesday evening, drawn by a “town hall meeting” organized by Friends of the Library and the Anchorage Library Foundation. I arrived early, so before grabbing a seat in the Wilda Marston Theater, I headed for the main library itself. It was, I’m embarrassed to admit, the first time in months that I’ve climbed the Loussac’s concrete stairway, walked among its racks of books, and tiptoed through “The Quiet Zone.” You’d think an author and book lover would more regularly support and utilize the library. Alas, that’s not always true. I can think of several good reasons why I haven’t visited the Loussac (my favorite local library) much recently. But here’s the chief one: I most often visit the library to do research; and thanks to the Internet, I can now do nearly all of my research at home (where I work), on my personal computer.

It’s less easy to explain why I haven’t been part of the recent movement to build a world-class twenty-first century public library system in Anchorage. I’ll just honestly say I’ve been out of that loop. But after checking things out Tuesday, I’m happy to report that lots of good people are working toward that goal.

The purpose of the meeting, I’d read in the Daily News, was to discuss the future of our city’s libraries. I’d also read the accompanying front-page story, which reported the challenges that Anchorage’s five public libraries face, chief among them insufficient money and staff to properly serve local residents. It seems our libraries are severely under-funded (what else is new, eh?). And things may get worse before they get better, given the current recession and ongoing city budget cuts. It doesn’t help to have a mayor who seems to be no friend of the library, though he claims to visit Loussac often. According to the Daily News, Mayor Dan Sullivan has posed this question: “Is the library more important than me laying off another firefighter so that I can keep the library open another hour or two? Those are the priorities you have to decide.”

The mayor offers a false choice. You don’t have to sacrifice one to save the other. Why not consider the possibility that both firefighters and libraries provide essential services, in different ways. Why not make them both priorities and find other ways to trim the budget?

It’s not like local libraries and their staffs are living high on the hog. If the Daily News is correct and Sullivan’s proposed new budget passes, the city’s public library system will have lost 13 percent of its municipal funding in just two years. Since 2000, the staff of Anchorage’s public libraries has shrunk from 114 to 86 people, its librarians have fallen from 43 to 34. On the positive side, volunteers are way up, from 120 to 840 (though volunteer hours haven’t risen so dramatically). While money and staffing are down, both library visits and the variety of services are higher than ever. In short, Anchorage’s five public libraries are doing more with less. But that’s not sustainable, say library supporters. Anchorage’s library system is struggling to survive.

Enter Friends of the Library and the Anchorage Library Foundation, whose members, joined by other supporters, are determined to transform the city’s public libraries. Right now, they agree, Anchorage’s public libraries are in tough shape. But not only can they survive; with the public’s help, they can thrive as “relevant, convenient, innovative and community-oriented libraries in this twenty-first century.” So rather than gloom-and-doomers, these are hopeful, visionary folks. They’ve already done a bunch of work to find out what Anchorage-area residents need and want from their public libraries, while creating an Anchorage Public Library Community Plan. It’s five major action points are to:

1. Let people know what the library offers.
2. Enhance customer service.
3. Reduce operating costs and secure new sources of funding.
4. Encourage a new generation of library users while engaging traditional users.
5. Create a more welcoming, community-centered library.

Those of us who attended Tuesday’s meeting got an update on the planning process, including what’s been done so far and where things go from here. We also were given the opportunity to have our say and brainstorm additional ideas. I came away sensing that this effort’s organizers – and the larger community – may indeed move local public libraries beyond survival mode to something closer to prosperity. The beneficiaries of such a success story would be residents of every sort. That too is part of the goal.

I left the meeting heartened. But to be honest, the highlight of my evening was a brief visit to the library’s Alaska Collection. It is, to me, the heart and soul of the Loussac Library. I’ve come to love the fact that you have to enter THE QUIET ZONE to get there. I love the luxurious Ann Stevens Room, with its lovely, cushioned furniture. I’ve spent some time in the room, both to give readings and to listen to them, and now and then to simply sit. But I keep thinking that someday I should linger longer. Every time I pass the room, I vow to return, when I have more time, and savor a good book in its quiet elegance.

I love walking through the corridor with its large windows and sweeping views on one side and painted landscapes and portraits on the other. Then, even better, to leave the corridor and descend a narrow, twisting stairway into the building’s hidden recesses and finally emerge into that silent, magical realm where old and new books about Alaska are housed. It is an exquisite home for books that explore the many aspects of this place, Alaska, my adopted and beloved homeland.

I have visited the Alaska Collection scores of times since I became an author, mostly to do research for books about Denali, the Iditarod and bears. On this visit, my feet instinctively took me to shelves that hold books about The High One and the mountaineers who’ve climbed that “Great Ice Mountain.” I browsed a while, then wandered around. Eventually I checked to see whether my two newest books had made it onto the shelves, including one published just this fall. It may be an author’s conceit, but it is also a simple joy to find my books among other legendary works. No matter how well or poorly a book sells, no matter if it is widely or only locally acclaimed (or not acclaimed at all), the library reminds me that a book matters. It has something to offer, something to share. This too buoys my spirits.

Before leaving I simply stood awhile in the silent stillness, where so much is happening, so much richness exists. It’s like visiting a close friend after far too much time has passed. The other’s simple presence is nurturing, uplifting. How could I have stayed away for so long?

I’m confident that not nearly as much time will pass until my next visit. Before leaving, I stopped and said hello to Special Collections Librarian Michael Catoggio, who will lead an “insider’s tour” of the Alaska Collection next Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 3 p.m. (Those wishing to participate are asked to rendezvous at the main reference desk on level three.) It’s a tour I don’t want to miss.

Given the library’s current circumstances and the new vision for a thriving, twenty-first century public library system here, it seems worth ending with some comments Catoggio made on the 49 Writers blogsite (click here for the complete posting). Though addressed to authors, much of it applies to the larger population:

“I want to be your librarian. I want to share this rich collection here at Loussac Library with you. I want to buy your books. I want to invite you in for a book talk, to foster connections between you and your audience. I want you to come in for a personal tour, a cup of tea, a chat. I will give you an insider’s tour of the nooks and crannies in the Alaska Wing. The crannies, btw, have a GREAT view!

“So, please make this place your place. There are great spaces to work (we’re wireless, of course), and thousands of voices (silently) shouting from the books and media – inspiration everywhere. Most importantly, and you know this already, we (the librarians) are your friends. Like dear friends, we’re always here for you.”

Now, maybe, we Anchorage residents can be there for the librarians and the libraries, giving them our support, encouragement, and help in a challenging time, join the movement toward a brighter, thriving future.