Why We Have A Public Library In Covelo

If one looked at a map of California and Northeastern Mendocino County a person would see a lot of National Forest; the Snow Mountain, Thatcher Creek and Yolla Bolly Wilderness Areas; the Round Valley Indian Reservation; a Wild and Scenic River; one paved State Highway which ends at the unincorporated community of Covelo; and a lot of otherwise roadless, blank spaces on the map.

In all of forty, fifty miles in any direction there are only about 3100 people out here and we kind of like it that way. However, along with the outstanding natural beauty, there are challenges to such remoteness. Transportation is difficult and connections to government agencies, business and employment opportunities, higher education, professional services, all of these are far away.

We have had a library in town for almost fifty years, started by a few volunteers donating their own collections, eventually in 1989 becoming part of the County of Mendocino Library system. The Round Valley Branch Library has been in our new location since 2010, has one full time librarian, three part time librarians and a host of volunteers.

Our local library is the hub, the heart, of much of the community. Along with a beautiful, clean, well lighted space graced with a collection of relevant volumes, documents, exhibits, art, and cultural artifacts we provide many of the necessary elements for a vibrant, functioning society. We have a community room for meetings and parties, with wall panelling of old growth redwood from the old days, comfortable leather chairs and a fireplace, plus outside the library in the Walnut Grove Park a Friday Farmer’s Market for the local organic produce, baked goods and all the other items one might find at an outdoor market. Then there is the certified commercial kitchen, providing a legal place for people to process their baked or canned goods for sale, as well as the core equipment for the Walnut Grove Cafe in the lobby of the library commons.

And a Seed Library, with regular weekend events for the exchange of information, plants, cuttings, and filling up the new year’s seed packets, seed swaps and scion exchanges. This is an agricultural, ranching and organic farming community and the Seed Library is a key element in the development and sharing of knowledge, new products and heirloom varieties.

One a month we produce an event featuring a documentary film on a topic related to sustainable, ecological activities shown in the Commons Community Room, with a fairly large (for out here) screen and sound system. This same setup is used for community meetings or when the senator comes to town.

In regards to how the Round Valley Public Library is helping the community transition into a more technical, digital world we have not likely been as robust as a facility in a more internet capable and connected place. The internet barely works out here, fiber optic connections are limited and cell phone and land line service is not particularly reliable. However, we keep at it, and currently the library is the center for a lot of the telecommunications needs of the local population with wifi on the premises, six public computers, equipment and the gathering space for remote teleconference meetings.

We provide public wifi access portals which are available throughout the building, in the parking areas, on the patio and into the Walnut Grove Park. These are wonderful and convenient for those with a laptop, but many people here don’t have their own laptop or desktop computer and can access the internet only through their phone. This has obvious limitations when needing to communicate with the government or corporate world with any action more complicated than a conversation, a survey or a checklist. We have chromebook laptops to loan out as well as wifi hotspots so people can use their cell phone to access the internet and connect the loaned chromebook, their own tablet or laptop and get on the web. The six desktop computers in the library are always available and get regular use. Plus the scheduled availability of the library’s media room for one on one confidential conferences with County Social Services support and the Public Defender’s Office of Legal Aid is an important and valued addition to this underserved and disadvantaged community.

The Commons Community Room, which can handle large groups, has the capability of hosting with webcams, speakers and a large projection screen teleconferencing and Zoom style meetings. This facility is used regularly by the Municipal Advisory Board and a subcommittee focused on Fire and Disaster Preparedness and has provided an effective venue for special community meetings. We are able to remain updated and fluent with current issues shared with the County Sheriff, our representative on the County Board of Supervisors, the California State Department of Transportation, the County Office of Emergency Services and the Eel River Recovery Project, to recall just a few of the gatherings regularly using the teleconference options.

Another element of technology and communication is the library’s radio station, KYBU 96.9 FM, a project sponsored by the Friends of the Round Valley Public Library. Operating out of a facility on the premises, broadcasting 24/7, the station provides local programming of current events and cultural relevance. Timely public service announcements and accurate information during periods of natural disaster and insecurity have been key contributions of our local FM station. During the August Complex Fire of over one million acres our radio station was broadcasting with regular on air interviews and updates from Emergency Services, CalFire, the US Forest Service and the Sheriff’s Department. We could facilitate call in, area specific concerns of individuals which allowed for rational responses to an otherwise frightening situation. These live updates were then posted to the KYBU website and available by cell phone and internet until the next scheduled update, either that afternoon or the next morning. We were presented with various awards and recognitions for this service.

Those of us who live in Round Valley need to be prepared for a level of self sufficiency perhaps not required in larger connected communities. Over the decades we have experienced bridges washed away, highway transportation to the rest of the world disrupted for weeks at a time, massive wildfires in the surrounding wilderness, and then there are the frequent power and cell phone outages.

Our library has responded to these challenges by insuring that we can stay open to serve the community by providing back up power with a 48kw generator. Internet connectivity is maintained with three separate, redundant systems including a fiber optic land line, micro wave transmission and a satellite link. The 14 kw solar panel grid tie on the roof helps to off set the substantial power demands of air conditioning during our very hot summer.

To summarize, the Mendocino County Library Round Valley Branch, locally known as the Round Valley Public Library, is an essential, welcoming, competent and important element in sustaining our community of diverse individuals.