The Importance of a LibraryI had the opportunity to interview Jennifer Ashby. She has been the director of the Asotin County Library since February 2001. She oversees just about everything that happens in the library. She is responsible for budgets, facilities, staff, collections, technology, programs, services and public relations. She gave me a lot of interesting information about the history and current affairs of the library. Before the original library was built in 1913, books were sent from an Episcopal congregation in Vermont to the Episcopal Church in Clarkston. A sort of library was set up in the basement of the church. More and more books were purchased and eventually this space outgrew it. The books were then moved to the neighboring rectory and the living room was transformed into a new library, which had also become too large. The family grew tired of people coming in and out of their living room to browse books, so a Carnegie Library was built on the corner of Chestnut and Sixth in 1913. Eighty years later, the current location on Sycamore Street was built. The event that happened while Jennifer was working at the library was a large windstorm that almost destroyed the building. To prepare the library for the construction of a mezzanine, a floating wall was installed on the south side of the building. In February 2008, a severe windstorm hit the valley. The wall separated slightly from the others, leaving spiderweb-like cracks three-eighths of an inch wide across the entire surface. The library had to close for three months for repairs. Another unusual event was a sinkhole next to the building that caused flooding and damage in November 2013. An event the library organized...... middle of paper ...... it also wants let people know that the library has more to offer than the Internet and provides equal access. The library spends a lot of money on their online databases and one wacky resource that people may not know about is their car maintenance information. They also give advice on job applications, CVs, research and genealogy. One of the library's goals is to bring culture to our region. They often hold exhibitions and exhibitions on history and other ways of life. They even organize foreign movie nights. Overall, the library is very important to our community. It offers a wealth of information and resources for all generations. Jennifer Ashby provided lots of helpful materials and she loves where she works. She wants everyone to understand how vital libraries are to education and society. Visit the Asotin County Library today!Works CitedInterview