BY ISAIAH FRIZZELL
The idea behind modern libraries has always been about leveling the socio-intellectual playing field. They were storehouses of intellectual, scientific and basic knowledge, equaling power.
The library must be worshipped. It is a meeting place for students with zero distraction, a spot for small teams to meet without much overhead, and basic tools available. But more than that, the library gives off a scent, the scent of thoughts. The books you might read are thoughts of another, completely different, although in many ways similar, person who might fill in gaps in your understanding, humor or lifestyle considerations. You find people who make you live, laugh and love.
And mahalo for all she does. This woman is a friendly face at the Hailey Public Library (HPL) at Main and Croy streets.
Born in Hawaii, Lahela found her way to Richfield, Idaho, married, and, after moving in with her other half’s family, began teaching English at the Richfield School for another three years. A desire for something new led her to apply at the HPL.
“I’m like the front line for everything when people have needs. They sign up for library cards through me. I check in their books. I talk to them and give them book recommendations. And, obviously, I do this with, you know, the support of my team. When the kids are asking for kidsy stuff, I’m like, you know, Miss Lee in the back knows a lot more about this than me. And Laura is our reference librarian, and she has this incredible, like, breadth of, like, knowledge. And so, like when I can’t handle something, my team is able to support me in those ways.” Maxwell is clearly intelligent enough to delegate and work as a team player.
Speaking of Teams
Maxwell was taught snowboarding by her husband and loves this in the winter but she has an absolute passion for roller derby. Having known so many women who love and participate in roller derby, could we create something like that in the Wood River Valley? If you’re interested, contact me and we’ll work with Lahela Maxwell and make it happen.
Community is Remembering
We all take the time to chat with our friends or even relative acquaintances. It’s a pleasure and a source of local information.
“I know all of our, most of our, patrons’ names. I’ve known most of them for a long time.
I actually just had a guy come in, and he was a regular last summer around the time I started, and he was gone, and he came back after a year, and I was like, hey, Mr. N____, and he was blown away that I remembered his name.”
The Library Will Always Survive
Visit the Hailey Public Library and check out the bulletin board in the back. Pause for a moment of online researching, print anything, ask Maxwell about a book you’ve been considering. Utterly beautiful, elegant, well-spoken and an adept woman, Maxwell is worth knowing. That’s community. Enjoy it!
