(Hudson, WY) – Susan Bronson, Hudson’s Volunteer Librarian at the Yablonski Memorial Library, received the Maurine Carley Historical Preservation Award at last week’s Wyoming Historical Society Annual Awards Luncheon, held at the historic Sheridan Inn in Sheridan on September 13.
Bronson, who moved to Riverton from Iowa 25 years ago and works as a membership experience manager for the Girl Scouts (and also runs 13 Troops throughout Fremont County and Thermopolis), said she was “very shocked,” but “very pleased” to receive the honor.
“I’m very proud that what we have done is making a difference, because we’re not gonna let this building just be torn down and moved away and have the books be put in the dumpster somewhere,” she added.
Restoration efforts of the Library began last year when a group of Hudson locals made it their mission to breathe new life into the space.
(To learn more about the history of the Yablonski Memorial Library and those early restoration efforts, check out last year’s Coffee Time interview with Marlyne Middour, another one of the Library’s biggest champions.)
“I work for Girl Scouts and I have Girl Scout troops, and we were trying to find a place to have a Girl Scout overnighter; so that’s how the Mayor here in town got involved,” Bronson explained. “She said, ‘What about the library?’ and I said, ‘I didn’t know there was a library here in town!'”
After having a successful overnighter with the Girl Scouts and then seeing the inside of the building, Bronson said it was “like walking into frozen time.”
“The world had just stopped. Somebody closed the library up and just walked away.”
After “a lot of cleaning,” “a lot of rearranging,” and some interactions with “a lot of friendly spiders and bugs,” the crew began preparing the Library for public use.
As to why she was so ready to help restore the Yablonski Memorial Library, Bronson said it was something that she immediately knew she wanted to be a part of.
“I just fell in love with this little town and the library. I just have a heart to try and do something to help build the town back up and make it a stopping point between (Lander and Riverton).”
“One of the things that Susan told me about Hudson is it reminds her of the place where she grew up,” Hudson Mayor Sherry Oler added. Mayor Oler shared that she was also excited about the Wyoming Historical Society recognition.
“I think it’s awesome to get the statewide recognition. Susan has worked very, very hard to get the library in great shape. I mean, many, many, many hours. It did not look like this when she came in. It’s really exciting.”
Big plans are on the horizon for the Library as well. Bronson shared that they want to turn the storage room in the back of the Library into a space for historical speakers, kids/family crafts, and presentations by local and Wyoming authors.
“I want to call it the Wagon Mines Learning Center, to celebrate the coal mining roots of Hudson,” Bronson beamed. “We could have events, hopefully maybe someday do some kind of coal miners event. Get the town and the historians involved, and bring that history back to full view for the public and the younger generations to keep that mission going.”
“The generation moving to Hudson does not know the history that’s here, which, I mean, that’s (an issue) everywhere, but it would be great to telegraph that history so that people living here can understand it,” Mayor Oler added. “And the only way to do that is to make it up front and available to the public.”
As for the author presentations, Bronson said they would feature local writers like Jerry Kendall, who “lives right across the street,” but they would also love to get nationally recognized authors as well.
“My dream is to get Craig Johnson or C.J. box here,” Bronson commented.
“(The authors could) come in and talk about their book, sell them… or they can talk about the process of writing the book or the process of getting it published.”
Bronson also said she has taken inspiration from the novel The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, which tells the story of a packhorse librarian who delivered books to remote areas of the Appalachian Mountains during the Great Depression, and plans to set up a book delivery service, mainly for seniors who may have difficulty making it to the Library.
“So then I’ll just drop them a book off every two weeks. They could read it. They don’t have to get out in the snow. They don’t even have to shovel their walkway.”
In addition to possibly needing volunteers to help with all of these future endeavors, the Library is also always looking for gently used books, Bronson added.
“I just don’t believe in ever throwing a book away or burning it.”
She’s even built some of the shelves herself to make room for more book storage space.
For more information about the Yablonsky Library and to learn how to donate books/volunteer, please reach out to their Facebook page.
h/t Vince Tropea, County 10