It's said that in 48 BC, a large portion of the Great Library of Alexandria's collection was destroyed in a fire started by Julius Caesar during Caesar's Civil War.
By that time, Alexandria, Egypt, was a site of regular political volatility. Numerous accounts describe instances in which the library was defaced, destroyed and sabotaged in the years after Caesar's fire (which may have been accidental). Due to varying reports of the incident, however, we'll never quite know the true fate of one of the world's most significant libraries.
The real tragedy here is not the uncertainty of who to blame for the library's destruction but that so much ancient history, literature and learning was lost. For that reason, when libraries persevere through adversity and across time, celebrations are due.
This month, the Coeur d'Alene Library is celebrating 120 years as a vital community institution. A special event on Oct. 17 showcases the library's century-plus timeline and exhibits why libraries are so essential to the communities they serve.
The celebration is being led by former Coeur d'Alene library communications coordinator David Townsend, in collaboration with the Museum of North Idaho.
In October 1904, the Coeur d'Alene Woman's Club was formed with the express purpose of sponsoring a public library for the city of Coeur d'Alene. The 48 initial members of the club began collecting books and, in just a few short months, the library opened inside E.B. Keller and Company, a store on the intersection of Fourth Street and Sherman Avenue.
After a failed attempt to get the city of Coeur d'Alene to take the library under its wing, the library was forced to close down briefly in September 1908, but it reopened in City Hall the following year. Since then, the library has been housed in several locations, including its current home on Front Avenue near McEuen Park, where it's resided since 2007.
In terms of recent history, libraries have faced heightened scrutiny from community members and elected officials in recent years due to claims of "inappropriate material." This past July, Idaho House Bill 710, or the "Children's School and Library Protection Act," went into effect, requiring Idaho public and school libraries to remove materials deemed harmful or obscene — or they could face lawsuits.
"Whatever is going on, every single library in every single community in Idaho is doing the best they can to provide the services they can, and they do it with a smile on their face."
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"There have been three materials challenges in the last 10 years that I've worked here," says JD Smithson, the Coeur d'Alene library's communications coordinator. "Including the one we've had so far since the law went into effect in July. But that's something we have always been prepared to deal with. None of this has been new to the library, all of those steps for materials challenges have been in place for a long time."
Besides looking back at its long history, the anniversary event also highlights the addition of diverse programming, plus other fun facts. Smithson says the library can attribute its success to the fact that it's always adapted to the community's needs.
"Libraries will see a need and do whatever it takes to fill that need in their community," she says. "If we see that maybe kids aren't getting into the colleges they want to, we will create a program that teaches kids how to get into college and set them up for success in that realm."
Part of any library's job is to simply be there for the community. The reference desk takes questions from visitors all day long. Various employees help people find answers using the library's many resources, as well as those not within its walls. Books are recommended by both patrons and employees.
"It's all about encountering a need and trying to help," Smithson says. "That's the foundation of a library: books and helping."
The burning of the Library of Alexandria is often referenced in modern culture to signify great loss. And it's true — losing a library would be a devastating blow to any community and the patrons who lean on the services it provides.
"People come in here needing help constantly," Smithson says. "We have all of these services for free. Printing, faxing, computers, all of it. We even have a library of things that people need. We even have a car diagnostic tool!"
She sums up the Coeur d'Alene Library's 120-year history with a reference to The Big Lebowski.
"Libraries in general have this feeling of 'The Dude abides,'" she says. "Whatever is going on, every single library in every single community in Idaho is doing the best they can to provide the services they can, and they do it with a smile on their face. They do it through struggle and strife and even through triumphs. We're just trying to be libraries. That's all we want to be." ♦
History Hour Lecture: The Coeur d'Alene Library's 120th Anniversary • Thu, Oct. 17 at 5:30 • Free • All ages • Coeur d'Alene Public Library • 702 E. Front Ave. • cdalibrary.org
