How Willow Creek Public Library transforms into a community cooling center during the summer

Another hot summer has beamed down on the town of Willow Creek.

While these hot temperatures are nothing new to residents, it can be too much for those stopping by or those without the proper ways to cool down.

While not as hot as previous days at this time of reporting, Willow Creek still faced triple-digit temperatures throughout the summer, even coming close to the Hill Fire.

Willow Creek Public Library becomes a cooling center when things heat up into the triple digits.

“A cooling center is just a place. It’s open to the public and has resources that include water. Sometimes we have snacks. We always have the air on air purifiers,” Willow Creek Public Library Branch Manager Elizabeth Bolton said.

Bolton has been with the library for 13 years having to turn the library into several centers depending on weather conditions.

It becomes a warming center in the winter in case power goes out and people need a warm place to stop by and it becomes a clean air center when wildfires affect the air quality.

“When we’re a clean air center. We have an air scrubber and multiple air purifiers just to give people relief from pretty bad air. We also have masks available for people to take with them,” Bolton said.

It’s also a chance to explore the library and its amenities.

“We have lots of things for people to do. We have books, we have magazines, we have computers. We have board games that you can check out and play with your family,” Bolton said. “We are currently promoting our tiny art, where you can pick up a little canvas and you can work on that while you’re here.”

It’s a part of making sure the community stays comfortable even when the weather isn’t.

“Just the importance of community and checking on your neighbor. Even if there is a cooling center or a clean air center, not everybody is aware. It’s really wonderful,” Bolton said. “It’s great to have a space where people can come and just talk about what we’re all going through together as a community.”

The Kim Yerton Memorial Library has also served as a cooling center for Hoopa residents trying to beat the heat.