Bermel marks 25 years at Sisters Library

Peg Bermel was honored last week. photo by Jim Mitchell In 1979, Sisters had a population under 700, there was no sewer, no talk of a couplet, rooms upstairs at The Palace were $5 a night -- and Sisters had a new librarian.

Last week the library and citizens of Sisters celebrated Peg Bermel's 25th anniversary as Sisters Librarian.

The 1979 library was located next to the Depot Deli.

Bermel remembers, "There was no bathroom. I had to close the library and walk to the gas station or the deli."

In 1980 the library was moved to its present location. The restroom and storage area were added at that time and heating was put in it.

Sisters was Bermel's first library job.

"I didn't have a library background when we came to Sisters," she said. "I had more of a secretarial, clerical type background. When I started I was a library assistant. So I evolved over the years. I didn't have a Masters of Library Science. But over the years I have mastered it."

Bermel talked about the history of the library:

"In 1985 we formed the Friends of the Library group," she said. "That was a big accomplishment and a huge community event. The whole community became involved in the library and when that Friends group was formed, they decided they wanted to build a new facility. So a bunch of people got together to start fund-raising for a new library.

"In 1989 construction started. The financing came from fund-raising, a grant, and Deschutes County put some money towards it. The city designated the land for the library. And the library was built. We went from 632 square feet to 2,600 square feet. It took about eight years to fill the library with books. We've done a lot of weeding and re-arranging."

Now everything is purchased through the Deschutes Public Library District, formed in 2000. All of the books are catalogued in Bend.

"Basically, my role is I supervise, I manage the branch," Bermel said. "I have four part-time library assistants. We have a children's librarian that comes in once a week. Just recently we added a young adult librarian who will be coming in once a week. The children's librarian provides story-time programs and after school programs.

"Before we got involved with the library district, I did all the story-time programs and the summer reading programs. With the new District we have spread our wings a little bit."

Bermel described the planned new library:

"The new library is to be put out for bids by October 1," she said. "The footprint of the new library is designed after the La Pine library. We thought that the square footage would be just what we need in Sisters and, since it is such a well functioning library, why not do the same? We tweaked it a little to give it the look and feel of Sisters. We redesigned the outside and changed some things in the floor plan.

"The new facility will have a meeting room and a larger area for the kids to come. With 8,300 square feet, the children's area will probably be about 200 percent more than we have right now. You could fit this building in the proposed new children's area and meeting room."

The library concentrates on getting children of all ages to know about the library. Some of the elementary school teachers bring students over for story-time.

SOAR also brings their kids over for programs.

"We're lucky," Bermel said. "We have a great community and they are pro-library."