Clearwater County Free Library District

In this remote, mountainous region, the Weippe Public Library & Discovery Center is a valued community resource, which, through imaginative partnerships, brought high-speed Internet service to the tiny town of Weippe and nearby communities and will soon expand the current library-centered cell phone service to serve the entire community. The library helps residents apply for jobs and unemployment assistance and learn basic computer skills. It also channels the abundant energy of youngsters into positive pathways, using both high-tech electronic games and LEGOs®. Area children compete in LEGOs-sponsored problem-solving challenges that reflect real-world situations. Preschool children benefit from First Books, a program that provides free books and offers storytelling services, and the library is working with area schools on programs to improve math and reading scores. The library also operates the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and is working to form partnerships that will bring tourism-related jobs to the area in an effort to end persistent unemployment.