Photo by Marcy Stamper
Wenatchee Valley College and the new Winthrop library will partner to provide a variety of educational programs.
Variety of educational programs planned
Libraries are, by nature, a place for learning and discovery. But the new NCW Libraries branch in Winthrop will also be a place for formal high school and college instruction, not simply browsing on shelves or computers.
The library will be partnering with the Methow Valley School District and Wenatchee Valley College (WVC) to offer high school and college classes, tutoring and homework assistance, and clubs and after-school activities for younger students.
WVC was already seeking ways to reach Methow Valley residents when college representatives had an informal talk over coffee with Friends of the Winthrop Library (FOWL) a year ago, said Tod Treat, WVC’s vice president of instruction.
FOWL is the nonprofit that has spearheaded the campaign for a new, larger library. FOWL and Treat updated community members on the library’s progress and features via a Zoom presentation last week.
Teaming up with NCW Libraries — and, in particular, having community gathering spaces in the new building — has opened up many new options, Treat said.
WVC envisions offering in-person college classes on subjects such as political science, industrial technology, business, nursing, early childhood education and skilled trades. WVC anticipates three to four classes per quarter, Treat said.
The college will also offer the Running Start program, where high school students can get dual credit. In the past, Methow Valley students have traveled to WVC’s Omak campus for these courses.
In addition, WVC plans to offer adult education for college and career readiness. This could include basic-skills instruction, English as a second language, and math to allow people to obtain a high school diploma. WVC will tailor the classes to people’s needs and schedule, Treat said.
College classes will be available to the community at large as part of continuing education, but WVC expects to offer other non-credit classes based on local interest, such as genealogy, natural science, or foreign-language instruction, Treat said.
The library could also be a site for job training, such as for flaggers or forklift operators, Treat said.
WVC classes will be available in person and also online so that people in other areas can join, Treat said. The local classes will allow Methow Valley–based WVC instructors to teach from Winthrop.
NCW Libraries is excited about this new model and the potential to replicate the partnership at other branches such as Brewster/Pateros, Tonasket/Oroville, or Bridgeport, Treat said.
More programs
Facilities at the new library will increase availability of existing NCW Libraries programs to patrons in the Methow, many of which weren’t feasible because of space limitations, said FOWL Board Chair Shannon Huffman Polson.
For example, the library could host speakers as part of its author series, or offer STEM and other high-tech demonstrations and classes in the new hands-on “maker” space. Patrons would be able to check out snowshoes and other equipment, Huffman Polson said.
The 7,300-square-foot Winthrop Library will have three public gathering spaces, accommodating about 70 people — a public space with acoustical dividers that can be split up for smaller groups, and the maker space. The maker space will be equipped with computers and laser cutters, but can also be used for non-high-tech programs, such as quilting, cooking classes, and art projects.
The gathering spaces will also be available to other groups in the Methow for activities such as concerts, book or fly-fishing clubs, and as practice rooms for musicians, FOWL Executive Director Jill Sheley said. The library can simply be a safe, welcoming place for young people to hang out and explore their interests, she said.
Options for tutoring include adults helping kids with homework — and young digital natives helping adults with computers and other high-tech devices.
NCW Libraries will be responsible for scheduling the spaces, Huffman Polson said.
Opening in June
FOWL has raised $4.3 million from more than a thousand donors. The library received a $2-million state appropriation for capital costs. FOWL is still fundraising for the outdoor space and landscaping, and for solar-power infrastructure.
FOWL expects substantial completion of the library by the end of April, with NCW Libraries moving in books and other supplies in May. A grand opening is planned for June 11. The schedule is subject to revisions based on supply-chain issues, Sheley said.
The presentation was held in response to a community survey about what people most want to know about the new library and what they can do there. The top question was what people will be able to do at the library. Last week FOWL did a presentation about art and architecture at the library.
Both presentations can be watched on FOWL’s YouTube page.
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