New library digital collection celebrates local islander’s stories
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Submitted by the San Juan Island Library.
The San Juan Island Library, in collaboration with Kira Joy Williams, one of Alchemy Art Center’s artists-in-residence, is excited to announce the creation of a new local digital collection celebrating the “Home is in the Stories” project. The entries were part of a larger project facilitated by Williams during her 2025 artist-in-residence at the Alchemy Art Center.
The islanders who participated in this project engaged in reflection about what makes the island home, and then were either interviewed or created a collage about their own or a partner’s story. These stories, created within communities, explore the ways in which individuals and groups engage in placemaking and the varied cultural touchpoints that construct a concept of a home. The project was inspired by experiences in Williams’s life. “I was inspired by a desperate attempt to salvage my grandma’s memories as she struggled with dementia,” Williams said. “I realized how important her storytelling was to the formation of my identity, which led to my interest in the impact of preserving individual and collective stories of home within communities.”
The new collection can be viewed on the library’s Biblioboard page, or by using this direct link: https://library.biblioboard.com/anthology-collection/sjiwriting/homestories.
The library is excited to add this collection to its growing catalog of local art and culture. “We were excited when Kira proposed this project, as we’ve been looking for additional ways to record and celebrate the stories of island residents,” said Anthony Morris, assistant director of the SJI Library. “We’re so grateful that we can provide access to these stories, and we hope to expand on this project, when we have the right equipment and space to do so.” To see the range of local digital collections the library has available, please visit: sjlib.org/creators-circle/.
Library staff can answer any questions you have at 360-378-2798 or sjlib@sjlib.org. Library programs and cards are free of charge to San Juan Island residents. In addition to its collections of books, videos, equipment, games, audiobooks and other materials to loan, the library also provides public access computers, Wi-Fi and a suite of databases that patrons can access in the library or at home. Library hours are Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays, noon to 3 p.m.
