KENNEWICK, Wash. – The Mid-Columbia Libraries are celebrating a significant milestone. They’re celebrating their 75th year of serving our community and meeting its needs for many years.
Carlos Orozco, the MCL’s Associate Director of Communications, said the library was started in 1949 by community members who came together as the MCL’s first Board of Directors. They wanted to provide services to the entire region, and since they didn’t have a physical location at the time, members got creative, according to Orozco.
“When it first started out, it was a bookmobile,” said Orozco. “It operated out of the Kennewick City Hall. From there, it grew. Our first library was established in 1963, the Keewaydin Park Library on Dayton Street.”
Orozco said that since the library was created, the MCL’s primary mission has been to support literacy and connect the community with resources through programs like the Summer Reading Challenge, provide warming and cooling centers, and offer a place to escape extreme weather.
Orozco said that as the Tri-City area has grown, so have they. The MCL added branches all over the Columbia Basin. There are now 12 branches serving over 260,000 community members. Orozco said they are always looking for ways to help the community, which is near and dear to him.
“I came from a family where we couldn’t really afford books,” said Orozco. “. So, being able to come to the library and still have access to them has been super important just for me personally. So, being able to provide access to resources that people don’t always have is extremely important. I feel like that’s a great thing that libraries provide.”
Orozco said many patrons come up to him and tell stories about how long they’ve been coming to the library, dating back to the bookmobile. Hearing these stories and knowing the impact they have on the community hits home.
Orozco said they’re not done finding new ways to serve the community; many ideas are in the works.