Library director muses on passion for books

Lynne Kersten, who has been the Thompson Falls Public Library Director for just over a decade, will officially be retiring at the beginning of November. A seat on the city council will also be vacant, after the two years Kersten has spent as a member. Behind her, she leaves a legacy. "My life is books, I love books," Kersten said. Her passion to help people learn, as well as the excitement she feels when introducing someone to a new book, has made her time as the library director, a memorable experience. Kersten accepted the position in September of 2009, and since that time has incorporated many beneficial programs and classes for the local residents.

Friends of the Library and Humanities of Montana, are programs both introduced to the Thompson Falls Library when Kersten started her new journey as the director. Kersten recalled bringing in Clifford the Big Red Dog and launching a successful summer reading program aimed at inspiring children to read more. The arts and craft classes became so popular at the library, they were turned into a monthly event instead of just once a year. The success of the summer reading program, Kersten credits to the staff members at the library. "I couldn't have done it without the staff members, who love doing the crafts and sharing with the kids," Kersten expressed.

As Kersten headed into her final year as the library director, 2020 brought unprecedented circumstances that caused a rift in her work and connections to the people in the county. COVID-19 brought uncertain times that she had never faced before as the library's director. "The board made the decision to close for two months in March and April, then we re-opened on May 19," Kersten said. "I was so glad to be back open, people had really missed the library." One program that COVID-19 couldn't bring down was the coveted summer reading program. While there was no in-person programming, Kersten was happy about the success in her final year of leading it. As the future is still uncertain for any in-person activities at the library, Kersten was, and still is, grateful for the residents here.

Several memorable moments stand out for Kersten during her tenure, including bringing in Wi-Fi for the library. "That was the first thing I did, and we were able to offer that so it was on 24/7 for people who had their own devices," Kersten said. In 2012, Kersten implemented a program offered by the state library called Montana Library to Go, a program the Thompson Falls Library funds themselves that allows people to download audio books and e-books for free to anyone with a library card. "Usage has gone up over the years, and just keeps growing," Kersten stated. "Because we were closed and people needed something to read, so many patrons discovered the Montana Library to Go, and it was crazy." Kersten continued, "We were getting about 350 checkouts a month, and when we had to shut down, it jumped to 550."

One more memory Kersten will take into her retirement has been an added benefit to not only the patrons of Thompson Falls, but businesses and establishments of all kinds. She hopes this particular program that she is so proud of will carry on, in years to come. A newspaper digitization program logging history of Sanders County is something Kersten has worked very hard at to preserve. "We worked with the Montana Historical Society in Helena, and they're hosting it on a platform called, Montana Newspapers," Kersten said. "Along with some grants from Blackfoot and the Frisbee Morbella Foundation, we now have from 1894 to 1977 of our local newspaper online for anyone to look at, which can be accessed through our website"

Kersten hopes her replacement, Crystal Buchanan, can carry on with the project, allowing for its successful future. "People can search for an obituary, they can search for a family member if they showed up anywhere in the newspaper, a place, or anything like that," Kersten said. "It's really helpful." While Kersten wished for a much smoother transition for her replacement, the current circumstances have left for a quicker transition than she expected. However, while Kersten and her husband start their next chapter in Denver, she will still have the ability to remotely log on to help. "She's really smart and capable," Kersten said of her new replacement. "I'm really thrilled that the board selected her."

The Thompson Falls Library prides itself on the working partnership it has with the community. The partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and other local organizations will continue to grow. "We want to be known as very community oriented, not just as the library; but through our partnerships that we are so proud of," Kersten stated. "I'm so grateful to the city and the county, and all the patrons here. Thompson Falls in a really special place, and I'm going to miss everybody here."