People think libraries are books, books, books, until they find they can do so much more inside.

The Hoquiam Timberland Library — 420 7th St. — is no exception. In fact, it’s probably better described as a standout with what they offer. And it’s been a staple of downtown Hoquiam since 1911.

So, what does a library card allow someone to do? It’s a passport for people seeking the next good read, a feature film, computer use, video games and free programs. A library card is “free to anyone of any age who lives, works or attends school in Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific or Thurston counties.

“With your library card,” said the library’s manager Sarah Livingston, “you get 50 items checked out at a time, 50 things on hold and most things check out for three weeks.”

And the good news is in case someone forgets to turn in a book on-time, there are no late fees. Just don’t turn in the rented item damaged.

That said, damage for some customers is OK. Part of that is knowing part of the library’s clientele — young children.

“Board books, which we know our earliest readers experience the world through eating things and chewing on them … even board books and picture books, books for our earliest readers, even if they come back damaged we don’t charge fees for those as long as you’re not making a habit of it and constantly having destroyed items,” she said.

And sometimes, it’s just an advantage to have a library nearby. Keith Hoffman, of Hoquiam, recently found an author whose writing he hadn’t read before. He was in the library on Thursday to find a new book. He shared his thoughts about the library.

“I like it because I like to read,” Hoffman said. “It’s a good place to find new authors and new books. And the staff here is really great. They’re helpful and friendly. They go out of their way to help you find new things.”

Hoffman’s had a library card for most of his life. He’s also checked out Timberland’s libraries in Aberdeen — 121 E. Market St. — and Montesano — 125 S. Main St. — and he likes it there as well.

What does the library provide outside of its books?

“You also get access to all of our electronic resources,” Livingston said. “We have WiFi outside all of our Timberland buildings.”

The WiFi is offered from 6 a.m. to midnight, and when the library is closed on Sundays and Mondays, WiFi can be accessed from the parking lot.

And if you’re in need of printing, users get 440 black-and-white prints, with 88 color prints per month, per card, for free, Livingston said.

“So you come in and you’re printing off for legal documents, the next great American novel, printing off color issues for your children, all free,” said Livingston, who also said you can also scan and fax.

Naomi Watkins, a 21-year-old Hoquiam woman who’s been using the library since she was 11, is thankful for the ability to use the technology inside the library.

“I don’t have a computer at home,” Watkins said. “I’ve used this to apply for jobs. You can also print off of your phone. It makes it very quick and easy.”

The library also provides an e-Book, as well as an electronic audio book for users to check out. It also offers its “Libby” app, which has thousands of titles.

“You download it, you don’t have to be on WiFi to listen to it or read it,” Livingston said.

The library also has a large variety of online resources, including ancestry.com, GrantSelect — a source that helps people trying to find grants, educational learning, job help, newspapers, microfilm for the history buffs, and other sources.

“That’s just a very small sampling of what we have at the library,” Livingston said.

The library also has Washington Assistive Technology Act Program (WATAP) devices.

“These are essentially assisted devices that people can check out and try,” Livingston said. “Let’s say you’re recovering from injury, you are experiencing a disability where you need to change how you … there’s like different utensils there, or different cardholders, adaptive keyboards, and grabbers. You can check them out from the library and see if they work for you. You can see if you want to invest in something similar for your own temporary care or permanent.”

Hoquiam Timberland Library is the hub of the county’s libraries. Livingston’s research showed the library has 7,039 registered users who have chosen the Hoquiam site. And then 5,781 customers have used it in the past year.

“That’s pretty good,” Livingston said about the circulation.

The entire Timberland Regional Library district covers Grays Harbor, Mason, Thurston, Lewis and Pacific counties.

“The service area is the size of New Jersey,” Livingston said. “It’s a lot of area to cover. We have 29 branches currently and eight in Grays Harbor, including Hoquiam.”

And then there are a lot of programs the library provides.

One of those programs is “Preschool Story Time,” which occurs on Fridays from 10 to 10:30 a.m. The program includes stories, songs and activities for “preschoolers and their families.”

Another one of the many programs is LEGO Plus, which happens on Wednesdays from 4 to 5 p.m. Livingston said the program promotes engineering and math skills.

“Unleash your inner engineer and create with our large collection of LEGO bricks, connector straws, KEVA planks and more,” Livingston’s slideshow stated. “Drop in or stay the whole time. Children must be accompanied by an adult.”

One area in the library that’s special to Watkins is the library’s Reading Fort because she sits in there and reads to her three-year-old niece.

“My favorite place is the Reading Fort,” Watkins said. “I come in here with my niece a lot. It gets a little crazy in here. She’ll jump around but in between that we’ll get some good reading in.”

And soon there will even be something for children’s stuffed animals at what the library calls “Barkley’s Sleepover.” This is for the stuffed animals to stay the night, not the children.

Families are to bring their children’s favorite stuffed animal for a “sleepover” at the library. The staff there will take pictures throughout the sleepover as the animals “play” games. When the families pick up their stuffed animals the following day, the families will be able to take home a “memory book from the night so you can see the fun they had.” The stuffed animal drop off is set from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Friday, Dec. 15. Animal pickup is from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Saturday, Dec. 16.

“Olympia did this over the summer … it’s my kid’s favorite book now, which is adorable,” Livingston said.

The library also provides a program called “Pizza & Paperbacks.” The next dates are Nov. 9 and Dec. 14. The program lasts from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. and it’s for teens from sixth through 12th grade, according to Livingston’s slideshow.

“I feed them pizza, we talk about books,” Livingston said. “It’s a great time. This time we talked a lot about zombies because they wanted to. It was awesome.”

The library also has an Xbox One available on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., for teens from sixth through 12th grade. The TV is inside the teens section of the library.

And everyone knows someone who needs technical support for their electronic devices. There’s a program for that as well. It’s called “Digital Navigator Open Office Hours.”

“She teaches adults how to use technology,” Livingston said about the host. “So, ‘I’ve got a new phone, how do I use it? How do I send an email?’… that sort of thing.”

The library is also hiring someone who can provide mobile service through the “Anywhere” library throughout the county. That’ll probably start early 2024.

“It’s to meet people where they are,” Livingston said. “We partner with senior centers, food banks and after-school programs.”

Long-time user

Watkins said in the past 10 years the library has “become a secondary home.”

“This year marks the 10th year of me showing up to the library almost every day,” Watkins said.

Watkins couldn’t praise the offerings of the library or the staff any more.

“There are events going on literally every day for children and adults,” Watkins said.

Watkins loves how she can hang out at the library. She tells her friends to do the same.

“One friend I recommended to the library, they now come here with their own kids,” Watkins said.

Watkins loves the place so much she’s even applied to work there.

“Why not work at the place you love?” Watkins said.

For more information, log onto TRL.org, where you can learn about your city’s Timberland library, or another library in the area. You can also search for the many programs, events and resources your library has.

Contact Reporter Matthew N. Wells at matthew.wells@thedailyworld.com.

Matthew N. Wells / The Daily World One popular place in the library is the Reading Fort, which is part of the children’s area of Hoquiam Timberland Library. Sarah Livingston, who manages the library, said children, their friends and their parents and guardians will sit in there and read together. “It’s a magical place,” Livingston said.

Naomi Watkins, a 21-year-old Hoquiam resident, has visited the library nearly every day for the past 10 years. She found her “secondary home,” when she was in fifth grade. Now, Watkins loves reading to her niece. Her niece loves dinosaurs, so it tickled Watkins to see “Book of Dinosaurs — 10 Record Breaking Prehistoric Animals.” (Matthew N. Wells / The Daily World)

A look at the computer area for the Hoquiam Timberland Library. There, people can surf the internet, print, scan and fax documents. Users get 440 copies of black-and-white pages and 88 color pages per month, which can make it easier on students finalizing a school report, or a business owner drafting up a proposal. (Matthew N. Wells / The Daily World)