Library receives funds for computer upgrade, “Caribou Corner”

The Soda Springs library was recently the recipient of generous donations from both Caribou Medical Center and Bayer, which were used for two separate projects.  

Caribou Medical Center has sponsored a resource at the library called “Caribou Corner.”  A cart with a number of school supplies for students who may need them is now available to allow students to succeed throughout the year with essential supplies they may not otherwise have that can be checked out or used, including scientific calculators and other items.  The corner also is place where students can receive a variety of healthy snacks to get them through the long days of school and homework.  

“This is so cool.  You guys are doing such a great job,” Dillon Liechty said as he and CMC CEO Kent Loosle surveyed the library.

“Do you think they’ll stay, or just come in and get the things?”  Loosle asked.

“Oh no, they’ll stay,” Hope Hansen laughed.  The library is famously busy and full of enthusiasm, as well as kids who love to spend time in its walls.  As the library staff is fond of saying, “it’s not a quiet library.”

“You should have seen it the day I was in here,” Dillon.  “I was in here talking about possible programs, and there were at least fifty kids here doing all kinds of things.”

“Fridays, the kids aren’t in school and so it’s pretty busy.  We have a group of them that come and play D and D [Dungeons and Dragons].  They had to cut down to once a week now that school started!” Hansen said. “But that’s just one of the things.  We have so many kids and groups and people that come in every week.”

Teens are the focus of many of the library’s programs, including the new Caribou Corner.

“The Medical Center purchased snacks, and donated all these school supplies, and they’re also sponsoring our Page Turners program.  So the stacks of books that we will be using for that, and we’ll have a lot of kids involved,” Hope Hansen said.

“We wanted to grab worthy community projects to get involved with, and the library was one of those.  A portion of whatever employees want to donate out of their checks goes into our Planetree fund, and we decide where to donate it,” Dillon Liechty said, explaining that the Medical Center was excited to support the library with the assistance of its employees.  “There’s so much cool stuff going on here,” he added. 

The name Caribou Corner was coined by children’s librarian Dorajo Messerly.  “Dorajo has this great energy around her to help,” Dillon noted. “I’ve seen so many amazing things that she’s done with the kids.  She’s magical.” 

“I told her she can’t go anywhere,” Hansen laughed.

It’s not just the youngest kids who love the library,  but the teens who will be using the Caribou Corner as well.

“The fact that a teenage would come to the library outside of school is a testament to the success of this place,” Loosle said.

“You guys have created a safe haven for kids, and that’s one reason we definitely wanted to be involved,” Dillon.  “How cool is this, a safe place for kids to come and have a snack and hang out when it’s cold, see their friends.  It’s just great.”

“It’s pretty special. It’s a great community asset,” Kent Loosle.

Caribou Medical Center provided the startup funding for the Caribou Corner of $1,500, and funded the summer reading program for $1,000.  

“We want to encourage community involvement wherever we can,”
Liechty said.

Separately, a grant from Bayer for $10,000 helped to fund the summer reading program, and allowed the library to purchase new computers for use by patrons.  

“We need to let people know how much Bayer is doing for the community.  They’re our single biggest outside funder and they help out so much.  Almost every day we were having someone come up and say something about how their computer was having problems.  This will be amazing,” Hansen said.  The purchase included six new patron PCs and three for the staff.   

“We are really happy we could help,” Bayer’s Change Management and Communications Lead Kaylee Peck said.  “Libraries are really important.  I’ve been to a lot of them, and this one is always busy.  It’s filled to the brim with people.  You guys have a lot of beneficial programs for the community here, and we love to support you.  We look forward to it.”

“That was Cindy’s main thing,” Hansen said, referring to former library director Cindy Erickson.  “She always wanted to have people here, and for them to feel welcome when they were.”

The $10,000 comes from a Bayer Fund grant that requires an application process. The library has been a recipient of the grant for many years, and has used it to support and bolster its program offerings over the years.  

“You guys are so busy,” Kaylee said.  “It’s great!”

As Hope Hansen settles into her relatively new tenure as the Director of the Library, she has a lot of support from organizations like Caribou Medical Center and Bayer, as well as hundreds of grateful parents and kids.